Chapter 1 - The Weight of SilenceRhett Valon had spent twenty years sealing every crack in his fortress, ensuring that no one could ever reach past his armor. But as he lifted Isla Voss from the blood-soaked bedroom floor of her Pilsen apartment, he realized his entire empire had been built around a blind spot.
Her breath hitched, fluttering against his chest like a trapped bird.
“Don't move,” Rhett commanded, his voice dropping to a harsh, controlled whisper. It was the tone he used when men were about to die, but tonight, it trembled with a suppressed fury that terrified even him.
He carried her past the shattered bookshelf, down the dimly lit hallway, and out into the pouring Chicago rain. His black SUV was parked illegally across from the laundromat. Marcus stood beside the driver's door, umbrella in hand. When Marcus saw Rhett emerge carrying the battered housekeeper, his usual stoic composure instantly dissolved.
“Get the back door open, Marcus. Now,” Rhett barked.
“Sir, should I call a medic to the estate—”
“No hospitals,” Rhett interrupted, sliding Isla carefully across the leather seat. “Dr. Castillo. Have him waiting at the house before we pull through the gates. If he leaks a single word, strip him of his license and everything he owns.”
As the SUV sliced through the rain-slicked streets of Chicago, Isla stirred, her fingers clutching weakly at Rhett’s sleeve.
“Mr. Valon... you shouldn't have... they’re watching you...” she whispered, her voice fractured by the bruising around her throat.
“Let them watch,” Rhett said, his jaw locked so tight a muscle ticked in his cheek. “Who did this, Isla?”
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She closed her eyes, a single tear cutting through the dust and dried blood on her pale cheek. “It was... someone close. Someone who knew my schedule. Someone who knew about... the ledger.”
Rhett’s heart hammered against his ribs. Ledger? Isla wasn't just a housekeeper. She had been guarding a secret, and someone had tried to butcher her to get it.
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