Chapter 7 - The missing piece
Daniel stood on the second-floor interior balcony, perfectly concealed in the shadows. He wore his tailored black suit, looking like a phantom of authority. He watched Vanessa sprint down the hallway toward the back exit, clutching the titanium box to her chest.
He didn't move to stop her. He pulled a sleek radio from his pocket.
"Let her pass the perimeter," Daniel commanded his security chief in a frighteningly calm voice. "Track the vehicle. I want to know exactly who she delivers that box to."
Daniel walked down the grand staircase, expecting to see Grace waiting in the kitchen as they had planned. But the kitchen was empty. Her apron was on the floor.
A sudden, unfamiliar spike of genuine fear pierced Daniel's chest. He moved with sudden, predatory speed, his polished leather shoes silent on the marble. He checked the staff quarters. Empty.
He moved to the west wing, taking the stone stairs two at a time. When he reached the bottom, he saw the heavy steel door of the vault completely shut.
Daniel slammed his hand against the biometric scanner next to the door. The steel mechanism hissed and unlocked. He pulled the massive door open.
Grace was sitting on the floor of the vault, rubbing her bruised shoulder. She looked up, her fair, rosy skin pale in the bright halogen light, but she didn't look broken. She looked relieved.
"I'm sorry," Grace said, standing up quickly, dusting off her pale-blue uniform. "She was faster than I thought. She shoved me in."
Daniel stepped into the vault, closing the distance between them. The legendary, composed mafia boss reached out, his large hands gripping her shoulders gently, his dark eyes scanning her face for any sign of serious injury.
"Are you hurt?" Daniel asked, his voice thick with an emotion he usually kept buried deep inside.
"I'm fine," Grace promised softly, looking up into his rugged face. "But she took the box. She thinks she has the ledger."
Daniel let out a low, dark chuckle. He released her shoulders, stepping back. "She took a box full of old telephone directories. The real ledger hasn't been in this house for five years."
Grace stared at him, stunned. "Then why let her steal it at all?"
"Because Vanessa isn't acting alone," Daniel explained, his tone turning ice-cold. "She is a pawn. Her family has been deeply in debt to the Romanov syndicate for a decade. She manipulated her way into my life to find my weaknesses and pay off her family's blood debt. I needed her to lead me straight to the men holding her leash."
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, reading a single text message from his security team.
Target arrived at the shipping yards. Romanov lieutenants are present.
May you like
Daniel looked at Grace. The maid who had quietly endured humiliation, who had rushed to his side when he fell, who had bravely faced down a traitor in the dark.
"The game is over," Daniel said, his intense presence filling the small vault. "Come with me, Grace. It's time you see how this world actually works."
