Chapter 3 - The Broken Circle
The air inside the locked meeting room turned ice-cold.
Caleb Ross pulled his hands back from the table, his gold wristwatch catching the light as his throat tightened. "Damon... wait. You can't possibly believe a three-year-old child over me! I’ve been sitting at this table next to you for two hours!"
Damon didn't raise his voice. He took two slow steps toward Caleb, the black access card held firmly between his fingers. "This card belongs to the master administrative terminal in my private office, Caleb. Only four people have a duplicate. You are one of them."
"Someone took it from my coat!" Caleb pleaded frantically, looking around at the other directors who were all backing away from him. "I left my jacket in the holding room before the meeting! Someone planted it on the kid to frame me!"
Marcus Vale stepped behind Caleb’s chair, placing a heavy, disciplined hand on the man’s shoulder, pinning him in place. "Boss, I checked the garage sweep. There is no bomb in the lower level. The threat called into Selena’s phone was a diversion—a trick to get her to flee the estate with Ruby so the alarm wouldn't be raised while someone accessed the vault."
Selena took a deep breath, her eyes brimming with tears as she pulled Ruby close to her side. "Why would anyone want to frame us? We don't have anything!"
Damon turned to look at Selena. His dark, sharp eyes softened for a brief fraction of a second as he looked at her pale, lovely face. "They didn't use you because of what you have, Selena. They used you because three years ago, your late husband Mateo was my chief harbor manager."
Selena gasped softly. Mateo had died in a sudden, tragic warehouse accident at the shipping docks three years ago—an event that had prompted Damon to personally bring Selena and her newborn daughter onto his estate to ensure they were cared for and protected.
"Mateo..." Selena whispered, her voice trembling. "What does Mateo have to do with an access card?"
Damon turned back to Caleb, his dark eyes turning back into shards of obsidian. "Caleb... three years ago, you were the one who filed the final investigation report on Mateo’s accident. You swore the dock crane failed due to mechanical wear."
Caleb swallowed hard, cold sweat breaking out across his forehead. "It was an equipment failure! I showed you the inspection logs!"
"Marcus," Damon commanded coldly. "Take Caleb down to the holding facility beneath the west wing. Take his phone, his watch, and his keys. Search his private office in Scottsdale."
"Damon, please! You're making a mistake!" Caleb shouted as Marcus and two armed guards dragged him out of the room, his dark navy suit rumpled as the heavy doors locked behind them.
Damon turned back to Selena and Ruby. He walked over, dropping to one knee so he was at exact eye level with the three-year-old child.
"You were very brave today, little one," Damon said, his deep voice carrying a quiet warmth that no one in the syndicate had ever heard before.
Ruby offered him a tiny smile, holding her pink suitcase handle tightly. "Is the bad caller gone?"
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Damon reached out, his broad, calloused hand gently patting her soft brown curls. "Not yet. But I promise you, he won't get near this house again."
Damon stood up and looked at Selena. "Pack a bag for you and Ruby. You are moving into my private quarters on the third floor immediately."
