Chapter 2 - The Tampered Feeds
The sudden rotation of the security camera sent an electric charge of tension through the entrance hall.
Marco was moving before Adrian even spoke. He pulled his sidearm from beneath his charcoal suit jacket, keeping his body between the front entrance and the small girl kneeling on the marble floor.
"Network breach on level one, Boss," Marco growled into his earpiece, his sharp eyes scanning the high balcony above. "Local server feed was just routed to an external proxy."
Teresa stepped forward without hesitation, her warm, maternal instincts taking over. She knelt beside Emma, wrapping a protective arm around the six-year-old’s shoulders. "Come with me, sweetheart," Teresa said gently. "Let's get you a glass of warm milk in the kitchen."
Emma looked at Adrian first, as if asking for permission. Adrian gave her a subtle, reassuring nod. "Go with Teresa, Emma. You're safe here."
Once Teresa led the child down the kitchen corridor, Adrian stood up, his tall frame radiating a cold, lethal aura. He held the worn envelope in his left hand, his fingers tightening against the paper.
"Who has access to the internal camera overrides, Marco?" Adrian asked, his voice dropping into a low baritone.
"Only three people, Adrian," Marco replied, his jaw tight. "You, me, and the secondary terminal in the estate's east wing office."
"Lock down the perimeter," Adrian commanded. "Nobody leaves this property. And bring the digital analysis kit to my private study."
Ten minutes later, Adrian sat behind his heavy mahogany desk on the second floor. The room was bathed in the warm glow of desk lamps, contrasting with the dark rain beating against the bulletproof glass windows.
Adrian laid the photographs out in a neat row across the leather blotter. He picked up the empty white envelope and ran his thumb along the inner seam. His sharp eyes caught a tiny, rigid ridge hidden beneath the paper lining.
Using a fine silver blade from his desk drawer, Adrian sliced open the bottom fold.
Out slipped a small, metallic micro-key stamped with a four-digit serial number: 4082, along with a handwritten note on thin parchment.
The handwriting belonged to Clara Carter—Emma's mother.
Adrian,
If Emma has delivered this envelope to you, it means they have found us. Julian is alive, but he has been forced to remain in the shadows since the fire six years ago. He discovered that the fire was not an accident—it was set by someone inside the Commission who wanted to dismantle the DeLuca bloodline from within.
The key opens Vault 4082 at the Brooklyn Maritime Deposit. Inside is the full ledger proving who paid for the strike six years ago. Protect our daughter.
Clara.
Adrian stared at the parchment, his piercing blue eyes darkening with cold fury. His brother had not died six years ago; he had been driven into hiding to protect a child Adrian never knew existed.
The study door opened quietly, and Marco walked in, carrying a encrypted diagnostic tablet. His face was unusually grim.
"I ran the trace on the camera rotation from the foyer, Boss," Marco said, setting the tablet on the desk.
"What did you find?" Adrian asked.
"The override signal didn't come from an outside hacker," Marco revealed softly. "It was executed using an executive security clearance token logged directly from inside this mansion thirty minutes ago."
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Adrian looked up from the letter, his blue eyes locking onto Marco like a vice. "Whose token was used?"
"Mine," Marco answered, his voice steady but laced with deep concern. "My security credentials were used to bypass the foyer cameras five minutes before that little girl walked through the gate."
