Chapter 4 - The Poisoned Bait(Target: 2,000 words - Focus: Marcus’s retaliation, an attempt on Victoria’s life via a staged accident, and the turning point where Victoria hunts the hunters.)
Three days passed. The media was obsessed with the "Bride of Justice" story. But behind the scenes, the danger was escalating. I was living in a heavily fortified penthouse, sleeping with a licensed firearm under my pillow.
On Thursday evening, Julian called me with urgent news. "Victoria, we found the ledger. The real one. Adrian’s accountant panicked and tried to burn it, but my team intercepted him. It contains the offshore bank account numbers where Adrian transferred your father’s stolen millions. But there's a catch—it requires a physical hardware token that’s still inside Adrian’s private safe at his lake house."
"The lake house," I murmured. It was the place where Adrian used to take me when he didn't want the penthouse staff to hear my screams. Just hearing the name made my skin crawl. "It’s a trap, Julian. Marcus knows we want that token."
"It is a trap," a voice suddenly echoed through my phone line.
The line cracked, and Julian’s voice vanished, replaced by the chilling chuckle of Marcus Blackwell. "Smart girl. But you don't have a choice. I have Julian. If you want him to see tomorrow, you bring the memory card encryption key to the lake house tonight. Come alone, or I’ll send him back to you piece by piece."
The line went dead.
My hands trembled, but my mind was laser-focused. They thought I was the same terrified girl who used to hide in the closet. They didn't realize that the fire Adrian used to burn me had only forged me into steel.
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I didn't call the police immediately—Marcus would have lookouts. Instead, I called Detective Miller on a secure burner phone. "Miller, Marcus has Julian. They are at the Greenwood Lake house. I am going in as the bait. Set up a perimeter, but do not move until I am inside. I need them to confess on a live feed."
I strapped a hidden body camera into the button of my black blouse, loaded my weapon, and drove into the dark, rainy night.
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