Chapter 6 - The Viper's Strike
The attack on the penthouse was only the beginning.
Victor's empire was under siege, and paranoia infected every corner of our lives.
The traitor who had let the assassins into the building was still unknown.
I tried to keep things normal for Maya, but the tension was suffocating.
One afternoon, I took Maya to the private rooftop garden for some fresh air.
My assigned bodyguard, a massive man named Dmitri, stood by the glass doors.
Suddenly, Dmitri's radio cracked to life, and he stepped into the stairwell to answer it.
That was the fatal mistake.
From the shadows of the utility shed, a figure emerged holding a suppressed pistol.
It was Marcus, my former hotel supervisor.
"Hello, Sarah," Marcus sneered, his eyes wild and desperate.
"It turns out the southern cartel pays much better than Mr. Sterling."
Before I could scream, Marcus grabbed Maya from her stroller, pressing the gun to her tiny side.
"Not a sound, or I end her right here," he hissed.
My blood turned to ice, and the world began to spin.
"Please, Marcus, take me instead, just let her go!" I begged, falling to my knees.
"Victor loves this brat," Marcus laughed cruelly.
"She is the perfect leverage to force him to surrender his territory."
He dragged my screaming daughter toward the service elevator.
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I was left alone on the rooftop, my screams finally tearing through the air.
My child was in the hands of monsters, and it was entirely my fault.
