Chapter 2 - The Eye in the Glass
Victoria froze, her gaze darting frantically toward the ornate crown molding.
Concealed within the brass filigree of the antique sconces were three micro-aperture security lenses.
Her father, Judge Harold Sterling, had insisted on an unmonitored home when they married.
Marcus had agreed publicly, but privately, he had fortified every square foot of the Vance estate.
Elena slipped past them, her soft shoes making no sound as she hurried up the grand staircase.
Victoria tried to pull her wrist free from Marcus’s crushing grip.
"You set me up," Victoria hissed, her voice trembling with venomous rage.
"You hired that girl specifically to provoke me!"
"Elena didn't provoke you, Victoria," Marcus replied, releasing her wrist with a flick of disgust.
"You provoked yourself.
Your greed, your reckless spending, and your obsession with controlling the Vance Trust made you careless."
Marcus reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a slim, gold-plated remote control.
He pressed the central toggle.
The double mahogany doors at both ends of the grand gallery slid shut with heavy pneumatic clicks.
The central digital panel on the wall illuminated with a bright amber glow: ESTATE LOCKDOWN ENGAGED.
Victoria backed away toward the console table, clutching her bruised wrist.
"What is the meaning of this, Marcus?
You cannot hold me hostage in my own home!"
"This house belongs to the Vance Family Foundation, Victoria," Marcus stated with absolute legal precision.
"Under the prenuptial covenant you signed three years ago, any act of physical violence committed against an employee or a family member triggers immediate forfeiture of residential rights.
You are no longer a resident here.
You are an intruder facing felony assault charges."
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The heavy footsteps of private security echoed from the rear service corridor.
Commander David Briggs and two armed operators entered the hallway, their faces expressionless under black berets.
