CHAPTER 1: THE DOORS CLOSE
The sound hit like a gunshot.
CLANG.
Every head in the ballroom turned as the massive steel doors sealed shut, the echo rolling through crystal and marble. The laughter didn’t stop immediately—it fractured, confused, uncertain.
Then the lights shifted.
Not off. Not dramatic. Just… controlled.
Security override.
The man behind me—Elliot Crane—lowered his champagne glass slightly. Just slightly. For the first time, his smile hesitated.
“What the hell was that?” someone near the bar muttered.
I dabbed the blood from my lip with the back of my hand, calm now. Completely calm.
“You said I was trapped,” I told Elliot quietly, turning just enough to meet his eyes. “You were half right.”
His smirk came back, but it was thinner now. “You think locking doors scares me?”
“No,” I said. “It protects me.”
A sharp voice cut through the room. “Phones are down!”
Another voice: “Wi-Fi’s gone—what is this?”
A third: “The elevators just stopped responding.”
Now the panic started to ripple.
Elliot stepped closer, lowering his voice. “You think a stunt like this saves you? You have any idea who you’re dealing with?”
I met his gaze without blinking.
“Yes,” I said softly. “That’s exactly why I made the call.”
Above us, the chandeliers flickered once.
Then a new sound entered the room.
Boots.
Heavy. Measured. Coordinated.
Coming from behind the sealed doors.
Elliot’s expression changed.
Not fear.
May you like
Recognition.
And that was worse.
