Chapter 12 - The Reckoning Begins
Mark crept up the spiral staircase, keeping his back pressed flat against the marble wall.
Every shadow seemed to stretch toward him like a warning.
He reached the heavy oak doors of Grandfather Arthur’s private study on the second floor.
He turned the brass handle slowly and slipped inside, locking the door behind him.
The room smelled of expensive cigars, old leather, and polished mahogany.
In the corner sat the master computer workstation, glowing faintly in the dark.
Mark rushed to the desk, pulled out the hardware drive, and inserted it into the central tower port.
The screen flickered instantly as Sarah’s remote override program initiated.
TRANSFERRING DATA... 10%... 30%...
Mark watched the progress bar with a racing heart.
Suddenly, the doorknob jiggled violently from the outside.
A key rattled inside the lock.
Mark ducked behind the heavy mahogany desk, pulling the suppressed pistol from his jacket.
The door swung open, revealing Aunt Stephanie holding a crystal glass of wine.
She walked into the room humming softly, looking for a bottle of bourbon on the side bar.
She froze as her eyes caught the glowing computer screen displaying the active file transfer.
"What in the world...?" Stephanie muttered, taking a step toward the desk.
Mark stepped out from the shadows, pointing the gun directly at her chest.
"Don't make a sound, Stephanie," Mark said, his voice dropping to a terrifying, icy whisper.
Stephanie gasped, dropping her wine glass onto the plush Persian rug.
The glass shattered, splashing red wine across the floor like fresh blood.
"You..." Stephanie sneered, her shocked expression quickly turning into a hateful scowl.
"How dare you break into this house!"
"You're a dead man, Mark!"
"Victor is going to cut you into pieces!"
"Call him," Mark challenged, taking a step closer, his eyes burning with absolute hatred.
"Call everyone down there."
"Tell them to look up at the main ballroom screens right now."
Stephanie frowned, glancing back at the computer terminal as the screen flashed green.
TRANSFER COMPLETE.
Downstairs in the grand ballroom, the classical music suddenly cut off into harsh static.
The massive high-definition screens mounted around the room flickered brightly.
The unedited video began to play at maximum volume, echoing throughout the entire estate.
The entire ballroom fell into a stunned, horrified silence.
Stephanie’s face drained of all color as she heard her own voice echoing from the speakers below.
"It was just a joke... she needs to be stronger!"
Mark stepped closer to Stephanie, pressing the cold barrel of the gun against her forehead.
May you like
"The whole city is watching you now, Stephanie," Mark whispered.
"Your little game is over."
