Chapter 21 - An Ominous Final Warning Arrives At Midnight Gates
Midnight wrapped the coastal sanctuary in absolute stillness as soft moonlight poured through the reinforced glass windows.
I was resting quietly in my private study while reviewing audit ledgers for a new federal anti-fraud initiative.
Suddenly, the secure digital intercom system near the front gated entrance chimed with a soft, electronic alert.
I walked out to the hallway, checking the live-feed security monitor displaying the front stone security pillar.
There was no person standing before the camera, but resting squarely on the stone pillar was a small black envelope.
I unlocked the heavy pedestrian door manually, stepping out into the crisp night air to retrieve the mysterious package.
I brought it inside, locking the deadbolt securely behind me before opening the thick paper flap under the desk lamp.
Inside was a single printed photograph of my current coastal home taken from an angle outside the property boundary.
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Scrawled across the back of the photograph in dark red ink was a chilling, unexpected final warning:
“You locked up Adrian and exposed Celeste, but you never checked who really holds the master deed to the land beneath this house.”
