Chapter 20 - A Mysterious Warning Left On The Front Gate
Late on a quiet Friday midnight, the automated security chime on the coastal estate gates echoed softly through the night.
Michael walked down the long, winding driveway under the pale glow of the security floodlights to inspect the perimeter.
There was no vehicle or person in sight along the dark, winding country road bordering the sprawling property.
Resting on the stone pillar was a plain black envelope sealed with an unfamiliar crimson wax stamp.
There was no return address or postal mark, only a chilling symbol carved directly into the hardened red wax.
Michael picked it up with a gloved hand, unlocked the pedestrian gate, and sliced open the seal with his pocket knife.
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Inside lay a single photograph of Emma and Lily playing in the garden earlier that afternoon, alongside a handwritten note:
“You destroyed our local pawns, Michael... but the true mastermind of the Bennett family has just landed in California.”
