Chapter 21 - The Final Warning Echoes From an Unknown Source
That evening, back inside the secure sanctuary of the Westchester estate, the household finally felt entirely peaceful.
Lily was fast asleep upstairs in her grand bedroom, clutching her ragged stuffed rabbit tightly in her arms.
Adrian sat by the roaring fireplace in his study, reading a storybook while sipping a glass of aged bourbon.
Suddenly, his encrypted cell phone on the side table buzzed with a single incoming text message from an unknown number.
He picked up the phone, unlocking the screen with his thumbprint and opening the blinking notification bubble.
His slate-gray eyes narrowed sharply as he read the chilling, single sentence glowing against the dark glass display:
“You can lock your doors and drown your traitors, Adrian, but your heart still beats on my schedule.”
May you like
Before he could trace the signal, the study lamp flickered off, plunging the room into absolute darkness:
The final game had only just begun.
