Chapter 21 - A Chilling Warning Left On The Front Gates
Late one quiet Friday midnight, the automated security chime on the Bel Air estate gates echoed softly through the night.
Marcus and Chloe walked down the long, palm-lined driveway to inspect the perimeter security monitors.
There was no vehicle or person in sight along the dark, winding street outside the grand wrought-iron entrance.
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.
Chloe picked it up with a gloved hand, unlocked the pedestrian gate, and sliced open the seal with her pocket knife.
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Inside lay a single photograph of Chloe standing on her balcony earlier that afternoon, alongside a handwritten note:
“You conquered the local pawns, Chloe... but the true monarch of the global syndicate has just landed in Los Angeles.”
