Chapter 21 - A Sinister Black Envelope Appears At The Gate
Late that night, long after the mansion had fallen into absolute silence and the security floodlights illuminated the grounds, a soft metallic scrape echoed from the driveway.
Jack walked down the long gravel pathway toward the grand wrought-iron security gates of the coastal property to investigate a motion sensor alert.
Resting on the stone pillar right beneath the intercom box was a plain black envelope sealed securely with a heavy blob of crimson wax.
There was no return address or postal mark, only an unfamiliar geometric silver crest stamped intricately into the wax.
Jack picked it up with a gloved hand, sliced open the heavy seal with a small letter opener, and unfolded the crisp cardstock note inside.
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Scrawled across the paper in sharp, elegant silver ink was a chilling message that made his blood run instantly cold:
“Victoria was merely an expendable pawn in our grand design, Jack... the true debt your corporate empire owes to our international syndicate has not yet been collected. We are coming for your daughter next.”
