Chapter 7 - The Unopened File
Julian lowered the secondary smartphone, watching his father handle the immediate crisis with ruthless precision.
As he tapped the screen to close the running video, the device refreshed its automated cloud backup.
A small thumbnail suddenly materialized at the bottom of the screen, bearing an unrecognized file name.
Julian frowned, his dark eyebrows knitting together as he noticed the timestamp.
The recording had been captured automatically by the hidden camera just forty-eight hours ago, while Julian was at the university.
Julian tapped the thumbnail, opening the high-resolution file out of sheer curiosity.
The audio began playing immediately, faint but crystal clear through the small speaker.
On the screen, Evelyn and Margaret sat together on the velvet sofa, sipping champagne while Clara was locked in the pantry.
"The insurance policy on Marcus is finalized," Margaret’s recorded voice whispered with chilled venom.
"The digital signatures were verified this morning, twenty-five million payable upon accidental death."
Julian’s breath caught violently in his chest as the words hit him like a physical blow.
He took two swift steps forward, thrusting the glowing screen directly under his father's eyes.
"Dad... you need to see this right now," Julian choked out, his voice thick with sheer disbelief.
Marcus turned his eyes downward toward the illuminated screen, his jaw clenching so hard a muscle twitched violently.
On the screen, Evelyn smiled a wicked, predatory smile, clinking her champagne glass against her mother's.
"The brake lines on his Aston Martin won't fail until he hits the mountain pass on Friday," Evelyn said softly on the video.
May you like
The words echoed inside the high-ceilinged mansion with the terrifying finality of a death warrant.
Marcus Vance stood completely still, his entire body freezing into rigid, lethal stone.
