Chapter 22
Elena stared at the photograph on the back of her balcony, her brow furrowing as a cold wave of suspicion washed over her. Who could possibly have access to a detailed photograph of the shattered mirror from a private ballroom closed to the public?
She walked swiftly back inside her penthouse, grabbing her encrypted tablet to run an immediate security trace on the physical cardstock. Her private security team answered on the second ring, their voices instantly alert to the sudden shift in tone.
"Check the perimeter security cameras from 3:00 AM to 5:00 AM and find out who left an envelope on my balcony," Elena commanded sharply. "On it immediately, Madam Chairwoman; we're pulling the cloud footage right now," the head of security replied.
She paced across the hardwood floor of her living room, her mind racing through every potential enemy she had neutralized. Could it be an associate of David Vance or a hidden partner in the Sterling syndicate who managed to escape federal asset sweeps?
If someone thought they could intimidate her with vague threats and glossy photographs, they were drastically miscalculating her resolve. The telephone buzzed aggressively, signaling that her security team had successfully accessed the overnight surveillance footage.
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"Talk to me, what did you find on the cameras?" Elena demanded into the speakerphone as she braced herself for the truth. "That's the problem, ma'am... the cameras show absolutely zero foot traffic or drones near your balcony during the entire night," the security chief reported, his voice laced with eerie confusion.
Elena froze in place, staring out at the empty balcony as a chilling realization settled deep into her bones. The game wasn't over yet, and an unseen player was still moving pieces across the board in the dark.
