Chapter 9
Julian paused at the threshold of the study, his hand resting on the doorframe. For a terrifying second, his eyes scanned the darkened room, lingering on the exact spot where Elena stood half-concealed by the velvet drapery. The silence stretched thin and brittle, pregnant with impending disaster.
Then, his phone buzzed sharply in his hand, breaking the tension. Julian swore under his breath, turning away from the doorway as he answered the call. "Yeah, I'm listening... no, keep the press away from the estate until the papers are signed."
As his footsteps receded down the hallway toward the private bar, Elena exhaled a slow, shuddering breath. She didn't hesitate. Slipping out of the study with cat-like silence, she moved swiftly toward the service exit, swiping the administrative key card against the emergency stairwell lock. The heavy door clicked open, and she slipped through into the stairwell just as Julian’s voice echoed again from the living room.
Descending the twenty-four flights of stairs on foot tested every ounce of her physical endurance, her muscles burning with fatigue by the time she pushed open the ground-floor exit into the alleyway. David was waiting in the idling sedan just around the corner, his face tense with anxiety.
As Elena slid into the passenger seat, panting slightly, she held up the brushed-metal key card in triumph. David let out a breath of relief, quickly pulling out into traffic and merging seamlessly with the late-night city commuters.
"Did anyone see you?" David asked, keeping his eyes fixed on the road.
May you like
"No. Just a close call," Elena replied, her hands finally beginning to shake as the adrenaline wave receded, leaving behind a profound exhaustion. "We have the key card. Now we can access the executive terminal at the Sterling Tower."
"Tomorrow morning at dawn," David said grimly. "Before their security team logs the weekend maintenance logs. It’s our only window."
