Chapter 11
The forest air rushed violently into the cabin as the shattered glass rained down across the dashboard and seats. Before David could even attempt to fight back, another man in a dark tactical suit wrenched the passenger door open, dragging David out onto the damp gravel and pinning him face-down against the side of the sedan.
Elena didn't scream, and she didn't panic. With a cold, calculated precision born of sheer desperation, she unbuckled her seatbelt and immediately shifted her body to shield Lily in the back seat.
"Mommy?" Lily whimpered, her brown eyes snapping wide open in sheer terror as she looked at the shattered window and the strange men surrounding the vehicle.
"Shh, baby, close your eyes and stay under the blanket. Mommy is right here," Elena whispered fiercely, pressing a reassuring kiss to her daughter’s forehead before turning to face the open door.
Arthur stepped out from behind the towering frame of the lead SUV. He adjusted the lapels of his gray suit, looking completely out of place amid the muddy forest floor and towering pine trees. His face was cold, flushed with the adrenaline of the hunt, and his eyes burned with a dark, triumphant satisfaction. He walked slowly over to the passenger door, peering down at Elena with a cruel sneer.
"End of the road, Elena," Arthur said softly, his voice dripping with condescension. "You really thought you could outrun us? You and your little tech-toy friends?"
Elena unclipped herself entirely, stepping out of the sedan to stand tall on the gravel, refusing to cower even as two armed guards flanked Arthur on either side. Her deep red velvet gown was smudged with dirt and glass shards, but she held her chin high.
"You're too late, Arthur," Elena said, her voice steady and echoing clearly through the clearing. "The files are already in federal hands. DA Marcus has every single document. Your empire is finished."
Arthur’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second, but he quickly recovered, letting out a sharp, dismissive laugh. "You think a few stolen PDFs can bring down a fifty-year conglomerate? Even if some low-level prosecutor has a copy, by the time a grand jury convenes, you and your little friend here will be legally erased."
"You underestimate the weight of what's coming," Elena replied, staring unflinchingly into his eyes. "People like you always think you're untouchable—until the ground finally caves in beneath your feet."
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Arthur’s expression darkened into pure malice. He signaled to the guards. "Lock them both in the back of the transport SUV. We're taking them back to the estate. Margaret wants a word before the federal marshals even know where to look."
Before Elena could react, heavy hands grabbed her arms, pinning her wrists behind her back as they forced her toward the second SUV. She caught one last glimpse of David, who gave her a grim, defiant nod from the gravel, before the heavy rear doors slammed shut, plunging them into absolute darkness.
