Chapter 3 - The Ghost on the Line
The rhythmic buzzing of Julian’s phone cut through the stifling silence of the party room. Marcus watched from the doorway, his hand resting casually inside his grey jacket pocket, fingers brushing against a duplicate receiver. Julian’s thumb hovered over the screen, hesitant to answer an unknown number while surrounded by enemies. Lily whimpered softly against his shoulder, her small hand clutching his lapel.
“Answer it, Julian,” Evelyn whispered, her smirk vanishing, replaced by an expression of grim anticipation. “You might finally learn who actually built your life.”
Julian pressed the accept button and raised the phone to his ear, his eyes never leaving Evelyn’s face. He swallowed hard, his voice strained and tight.
“Who is this?” Julian demanded, stepping away from the crowd.
A synthesized, distorted voice filtered through the speaker, devoid of any human warmth.
“Look beyond the people in the room, Julian,” the voice commanded, before the line abruptly went dead with a sharp click.
Julian lowered the phone slowly, his mind racing. He looked up, scanning the perimeter of the ballroom. Through the towering floor-to-ceiling windows, the glittering skyline of the city stretched out into the dark night. But something caught his eye across the courtyard—a single, unblinking red light perched on the balcony of the adjacent high-rise office building. It was a telephoto camera lens, pointed directly at them. Someone had been watching every second of the catastrophe unfold.
Julian set Lily down gently, whispering for her to wait with the catering manager. He turned on his heel and strode toward the heavy mahogany exit doors, determined to find the source of the transmission.
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As Julian pushed the doors open into the dimly lit hallway, his phone lit up again with a terrifying text message containing a live video feed of his own front door.
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