Chapter 4 - Shadows in the Basement
The voice belonged to Marcus, Victoria’s lead groomsman and corporate legal counsel. He stepped out from the shadow of the boiler pipes, his tuxedo jacket discarded to reveal a sharply pressed white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. His expression was entirely devoid of the charismatic charm he had projected all afternoon during the wedding toasts.
"You shouldn't have been rolling tape during that private moment in the bridal suite, Naomi," Marcus said smoothly, taking a slow step toward the desk. "Victoria takes her privacy very seriously."
Naomi gripped the heavy metal stapler tighter, her knuckles aching. "That wasn't a private moment, Marcus. That was a conspiracy. I saw the wire transfers, and I heard what she said about the child."
Marcus let out a low, humorless chuckle. He didn't look panicked; in fact, he looked entirely relaxed, as if he held all the cards. He slipped his hands into his trouser pockets, leaning casually against the edge of a work table littered with spare cables.
"Julian is a romantic fool," Marcus said, shaking his head. "He built a multi-million-dollar logistics empire, but he's utterly blind when it comes to family loyalty. Nana tried to warn him, of course. That’s why the old woman had to be managed."
The color drained entirely from Naomi’s face. The memory of Nana’s sudden, unexplained passing six months ago flashed through her mind—the reported heart attack in her secluded country estate, the rapid cremation, the closed-casket service that Julian had been too devastated to question.
"You didn't," Naomi whispered, horror gripping her chest.
"We didn't have to do much," Marcus replied coolly. "Just a slight adjustment to her nightly heart medication. Old people are so fragile, aren't they? But Julian is a different story. He needs definitive proof, or he'll fight us in court for years. That’s why I need that solid-state drive, Naomi. Hand it over, and your videography business gets a very generous severance package. Refuse, and your career in this city is finished before sunrise."
Naomi looked from Marcus to the computer monitor, where the paused footage of Victoria still glowed in the dark. She needed to buy time.
"The drive is encrypting a cloud backup right now," Naomi lied, keeping her voice steady despite the sheer terror coiling in her stomach. "If you touch me, the files drop publicly to every major news outlet in the state."
May you like
Marcus’s calm facade cracked for a split second, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he lunged forward across the desk.
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