Chapter 5 - The Emergency Exit
The heavy thud of Marcus lunging across the desk was met with Naomi’s swift, desperate reaction. She swung the heavy steel stapler with all her might, catching him squarely across the bridge of his nose. Marcus grunted in pain, stumbling backward and knocking over a tower of empty storage crates that crashed loudly against the concrete floor.
Seizing the opening, Naomi didn't hesitate. She ripped the solid-state drive out of the reader, shoved it deep into her blazer pocket, and bolted past him toward the utility corridor at the back of the basement.
"Bitch!" Marcus roared behind her, blood trickling from his nose as he recovered his balance and gave chase.
The utility corridor was a narrow labyrinth of galvanized pipes, electrical conduits, and old storage rooms that led to the alleyway behind the studio building. Naomi’s heels clicked frantically against the concrete, her breathing coming in sharp, ragged gasps. She could hear Marcus’s heavy footsteps closing the distance behind her, his breath echoing off the low brick ceiling.
She reached the heavy metal fire door at the end of the hall, throwing her weight against the panic bar. The door groaned and swung outward, flooding her eyes with the cool, blinding glare of streetlights from the alley. She tumbled out into the night air, scrambling to her feet just as Marcus’s hand grazed the back of her blazer, missing her by inches as the self-closing door slammed shut between them.
Naomi didn't stop to look back. She sprinted toward the main thoroughfare where cabs frequently passed, pulling her phone from her pocket with trembling fingers. She dialed Julian’s direct office number, pressing the device frantically against her ear as she weaved through a maze of parked delivery vans.
The phone rang three times before a deep, breathless voice answered.
"Julian," Naomi panted, leaning against a brick wall to catch her breath. "Listen to me very carefully. Victoria didn't just try to ruin your wedding today. Marcus is working with her, and they murdered Nana."
On the other end of the line, absolute silence stretched for a terrifying moment. When Julian finally spoke, his voice had lost all human warmth, replaced by a cold, lethal resolve.
"I'm looking at the financial audits right now," Julian said softly, the sound of fluttering papers audible in the background. "And my mother's safe just yielded a handwritten diary detailing how Victoria planned to institutionalize Lily the moment the marriage certificate was signed."
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Before Naomi could respond, a sharp shattering sound echoed through the phone speaker, followed by the terrifying crash of heavy glass breaking inside Julian's downtown office.
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