Chapter 4 - The Zurich File
Julian instinctively pulled the leather-bound portfolio behind his back, his body going rigid as he blocked Elena’s view of the open toy chest.
"What is this, Elena?" Julian demanded, his voice dropping into a harsh whisper so as not to frighten Maya, who was watching them with wide, frightened eyes from the bed.
Elena didn't flinch. She set the heavy glass vase down on the dresser with a dull thud, never breaking eye contact. She walked slowly toward him, the faint scent of expensive French perfume mixing with the metallic smell of anxiety in the room.
"It’s your insurance policy, darling," Elena said smoothly, stopping just an arm's length away. "Or rather, it was. Before you decided to play the righteous hero downstairs."
Maya pulled the pink blanket tighter around her shoulders. "Mommy, why are you yelling at Daddy again?"
Elena’s expression softened momentarily—not with genuine maternal love, but with the practiced theatricality of an actress adjusting her mask for a difficult scene.
"I’m not yelling, sweetheart. Daddy and I are just discussing adult paperwork. Go ahead and look at your picture book," Elena said, her tone dripping with saccharine sweetness before snapping back to cold calculation as she looked at Julian.
Julian didn't move an inch. He could feel the cold edge of the leather portfolio biting into his palm.
"These Zurich medical records," Julian said through clenched teeth. "They don't show a congenital defect. They show a clean fracture. Someone broke her leg when she was a toddler, Elena. And you had the clinic falsify the records to cover it up."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. The calculated mask slipped completely from Elena’s face, revealing the desperate, frantic woman beneath the golden exterior.
"Keep your voice down," Elena hissed, stepping forward and trying to snatch the portfolio from behind his back.
Julian easily sidestepped her, his athletic build giving him the advantage, but he miscalculated his footing near the edge of the plush rug. He stumbled slightly, and the flash drive slipped from the portfolio, clattering loudly against the hardwood floor before sliding under the heavy oak wardrobe.
Maya gasped, pointing at the dark space beneath the furniture. "The little black stick went under there!"
Elena’s eyes darted toward the wardrobe. Without a moment’s hesitation, she lunged across the room, her high heels clicking frantically as she raced to beat Julian to the hidden data.
Julian lunged forward as well, his hand grazing the polished wood just as Elena’s manicured fingers shot into the dusty darkness beneath the wardrobe, her grip closing tightly around the small plastic drive.
Elena pulled her hand back, panting slightly, a triumphant grin spreading across her face.
"You really thought you could outsmart me in my own house?" Elena whispered, clutching the flash drive in her fist.
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Suddenly, the house lights flickered violently twice, then died completely, plunging the bedroom into pitch blackness.
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