Chapter 11: The Arrival downstairs
The sound of footsteps echoing up from the grand entryway below was measured, unhurried, and entirely authoritative. It was the walk of a man who owned the space he was entering, regardless of whose name was on the deed.
Marcus lowered his pocketknife, slipping it back into his pocket with a satisfied smirk as he looked down toward the stairs.
"Right on schedule," Marcus muttered.
David’s entire body went rigid. He threw a frantic glance back at Elena, who was now standing completely paralyzed against the hallway wall, her face pale, holding Maya like a shield against the unfolding horror.
"Elena, take the baby and go into the nursery. Lock the door from the inside and do not open it for anyone, no matter what you hear," David commanded in a harsh, desperate whisper, stepping in front of her to block the stairwell.
"I'm not leaving you here to deal with monsters you invited into our lives!" Elena fired back, her voice shaking with a mix of fury and terror.
"Do as I say!" David shouted, his voice cracking with raw desperation before he caught himself and lowered his tone. "Please, Elena. Just keep our daughter safe. That's all I care about now."
Elena hesitated, her eyes swimming with tears as she looked at the man she had loved—and now barely recognized. With a choked sob, she turned on her heel, dashed back into the bright nursery, slammed the heavy oak door shut, and threw the brass deadbolt with a resounding clack.
Downstairs, a smooth, deep voice rang up through the open staircase, carrying effortlessly into the second-floor hallway.
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"David? Are you going to come down and greet your old partners, or do I need to come up and drag you down myself?"
The voice belonged to Victor Thorne—a man whose reputation in the underground financial world was whispered about in hushed, fearful tones. David’s jaw tightened until his teeth ached. He cast one last lingering look at the closed nursery door, took a deep, steadying breath, and began walking slowly down the stairs to face his reckoning.
