Chapter 7 – The Ultimatum

A heavy silence filled the attic. Lily stared at the phone, the phantom voice bringing back the suffocating feeling of being trapped in Richard’s world.

"How did you get this number?" Lily demanded, finding her voice.

"I have extensive resources, Lily. The break-in at your charming little nonprofit was merely a gentle nudge. I didn't want to hurt anyone, but I need that drive." Vance’s tone was polite, yet laced with venom. "I know about Clara. I know about the shelter on 4th Street. It would be a tragedy if your foundation's good work was suddenly... interrupted."

Arthur grabbed the phone. "Listen to me, Vance. If you go anywhere near those women—"

"Ah, the noble Arthur," Vance chuckled. "Always playing the protector. I have no interest in hurting innocents. I am a businessman. Bring the drive to the grand conservatory at the Botanical Gardens tomorrow at midnight. Come alone. Hand it over, and I will vanish from your lives forever. Involve the police, and I will burn your foundation to the ground."

The line went dead.

Lily slumped into a chair, her hands shaking. "He's going to hurt them, Arthur. He’s going to hurt the women at the shelter just to get to me."

"No, he won't," Arthur said firmly, kneeling beside her and taking her hands in his. "We aren't the same people we were a year ago, Lily. We don't hide anymore. We fight back."

"But he said no police."

"He said no police," Arthur agreed, a dangerous glint in his eye. "He didn't say anything about the FBI."

Within the hour, Arthur was on the phone with Special Agent Sarah Miller, the lead federal investigator who had brought down Richard Whitmore. When she arrived at Arthur's house and viewed the contents of the drive, her jaw dropped.

May you like

His mother applauded while he shoved my daughter’s head down in public,...

The Morning After Their Wedding, Ryan Slapped Leah Because His Sister’s...

"A Young Girl Held Her Teddy Bear Close As Her Father Carried Her Into A...

The front doors of the Harrow estate flew open just as eight pink candles were being lit.Ethan Cole stepped into the crowded drawi...

"This is the holy grail," Miller breathed. "This links Vance to everything. He was the mastermind. We suspected it, but we never had the proof."

"He wants to make a trade tomorrow night," Lily said, her voice resolute. "I'm going to give him what he wants. And you're going to be there to catch him."