The next day dawned with an eerie sense of calm. Chloe woke up to find Sebastian gone from the mansion, his side of the bed cold. A note on the bedside table read:
"Had to step out early. Be careful. – S."
Chloe sighed, clutching the note tightly. The cryptic threat from the unknown number still weighed on her, and now the lingering silence of the house seemed almost too quiet.
---
A Bold Message
Chloe had just settled in the living room with a cup of tea when her phone buzzed. Another message from the unknown number appeared on the screen:
"You were warned. Now it begins."
Her pulse quickened as a follow-up message arrived, this time with an attachment. Chloe hesitated, her thumb hovering over the file before finally tapping it open.
It was a live feed.
The video showed Sebastian walking into what looked like an upscale office building. The timestamp in the corner proved it was happening in real-time.
Her breath caught. Whoever was behind this wasn't just watching them—they were close enough to track Sebastian's movements.
Her phone buzzed again.
"He's not as invincible as he thinks. What happens next is on you."
Chloe bolted upright, dialing Sebastian's number. The line rang twice before going to voicemail.
"Sebastian, call me back. Something's wrong," she said, her voice trembling.
---
Sebastian's Meeting
At the same time, Sebastian was in a tense meeting with one of his senior executives, Dominic. They were reviewing the data Dominic had recovered from the tampered logs.
"This was a professional job," Dominic said, sliding a laptop across the desk. "The breach was routed through multiple servers, all untraceable. Whoever did this isn't just after information—they're sending a message."
Sebastian studied the screen, his jaw tightening. "And the message is clear: they want chaos."
Dominic nodded. "But why target you personally? What's the endgame?"
Before Sebastian could respond, his phone buzzed on the table. He glanced at the screen and saw Chloe's name.
"I'll call her back," he muttered, letting the call go to voicemail.
Dominic raised an eyebrow but didn't press. "One more thing—you might want to see this."
He handed Sebastian a manila envelope. Inside was a series of photos, all of them candid shots of Chloe. She was in the garden, walking into her favorite café, even entering the mansion.
Sebastian's blood ran cold. "Where did you get these?"
"They were left at the front desk this morning," Dominic said grimly.
Sebastian clenched his fists, the need to protect Chloe overriding every other thought. "This ends now."
---
A Direct Attack
Chloe barely had time to process the messages before the mansion's power flickered. The lights dimmed, then surged back on, casting an eerie glow over the room.
"Mrs. Kane?" Mrs. Hargrove called from the hallway, her voice tinged with alarm.
Chloe rushed out, her heart pounding. "What's going on?"
"The security system," Mrs. Hargrove said, pointing to the keypad near the front door. "It's been disabled."
Chloe's stomach dropped. "Disabled? How?"
Before Mrs. Hargrove could answer, the sound of shattering glass echoed from the back of the house.
"Stay here," Chloe said, grabbing her phone as she ran toward the noise.
She found the dining room window smashed, the curtains billowing in the wind. On the floor lay a brick wrapped in a piece of paper.
Her hands shook as she unwrapped it and read the message scrawled in bold, angry letters:
"Leave him, or pay the price."
Chloe's heart raced. Whoever this was, they weren't playing games anymore.
---
Sebastian's Revelation
Just as Chloe was calling the police, Sebastian burst through the front door, his expression thunderous.
"What happened?" he demanded, his eyes immediately scanning the room.
Chloe held up the brick, her voice trembling. "They're escalating, Sebastian. They're inside the house—inside our lives."
Sebastian took the note, his jaw tightening as he read it. "This is my fault. They're targeting you to get to me."
"Who are they?" Chloe asked, her frustration boiling over. "What do they want?"
Sebastian hesitated, his usual confidence faltering. "I think it's someone I crossed in business. But I need more time to figure out who."
"Time?" Chloe snapped. "Sebastian, they sent me a live feed of you this morning. They're watching us in real-time."
His eyes narrowed. "You should've told me immediately."
"I tried!" she fired back. "You didn't pick up."
The tension between them crackled, but the fear in their eyes was mutual.
---
A Unified Front
After a tense silence, Sebastian softened. "Chloe, I swear I'll keep you safe."
"I'm not just going to sit here and let them control our lives," Chloe said, her voice steady despite her fear. "We need to fight back."
Sebastian nodded, his resolve hardening. "Then we do this together."
Chloe crossed her arms. "Good, because I've already started looking into Apollo Systems. They're a front."
Sebastian's brow furrowed. "And I've got photos of you that were delivered to my office this morning. They're watching both of us."
They exchanged a glance, the gravity of the situation sinking in.
"Whoever this is," Sebastian said, "they've made a mistake by underestimating us."
Chloe nodded, determination lighting her eyes. "Let's make them regret it."
---