Chapter 1 - The Voice on the Horizon
"Someone is paying to stop my breathing, Daddy," Victoria whispered into the receiver, her voice trembling but clear. "And Marcus won't let me call the police."
On the other end of the line, the silence lasted for exactly two seconds. Then came the sound of a heavy drawer opening—the sound of William Sterling pulling out his keys, his passports, his life before retirement.
"Are you in the bedroom, Tori?" William’s voice was no longer that of an estranged father. It was the voice of a man who spent thirty years managing high-level security risks for the government. "Is he next to you?"
"Yes."
"Do not look at him. Do not argue with him," William commanded softly. "Marcus is a coward, and cowards act unpredictably when they are trapped. Put me on speakerphone."
Victoria tapped the screen. Marcus was already standing by the edge of the bed, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his silk pajama pants, a calculated look of victimhood spreading across his face.
"William," Marcus said, trying to inject an assertive, masculine warmth into his tone. "Look, I know we’ve had our differences, but Victoria is overwrought. The pregnancy hormones—"
"Shut your mouth, Marcus," William’s voice boomed through the tiny speaker, cutting through the dark room like a blade. "If you speak to my daughter about her hormones again, I will personally come down there and remove your jaw. Tori, look at the clock. What time is it?"
"3:12 AM," she said.
"Good. Pack one small bag. Do not touch your jewelry, do not touch your passport—he’s likely already moved them. Just take your prenatal vitamins—the ones you said tasted bitter. Put them in your pocket. Walk down the stairs and open the front door. My driver, Thomas, is already three minutes away from your gate."
Marcus took a step toward Victoria, his eyes narrowing. "She's not leaving this house, William. This is my home. This is my child she's carrying."
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"It's my grandchild," William barked. "And if you stand between my daughter and that door, Marcus, the contract you signed with Sloan Carmichael tonight won't be the only thing that ends by midnight tomorrow. Move, Tori."
Victoria didn't hesitate. She grabbed her phone, slipped the bitter vitamin bottle from her nightstand into her robe pocket, and walked past her husband. Marcus reached out to grab her elbow, but the sheer terror of William Sterling's voice echoing from the phone made him hesitate. That hesitation was all Victoria needed to slide past him and down the stairs.
