Chapter 2 - The Scrambled Empire
Damian arrived at the Greenwich estate at dawn, his private jet having pushed its engines to the limit. Rain swept across the manicured lawns as he slammed the door of his SUV and marched into the residence, flanked by six armed security detail members.
The house was cold. Not just temperature-wise, but utterly devoid of warmth.
He walked through the kitchen. On the counter lay Claire’s primary cell phone, neatly turned off, along with her platinum wedding band placed directly on top of a black leather ring box. Beside it was a single sheet of paper signed by Malcolm Reed: a formal notification of legal separation and a demand to cease all tracking efforts.
"Check the security footage," Damian barked, his voice laced with a fury his men had rarely seen.
"The systems were wiped at 11:00 PM last night, sir," Viktor reported, his face grim. "A high-level signal jammer was used on the perimeter sensors. Whomever helped her knew our exact security rotation."
Damian’s jaw clenched so hard his teeth clicked. "She was six centimeters dilated, Viktor! She is out there somewhere giving birth to my child!"
He smashed his fist into the kitchen cabinet, cracking the solid oak panel. For seven years, Claire had been his sanctuary. She was the one soft, pure truth in a violent, corrupt world. He had convinced himself that keeping her at a distance, managing her life through security teams and wire transfers, was protecting her. He had convinced himself that his brief, calculated alliance with Sabrina Cole—a woman who held critical leverage over a rival syndicate threatening his holdings—was just business.
He had believed he was in control. Now, he was blind.
Across the state line, deep in a secluded wooden cabin surrounded by Vermont pine trees, Claire watched the sunrise while holding Leo. Her sister Jenna was busy boiling water and setting up infant supplies.
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"Malcolm just called on the burner phone," Jenna said softly, sitting beside Claire. "Damian has locked down every airport and train station in New York and Connecticut. He’s tearing the coast apart."
"Let him tear it apart," Claire replied, her voice remarkably steady as she nursed her son. "He's looking for a victim who ran away in a panic. He doesn't know he's hunting someone who spent eight months planning her death as Claire Moreland."
