Chapter 4 - The Enigma of Victor
In total darkness save for the pale moonlight cutting through the tall French windows, Elena held her breath. The toddler whimpered softly, burying his face into the blue blanket, while Elena clutched the green toy dinosaur to calm her own racing pulse. Down the hall, heavy boots paced rhythmically—it wasn't Victor’s stride. Someone else was inside the mansion. Outside the suite, Victor moved through the pitch-black corridors like a predator in its natural habitat. His muscular frame slipped silently past ancient statues and marble pillars. He knew every blind spot, every shadow of this fortress he called home. But tonight, those shadows felt treacherous.
Victor rounded a corner near the West Gallery and found the security panel smashed, sparks hissing weakly in the dark. Someone had bypassed the biometric locks. His jaw tightened into a hard line of fury; breaching his security wasn't just an intrusion—it was a declaration of war. He reached for the concealed firearm at his waist, his mind racing back to the tearful face of the young woman in the foyer. As he stepped closer to the shattered control box, a cold voice whispered from the darkness behind him, calling him by a name he hadn’t heard since the night everything burned down.
