Chapter 3 - The Garden Maze
Marcus cut left, veering off the open lawn and plunging into the towering boxwood hedges that made up the estate’s historic labyrinth. Rain began to fall in heavy, quiet drops, pattering against the dense leaves and dampening Marcus’s suit jacket.
Inside the envelope pressed beneath his arm, the thick stack of papers held the truth about Sophia’s sudden passing two years ago. Victoria—Sophia’s elder sister—had always maintained that the car crash was a tragic accident on a rain-slicked mountain road. The family estate, the multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical empire, and custody claims had immediately defaulted to Victoria under a will nobody was allowed to inspect.
Now, Marcus understood why.
Behind him, shouts echoed over the estate grounds. Flashlights cut through the top of the hedges in frantic sweeps.
“Check the perimeter! She wants the manila folder intact!”
Marcus moved soundlessly along the gravel paths. He knew the maze well; he had spent hours here during happier summers with Sophia. Lily had stopped crying, clutching Marcus’s shirt with wide, trusting eyes as her father moved like a shadow.
Near the center of the maze stood an old stone folly overlooking a forgotten service gate once used by estate groundskeepers. If Marcus could reach the back access road, his backup would be waiting.
He reached the rusted iron gate, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small tactical multitool to pop the aged padlock. The metal latch gave way with a sharp snap.
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Marcus stepped through into the narrow service lane, but just as he turned the corner, the beam of an ultra-bright tactical flashlight blinded him.
“Drop the file, Captain Vance,” a cold, mechanical voice ordered. Standing ten paces away was not an ordinary estate guard, but a man clad in unmarked paramilitary gear, raising a suppressed firearm directly at Marcus’s chest.
