Nicole thought she was a genius. She thought she had outsmarted the most dangerous man in the city. As she ran out of the private study with the heavy duffel bag full of millions of dollars, black cards, and the keys to the $30 million Maybach, she felt a thrilling sense of victory.
But she was wrong. She was completely, terribly wrong.
She was never alone in that room.
Just a few feet away from the hidden wall safe, half-concealed by the heavy, floor-to-ceiling velvet curtains, stood a tall, silent figure. The room was dark, but the faint moonlight shining through the glass balcony doors outlined his broad shoulders and perfectly tailored black suit.
It was John.
He had never left the mansion. When he walked out of the master bedroom that morning, claiming he was going to the company, it was a lie. Seeing her trembling so violently in bed had pierced his cold heart. He couldn't bring himself to leave her. Instead, he had retreated to his dark study, sitting in the shadows, smoking a cigar in absolute silence, trying to calm his own frustrated emotions.
Then, she had walked in.
He had stood perfectly still, holding his breath, blending into the darkness like a ghost. He watched her frantically search the room. He watched her discover the hidden safe behind the ocean painting.
When she started guessing the passwords, a bitter, self-mocking smile had touched his lips. She wants to rob me to run away, he thought. The realization felt like a heavy punch to his chest.
He watched her enter his birthday. Wrong. He watched her enter her own birthday. Wrong.
When she was down to her very last attempt, he saw her drop to her knees, crying in absolute terror. In that brief moment, John almost stepped out of the shadows. He wanted to walk over, pull her into his arms, and simply open the safe for her. To him, the millions of dollars, the limitless black cards, the property deeds—they meant absolutely nothing. His entire empire meant nothing if she hated him so deeply.
Then, she entered the final password. 25022026. Their wedding date.
When the light turned green and the heavy steel door popped open, John felt a strange, complex wave of emotion crash over him. She remembered his words. She remembered the date he called the most significant day of his life. But she was using it to escape him.
He watched quietly as she grabbed the cash, the cards, and finally, the crystal key to his prized, limited-edition Maybach Exelero.
As Nicole rushed out of the study, completely unaware of his presence, the door clicked shut behind her.
Instantly, a hidden earpiece in John's ear buzzed. It was his head of security. "Boss," a rough voice whispered through the radio. "Madam has taken a bag from your safe. She is heading to the underground garage. Should we intercept and lock down the exits?"
John stepped out of the shadows. His face was completely calm, but his dark eyes were swimming with an ocean of unspoken pain.
"No," John answered, his voice deep, raspy, and tired. "Let her go."
"But Sir, the perimeter..."
"I said, let her go," John commanded softly but firmly. "Open the main garage gates for her. Do not let anyone stop her."
He walked over to his massive mahogany desk and opened a hidden drawer. He pulled out a black handgun, checking the magazine with practiced, mechanical movements. He slipped the weapon into his suit jacket. If she wanted to run, he would let her run. He would give her the money, the cars, everything she wanted.
But he knew the world outside was dangerous. And he knew Kelvin. He had done a background check on the "childhood friend" years ago. Kelvin was not the sweet, innocent boy Nicole thought he was; he was a greedy, manipulative coward deep in gambling debt. John knew Kelvin was only after the money.
I will not let him hurt you, John vowed silently. He quickly left the study, heading for a private elevator that led to a secondary garage. He was going to follow her. He would be her shadow, just as he had always been since that night at the swimming pool.
Meanwhile, miles away from the luxurious mansion, the $30 million black Maybach Exelero was tearing down the empty city highway like a roaring beast.
Nicole gripped the leather steering wheel tightly. The powerful V12 engine purred, a sound of absolute engineering perfection. For the first time in months, a genuine, radiant smile appeared on her face. The wind rushing past the windows felt like the breath of true freedom.
She reached over and pressed a button on the high-tech dashboard, connecting her phone to the car's Bluetooth system. She dialed the only number that mattered.
Ring... Ring...
"Nicole!" Kelvin's voice echoed through the Maybach's premium surround-sound speakers. He sounded incredibly anxious. "Where are you? Did you get the money?"
"I did it, Kelvin!" Nicole shouted happily over the engine noise. "I got everything. Millions in cash, his black cards, and the property deeds. We are rich!"
"Oh my god," Kelvin breathed out heavily. Nicole didn't notice the strange, greedy quiver in his tone. "That's amazing, baby. You are so brave. Are you in a taxi?"
"No," Nicole laughed, her eyes shining with adrenaline. "I took his car. I took his favorite car from the garage."
"Which one?"
"The black one. The Maybach Exelero."
There was a sudden, dead silence on the other end of the line. The silence lasted for three full seconds.
"Kelvin? Are you there?"
"The... the $30 million limited edition?" Kelvin's voice finally came back, but it sounded different now. It sounded sharp, almost manic. "You brought the Exelero?"
"Yes! I'm driving it right now. I'm already on the West Highway, heading toward the abandoned warehouse district just like you told me."
"Good. Very good, Nicole," Kelvin said quickly. "I am already here. The area is completely empty. Just follow the old factory road until you see the big rusty iron gates. I am parked inside. Hurry."
"I'll be there in ten minutes. I love you, Kelvin."
"See you soon, Nicole."
The call ended.
Nicole pressed the accelerator harder. The luxurious car shot forward, leaving the bright, beautiful city skyline behind. The scenery outside the window rapidly changed. The tall, shiny glass buildings were replaced by broken streetlights, overgrown weeds, and decaying, abandoned factories. The sky seemed to grow darker, heavier, as if a storm was quietly brewing.
She didn't know that behind her, staying perfectly out of sight in the distant traffic, a sleek black SUV was quietly following her every move. And she didn't know that she was not driving toward her happily ever after.
She was driving straight into a deadly trap.