Chapter 6 - THE THREAT
The message disappeared thirty seconds later.
I took screenshots immediately.
Mark called a cybersecurity specialist.
Within hours, we discovered that the message had been routed through several countries.
But the final server was located in the Maldives.
Someone was still on my island.
Security searched every villa.
Nothing.
Then Daniel found something near the marina.
A small black device.
A tracking beacon.
Attached beneath my private yacht.
Someone had been tracking my movements.
Mark looked at me.
“This isn't about money anymore.”
“I know.”
That evening, I moved Mia into the most secure villa.
Security surrounded the property.
No one entered without my authorization.
At midnight, the lights went out.
Mia woke screaming.
“Mommy!”
I grabbed her.
“Stay with me.”
The emergency lights activated.
Daniel rushed inside.
“Stay here.”
“What happened?”
“Someone cut the power manually.”
I held Mia behind me.
Then we heard footsteps.
Slow.
Heavy.
Outside the door.
Daniel raised his weapon.
“Who's there?”
No answer.
The footsteps stopped.
Then a piece of paper slid beneath the door.
I picked it up.
Three words were written across it.
YOU'RE NEXT, ELENA.
Mia began crying.
I pulled her close.
Daniel opened the door.
Nobody was there.
But outside, the camera had captured a figure.
Tall.
Wearing a dark jacket.
Walking toward the beach.
We replayed the footage.
The face was hidden.
Then the figure turned.
For one second, the camera captured the profile.
I froze.
I knew that face.
“Mom?”
No.
It couldn't be.
But it was.
My mother had left the villa ten minutes earlier.
I called her.
No answer.
Dad didn't answer either.
Sarah did.
“Elena?”
“Where are Mom and Dad?”
A pause.
“I don't know.”
“Sarah.”
“What?”
“Tell me the truth.”
“I swear I don't know.”
Then I heard something in the background.
A man's voice.
Sarah gasped.
“Wait.”
The line went dead.
I called again.
Nothing.
Daniel looked at me.
“Should we send a team?”
“Yes.”
Five minutes later, security located Sarah.
She was inside an abandoned service building near the northern shore.
She was unconscious.
But alive.
Beside her was a handwritten note.
ONE SISTER DOWN.
My blood ran cold.
Then Daniel found another note.
It was addressed to me.
YOU HAVE UNTIL MORNING.
Mark stared at it.
“Until morning for what?”
I turned the paper over.
There was a bank account number.
And beneath it:
TRANSFER EVERYTHING.
I looked at the dark ocean.
Someone was giving me a choice.
My company.
Or my family.
But they had made one mistake.
They assumed I would surrender.
They didn't understand who they were dealing with.
I picked up my phone.
“Daniel.”
“Yes?”
“Lock down the island.”
He nodded.
“Already done.”
“No.”
I looked at the ocean.
“I want every boat stopped.”
May you like
“Why?”
“Because whoever did this is still here.”
