CHAPTER 1 — THE VOICE FROM THE SAFE
The entire boardroom stood frozen.
Nobody dared move.
Nobody dared breathe.
Because the voice coming from the old steel safe belonged to a man who had been dead for three months.
Richard Hale.
Ethan’s father.
The founder of Hale Meridian Group.
The man everyone believed had died from a sudden heart attack.
The recording continued.
"Ethan… if you are hearing this, then my death was not an accident."
A wave of fear moved through the room.
Vanessa Cross slowly stepped backward.
For the first time that morning, her confidence disappeared.
Ethan stared at the safe.
His hands tightened.
His father knew.
He knew someone inside the company was destroying everything he built.
"There are people around you who smile at you while they hold a knife behind your back."
The recording paused.
Then Richard’s voice became quieter.
"Do not trust the board. Do not trust the executives. The person you believe is protecting the company may be the person killing it."
Everyone looked around.
Suspicion spread instantly.
The board members avoided eye contact.
The executives lowered their heads.
Ethan looked at Vanessa.
She was no longer angry.
She was calculating.
"Turn that off," Vanessa ordered.
Nobody moved.
"Did you hear me?" she snapped. "Turn it off!"
Ethan slowly looked at her.
"Why are you afraid of a dead man’s voice?"
Vanessa said nothing.
That silence told him everything.
Then the safe opened completely.
Inside was not money.
Not documents.
Not jewelry.
Only one black folder.
And on the front were three words:
PROJECT HADES FILE
Ethan reached for it.
But before he could open it...
A security alarm suddenly exploded through the building.
The lights turned red.
The doors locked.
A voice came through the speakers.
"Emergency lockdown activated."
Everyone froze.
Then Ethan’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A distorted voice whispered:
"You should have stayed in Zurich, Ethan."
The call ended.
Ethan stared at the phone.
May you like
Someone inside the company knew exactly what he was doing.
And they were willing to do anything to stop him.
