Chapter 41 - The Illusion of Distance
Five years had passed since the downfall of the Sterling empire.
The coastal mansion remained a place of light, but as Julian approached his eighteenth birthday, the world felt like it was shifting. Daniel was working in his office when he noticed a pattern in the foundation’s recent audit reports. Someone had been accessing the secure server files from an unauthorized IP address.
"They’re looking for something, Elena,"
Daniel said, turning his swivel chair to face his wife, who was reading in the armchair.
"Who?"
Elena asked, dropping her book.
"Someone with access to our old encryption protocols,"
Daniel murmured, his face hardening.
"I thought we destroyed everything,"
Elena whispered, a cold shiver running down her spine.
"So did I,"
May you like
Daniel replied, typing rapidly.
"But ghosts don't just disappear. They wait."
