Chapter 38 - Shadows in the Sunlight
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Madison stood motionless on the sunlit patio, the warm ocean wind suddenly feeling as cold as the ice on Lake Geneva.
Down on the lawn, Ethan was still laughing, bringing his drone down for a smooth landing on the grass while Arthur clapped approvingly.
"Maddie!" Ethan called out, waving his hand toward her. "Did you see that landing? Zero drift!"
Madison forced a calm, gentle smile onto her face, slipping her phone into her pocket before walking down the wooden steps onto the grass.
"That was amazing, Ethan," she said softly, kneeling beside him and checking the drone's camera mounting. "You're getting better every day."
Arthur looked at his granddaughter, his sharp blue eyes instantly picking up the subtle tension in her jaw, the way her hand rested flat near her waist.
"What is it, Maddie?" Arthur asked quietly, stepping away from Ethan so the boy wouldn't hear. "What came through on that phone?"
Madison pulled her phone out and handed it to her grandfather without a word.
May you like
Arthur looked at the photograph of Director Vance in Rome. His face drained of color, his jaw clenching hard enough to crack a tooth.
"Vance..." Arthur whispered, his voice trembling with a mixture of shock and rage. "He was in on it from the very beginning. Chicago... Lausanne... Geneva... he set up the entire breadcrumb trail so we would destroy Victor and hand the master drive directly to him."
