Chapter 14 - A Threat in the Newsroom
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The following afternoon, the atmosphere in the Vale household was thick with unspoken tension. I was in the study, reviewing the blueprints of the new Obsidian Tower that Vincent had managed to procure, when Lily stormed into the room.
Her face was pale, and her hands were shaking. She threw a thick, matte-black envelope onto my desk.
"It was waiting for me at my desk when I got back from lunch," Lily said, her voice wavering between anger and fear.
I picked up the envelope. There was no postage, no return address. Just Lily’s name written in elegant silver ink. I opened it carefully, using a letter opener, mindful of my fingerprints.
Inside was a single, glossy photograph.
It was a picture of Evelyn, taken from a distance, buying groceries at the local market earlier that morning. Written on the back of the photo in the same silver ink were three words: Drop the story.
A cold, murderous rage bloomed in my chest. I stared at the photo, forcing my breathing to remain steady.
Evelyn walked into the study, seeing the expression on my face. She looked at the photograph on the desk, and a quiet gasp escaped her lips.
"They followed me," Evelyn whispered, touching her own face as if to confirm she was really there.
"Thorne is sending a message," I said, my voice dangerously calm. "He wants to show us that he can reach us anywhere. He wants to paralyze us with fear."
"It’s working," Lily admitted, tears of frustration welling in her eyes. "I thought I was brave, Dad. But seeing a crosshair on Mom... I can't let her get hurt again because of my ambition."
"You are not responsible for the actions of evil men, Lily," Evelyn said firmly, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around our daughter. "You are doing the right thing."
"She’s dropping the story," I stated, looking at them both. "Until I resolve this."
Lily pulled away from Evelyn, her jaw set.
"No. If I drop it, they win. They learn that terror works. I am publishing the article tomorrow night, right as Thorne’s gala begins. I want the world to know exactly who he is while he’s standing in front of the cameras."
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"If you do that, he will send a hit squad to this house," I warned her.
"Then you better make sure he doesn't have the power to do that," Lily challenged, looking at me with the unwavering defiance she had inherited from her mother.
