Chapter 1 - The Lockdown Alarm
Inside the grand ballroom of the Beaumont Manor, crystal chandeliers cast a blinding light over marble floors and walls lined with elite high-society guests. In the center of the room stood Claire Reed, a twenty-three-year-old woman in a pale blue gown, weeping softly as tear stains ruined her delicate makeup. Across from her, Preston Beaumont—a twenty-year-old heir in a custom tuxedo—stood with an arrogant smirk, holding an empty wine glass he had just dumped over Claire’s hem.
Beside Preston stood his mother, Vivienne Beaumont, draped in a dark green strapless evening dress and a multi-carat diamond necklace. Vivienne adjusted her posture, sneering down at the weeping girl as if she were dirt under her expensive heels.
"You need to leave," Vivienne spat loudly, her sharp voice echoing across the silent hall. "This is a private family matter, and you don't belong in our tier of society!"
Suddenly, the heavy double doors at the main exit groaned. A fifty-eight-year-old distinguished man with sharp silver hair and a tailored dark suit stepped into the frame. Marcus Reed ignored the whispers of the crowd, walking with a calm, terrifying aura of authority straight toward his sobbing daughter.
Claire reached out, clinging tightly to his arm. "Dad..." she sobbed softly, hiding her face against his chest.
Marcus wrapped his left arm protectively around his daughter’s shoulders. With his right hand, he pulled a sleek black-and-gold card from his breast pocket and tapped it onto the electronic wall scanner beside the master door.
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A piercing red strobe flashed across the ceiling as heavy steel security shutters slammed down over every exit, locking down the entire estate. High-society guests gasped in absolute terror as the room transformed into an inescapable vault.
👉 Read on to discover why the sight of that black-and-gold card sent shockwaves through the local police force.
