Chapter 1 - The Spy in the Bathroom
The grand American mansion was suffocatingly quiet. Vincent, a powerfully built man in his thirties wearing a tailored black vest, a crisp white shirt, and a heavy silver watch, walked through the sweeping hallways. He was a feared and highly respected syndicate boss, a man whose intense, alert demeanor never truly switched off. He was exhausted from a long meeting and just wanted to check on his daughter before getting some sleep.
He pushed open the heavy mahogany door to the dark master bathroom and stepped inside.
He immediately froze.
Crouched in the shadows behind the large marble toilet was his five-year-old daughter, Josie. She was wearing a cream cardigan over a small black dress. Her blonde hair was tied up in a neat bun. When she saw her father, she didn't smile. She looked incredibly secretive. She quickly raised a tiny finger to her lips.
"Shhh," Josie whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the air conditioning. "I’m spying on a bad person."
Vincent’s blood instantly ran cold. His paternal instincts flared. He slowly crouched down to her eye level, his dark eyes scanning the dark bathroom for any signs of an intruder.
"Who are you spying on?" Vincent asked in a low, dangerous voice.
Josie didn't blink. She lifted a pair of heavy black binoculars to her eyes, looking extremely serious.
"Your girlfriend," Josie stated calmly.
Vincent’s brow furrowed in deep confusion. He took Josie’s small hand, and together they silently crept out of the bathroom and into the grand hallway. They crouched behind a luxurious gold-trimmed velvet sofa, peeking around the ornate edge.
Down the expansive, black and white marble hallway, Gianna—Vincent’s beautiful, sophisticated girlfriend in a black midi dress—was walking quickly away. She was discreetly holding a thin white envelope, constantly checking over her shoulder.
Josie lowered her binoculars and looked up at Vincent’s face.
"She hides them when you're not home," Josie whispered.
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An extreme, cinematic close-up captured Vincent staring down the empty hall. His expression shifted from utter confusion to a cold, hardened, and lethal betrayal.
👉 What dark secret is Gianna hiding inside those thin white envelopes?
