Chapter 3 - The Ghost on the Yacht
Thousand of miles away in the turquoise waters of the Exumas, the luxury yacht The Azure Horizon cut smoothly through the waves. On the sun deck, Julianne stretched out on a lounge chair, a glass of champagne glistening in her hand. She wore an oversized designer sunglasses and a barely-there neon bikini, her skin golden and flawless.
David Bennett stepped out from the shaded interior cabin, wearing crisp linen trousers and a navy polo. He held a tablet in his hand, though the screen was blank.
"Still brooding over Claire's melodramatic texts?" Julianne asked lazily, not opening her eyes. "I told you, she's just a hysterical suburban housewife who couldn't handle you taking a two-week break. It’s pathetic."
David frowned, walking to the railing to look out at the endless horizon. "It’s not just the texts, Julianne. It’s the silence. Usually, by day four, she’s blowing up my phone with demands about grocery bills, house repairs, or Lily’s endless schedule. Not a single notification since the funeral notice."
"Good! She finally got the message," Julianne said, sitting up and pouting playfully. "You trained her well. Now come over here and put some sunscreen on my back. We have six days left before we have to deal with reality again."
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David forced a smile, pushing the lingering knot of unease out of his chest. He told himself Claire was just sulking in that four-million-dollar house, wallowing in her usual dramatic fashion. He had absolute control over his life, his money, and his future.
He had no idea that back in Chicago, his digital life was being systematically dismantled, file by file, dollar by dollar.
