Chapter 4 - The Game of Chess
The courtyard fell into an eerie, suffocating silence. The red laser dots danced wildly across Diego’s forehead and cheeks, but none of the bodyguards lowered their aim. Alejandro stopped walking, raising a single gloved hand to signal his men to hold their fire.
Diego was breathing heavily, sweat mixing with the cold pool water dripping from his hair. He felt invincible for a second, holding the most precious thing in the world to this untouchable billionaire hostage.
—You think you hold all the cards, Diego? Alejandro asked calmly, his voice steady as a rock. He didn't look at the gun pointed at his daughter’s head; instead, he looked straight into Diego’s panicked, bloodshot eyes. —Look down at your phone in your pocket. Go ahead. Feel it vibrating.
Diego blinked, confused. A faint, rhythmic buzzing sensation pulsed against his thigh from the inner pocket of his soaked trousers.
—Answer it, Alejandro commanded softly. —It’s your chief financial officer. Or rather, it was your chief financial officer.
With trembling fingers, keeping the gun pressed firmly against Elena’s head, Diego awkwardly reached into his pocket with his left hand, pulled out his encrypted smartphone, and swiped the screen on speakerphone.
—Diego! Thank God you're answering! A panicked, high-pitched voice erupted from the tiny speaker. It was Marcus, his head of operations. —We're ruined! Everything is gone! All corporate accounts have been frozen by federal regulators. The offshore holdings in the Caymans have been seized under emergency asset forfeiture laws for money laundering and human trafficking! The board just voted unanimously to oust you, and federal agents are raiding the downtown headquarters right now!
Diego’s knees buckled slightly. The phone slipped from his numb fingers, clattering uselessly against the wet patio tiles.
—You... you did this, Diego whispered, staring at Alejandro with utter horror. —You destroyed my company in five minutes?
—You didn't just ruin a company, Diego. You tried to break my blood, Alejandro replied coldly, taking another slow step forward. —You thought you were the master of this estate. But every brick of these walls, every square foot of this land, and every single dollar in your bank accounts belonged to the Vance global conglomerate from the very beginning. You were living in a house of cards built on my foundation, playing a pathetic game of domestic tyranny while I watched every single move through your own security network.
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Elena used the distraction to her absolute advantage. With a sudden burst of adrenaline fueled by maternal rage and sheer survival instinct, she slammed her heel backward into Diego’s shin with all her remaining strength, simultaneously driving her elbow into his ribs.
Diego grunted in pain, his grip loosening just enough for Elena to wrench herself free from his grasp, stumbling forward onto the grass.
