Chapter 5 - Shadows at the East LA Gate
“Get back inside!” Mrs. Gable hissed, slamming the wooden door shut and immediately throwing the deadbolt.
Daniel spun around, his instincts flaring. He scanned the small living room. There was a back window leading down to a narrow alleyway behind the apartment complex.
“Mrs. Gable, where does that back window lead?” Daniel asked quickly.
“Down to the laundry parking lot! But it’s a twelve-foot drop—”
“No time,” Daniel interrupted. He scooped Noah up into his arms, feeling the boy instinctively wrap his small arms tightly around his neck. “Hold on to me tight, Noah. We're going for a fast ride.”
Heavy, aggressive pounding echoed against the front door, followed by the harsh sound of a master key rattling in the lock. Someone professional—someone with corporate security clearance—was trying to break in.
Daniel pushed open the back bathroom window, hoisted himself out onto the metal fire escape, and carefully lowered Noah down before dropping silently onto the asphalt below. Adrenaline surged through his veins. He sprinted toward the idling Maybach, pulling open the rear door and pushing Noah inside onto the floorboards.
“Drive!” Daniel ordered the chauffeur, slamming the heavy armored door shut as he dived into the seat beside the boy.
The driver didn’t ask questions. The Maybach surged forward, tires squealing against the pavement, just as two black unmarked SUVs swung aggressively into the alleyway from the opposite end, blocking off the exit route.
“Ram them!” Daniel shouted.
The heavy, reinforced luxury vehicle powered forward, its thick steel bumper smashing straight through the side panel of the lead SUV with a sickening crunch of metal, clearing a path into the main street.
In the rearview mirror, Daniel caught a glimpse of the driver stepping out of the blocked SUV. Even from a distance, the sharp, tailored silhouette and unyielding posture were unmistakable. It was one of Vanessa’s elite private security contractors—the same security team she personally hired and managed for Whitmore Holdings.
Vanessa wasn't just hiding a dark past; she was actively hunting down anyone who knew the truth.
Noah whimpered in the footwell, clutching his stuffed bear. Daniel reached down, gently lifting the boy onto the leather seat and wrapping a warm cashmere jacket around his shoulders.
“You're safe now, Noah. I promise you,” Daniel said firmly, though his mind was racing with a terrifying realization: Vanessa had total access to his estates, his accounts, and his security network. Nowhere in Los Angeles was safe anymore.
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“Where are we going, Uncle Daniel?” Noah whispered, looking up with his father's haunting eyes.
“We’re going to find your father,” Daniel replied.
