Chapter 6 - Morning of the Ambush
Thursday, January 22nd, dawned bright and bitterly cold. A heavy layer of winter frost clung to the glass windows of The Meridian.
I woke up at 6:30 AM, dressed in a sharp charcoal pantsuit and a tailored wool coat, and brewed a calm cup of black coffee. I sat at my kitchen island, looking around the pristine, sunlit apartment that I had bought with seven years of my sweat, blood, and absolute discipline.
At 8:00 AM, I picked up my briefcase, locked my front door behind me, and walked down to the lobby. I gave a polite nod to Marcus, the head security guard on morning duty, who smiled and tipped his cap.
“Good morning, Ms. Vance. Moving day today?” Marcus asked, referencing the security flag update.
“Something like that, Marcus,” I replied calmly, flashing a faint smile. “Just remember the protocol we discussed. If anyone tries to access my unit under a family authorization claim without my direct digital sign-off on the concierge app, treat them as unauthorized trespassers.”
“Understood, Ms. Vance. System is locked tight. Nobody gets past the gate without your green light.”
May you like
I left the building, got into my car, and drove straight to my corporate office downtown. I sat at my desk by 8:45 AM, opened my triple-monitor workstation, and pulled up two things: the corporate financial spreadsheet for my current project, and a live, high-definition camera feed from the smart security hub installed in my apartment hallway.
Then, I turned on my phone’s notification sound to maximum volume and waited.
