Chapter 9 - A Sudden Freeze at Dawn
At 7:15 AM, Richard stood in front of his bathroom mirror, adjusting his crimson silk tie. He sprayed a touch of expensive cologne, smoothed his hair, and gave himself an approving nod.
“Today, you take the crown,” he whispered to his reflection.
He picked up his smartphone to check his investment portfolio before heading to Halcyon headquarters. But when he opened his private banking application, an error message flashed across the screen in bright red text:
[ACCOUNT SUSPENDED — CONTACT INSTITUTIONAL COMPLIANCE]
Richard frowned, tapping the screen aggressively. “Stupid system glitches.”
He switched to his offshore asset tracker.
[ACCESS DENIED — PURSUANT TO FEDERAL COURT ORDER #24-CR-8891]
A cold bead of sweat formed at the back of Richard’s neck. His pulse spiked violently. He dialed his private wealth manager in Zurich.
The call went straight to a generic voicemail.
He dialed Daniel Cross. The call was disconnected on the first ring.
“What is going on?” Richard muttered, his voice tightening with panic.
May you like
He threw his phone onto the bed, grabbed his briefcase, and rushed down the stairs. The house was dead quiet. Clara was nowhere to be seen. He didn't care. He assumed she had fled after his threats the night before.
“I’ll deal with her later,” he snarled to himself as he jumped into his luxury German sedan and sped toward Halcyon Dynamics.
