Chapter 55 The Clock Ticks
"Clam down, Eva. We already discussed this. Victor Chen is a criminal." Adrian's voice was hard, controlled, but Eva could see the fury burning in his eyes. "His word means nothing."
"But why? Why would they do this now? We held up our end. We stopped investigating, we turned over the files, we—"
"Maybe that's not enough anymore." Adrian took out his phone. "Or maybe Victor Chen doesn't control the Consortium as he claimed."
Eva sat down quickly, her legs too weak to hold her up.
Three weeks.
Three weeks of peace, of hope, of believing she could finally have the life she wanted.
And now this.
"What do we do?" she asked, hating the tremor in her voice.
Adrian was already making calls, barking orders into his phone. Security protocols and emergency measures are to be put in place at the earliest.
The children needed to be moved, protected, and hidden away from whoever was watching them.
It was happening again.
They were always running, always hiding, always afraid.
Eva looked at the photograph in her hands. Her beautiful children were innocent and vulnerable, seen as nothing more than leverage by dangerous people.
She felt something change inside her.
Not fear this time.
But anger. A surging wave of anger swept over her.
"No," she said, her voice steadying.
Adrian paused mid-call. "What?"
"I said no." Eva stood, her hands clenching into fists. "I'm done running. I'll not hide this time. Why should I be afraid of them anyway?"
"Eva, these people are dangerous—"
"So what. I am also dangerous." She met his eyes, her own blazing with fury. "Just because I let them control me the first time, they think they can control us with threats? They think sending photographs like before will make us cower? Bullsht. They don't know who they're dealing with."
Adrian studied her for a long moment.
"What are you suggesting?" his mouth twitched.
"I'm saying we find out who sent this." Eva's voice was ice. "We should track them down. And make sure they know that threatening our children was the worst mistake they ever made."
A slow smile spread across Adrian's face.
"There she is," he murmured. "The woman who walked into Victor Chen's warehouse without flinching."
"She never left. She was just taking a break."
Adrian crossed to her and took her hands in his. "We do this together. No solo heroics, no reckless risks. Together."
"Fine, we will do it together," Eva agreed.
"Then let's find out who's really behind this."
The next forty-eight hours were a blur of activity.
Adrian's security team analyzed the photograph, the package, and every scrap of evidence they could find.
The paper was ordinary, the kind you can buy at any office supply store. The handwriting was unique but didn't match anything in their records.
The package was left at the main gate by someone in a simple delivery uniform—their face hidden by a cap, with no clear features visible on the security cameras.
Whoever did this knew what they were doing.
It was just like before.
"It could be the Consortium," Daniel said during an emergency meeting at the estate. "But something doesn't feel right."
"What do you mean?" Eva asked.
"Victor Chen is many things, but he's practical. Breaking the agreement with you gains him nothing—you've already turned over Helena's files and stopped investigating his organization. Why risk reigniting a conflict?"
"Maybe he's testing us," Adrian suggested. "Seeing if we'll keep our word even under pressure."
"Or maybe it's not him at all." Daniel spread his hands. "The Consortium isn't a single group. It's made up of powerful people with their own agendas. Victor Chen might have made a deal with us, but that doesn't mean everyone in the group agreed."
Eva's stomach tightened. "You're saying there's a faction within the Consortium that's acting against Chen's wishes?"
"I'm saying it's possible. And if that's true, we might have bigger problems than we thought."
"How so?"
"Because if Victor Chen can't control his own people, he might not be able to protect us even if he wanted to." Daniel looked serious. "And if there's fighting inside the Consortium, things could get very messy very fast."
Silence fell over the room. No one spoke for a moment.
Eva thought about Victor Chen—his cold eyes, his cultured voice, his absolute confidence that he was in control of every situation. Was it possible that control was slipping?
And if so, what did that mean for her family?
"We need more information," she said finally. "We need to know who sent that photograph and why."
"Agreed." Adrian turned to his security chief. "What are our options?"
"We can reach out to Solomon Grant again. He's our best connection to the Consortium's inner workings."
"Grant won't talk for free. He'll want something in return."
"Then we give him something." Eva's voice was hard. "Whatever it takes to protect my children."
Adrian nodded slowly. "I'll make the call."
The Velvet Room was just as Eva remembered. It was elegant and exclusive, with an old-money style that hid the darkness underneath.
Solomon Grant received them in the same private office, his cherubic face wreathed in its usual pleasant smile.
But something was different about him today. There was tension in his shoulders and a wariness in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
"Mr. Cavanaugh. Mrs. Fransis." He gestured them to seats. "I must say, I'm surprised to see you again. I thought our business was concluded."
"So did we." Adrian placed the photograph on Grant's desk. "Until this arrived."
Grant studied the image, his expression carefully neutral. But Eva saw it—a flicker of something that might have been concern crossing his features.
"Interesting," he murmured. "And you believe this came from the Consortium?"
"Who else would it be from?"
"That's the question, isn't it?" Grant leaned back in his chair, fingers pressed together. "I'll be honest. There have been some changes in our group. Some people disagree about what to do and what is most important."
"About the deal with us?"