Chapter 3 - The Noose Tightens
By the third day, Daniel was unraveling. He hadn't showered, his clothes were wrinkled, and Vanessa was hiding out in his motel room, chain-smoking and pacing the floor like a caged animal.
"They froze everything, Daniel! Everything!" Vanessa screamed, her manicured nails digging into her palms. "The people from Macau called me. They said if the forty thousand dollars isn't wired by Friday, they're transferring my debt to local collectors. Do you know what those people do to people who don't pay?!"
"Shut up, Vanessa! I'm thinking!" Daniel roared, slamming his fist against the cheap wood desk.
He still couldn't comprehend how Claire, his quiet, submissive wife who spent her days sketching logos on her iPad, had managed to completely paralyze his life in less than seventy-two hours. He picked up his phone and dialed Miriam Cole’s office for the twentieth time. This time, to his surprise, he was put through.
"Where is she?" Daniel demanded without preamble. "Tell Claire to stop this childish game right now! We can talk about this like adults. I lost my temper with the coffee, okay? I'll apologize! I'll buy her whatever she wants!"
"Mr. Vance," Miriam’s voice was smooth and utterly devoid of warmth. "Mrs. Vance has no interest in your apologies. However, she has agreed to meet you tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM at the Vanguard Capital headquarters. Bring your sister. If you fail to show up, the police will execute an arrest warrant for corporate forgery and embezzlement by noon."
The line went dead.
Daniel looked at Vanessa, a desperate, dangerous glint returning to his eyes. "Vanguard Capital... that's her father's old office. She’s going to try to intimidate us on her home turf. But she’s weak, Vanessa. She’s always been weak. We go there, we threaten to drag her family’s name through a public divorce scandal, and she’ll fold. She always does."
Vanessa wiped her smudged makeup, a cruel grin breaking through her panic. "You're right. She’s just trying to play tough. We just need to remind her who holds the power."
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They spent the night rehearsing their demands, convinced that Claire’s sudden show of force was just a desperate bluff to get Daniel back. They had
no idea they were walking straight into an execution chamber.
