Chapter 6 - The Shadows Close InThe revelation of Project Lethe turned our custody battle and criminal trial into a high-stakes war.
Within days of the encryption being cracked, I began to notice the signs. A black sedan parked at the end of our driveway. The clicking sound on my phone line. The feeling of being watched every time I took Sophie to her therapy appointments.
They were trying to intimidate me.
One afternoon, as I was walking to my car in the grocery store parking lot, a tall man in a tailored grey suit blocked my path. He had a neutral, completely forgettable face, but his eyes were dead.
"Mrs. Vance," he said, using my married name.
"Get away from me," I said, clutching my purse tightly, looking around for help. The parking lot was relatively quiet.
"I’m just here to offer some friendly advice," the man said, his voice smooth and devoid of emotion. "Vanguard Biotech is a very powerful entity. Your husband made some mistakes, but his work is highly valued. If you agree to sign a non-disclosure agreement, drop the charges, and allow Mark to seek private psychiatric treatment, a trust fund of five million dollars will be set up for Sophie. She’ll want for nothing. You can move anywhere in the world."
"He poisoned my daughter," I spat, my voice shaking with rage. "He tortured her. I will see him rot in a cell for the rest of his life, and I’ll make sure your company burns to the ground with him."
The man’s expression didn't change, but his eyes grew colder. "A mother should think about her child's future. Accidents happen, Mrs. Vance. A slip in the tub. A sudden, unexplained illness. Sophie’s health is already... fragile, isn't it? It would be a tragedy if she didn't make it to her next birthday."
"Are you threatening my daughter?" I gasped, stepping back.
"I’m just stating facts. Have a nice day, Elena." He turned and walked away, disappearing into a waiting SUV.
I threw myself into my car, locked the doors, and burst into tears. They were going to kill her. If they could get to her, they would kill my baby to protect their secrets.
I drove straight to the police station. Detective Miller met me in the lobby, and when I told her what happened, she immediately initiated a protective protocol.
"We’re moving you and Sophie to a safe house tonight," Miller said. "We can't trust the local police force entirely—Vanguard has political sway. I’m contacting the FBI. This is no longer just a domestic abuse case. This is corporate espionage and illegal human experimentation on a minor."
That night, under the cover of darkness, Sophie and I were escorted out of our home. We carried only a single suitcase of clothes and Sophie’s stuffed bunny, Barnaby.
May you like
We were taken to a secluded cabin in the woods of upstate New York, guarded by two federal marshals.
For the first time in weeks, as I held Sophie in the quiet cabin, I felt a tiny sense of peace. But I knew this was just the calm before the storm. The trial was starting in one week. Mark’s lawyers were going to pull out every dirty trick in the book, and Vanguard Biotech would be pulling the strings from the shadows.
