Chapter 1

On the other end of the line, Theodore Shaw dismissed my frantic shouting with a scoff.

"Juliette Kane, do you honestly think I'm still going to believe a word you say? My parents are on their private cruise in the Aurelian Sea right now. A lawyer like you would say anything to save your own skin."

Natalie Quinn let out a soft, amused laugh and chimed in, "Theo, isn't twisting the truth what she does best? Now, she's trying to hide behind your parents."

Theodore's fury was ignited, and he issued another order.

"Activate the sonic pulse. I want their eardrums blown out!"

Dozens of drones shifted formation at once, releasing a shrill, high-frequency sound wave. The hot air balloon basket shook violently, and the glass goblets at our feet shattered into powder in an instant.

My mother-in-law, Margaret Kane, had a pre-existing heart condition.

Between the violent shaking and the shock, her asthma flared up in an instant. Her face turned purple as she struggled to breathe.

My eyes widened. I rushed over, desperate to get the emergency inhaler from Margaret's Hermès bag.

Just then, a helicopter roared to a hover not far away.

The cabin door slid open, revealing Theodore propping up a Barrett M82. Its muzzle locked onto me with pinpoint accuracy.

With a bang, the bullet hissed through the air, striking the bag with lethal precision.

The strap gave way instantly, sending the Hermès bag tumbling 300 feet below. The inhaler that could've saved Margaret was gone with it.

Theodore's icy voice came through the loudspeaker, echoing through the valley.

"I'll give you one last chance. Face the camera and confess to forging the evidence against Natalie's parents. Then sign the asset transfer agreement and hand over all assets in your name to Natalie. Otherwise, the next round goes straight through your forehead."

A drone carried an agreement and a pen over to me, stopping steadily in front of me. The pen tip caught the sunlight with a sinister glint.

Before I could respond, my father-in-law, Richard Shaw, reached his limit. He seized the phone and bellowed into it, "You disgrace! I'm your father! Stop this right now!"

On the other end, Theodore clearly froze when he heard the voice, followed by a furious shout, "How dare you pretend to be my father? Crank up the power. Silence him!"

The sonic pulse intensified, and blood streamed from Richard's nose and mouth.

As if punishing him for a pathetic impersonation, Theodore fired another shot without the slightest hesitation.

The bullet struck Richard squarely in the shoulder, and blood spread rapidly across his shirt.