What He Walked Into

Daniel was halfway through checking emails in his home office when Lena stepped inside, holding her phone.

Her expression was unreadable. “You haven’t seen the new gist yet, have you?”

Daniel barely looked up. “No. Why?”

She hesitated, then handed him the phone. “You should see this.”

He took it from her, expecting a business headline or political scandal—but what he saw made his stomach turn.

The screen displayed a breaking news segment. A reporter stood outside a gated property, speaking urgently into the microphone. Behind her, footage rolled of flashing lights, emergency responders, and a familiar estate.

“The Denovan family has confirmed that their young daughter was safely recovered after being kidnapped earlier this week. However, in a shocking turn, the suspects allegedly named a woman they claimed had hired them. That name? Maya—one of the designers frequently associated with the family…”

Daniel blinked.

The next clip showed shaky footage taken from across the street—blurry,