All Chapters of Between You and the Bullet: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Nathan’s hand was already moving toward his earpiece.“Daniel, surveillance confirmed. Black sedan. Don’t close the distance. Get the plate, and if possible, follow once we break away.”His voice remained calm.It was not the sharp command Audrey had heard when the reporter approached her at the hospital.But there was no longer any mention of possibility.Audrey kept her body still and her eyes forward.Yesterday, she would have turned around.Now she understood why he did not want her to.Outside the window, Manhattan continued through an ordinary morning. Office workers waited at crosswalks with coffee in their hands. Delivery crews unloaded boxes. Taxi drivers leaned on their horns over lane changes.Somewhere inside all of that normal movement was one car following her.That single fact changed the entire city.“Are you calling the police?”“We are. That doesn’t necessari

Audrey resumed working that afternoon from a conference room inside the security firm’s office.It was nothing like her usual executive suite. There was no Sterling Group logo on the wall, no assistants moving in and out, no familiar rhythm of meetings beginning and ending outside her door. But once she opened her laptop and connected with Claire by video call, the amount of work waiting for her had not changed at all.The only difference was that Nathan and Daniel were sitting at the far end of the table, going through her schedule.“Who originally entered the hospital event?”At Nathan’s question, Claire checked something on her screen.“Three weeks ago. I added it when the foundation formally confirmed the invitation. At that point, Audrey was scheduled to attend. Richard asked us yesterday afternoon to consider canceling, and the final decision to attend wasn’t made until last night.”“Who received the updated confirmation?”

By the time Audrey returned to the Sterling residence, night had already fallen.The replacement SUV entered through the underground garage, and Audrey was not allowed out until the security team had checked the surrounding area. Only a few days earlier, she had still been coming home through the front entrance without giving any of it a second thought.Now that felt strangely distant.Nathan exchanged a few words with the head of estate security before following her into the main hall.The perimeter patrols were being increased that night.Vehicle gate logs were under review, and all deliveries would now require advance registration. After the tracking device had been found, Sterling security had also begun reassessing its vehicle storage procedures and access controls.Audrey had technically come home.It felt more like she had moved from one secured zone into another.“Audrey.”A familiar voice came from the corridor

The next morning, Audrey went to Sterling headquarters as planned.Almost everything about the trip was different.The vehicle was not disclosed until shortly before departure. The route into the underground garage had been changed. An unfamiliar security officer stood near the executive elevators, and far fewer people had access to Audrey’s schedule for the day.Even after she entered her office, Nathan checked the room before stepping back into the corridor.A few days earlier, she might have thought the whole process excessive.Now she said nothing.“The Ashford documents came in.”Claire entered carrying her laptop.“The missing Fund Seven material from yesterday. Their explanation is that it was left out of the original transmission.”“That was fast.”“Maybe they wanted to get it to you before you had to ask again.”There was nothing inherently susp

Maya pulled the tablet closer.“First, I need to go through your relationships. Anyone with a personal grievance. Anyone who has become fixated on you in the past. Former employees. Litigation opponents. People who may have lost money because of one of your business decisions. We’re keeping the scope broad.”“That sounds like a long list.”“In your case, probably.”The Sterling name alone created more interests than Audrey could count.There were people who had never spoken to her personally who could lose millions of dollars—or far more—because of a decision she made.“Will you look at my family too?”“If necessary.”“My fiancé?”Audrey was not sure why she singled that one out.Maya’s expression did not change.“We have no reason to exclude someone because he’s your fiancé. We also hav