Page 70 of Forced & Obsessed By the Bratva King
My stomach tightens and a bead of sweat forms on my forehead as I stare at the screen more intently. I watch it happen again to make sure I’m not imagining things, but the image on the screen confirms I’m not.
It’s the same laugh. The same head movement. The same gesture. The footage is looping.
“What the hell is happening?” I lean forward, drawing in a breath as a cold feeling creeps up my spine.
Quickly, I begin checking the other camera feeds.
Most of it seems normal, until I reach the western grounds. That section should have two guards stationed near the perimeter fence, but the post is empty.
I try to convince myself that they’re patrolling, except the camera covering the adjacent walkway is showing no movement either. Not a single guard is in sight. Not even a patrol vehicle.
The unease in my chest grows heavier. I grab the mouse and begin cycling through additional feeds, and the deeper I look, the worse it gets.
A camera near the service entrance freezes for three seconds before resuming. Another skips forward, and one briefly goes black before reconnecting.
Air drains from my lungs when the realization hits me. Someone has been tampering with the system, and whoever it is behind it did it in a way that wouldn’t trigger immediate suspicion.
A chill runs through me.
Before I can decide what to do, a notification flashes in the corner of another monitor. It’s on Leonid’s secure messaging window. I know I shouldn’t look, but given the obviously breeched security system, my curiosity gets the best of me.
The message vanishes almost as quickly as it appears, but luckily I read most of it before it goes.
THE DEBT REMAINS UNPAID.
LAST WARNING.
My pulse thunders in my ears. A mix of panic, fear, and curiosity courses through me. The message was obviously a warning, but from who?
Mr. Petrov mentioned that being in the bratva came with having a lot of enemies. To the best of my knowledge, Leonid’s security system is tight as hell, so whoever managed to breech it must be someone powerful and with enough of a grudge to not mind the risk.
I glance at the clock. It’s almost ten p.m. now. Leonid’s probably still in a meeting, but I have to call him and let him know what’s—
A floorboard creaks outside the office, and I freeze.
The sound is slow, like whoever’s out there is carefully scanning his surroundings to make sure it’s safe to come in.
It doesn’t sound like Leonid’s heavy steps, plus I didn’t hear the sound of his car drive in. It’s not Tatiana’s energetic stride, either. Mr. Petrov is the only one inside the mansion tonight, but the old man usually shuffles his feet when he walks, so that’s definitely not him.
The sound comes from the hallway, heading toward the office. It’s unhurried, as if whoever it is, despite needing to be careful, already knows exactly where they’re going.
My chest constricts with fear, my blood curdling. Reaching for my phone, I duck under the desk and snap my headtoward the door. I’m flooded with an intense wave of anxiety as I anticipate whatever unwelcome visitor is out there.
I hold my breath and wait.
The handle doesn’t move, but the footsteps stop directly outside the door.
The lights.
Only the people who live here can find their way around the house with the lights off. I need to turn them off.
Fortunately, the house is fully automated, so I reach for my phone, unlock it, and open the home’s automation app Tatiana like showed me.
A floor plan of the mansion appears on the screen. I tap the office controls and the lights go dark instantly. I quickly send a text to Leonid before muting the phone and pressing it tightly to my pounding chest.
The noises outside cease completely, which means whoever stopped outside the door is still right there, even though for some reason, they haven’t come in yet. I can’t just sit around and wait. I need to think of something. A way to make it out of here.
Leonid’s office is on the second floor, and daring to jump out of the window would mean my immediate death. The only other option is facing the intruder head-on, without a weapon, which would also mean I’d get killed tonight.
