Chapter 10 - The Warning in the Mail and the Gathering Storm
The morning sun broke over the Manhattan skyline, casting a blinding, brilliant glare across the glass facade of Vance Enterprises.
Inside the executive penthouse office, Elena stood by the window, sipping her morning coffee while reviewing the latest market projections.
The transition of power had been remarkably smooth; international partners were renewing their contracts, employee morale was at an all-time high, and the shadow of Christian Vance felt like a distant, faded nightmare.
A sharp knock at the mahogany door broke her concentration.
"Come in," Elena called out smoothly.
Julian stepped into the office, holding a single, thick manila envelope bearing no return address, stamped with heavy postal ink.
"What is that?" Elena asked, turning away from the window as Julian walked over to the desk, his expression unusually grim.
"It was delivered to my downtown office this morning marked Personal and Confidential - To the CEO," Julian said, placing the envelope down on the glass desk.
Elena stared at the thick manila package, a sudden, cold prickle of apprehension racing down her spine.
"Did you scan it for residues?" she asked sharply.
"Bomb squad already cleared it," Julian replied, his blue eyes locked onto hers with deep concern.
"There's no explosives. Just a message."
Slowly, her heart hammering against her ribs, Elena reached out and slit open the top of the envelope with a silver letter opener.
She slid out a single sheet of heavy, black vellum paper.
Written across the center in stark, blood-red ink were only four words:
YOU FORGOT ABOUT ME.
Attached to the bottom of the paper with a rusted iron paperclip was a faded, half-burnt photograph of her late father standing outside his original accounting firm ten years ago—the very firm Christian had systematically destroyed a decade prior.
Elena’s breath hitched in her throat, the coffee mug in her hand trembling so violently the liquid sloshed over the rim.
"Who is this?" Elena whispered, looking up at Julian with wide, terrified eyes.
May you like
Julian leaned over the desk, his jaw clenching as he stared at the red ink.
"It's not Christian," Julian murmured grimly.
