Ron Donaldo: Rise Of The Apex Don

Chapter 25

The city of Oakhaven was completely black. 

The Director had shut down the main power grid. Millions of people were trapped in the dark. There were no streetlights. There were no traffic lights. The tall skyscrapers were just massive, dark shadows against the night sky. Down in the streets, sirens cried out like angry animals. Fire burned in small pockets where cars had crashed. 

But high above the dark city, one building still had lights. 

It was a secret penthouse on the top floor of a luxury hotel. The Director owned the hotel. The penthouse had its own private emergency generator. The lights inside burned a bright, cold white. 

Theresa Sterling stood by the massive glass window. She held a crystal glass in her shaking hand. The glass was filled with dark red wine. She stared down at the black city. The red wine looked exactly like blood in the bright light of the room. 

She took a deep drink. The wine tasted bitter. 

Three hours ago, she had been on the ninetieth floor of Sterling Tech. She had been the Queen of the city. She had a husband, a company, and billions of dollars. 

Now, her company was dead. Her husband, Marcus, was trapped by Ron Donaldo. And Theresa was hiding in a glass box in the sky. 

She had escaped in The Director’s black helicopter. She thought she was smart. She thought she was saving herself. She told herself that Marcus was weak and he deserved to fall. She told herself that she was important to The Director. She knew the secret bank accounts. She knew the passwords. She was useful. 

But as she stood in the quiet penthouse, a cold, terrible feeling began to grow in her stomach. 

She looked away from the window and turned around. 

The penthouse was huge. It had white marble floors, white leather sofas, and beautiful modern art on the walls. It was a palace. 

But it did not feel like a palace. It felt like a very expensive prison cell. 

There were four men in the penthouse with her. They were The Director’s private security guards. They wore sharp, dark gray suits. They wore small white earpieces. They stood in the corners of the massive room. They did not speak. They did not move. They just watched. 

The leader of the guards was a man named Griggs. 

Griggs was a tall man with short, blonde hair. His face was made of sharp angles. His eyes were pale blue and completely empty. He stood near the heavy wooden front door of the penthouse. His hands were folded neatly behind his back. 

Theresa walked slowly toward the center of the room. Her high heels clicked loudly on the marble floor. 

"Griggs," Theresa said. Her voice sounded too loud in the quiet room. 

Griggs looked at her. He did not smile. "Yes, Mrs. Sterling. Do you need something? More wine? Some food?"

"No," Theresa said. She forced herself to smile. She tried to look powerful. She tried to act like the boss. "I have been in this room for three hours. I need to make some phone calls. I need to check my personal bank accounts. Where is my phone?"

Griggs blinked slowly. "The Director ordered us to take all phones. For your safety. Ron Donaldo is a very dangerous man. He can track cell phone signals. We cannot let him find you."

Theresa felt a sharp spike of anger, but she hid it. "I understand. But I need to speak to The Director. I need to know what his plan is. When do I leave the city?"

"The Director is very busy," Griggs said smoothly. His pale blue eyes stared right through her. "He is fixing the mess you made. He will call you when he is ready. Please, sit down and relax. You are perfectly safe here."

Theresa took another step forward. "I do not want to sit down. I want to go to the bedroom and sleep. I am very tired."

"Of course," Griggs said. He pointed his hand toward the long hallway that led to the bedrooms. "Please, get some rest."

Theresa walked past him. As she walked down the hallway, she felt the eyes of the four guards burning into her back. 

She reached the master bedroom and pushed the door open. It was a beautiful room with a huge, soft bed. 

Before she stepped inside, she looked up. 

In the top corner of the bedroom, hiding perfectly in the shadows of the ceiling, was a tiny, black circle. 

It was a camera. 

Theresa stopped. Her heart began to beat very fast. She looked at the other corner. There was another camera. 

She turned around and looked back down the hallway. Griggs was watching her from the living room. 

"Is there a problem, Mrs. Sterling?" Griggs called out. His voice was polite, but it sounded like a threat. 

Theresa swallowed hard. Her mouth felt very dry. "No," she lied. "No problem."

She walked into the bedroom and closed the heavy wooden door behind her. She heard a soft click. 

She ran to the door and pulled the handle. It was locked from the outside. 

Theresa stepped back. Her breath came in short, fast gasps. 

Her core struggle hit her like a heavy hammer. She had betrayed Ron because she wanted total freedom and absolute power. She wanted to be a queen. She had lied, cheated, and stepped on everyone who loved her. She thought she was the smartest person in the world. 

But she was not the player. She was just a piece on the board. The Director did not save her because she was a partner. He saved her to keep her quiet. He locked her in this room so the FBI could not find her. 

She was a prisoner. Just like Ron was a prisoner for five years. 

"He is going to kill me," Theresa whispered to herself in the empty room. "When he moves his money, he is going to kill me."

She began to pace back and forth across the soft carpet. She was trapped. Griggs and his men were outside. They had guns. The door was locked. She was high in the sky. There was no escape. 

But Theresa Sterling was a survivor. She was a snake. And a snake always looks for a hole to crawl through.