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Chapter 35: Two Enemies, One Table
The second meeting between David Mercer and Marcus Fell took place in a different location—not a cafe this time, but the back room of an old pub on the banks of the River Thames, far from main street cameras.Rovan received the audio interception report from the Aegis Crown Division at ten at night, after Millie was asleep and the flat had fallen quiet. He sat on the worn sofa with his secure laptop on his knees, an earpiece fitted in his left ear. In the next room, his daughter's breathing was regular.Mercer's voice was heard first. Tired. Professional."I already have photos of the child. Daily routine. Arrival time, departure time. Who picks her up. The bus route." A pause. "But my clients need more than photos. They need pressure that makes the janitor hand over the child without waiting for a court ruling."Marcus Fell's voice answered. Deeper. Slower. "What kind of pressure?""Presence. Surveillance. Something that makes him feel unsafe in his own home. Without physical violenc
Chapter 34: The Second Letter
The second envelope arrived on Thursday, tucked between the electric bill and a supermarket flyer in the ground-floor mailbox.Rovan found it on his way back from school, after taking Millie up to the flat and making sure she was seated on the sofa with her drawing book. He went back down under the excuse of "getting the newspaper," opened the mailbox, and saw the same cream-colored envelope as before. No stamp. No sender's name. Just very neat blue ink handwriting.He did not open it in the lobby. He slid it into the inner pocket of his jacket, climbed the stairs, and entered the flat as usual."Dad, you took so long," Millie said without looking up from her paper. She was drawing the orange cat again—this time with a background of a park and a fountain."Line at the stairs," Rovan answered. "A neighbor had a lot of groceries."Millie nodded and went back to stroking her crayon. Rovan took off his jacket, hung it on the hook, and walked to the kitchen. He turned on the stove, filled
Chapter 33: An Inheritance That Is Not Theirs
"Twelve million pounds in debt. Four properties sold. Three credit accounts near their limits. And they are still sending letters with blue ink and cream envelopes."The voice of the Pendleton Crown proxy accountant sounded flat on the end of the phone. Professional. Emotionless. Rovan stood in the locked school utility room, his back resting against the mop rack. Outside the door, the first-floor corridor was already empty. The dismissal bell had rung thirty minutes ago."Continue," Rovan said."Crownveil Partners' report finished this morning. A full forensic audit of Blackwood and Associates and three connected intermediary entities. The results are consistent: this family is sinking. Property assets shrank by forty percent in ten years. Two properties in Surrey sold quietly. One townhouse in Kensington is in the middle of negotiation with an anonymous buyer.""How much time do they have left before they completely collapse?""Conservative estimate: eighteen months. Maybe less if t
Chapter 32: The Watcher at the Gate
"Dad, can we take the park way home today?"Millie held Rovan's hand with a light step. Her bag was slightly crooked on her back because she had packed too many drawing books. Her blue ribbon was still tied neatly, though it was starting to loosen on the right end."Through the park?" Rovan turned his head. "Why?""Because there is an orange cat in the park. It always sits on the bench near the fountain. I want to see it." Millie smiled widely. "Its name is Me."Rovan almost laughed. "You named the cat 'Me'?""Yes. Because every time I say 'hi', it turns its head. That means its name is Me." Millie swung their hands together. "Can we?""Alright. But not for long. It will get dark soon."They walked toward the side gate. The dismissal bell had rung ten minutes ago. Children flowed out like a small river—shouting, laughing, calling out to parents waiting across the street.Rovan stopped at the threshold of the gate. Not because of Millie. Because his eyes caught something that should not
Chapter 31: The Name Behind the Name
For two days, the letter lay in the kitchen drawer, beneath a pile of clean rags and Millie's colored pencil box.Rovan did not open it. He did not touch it. Every time he opened the drawer to grab a spoon or a plate, the cream-colored envelope was there—silent, without a stamp, without a sender's name, with very neat blue ink handwriting on the front. He closed the drawer again. Took what he needed. Pretended the envelope did not exist.Millie did not notice it. The child was busy with her new drawing—a castle with a dragon on top of it, and three small stars in the corner of the paper. She hummed while coloring, her tongue sticking out slightly in concentration.Rovan cooked noodles. Placed two bowls on the table. Sat down. Ate."Dad," Millie said between bites. "Tomorrow Miss Eleanor said there is a drawing lesson outside the class. In the park.""Good.""I want to draw a big tree. One where the roots are visible." Millie blew on her noodles. "Can Dad help draw the roots?""I can."
Chapter 30: Shadows at the Door
"Install everything in one night. No sound. No trace."Rovan's voice sounded low on the end of the phone. He stood in the locked school utility room, his back resting against the mop rack. Outside the door, the first-floor corridor was empty. The dismissal bell had rung twenty minutes ago. The children had left. The last staff member was locking classrooms on the second floor."Number of units?" asked the voice on the other end. Professional. Emotionless. The field commander of the Aegis Crown Division."Eight cameras. Four motion sensors on the stairs. Two silent alarms at the main entrance and emergency door. One hidden control panel in the basement.""And the building across the street?""Acquired this morning through CrownEstate Holdings. Unit three and unit five on the second floor. Two agents will move in as new residents starting tomorrow. Different names. Different backgrounds. Nothing connects them to Aegis.""Understood. Installation begins at two in the morning.""Finish be
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