The Next Billionaire

Chapter 7: The Shadow Who Knew Him

The dim light from the warehouse’s broken windows cast eerie shadows across the room, making every creak of the floorboards sound like footsteps. Frank wiped the sweat from his brow, his heart still racing from their narrow escape. He glanced at Ella, whose face was pale, but her determination remained sharp despite the pain.

“We need to move,” he said, his voice urgent. “I don’t know how long we’ll be safe here.”

Ella nodded, clutching her arm. “What’s next? You said Valkyrie was the key?”

Frank paused, staring at the ground. His thoughts were a whirlwind. The implications of what he had uncovered were too vast to ignore. A global AI system capable of predicting human behavior was one thing—something that could control markets, politics, and entire governments—but the fact that someone was trying to activate it was a different matter entirely.

“We’re not just dealing with WrenTech,” he muttered, pacing back and forth. “Valkyrie... it’s bigger than that. Whoever controls it can manipulate everything. And right now, they want us out of the picture. They’ll come for us, Ella. We can’t stay here.”

Ella winced as she adjusted her position against the wall, her eyes flickering with a mix of confusion and anger. “But who would want to kill my father for something like this? And why go after you?”

“I don’t know,” Frank admitted, rubbing his temples. “But someone is pulling strings. And they’re using us as pawns.”

Just as the words left his mouth, Frank’s phone buzzed violently in his pocket. His heart skipped a beat as he pulled it out and saw the incoming message:

Unknown Contact:

"You’re not alone, Frank. I know you’re in trouble. But you have no idea how deep this goes. Valkyrie isn’t just a project. It’s a weapon."

Before Frank could reply, the phone buzzed again with another message:

"They’re coming for you, but I’m not. Not yet. But I will help you. You need to trust me."

Frank's pulse quickened. The messages were cryptic, but something about them felt real, felt urgent. His mind raced to process everything. Who was this? How did they know about Valkyrie?

He turned to Ella. “We’ve got a problem. And it’s worse than I thought.”

Before she could respond, a loud crash echoed through the building, followed by the unmistakable sound of boots pounding against the floor.

Frank’s heart jumped into his throat. “They’re here.”

He quickly scanned the room for an exit. The back door was their best bet—but it was on the other side of the warehouse, and the footsteps were growing closer.

Ella, despite her injury, struggled to her feet, urgency flashing in her eyes. “We don’t have time.”

“I know,” Frank said, his mind already working a dozen steps ahead. He pulled her toward the back door, the faint light from the street outside offering a brief sense of hope.

But just as they reached the door, it slammed open with force, sending a burst of cold air into the room.

Frank barely had time to react before a figure stepped into the doorway, blocking their escape.

It was the woman from earlier—the one watching them from the rooftop. Frank’s breath caught in his throat.

“Who are you?” he demanded, his voice tight.

The woman didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she looked at Frank with an almost unsettling calm, her eyes narrowing. There was something familiar about her, something he couldn’t place.

“I told you... you’re not alone,” she finally said, her voice low and cold. “But if you don’t trust me, I’m afraid you’ll be dead in a few hours.”

Frank’s eyes flicked to Ella, who was already in a defensive stance. “Do we run? Or do we listen?”

The woman’s lips twitched into a barely noticeable smile. “Neither. You fight.”

Frank’s instincts screamed at him. Something wasn’t right. But before he could act, the woman stepped forward, her movements swift and deliberate.

She grabbed Ella’s injured arm, forcing her to the side with surprising strength, and aimed a gun directly at Frank’s chest.

“You’ve made a dangerous mistake, Frank,” she said, her voice eerily calm. “But I can fix it—if you let me. Otherwise, I’ll let them handle you.”

Frank’s mind spun. The tension in the air was thick, and for a moment, he could feel the weight of his choices bearing down on him. If he fought back, he might risk everything. But if he played along...

His mind raced. Who was she? What was her real motive?

“I’m not going to let you hurt her,” Frank said, his voice growing steady despite the fear coursing through him. “Whatever this is, I’m done being a pawn.”

The woman’s eyes flashed dangerously. “You still don’t understand, do you?”

She took a step back, lowering the gun slightly. Her gaze never left Frank, as though she were trying to gauge his next move.

“I don’t want to hurt either of you,” she said, almost regretfully. “But I’m not the one you need to worry about.”

Frank’s breath caught. “Then who is?”

The woman glanced over her shoulder, as if sensing something coming.

Just then, a cold, mechanical voice came from the shadows.

“It’s me.”

Frank’s blood ran cold. The voice was unmistakable—it was Mr. Corbin.

The man who had been pulling strings behind the scenes.

“I’ve been patient long enough,” Corbin continued, stepping into the light, flanked by two large security guards. “But now, it’s time to end this little game.”

As Corbin’s men advanced toward them, the woman turned sharply, her eyes flashing with recognition. “You were supposed to be dead,” she muttered to herself.

Frank’s heart stopped as Corbin’s cold gaze fell on him.

“You should have stayed out of this, Sutton,” Corbin sneered. “But now... it’s too late for you.”

The woman took one last glance at Frank, her hand twitching toward her belt.

Then everything went dark.