Chapter 2 - The Red Light
The morning sun broke through the clouds, casting a brilliant golden hue over the Pacific Ocean. Inside the penthouse, Julian stretched out on the California King bed. The Egyptian cotton sheets—which I had personally sourced from a textile mill in Cairo—felt incredible against his skin.
He rolled over and smiled at Chloe, who was taking a selfie in the massive mirror, still wearing my custom cashmere coat and the glowing emerald pendant.
"Good morning, king of the world," she purred, climbing onto the bed and kissing him. "Can we get breakfast? I want lobster benedict and mimosas. The expensive champagne."
"Whatever you want, baby," Julian said smugly. "It's our resort now. We own the whole damn thing."
Julian picked up the suite's tablet, the central command station for the room's electronics and room service. He tapped the screen to order breakfast.
ERROR 404: ACCOUNT SUSPENDED.
Julian frowned, tapping the screen harder. "Stupid tech," he muttered. He picked up the landline to call the concierge directly. He listened for the dial tone, but there was only dead air.
"Julian, babe, it's freezing in here," Chloe complained, pulling my coat tighter around her. "Turn the heat up."
Julian walked over to the digital thermostat on the wall. The screen was completely black. He pressed the buttons, but nothing happened. A cold prickle of annoyance crawled up his spine. He was the CEO. He demanded perfection. If the power was acting up in the penthouse, someone was going to get fired today.
"I'll go down to the executive lounge and get us coffee while I chew out the maintenance director," Julian growled. He slipped on his tailored trousers and a silk shirt, grabbing his sleek, black master keycard off the nightstand.
He walked to the heavy oak doors of the penthouse and turned the handle. It didn't budge.
He swiped his master keycard against the reader. Instead of the familiar, welcoming green chime, the reader flashed a harsh, angry red.
BEEP-BEEP. Access Denied.
"What the hell?" Julian muttered. He swiped it again. Red. He swiped it a third time, aggressively. Red.
He was locked inside.
Panic, sudden and cold, finally pierced his arrogant bubble. He grabbed his cell phone from his pocket. He had zero bars. The Wi-Fi icon was missing. The entire penthouse had been scrubbed from the resort's network. He was cut off from the world.
"Julian? What's taking so long?" Chloe whined from the bed.
Before Julian could answer, the electronic deadbolt on the door suddenly clicked open from the outside. The heavy oak doors swung inward.
Julian’s anger flared, masking his momentary panic. "What is the meaning of this?!" he roared, expecting to see a terrified maid or a confused maintenance worker.
Instead, four heavily armed private security contractors stepped into the room, their faces like stone. Behind them walked Marcus, the General Manager, holding a thick leather binder.
"Marcus!" Julian barked. "What the hell is going on with the power? And why did my keycard bounce? I'll have your job for this!"
Marcus didn't flinch. He didn't cower. He looked at Julian with an expression of mild disgust. "I'm afraid you don't have the authority to fire me, Mr. Sterling. In fact, you don't have the authority to be in this room."
"I am the CEO and the owner of this resort!" Julian screamed, stepping forward. The security guards immediately stepped in front of Marcus, their hands resting on their utility belts. Julian froze.
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"You are a contracted employee of Vanguard Holdings," a sharp, feminine voice echoed from the hallway.
The security guards parted, and Julian’s breath caught in his throat.
