Chapter 1
It was supposed to be a completely normal Friday evening. After a long day at work as the founder of a new high-tech company, I stayed late, as usual. I locked up the office and headed home, but as I walked, a loud scream shattered the silence. Without hesitation, I ran toward the sound.
When I turned the corner, I saw them—a group of men dressed entirely in black, standing in a circle around a woman. Their faces were impossible to make out. It was too dark, and if I wasn’t mistaken, they were wearing balaclavas. My heart pounded as I reached for my phone in my pocket, quickly dialing the police.
Before I could press the call button, a deep voice rumbled behind me.
“What do you think you’re doing, kid?”
A large hand snatched the phone from my grip, and I froze. The man turned toward the group.
“Look who we’ve got here,” he called out, catching their attention. The men turned to face me.
“He’s seen too much,” one of them said coldly. “We can’t leave him here.”
“I didn’t see anything, I swear!” I stammered, my voice trembling. “I won’t tell anyone. Please, just let me go!”
One of the men stepped closer, his gaze piercing despite the mask.
“Guys, that’s Ryan Miller,” he said with recognition in his voice.
“Who the hell is that supposed to be?” asked the tallest man, clearly the leader.
“He’s the founder of some big tech company,” the other replied. “Supposed to be the next self-made millionaire. Saw it in the papers.”
