The first Strike
344 Words
Daniel shot to his feet.
"End the meeting," he ordered.
Ignoring the confused directors, he rushed out of the conference room.
Victoria watched him leave with an unreadable smile.
"So," one board member asked cautiously, "what exactly are you planning, Ms. Hart?"
She glanced toward the closed doors.
"You'll find out soon enough."
---
In the lobby, Amina greeted several employees with her usual warm smile.
She had no idea why Daniel suddenly came running toward her.
"Amina!"
She turned, surprised.
"Daniel? What's wrong?"
Before he could answer, a loud crash echoed through the lobby.
A decorative chandelier broke loose from the ceiling and came crashing down.
Daniel lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Amina and pulling her to the floor.
The chandelier smashed into pieces where she had been standing just a second earlier.
Employees screamed and rushed for safety.
Security guards quickly sealed off the area.
Amina's heart pounded as she looked at the shattered glass surrounding them.
"We could have been killed," she whispered.
Daniel helped her to her feet.
"Are you hurt?"
She shook her head.
"No... thanks to you."
---
Minutes later, the head of security inspected the scene.
His face turned grim.
"Mr. Stone... this wasn't an accident."
"What do you mean?"
"The support cable was deliberately cut."
Daniel clenched his fists.
Someone had tried to kill Amina.
---
Meanwhile, in a luxury hotel overlooking the city, Victoria stood by the window.
A man entered the room.
"The plan failed," he said.
Victoria didn't look disappointed.
"It was only a test."
She slowly turned to face him.
"I wanted to see how far Daniel would go to protect his wife."
"And now?"
Victoria smiled coldly.
"Now we make things personal."
She picked up another photograph.
This one showed Daniel, Amina... and a small child playing in a park.
The man frowned.
"They have a child now?"
Victoria's eyes narrowed.
"Then that child will become Daniel's greatest weakness."
Outside, dark clouds gathered over the city.
A storm was coming—and this time, it wouldn't be easy to survive.
- Writer
