I took in a sharp breath.
Me;I’m sorry. Something came up.
Me;Just give me a second, please.
Elizabeth;Sure, take your time.
With the phone slipped into my pocket, I walked across the room, opened the door, and went straight into my ensuite living room.
The hallway was dark and quiet when I pulled open my door and stepped out. But there was a faint hum of the city beyond the forest of spruce and cedar which my home hid within.
I proceeded to my office, keyed in the code, and a robotic chime sounded as the door unlocked.
As soon as I entered, the office was filled with the scent of paper, ink, and a touch of sandalwood, rose and earth. The room was just the way I left it; minimalist, orderly, untouched by anything that didn’t belong or serve a purpose.
I walked across to the large steel safe which was built into the wall behind a bookshelf. My fingers hovered over the lock before I began to input the codes.
A faint click echoed and the heavy door pulled open.
I froze at the sight before me.
The ledger wasn’t there. Just a mountain of cash in many different currencies.
I scanned the safe, but it was untouched, no signs of forced entry, no misplaced items. It appeared like a simple entry, code input, ledger removal, and departure.
But how?
A slow breath escaped from my slightly parted lips, followed by a sudden, irritating buzz beneath my skin.
A deep breath, then straightening, I closed the safe, seemingly unconcerned. Like there wasn’t currently chaos in my head.
This ledger was everything. It held the secret of the Raskov Dynasty between its pages. It was the key to make or destroy everything we had worked for years for. And now it was just…gone?
I dug my hand into my pocket, pulling out my phone.
“Marshal?” Takharnov’s deep voice pierced through the speaker again, patient and calm.
“I won’t be able to get the information across to you immediately.” I walked around my desk, rummaging through drawers, looking for clues, any clues. “Don’t make any transaction until I call.”
Maybe I took it out and forgot to put it back? No, that was highly unlikely. Carelessness was never a trait attributed to me. I was tactical, and paid way too much attention to the littlest shift in my environment to make a mistake as grave as leaving such a sensitive document in the open, unattended to.
“Is there a problem, boss?” Takharnov asked.
“Nothing. Just a little complication. I’ll fix it.” I hung up, my body lowering to my leather chair. This was bad. This was really, really bad.
I reached for my desktop, pulling up the footage of the CCTV camera.
I knew the last time I held that ledger. It was around 12 noon yesterday. But I was sure I put it right back where it belonged.Whatever happened to the ledger took place within that time frame.
“Shit.” A soft curse broke out of my lips.
The footage was gone. From noon yesterday until now. It has been deleted. Wiped clean without a trace.
And there was only one reason this kind of reckless situation could have occurred.
My house harboured a foe.
And whoever it was wanted my destruction. Because the fastest way to destroy me and this empire was that ledger. It was the greatest catalyst to the Raskov Dynasty.
