Chapter 7

Aspen's muffled, terrified screams echoed from inside the half-closed coffin. The sound of her fingernails frantically scratching against the polished wood sent shivers down the spines of the guests.

The sheer violence of the act snapped the estate's security chief back to reality. He yanked his taser from his belt and screamed into his radio.

Six massive bodyguards in tight black suits charged out from the edges of the lawn. They sprinted toward Evelina, their faces twisted in anger.

The wealthy guests shrieked and scrambled backward, desperate to avoid the incoming bloodshed.

Evelina stood perfectly still beside the coffin. She watched the men rushing at her. Memories flashed behind her eyes-these same men dragging her down the basement stairs, locking her in the dark at Aspen's command.

Her blood turned to ice. Her muscles coiled tight.

The first bodyguard reached her. He lunged, his thick hands aiming for her hair to drag her to the ground.

Evelina dropped her center of gravity. She ducked under his sweeping arms. In a blur of motion, she grabbed his extended wrist. Using Krav Maga principles, she twisted her hips and snapped his arm downward over her shoulder.

A loud, sickening crack rang out. The bone snapped.

The bodyguard let out a guttural howl and collapsed to his knees, clutching his ruined arm.

Evelina smoothly snatched the heavy radio clipped to his shoulder. She spun around and smashed the hard plastic directly into the face of the second guard rushing up behind her. Blood sprayed from his nose as he stumbled backward.

The remaining four guards skidded to a halt. They pulled out expandable steel batons, their eyes wide with sudden caution. They formed a tight circle around her.

The security chief, Marcus, stepped forward. He aimed the taser directly at Evelina's chest. His hands were shaking slightly.

"Get on your knees and put your hands on your head! Now!" Marcus roared.

Evelina did not kneel. She reached up and slowly pulled the black veil and hat from her head. She tossed it onto the grass.

She looked straight into the security chief's eyes. A cruel, mocking smile touched her lips.

Evelina raised her voice just enough for the guards to hear. She offered a single, terrifying hint.

"Marcus," Evelina stated, her voice flat and deadly. "Do you still remember the exact inventory of the vintage Lafite that went missing from the Barrett cellar last year? I did the math for you."

Marcus's face drained of all color. The taser in his hand trembled violently.

Evelina didn't stop. She turned her head to the guard holding a baton on her left. "Your wife would be devastated if she ever visited that particular apartment in Queens," she noted softly.

She locked eyes with a third guard. "And the loan sharks from Chinatown are notoriously impatient when it comes to unpaid casino debts."

She had spent years locked in her room, hacking into the estate's internal network, reading their emails, tracking their phones. She knew every dirty secret they hid.

Evelina swept her gaze over the terrified men. "If any of you take one more step toward me, all the evidence goes to the NYPD and your families' phones by tomorrow morning."

The lawn fell completely silent. The only sound was Aspen's pathetic sobbing from the box.

The guards looked at each other. The aggression melted into raw, suffocating fear. They were paid to protect the Barretts, not to ruin their own lives and go to prison.

Marcus broke first. He swallowed hard. He slowly lowered the taser. He reached up, loosened his tie, and took two deliberate steps backward, signaling his surrender.

Seeing their boss fold, the other guards quickly collapsed their batons. They backed away, treating Evelina like a live bomb. The physical threat was completely neutralized.

Evelina smiled, She turned her body toward the massive front doors of the mansion, The real targets were finally coming out.