Chapter 2

The heavy oak door to the study shuddered under a violent impact. Then another.

"They're trying to break down the door!" Sophia gasped, clutching Leo tightly.

"The panic room, now!" I urged, already moving towards the false bookcase that concealed its entrance. My father, William Miller, had it installed years ago, a state-of-the-art sanctuary.

"Ava, are you sure? Ethan said..."

"Ethan isn't here, Sophia! And his security isn't either!" I punched in the code, the heavy steel door sliding open with a quiet hiss.

Leo, bless his innocent heart, looked confused. "Aunt Ava, why are we playing hide-and-seek now?"

"It's a special game, sweetie," I said, trying to keep my voice steady as I ushered them inside.

The panic room was small, utilitarian, but stocked with water, emergency supplies, and its own secure phone line. I slammed the heavy door shut, the reinforced bolts thudding into place.

Sophia sank onto a small bench, her face ashen. "I don't understand. Ethan... he took all the guards? Why would he do that?"

"For Chloe," I said flatly. "He wanted to go to Aspen with her, no interruptions."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Aspen? Now? But... our family, the company..."

"None of that matters to him as much as she does."

The sounds from outside were muffled now, but the vibrations of their efforts to break into the study still reached us.

"You called the police?" Sophia asked, her hand protectively on her stomach.

"Yes. 911. I told them everything." I didn't mention my earlier conversation with Ethan. There was no point in adding to her terror.

"But they'll take time," Sophia murmured, her gaze distant. "Bel Air to the nearest precinct... it's always traffic."

I nodded, my own fear a cold knot in my stomach. Last time, that delay was fatal.

"We're safe in here, aren't we?" Leo asked, his small voice trembling slightly.

I pulled him close. "Yes, sweetheart. Very safe. This room is like a fortress."

But even as I said it, a louder crash from outside the panic room, from the study itself, made my heart leap. They were through the study door.

Sophia let out a small cry.

I picked up the panic room's dedicated phone. It had a direct line to a private security firm Dad used, bypassing the main house lines.

"This is the Miller residence, panic room activation," I said, my voice surprisingly firm. "Code Omega-Seven. Intruders in the house, attempting to breach."

"Understood, Ms. Miller. We are dispatching a priority team. LAPD has also been notified by your 911 call. Hold tight."

Hold tight. Easier said than done.

The rhythmic thudding started again, this time against the panic room door itself. Heavy, metallic, determined.

They knew we were in here.