Chapter 3 - The Photo on the TableTwo days after the incident at La Meridian, Daniel’s front door buzzer rang. He placed himself between the entryway and Ava instantly.
"Yes?" he called through the intercom.
"Mr. Ward, it’s Olivia Miller. Please let me speak with you."
Daniel let her up, sending Ava to her room to do homework. When he opened the door, Olivia stood in the hallway dressed in plain jeans and a sweater—yet she still carried the commanding aura of a high-tech CEO.
"How did you find me?" Daniel asked sternly.
"I have resources," she replied smoothly, stepping inside. She looked around the modest apartment, noticing the school drawings and library books. "Staff Sergeant Daniel Ward, 75th Ranger Regiment. Four deployments. You were hard to trace, but not impossible."
"What do you want, Miss Miller?"
Olivia placed a thick manila folder on the dining table. "The men you stopped weren't muggers. They are mercenaries working for a corporate espionage ring targeting Quantum Leap Technologies. We developed a next-generation energy cell that disrupts energy markets worldwide."
"Call the FBI," Daniel said flatly. "I have a daughter to raise."
"I did," Olivia said softly. "But then my security team intercepted this transmitted across an encrypted server today." She pulled out a fresh photograph.
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Daniel’s blood ran cold. It was a clear long-lens photo of him walking Ava to school that very morning.
"Whoever is targeting me now knows who saved me," Olivia explained, her eyes filled with genuine remorse. "They consider you a threat. I’m sorry, Daniel. But your daughter is in their sights now too."
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