Chapter 2 - The Golden Cage
High above the street, in the sprawling penthouse suite that I had personally designed, Julian poured a glass of two-thousand-dollar champagne. He handed it to Chloe, who was sprawled across the white leather sofa, wearing my custom silk robe and my grandmother’s priceless emerald pendant.
"I can't believe how easy that was," Chloe giggled, taking a sip. "She didn't even put up a fight. She just... left."
"Elena is weak," Julian sneered, unbuttoning his tailored suit jacket. "She's always been a glorified interior designer. I built this empire. I am the face of this brand. The board loves me, the investors love me. Without her nagging, I can finally take this company public."
He walked over to the smart-home control panel on the wall, intending to lower the lights and turn on the fireplace. He pressed the master switch.
A red error message flashed on the screen: BIOMETRIC ID REJECTED. ACCESS DENIED.
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Julian frowned, wiping his thumb on his shirt and pressing it again. ACCESS DENIED.
"Stupid tech," he muttered, pulling out his cell phone to call the front desk. But as he looked at the screen, he noticed the Wi-Fi icon was gone. His phone had no signal. In a building equipped with military-grade cell boosters, his phone was suddenly a useless brick. The golden cage was locking its doors.
