Chapter 5 - The Shadow at the Window
Evelyn’s grip on Maya’s hand went rigid.
"He knows," Evelyn whispered, her voice trembling with an absolute, primal dread. "He’s been having me followed. He knew I came here tonight."
Maya turned her head slowly, keeping her movements subtle, looking back over her shoulder.
Through the soft amber glow of the restaurant interior, she saw two men step out of the black SUV. They wore dark wool overcoats, custom-tailored suits, and low-brimmed hats. They didn't look like muggers or street thugs; they carried themselves with the disciplined, lethal efficiency of former military personnel—private security operatives working for Richard Vance.
One of the men reached into his coat, adjusting an earpiece beneath his collar as he walked toward the heavy glass doors of L’Hiver.
"Maya, listen to me," Evelyn pleaded in an urgent whisper, reaching into her bag and pressing a small, heavy silver USB flash drive into Maya’s palm. "This drive contains the real audit logs from Vance Maritime. Richard didn't just steal my father's company... he used it to move illegal funds through the port authorities. He found out three days ago that I hired a private investigator to look into the 2002 nursery fire."
"What happened to the investigator?" Maya asked, her thumb closing tightly over the cold metal drive.
Evelyn’s silence was her answer. Her pale face twitched with horror. "They found his car in the river on Sunday. They called it an accident."
The brass chime above the restaurant entrance rang with a clear, delicate strike.
The first operative stepped into the foyer, his sharp eyes sweeping across the dining room, bypassing the host stand, locking directly onto Table Seven.
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Maya’s survival instincts—sharpened by twenty-four years of being a nobody with everything to lose—kicked in instantly.
"Get up," Maya commanded Evelyn softly. "Slowly. Act like you're going to the restroom."
