Julian reached for the wooden desk drawer to grab the legal transfer documents.
He pulled the brass handle, but the heavy drawer refused to budge at all.
He frowned and tried the drawer again with much more physical force.
The electronic lock on the cabinet beeped twice and locked itself down completely.
Julian turned his head quickly to stare at Clara with growing confusion on his face.
Julian: Why are these master codes not working on my personal desk?
Clara: My father updated the main security server thirty minutes ago.
Julian felt a wave of cold panic start to settle inside his chest.
He rushed over to the grand mahogany double doors and pulled on the brass handles.
The heavy doors did not move even a single fraction of an inch.
He pounded his fist against the solid wood while shouting for the security guard.
Julian: Open these doors right now, or you are fired immediately!
No response came from the grand hallway outside the locked double doors.
The mansion was completely quiet except for the hum of the air system.
Julian turned around slowly to face Clara, who had not moved an inch.
She stood calmly in her satin dress with her hands rested by her side.
Clara: Nobody outside can hear you through reinforced soundproof wood, Julian.
Julian: What did you do to the house control system?
Clara: I simply helped you finish the lockdown you wanted so badly.
Julian pulled his smartphone from his inner jacket pocket to call his attorney.
The screen displayed no cellular signal and no connection to the home network.
The signal jammers built into the ceiling were running at full strength overhead.
He was completely cut off from the outside world inside the very room he chose.
Julian: This is ridiculous, Clara, give me the override key right now.
Clara: You wanted a private conversation without any interruptions, didn't you?
Julian took a step toward her, but his confidence was completely gone now.
He realized that every exit was deadbolted from the central security hub outside.
The very room he thought was his trap had become his personal prison.