Chapter 10 - Sanctuary in Stone
The convoy surged past the burning remains of the bridge, following Arthur's humvee up the narrow, winding ascent toward the Blackwood Estate. The massive iron gates swung open automatically, admitting the vehicles before sealing shut with the deep clanking of hydraulic deadbolts.
The estate was a fortress carved from granite, surrounded by towering pines and sheer cliffs. High walls bristled with automated sentries, long maintained in secret by Arthur's loyalists.
Elena stepped out into the sheltered courtyard, her legs shaking beneath her as the adrenaline began to bleed away. Damian was at her side in an instant, wrapping his arm around her waist to support her weight. She looked up at the stone towers, her breath pluming white in the freezing air.
""Is it safe here?"" she asked, adjusting the blanket to shield Leo from the biting wind.
""Safer than anywhere else in the country,"" Damian replied, leading her toward the grand entrance.
Inside, the great hall was warmed by an enormous roaring fireplace. A team of discreet, private physicians was already waiting, standing beside sterile medical carts.
""Take Elena and the boy to the west wing suite,"" Arthur instructed the lead doctor. ""Complete examination. Full blood work. Treat her injuries immediately.""
Elena paused, turning to look back at Damian. Her hand reached out, catching his sleeve. ""You're not staying here, are you?""
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Damian looked at her, his fingers gently brushing her hair back from the cut on her forehead. ""Julian has called an emergency board meeting at dawn at the corporate tower. He thinks we burned on that bridge. If I don't walk into that boardroom, he takes everything our father built, and he'll spend the rest of his life hunting you and Leo down.""
""Then don't just take it back,"" Elena whispered, her gaze hardening like diamonds. ""Break him so completely he can never stand again.""
