Chapter 3 - The Mask Falls
The suppressed pops were barely louder than coughs, but the force dropped the point man instantly to the floor. Ceramic bullets shattered against body armor with blunt, rib-cracking impact, knocking the wind and consciousness out of him.
"Get behind the pillar!" Clara barked, her domestic meekness entirely gone. Her voice held the steel of seasoned military command. She shoved Julian firmly into Victor’s arms, forcing the stunned billionaire to react.
Victor caught his son, dragging Julian behind the thick fluted marble pillar as automatic gunfire erupted. Bullets tore into the plaster, obliterating ancient family portraits and shattering glass from the grandfather clock into a thousand glittering shards.
Helena screamed, dropping to her knees and crawling frantically toward the kitchen corridor, abandoning both the man she claimed to love and the boy she had pretended to raise. Victor watched her go, a cold certainty setting into his chest: the woman he intended to marry was merely a puppet in a much larger slaughter.
"Who the hell are you?" Victor hissed at Clara as she swapped out a magazine with practiced, muscle-memory speed while returning suppression fire toward the two remaining assailants.
May you like
"I'm the person your late wife hired four years ago to keep Julian alive," Clara replied coldly, not looking back. "She knew you were blind to the snakes in your bed, Victor. Now take Julian through the service elevator. Now!"
Victor hesitated, his eyes locking onto Clara's hardened silhouette. Another burst of bullets chipped marble into his cheek. Knowing he had no choice, he sprinted down the narrow servants' passage with his son clutched tight against his chest. Behind him, another gunshot rang out, accompanied by a sharp gasp of pain from Clara.
