Chapter 2 - An Unforgiving Welcome
Julian’s gaze remained locked on Elena, even as the sound of drawn weapons turned the quiet courtyard into a firing range. He did not issue an order to fire, nor did he wave his men down. The silence stretched until Titan let out a low, guttural whine, taking a defensive step forward and placing his massive shoulder directly between Julian and Elena.
A flicker of surprise cracked Julian’s stone-faced demeanor. He lowered his hand slightly, and the guards eased their stances, though their weapons remained pointed at the ground.
“Inside,” Julian said curtly, turning on his heel. “Bring her belongings.”
“I’m here to prepare dinner for your guests, Mr. Vance,” Elena replied, her voice firm despite the adrenaline burning through her veins. “Not to be interrogated at gunpoint.”
“You are here because I hired a private chef,” Julian countered without turning back as he ascended the steps. “And you will walk through those doors because you want answers about Marcus Vance as much as I want to know who sent an imposter wearing his daughter’s name.”
Elena felt Titan nudge her leg, his warm flank urging her upward. Gritting her teeth, she followed the man into the labyrinthine corridors of the Vance mansion. Inside, high vaulted ceilings and dark oak paneling gave the illusion of a fortress rather than a luxury home.
Julian led her into a cavernous study lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. A glass decanter of amber whiskey sat beside a stack of red-stamped dossiers. Without offering her a seat, Julian walked behind the heavy mahogany desk and poured a single glass.
“Twelve years ago,” Julian began, his voice flat, “I buried Marcus Vance in a family plot outside Geneva. His body was pulled from the river. His estate was liquidated, his debts erased, and his bloodline officially declared extinct. His eight-year-old daughter was listed as deceased on the official police report.”
Elena clenched her fists. “My mother fled with me to Lisbon three days before the crash. My father knew someone was hunting him. He told her to hide me under an assumed identity. He gave Titan to his inner circle to protect him on his route to the airport.”
Julian smiled humorlessly, taking a sip from his glass. “A touching story. But Marcus Vance had no secrets from me. I was his younger brother’s only son. I was his shadow.”
Elena pulled a tarnished silver chain from beneath her blouse. Attached to it was a key with an intricate serpentine engraving. Julian’s glass stopped halfway to his lips.
May you like
“If you are his shadow,” Elena whispered, “then you know what this key opens.”
Before Julian could answer, the security monitor on his desk flashed bright red, followed by the deafening sound of a perimeter breach alarm wailing throughout the estate.
