Chapter 10 - The Reckoning in Silk
The heavy doors slammed against the interior walls with an explosive crack that shattered the room’s tranquility. Helena shrieked, dropping her crystal wine glass, which shattered across the polished parquet floor in a crimson puddle that looked remarkably like blood.
Dominic’s instincts were instantaneous. He reached for the customized SIG Sauer resting on the mahogany desk, but Julian was faster. Julian fired a single round through Dominic’s right shoulder.
The kinetic force spun Dominic around like a broken doll, slamming him against the desk before he crashed to the floor, clutching his shattered clavicle in howling agony.
""Stay down,"" Julian said, his voice flat, icy, and devoid of human warmth. He kept the barrel leveled directly between Dominic’s eyes as he stepped into the study, his boots leaving muddy, red-wine-stained prints on the floor.
Helena backed away against the fireplace, her face completely drained of color, her hands trembling against the marble mantel. ""Julian... you're... you're alive...""
""Disappointed, sister?"" Julian asked, without looking away from Dominic.
Dominic lay on his back, gasping for breath, blood bubbling between his fingers. He let out a wet, guttural laugh. ""You're too late, Julian... the board... the signatures were transmitted twenty minutes ago. The company... isn't yours anymore.""
""I don't care about the company,"" Julian replied calmly. He reached into his coat pocket with his free hand and drew out the specimen tube filled with amber liquid—the tea dosed with Dominic's slow poison. He dropped the vial onto Dominic’s chest. ""Recognize your own recipe?""
Dominic's eyes widened in sheer horror. ""Julian... don't... we're family...""
""You gave up family when you gave Marcus thallium,"" Julian said coldly.
Helena gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. ""How do you know about that?""
Julian turned his gaze to his sister, his eyes cutting through her like a blade. ""Our father knew what you were. He gave Maya the ledger. Every bribe, every shell company, every contract hit you authorized is already being uploaded to international authorities.""
Helena’s mask of elegance completely shattered, replaced by wild, desperate hysteria. ""He was holding us back, Julian! He kept us trapped in the dark ages! We could have been legitimate! We could have owned banks, infrastructure, governments!""
""By poisoning your own father?"" Julian took a step toward her. ""By sending executioners to shoot a four-year-old child?""
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Helena looked at Dominic, then back at Julian, her chest heaving. Suddenly, her eyes flicked to the desk drawer beside Dominic. Julian saw the twitch of her shoulder—she was reaching for the concealed silent alarm button under the lip of the desk.
Julian raised his weapon. But before his finger could compress the trigger, the glass terrace wall behind Helena exploded inward.
