Chapter 13 - The Broken Mask
The world narrowed to the pressure of Julian’s fingers crushing her windpipe. Elena clawed at his wrists, her vision spotting with black and red. Julian’s face was contorted into a monstrous, feral mask, all pretensions of high-society elegance stripped away.
""You should have stayed in line, Elena!"" Julian roared, spit flying from his lips as he tightened his grip. ""You were nothing without my name! Arthur Sterling was weak, and so are you! I will kill you, and I will find that little brat and send her to join you!""
Elena’s oxygen ran out, but her hand blindly swept across the floor, finding a jagged, heavy shard of crystal from the fallen chandelier. With the last reserve of her maternal fury, she drove the pointed crystal straight into Julian’s shoulder.
Julian howled in agony, releasing his grip as blood spattered across Elena’s face. She rolled away, coughing violently, gasping for air as her lungs burned.
Across the room, Gabriel had effortlessly disarmed Victoria, pinning her against the wall with cold efficiency, while Marcus stood guard over the groaning Viktor Cole.
Julian staggered backward, clutching the bloody shard protruding from his shoulder, his eyes wild with animal terror. He backed toward the shattered glass doors leading out to the rain-swept terrace. ""Stay away from me! Stay back!""
Elena rose slowly to her feet. She picked up her fallen firearm from the floor, wiping the blood from her cheek with the back of her sleeve. Her eyes were empty of mercy, cold as the winter ocean.
""It's over, Julian,"" she said, her voice steady once more. ""Look outside.""
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Through the torrential downpour, the night sky above the penthouse suddenly flared with blinding, rhythmic flashes of blue and red. The deafening thrum of heavy helicopter blades shook the glass walls as three federal tactical helicopters hovered directly outside the terrace, powerful searchlights illuminating the master bedroom in stark, clinical white brilliance.
Over the penthouse loudspeaker system, a booming mechanical voice shattered the storm: Julian Vance. Viktor Cole. This is the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The building is surrounded. Drop your weapons and step out onto the balcony with your hands raised.
