Chapter 13 - The Cavalry Breaches
A cloud of thick grey smoke billowed into the penthouse as Viktor and a heavily armed team of corporate security officers swarmed through the blown-out elevator doors. Without a moment of hesitation, Viktor raised a non-lethal tactical launcher and fired a compressed-gas projectile straight at the balcony doorway.
The projectile struck the tactical operative squarely in the shoulder, sending him crashing backward onto the shattered glass with a muffled grunt, his weapon clattering uselessly across the floor. Viktor’s men swarmed the operative instantly, pinning him face-down and securing his hands in heavy tactical cuffs within seconds.
The penthouse grew dead silent, save for the crackling of the damaged electrical systems and the distant wailing of police sirens echoing up from the street fifty floors below.
Julian slowly straightened his jacket, brushing off a speck of dust from his sleeve as if he had merely survived a minor inconvenience rather than an assassination attempt. He didn't look at Viktor; instead, his dark eyes slowly turned toward Elena, who stood frozen near the sofa, shielding Lily.
""You ruined my security protocol, Elena,"" Julian said calmly, his voice dangerously smooth as he walked slowly toward her. ""But you also saved my life.""
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""I didn't do it for you,"" Elena replied, her voice trembling slightly with adrenaline, though she held her ground. ""I did it so you could live long enough to stand trial for everything you've stolen from us.""
Julian stopped just inches away from her, a strange, unreadable emotion crossing his stern features. ""You still don't understand, do you? In this world, there is no trial. There is only survival.""
