Chapter 5 - Whispers in the Rain
""Sniper! Get down!"" Leon bellowed, throwing his body between Elena and the door while his operatives instantly raised deployable ballistic shields, locking them into a titanium wall.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
Suppressed high-caliber rounds slammed against the shields with the force of sledgehammers, sparking violently in the rain-drenched doorway. The ballroom erupted into full-blown pandemonium. Guests crawled under tables, knocking over crystal glasses and silver platters, screaming as shards rained down upon them.
Victoria curled into a fetal ball beside Julian, who was groaning in agony against the marble floor.
Elena did not panic. Her eyes remained icy, her breathing measured behind the shield wall. ""Who are they, Leon? Sterling’s private militia doesn't have marksmen with this level of precision.""
Leon pulled an encrypted transceiver from his vest, checking the encrypted frequency. ""They’re not Sterling’s men. These are mercenaries from the Obsidian Group—a black-ops private military contractor based out of Geneva.""
Elena’s gaze shifted to Julian, who was looking up from the floor. Amidst his agony, a grotesque, victorious smirk began to spread across his pale, sweaty face.
""You thought... you thought you took everything from me, Elena?"" Julian spat, coughing up blood. ""You think you're the only one with secrets? My family didn't build this fortune alone. We had partners. Real partners.""
Elena walked toward him, ignoring the deafening impact of bullets rattling against the shield line behind her. She knelt down, her face inches from Julian’s swollen cheek.
""Partners?"" she whispered. ""Like the ones who cut the brake lines on my father's car five years ago on the Alpine pass?""
Julian’s smirk froze. A sudden flicker of terror replaced his bravado. ""How... how did you...""
""I didn't marry you to save your pathetic family, Julian,"" Elena said, her voice a lethal venom that made Julian's skin crawl. ""I married you because the money trail that funded my father’s assassination ran through an offshore shell company registered in your personal name.""
She stood up smoothly, turning to Leon. ""Bring the armored transport to the west terrace. Leon, execute Protocol Nine. Kill every mercenary outside the gates. Leave no one breathing.""
""Understood, Chairwoman,"" Leon replied, raising his assault rifle.
Elena turned her back on Julian and Victoria, walking calmly toward the private rear exit.
Just as she reached the corridor, Julian’s phone on the floor buzzed again. The screen lit up with a text message that flashed in large white letters:
May you like
‘The girl dies tonight, Julian. The disk in Arthur Valmont’s safe is ours. Do not let her reach the vault.’
Behind her, a massive explosion tore through the front entrance of Sterling Manor.
