Chapter 6 - The Fall of the Manor
The blast wave threw a wall of heat and fractured marble through the dining hall. The antique crystal chandelier broke from its ceiling anchor, crashing onto the long mahogany table with a thunderous roar, showering Julian and Victoria in dust and glass.
Through the smoking wreckage of the grand entrance, four figures clad in tactical carbon-fiber armor stepped inside, their suppressed submachine guns sweeping the hall with mechanical efficiency. They moved not like corporate guards, but like trained executioners.
Julian dragged his shattered knee across the debris, clutching his mother's arm. ""Over here! I am Julian Sterling! We hired you!""
The lead mercenary paused, turning his faceless, matte-black helmet toward Julian. He raised his weapon and aimed it directly at Julian’s head.
""Julian Sterling?"" the operative’s voice filtered through a cold digital modulator. ""Client contract terminated. Loose ends are to be eradicated.""
""No! Wait!"" Victoria shrieked, throwing herself over her son.
Before the operative could squeeze the trigger, a flash of silenced gunfire erupted from the mezzanine above. Three rounds tore through the operative’s neck and chest, dropping him instantly. Leon leaped from the balcony railing, landing gracefully on the marble floor like a panther, bringing down a second operative with a combat knife before the others could even rotate their barrels.
Within four seconds, the room was silent again, save for the crackle of fire and the groans of dying men.
Leon stood over the bodies, reloading his sidearm without breaking a sweat. He glanced down at Julian, whose pants were now soaked in his own terrified urine.
""You fools,"" Leon muttered with disgust. ""You sold your souls to hyenas, and you didn't even realize you were the meal.""
Outside on the west terrace, Elena stepped into the back of a reinforced Maybach Guard. The engine purred like a sleeping beast. The driver, a woman with cropped silver hair and an earpiece, glanced through the rearview mirror.
""Where to, Miss Valmont?""
Elena touched the bandage on her temple, watching the burning silhouette of Sterling Manor in the side mirror. The rain beat heavily against the tinted bulletproof glass.
""The Valmont Vault in the Financial District,"" Elena commanded quietly. ""They want the black disk my father died for. Let them come and try to take it.""
Her phone buzzed. A secure line patched through from an unknown location.
Elena pressed accept.
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A gravelly, aristocratic voice spoke through the speaker: ""You play a dangerous game, little girl. Killing the Sterlings won't bring Arthur back. Hand over the cipher key, or your father's legacy won't be the only thing buried in the mud.""
Elena's eyes turned to cold diamonds. ""I know that voice. Hello, Uncle Marcus.""
