Chapter 3 - The Broken Seal
Alexander’s heart slammed into his throat. He sprinted through the pouring rain, bursting through the French doors of the mansion and taking the grand staircase three steps at a time. The echo of gunfire still rang in his ears.
""Clara!"" he roared, slamming his shoulder into the reinforced oak door of his study.
The door flew open. Alexander raised his weapon, scanning the dimly lit room with ruthless speed.
On the parquet floor lay one of his night guards, groaning in pain, clutching a shattered kneecap where a bullet had struck him. Near the window stood Clara. Lily was strapped safely against her chest in a cloth carrier. In Clara's right hand was a compact firearm, smoke curling faintly from the muzzle. Her stance was balanced, professional, and deadly.
""He wasn't your man,"" Clara said, her voice flat, devoid of the gentle warmth she had shown an hour ago.
Alexander lowered his gun an inch, his mind spinning as he remembered the photograph in his pocket. ""Drop the weapon. Now.""
Clara didn't hesitate. She placed the gun on the mahogany desk and kicked it across the floor toward him. ""His radio had an encrypted frequency matching the Thorne family. He was trying to bypass the nursery doors before you returned.""
Marcus rushed in behind Alexander, his weapon drawn on Clara. ""Step away from the child!""
""Hold your fire!"" Alexander barked, his eyes locked on Clara's composed face. He pulled the soaked photograph from his inner jacket and threw it onto the desk beside her gun. ""Explain this, Miss Moore. Or should I call you by your real name?""
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Clara looked down at the photograph. A flicker of sorrow crossed her amber eyes, but she didn't flinch.
""I didn't come here to harm Lily, Alexander,"" she said softly. ""I came here because Eleanor was my sister. And whoever murdered her just realized I found her daughter.""
