Chapter 6 - The Siege of Blackwood Manor
The sound of shattering glass from the ground floor echoed through the mansion, followed by the deep, resonant thud of heavy boots on the parquet flooring. The storm outside unleashed a deafening clap of thunder, plunging the entire estate into sudden, pitch-black darkness as the main power grid failed.
Emergency lights hummed to life seconds later, casting an eerie, crimson glow across the corridor walls.
Ethan reacted instantly. In the chaos of the blackout, Marcus dove for the open doorway, while Vanessa lunged for the side exit that led toward the private garage. Ethan didn't chase her; his primary duty was Lily.
"Mother, take the service tunnel down to the cellar vault," Ethan commanded, grabbing Margaret by the shoulders and pushing her toward the hidden panel behind the decorative tapestry. "The vault has reinforced titanium walls and an independent oxygen line. Stay there until I come for you."
"What about you, Ethan? They have weapons!" Margaret pleaded, her eyes wide with terror.
"They came for the master ledger and my authorization keys," Ethan said, reloading his sidearm with mechanical precision. "If Julian wants the crown, he has to take it from my cold hands."
Ethan slipped through the shadows toward the north wing where Lily was hidden with Clara. Gunfire erupted on the floor below—the distinct staccato of silenced automatic weapons. Julian had hired professional mercenaries, not street thugs. They moved with military discipline, clearing rooms methodically.
As Ethan reached the nursery door at the end of the private gallery, he found Clara lying motionless on the Persian rug, a dark pool spreading beneath her shoulder. The nursery door was wide open, the rain-soaked wind billowing the sheer white curtains through a shattered bay window.
Lily was gone.
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On the child’s small wooden writing desk, held down by a brass paperweight, lay a handwritten note written on Sterling family stationery:
The altar awaits the groom. Come alone, or the little girl takes her grandfather's path into the lake.
