Chapter 6 - THE TRAP IS SPRUNG
Daniel stood his ground at the base of the stairs. Every muscle in his body was coiled, ready to spring. He knew he couldn't outrun a bullet, but he had to buy time for Leo and Maya to escape.
"Why, Julian?" Daniel asked, trying to keep his voice steady to distract them. "We were brothers. Our father left you a massive share of the company. You were wealthy beyond imagination. Why wasn't it enough?"
"Because it was always your company!" Julian spat, his face distorting with years of deeply rooted envy. "You were the golden child. The brilliant Daniel. I was just the stepbrother who handled the paperwork. I watched you marry the woman I wanted, build the empire I deserved, and look down on me like a charitable project! I wanted it all, Daniel. And I was so close. If you had just died in that car, everything would be mine by now!"
Marcus started to walk past Daniel to head up the stairs, his gun raised.
"Stop right there, Marcus," a voice called out.
But it wasn't Maya’s voice. And it wasn't Leo’s.
It was a cold, metallic voice coming from the high-end intercom system built into the mansion walls.
Julian frowned, his eyes darting to the speaker on the wall. "What is that?"
Suddenly, the massive 85-inch television screen in the formal living room adjacent to the foyer flickered to life. The audio blasted through the estate's surround-sound speakers, filling the room with overwhelming volume.
On the screen was a live video feed. But it wasn't a feed from inside the house. It was a live broadcast feed from a major national news network, CNBC.
A news anchor was speaking urgently: "...Breaking news in the financial sector. A massive data leak has just occurred involving Ashford International. Unprecedented audio recordings and financial documents have just been uploaded to federal servers and major media outlets. The evidence allegedly implicates current COO Julian Vance in a massive corporate embezzlement scheme, as well as a conspiracy to commit double homicide against CEO Daniel Ashford and his son..."
Julian’s jaw dropped. The revolver in his hand trembled. "What... what is this? This is a trick! How could they have that?"
"Because you talk too much in your study, Julian," Daniel said, a slow, grim smile spreading across his face.
From the shadows of the dining room, Maya walked out, holding Daniel’s personal tablet. Behind her stood Rosa, her mother, holding Leo tightly against her side.
Maya looked at Julian, her eyes glowing with that same eerie, ancient intensity. "When I touched your hand in the garden, Mr. Ashford, I didn't just see the memory of the crash. I saw where the evidence was hidden. I saw the safe behind the painting in Julian's study. I told Leo how to open it while you were coming downstairs. He used his new eyes to find the files."
"You brilliant little girl," Daniel breathed.
Leo looked at his uncle, his eyes fierce and free of fear. "I found your laptop, Uncle Julian. Maya helped me send everything to Dad’s legal team. They pushed it to the news five minutes ago."
Julian went hysterical. "Marcus! Kill them! Kill them all right now!"
Marcus raised his gun, targeting Daniel—but before he could pull the trigger, the massive stained-glass windows of the foyer shattered inward in a violent explosion of shards.
"FBI! DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"
A dozen tactical agents in heavy body armor, lasers painting the walls, swarmed through the broken windows and doors. Daniel’s legal team hadn't just called the news; they had routed the attempted murder evidence directly to the federal task force that had been quietly investigating Ashford International's offshore accounts for months.
Marcus instantly dropped his weapon and put his hands on his head, collapsing to the floor.
Julian, completely unhinged, spun around and aimed his revolver at Leo. "If I lose everything, you lose him!"
BANG!
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A sniper round from outside shattered the lock of the front door, the kinetic force blowing the door open and clipping Julian’s shoulder. He cried out, dropping the silver revolver as agents tackled him to the marble floor, slamming his face into the cold stone and pinning his arms behind his back.
As Julian was dragged away in handcuffs, screaming curses and weeping in ruin, the mansion fell into a peaceful, profound quiet.
