Chapter 6 - THE FLAMES OF BETRAYALI burst through the front doors of the estate, coughing as thick, acrid smoke filled my lungs.
"Emily! Lily!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, tearing through the foyer as sparks rained down from the burning chandelier above.
The heat was blistering, searing the skin on my face as I dashed toward the grand staircase. The second floor was already an inferno, flames licking up the banisters and consuming the priceless oil paintings that had hung in my family for generations.
Suddenly, a muffled cry echoed from the direction of the East Wing—the old nursery.
"Daniel!"
It was Emily’s voice.
I threw myself against the burning hallway wall, using my jacket to beat back the flames licking at my shoulders, and kicked open the nursery door.
Emily was trapped in the center of the room, shielding Lily with her own body as a fallen oak beam blocked the only doorway out. The room was filling rapidly with toxic black smoke.
"Hold on! I'm coming!" I roared.
Throwing all my weight against the heavy burning beam, I used a nearby iron poker as a lever, straining every muscle in my body until my vision blurred. With a deafening crack, the wood shifted, clearing a narrow gap.
I lunged forward, grabbing Lily from Emily’s arms and tucking her safely against my chest, then grabbed Emily’s hand.
"Run! Now!"
We sprinted back down the hallway just as the ceiling above the nursery collapsed in a shower of sparks and falling timber. We hit the foyer floor, diving through the front doors just as the massive front facade of the mansion blew outward in a massive shockwave.
We hit the damp grass outside, gasping for air as firefighters and police sirens wailed in the distance, finally arriving in response to the automated alarm system.
I held Emily and Lily tightly against me, my hands trembling as I stared at the burning skeleton of my family home.
"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" I asked frantically, checking Emily over for burns.
"We're safe... we're okay," Emily sobbed, burying her face in my shoulder. But then she looked up, her eyes wide with terror. "Daniel... it wasn't an accident. While you were at the estate vault... someone broke into the penthouse."
My heart skipped a beat. "Who?"
Emily’s voice dropped to a terrified whisper. "A woman. She didn't try to hurt us. She just left a message on the mirror in red lipstick before she vanished into the stairwell."
"What did it say?" I demanded.
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Emily swallowed hard, her lips trembling.
"Victoria was only a foot soldier. The real Kincaid matriarch is coming for her bloodline next. Welcome to the true family, brother."
