Chapter 6 - Blood on the Marble
The power in the penthouse cut out suddenly, plunging the grand space into pitch blackness, lit only by the violent flashes of lightning outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Red emergency lights flickered on a second later, casting long, bloody shadows across the sleek marble floors.
"They cut the main grid," Nikolai whispered, standing beside me in the hallway, his body tense as a coiled spring. "They bypassed the lower lobby security, which means someone inside gave them keycards."
"Elder Marcus," I murmured instantly.
Nikolai glanced at me in the dark. "How do you know?"
"Marcus was the only one who defended Julian at the council meeting," I explained quickly, my brain analyzing the pieces like a chessboard. "Julian couldn't pull off an ambush like this alone. He promised Marcus a cut of the Hart Foundation's offshore assets if Marcus helped him eliminate you and reclaim the family leadership."
"Smart girl," Nikolai growled softly. "Hold your position here. I'm going to flank them in the foyer."
"No," I said, catching his forearm. "If they have keycards, they’ll expect you to take the central hallway. Use the private service elevator in my wing to loop behind them. I'll draw their attention."
Nikolai frowned, his grip tightening on his gun. "I won't use you as bait, Evelyn."
"I’m not bait, Nikolai. I’m the trap."
Before he could argue, heavy footsteps echoed down the main corridor. Glass shattered near the terrace.
Three armed men in tactical gear burst into the living room, their weapons raised. Leading them from behind was Julian himself, wearing a rain-soaked coat, holding a gun with trembling hands, his face twisted in desperate madness.
"Nikolai!" Julian screamed into the dim room, his voice shaking. "Come out! It's over! The elders have stripped your authority! Show yourself, you coward!"
I stepped out from behind the shadow of a marble pillar, holding my gun low at my side, moving into the dim red glow of the emergency lights.
"You're making a scene again, Julian," I said, my voice smooth and chillingly steady. "It’s really becoming a habit."
Julian whipped his gun around, pointing it toward me, his eyes wild and bloodshot. "Evelyn! Where is he?! Where is my brother?!"
"He's everywhere you aren't, Julian," I said, taking a slow step forward. "He's in control. You're just a frantic boy playing with weapons you don't understand."
"Shut up!" Julian yelled, sweat pouring down his face. "You ruined my life! I had everything! I was going to be the Don! Serena was going to be my queen! And you... you ruined it all with your damn spreadsheets and audits!"
"You ruined yourself the moment you thought being dependable meant being weak," I said coldly.
"Where is he?!" Julian took a step toward me, raising his weapon. "Tell me where he is or I swear to God I’ll—"
TAK. TAK.
Two silenced gunshots cut through the air.
The two tactical men standing beside Julian collapsed to the floor, instantly neutralized.
Julian screamed, dropping to his knees in terror as Nikolai materialized out of the darkness behind him like a wraith. Nikolai kicked Julian's weapon across the marble floor, then grabbed Julian by the collar, slamming him face-first onto the cold ground, putting a polished leather shoe firmly on the back of Julian's neck.
The remaining mercenary tried to raise his rifle toward Nikolai, but I didn't hesitate.
BANG.
I pulled the trigger. The shot tore through the third man's shoulder, dropping him instantly to the ground, his weapon sliding away.
The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the sound of heavy rain beating against the windows and Julian's terrified, desperate sobs on the floor.
Nikolai looked up from Julian, staring at me across the blood-stained room. He looked at the smoking barrel of my gun, then into my eyes.
Slowly, a wicked, triumphant smile spread across his face.
He lifted his foot off Julian’s neck, stepped over the squirming boy, and walked straight over to me. He took the gun from my hands, clicked the safety back on, and cupped my face with both hands, pulling me into a fierce, breathless, possessive kiss.
"God, Evelyn," Nikolai growled against my lips, his voice raw with adrenaline and dark passion. "You are absolute perfection."
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I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him back with equal fury, feeling the blood pounding in my veins.
On the floor, Julian whimpered, clutching his bruised face, looking up at us in absolute horror as he realized that he hadn't just lost his kingdom—he had forged the very power that was going to destroy him.
