Chapter 6 - The Betrayal at the Altar
"The Partner in the Shadows"A high-pitched siren began to wail throughout the estate. A mechanical voice echoed over the emergency speakers: “FACILITY SELF-DESTRUCT INITIATED. FIVE MINUTES TO DETONATION.”
"Run!" Julian yelled, grabbing Lily's arm. "We have to get to the helicopter on the roof!"
"Not without the board ledger!" Lily said, rushing to Eleanor's side and helping the frail older woman to her feet. "Eleanor, can you walk?"
"I... I can try," Eleanor wept, looking at Lily with deep remorse. "Forgive me, my child... I didn't know... I truly didn't know..."
"We talk about forgiveness if we survive," Lily growled, throwing Eleanor’s arm over her shoulder.
Victoria, covered in blood and cuts, picked up a heavy bronze statue from the desk, her eyes fixed on Lily’s back. "You're not leaving here alive!"
She rushed at Lily, raising the statue to crush her skull.
BANG!
A shot rang out. Victoria froze, dropping the statue. She looked down at her chest, where a bright red bloom was rapidly expanding across her emerald dress.
She turned her head in utter disbelief. Standing behind her, holding a smoking pistol, was Julian.
"Julian...?" Victoria choked out, blood spilling from her lips. "You... you loved me..."
Julian sneered, his tone dropping all pretense of affection. "I never loved a rat, Victoria. You were just a stepping stone to get into the Vance network."
Victoria fell to her knees, clutching her bleeding chest, staring at the man she was supposed to marry in two weeks.
"You... you traitor..." Victoria gasped.
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"The real partner in this operation wasn't Lily," Julian whispered, stepping over Victoria’s slumping body toward Lily and Eleanor. "It was me all along."
CHAPTER 6 HOOK: Julian pointed his smoking gun away from Victoria and aimed it squarely at Lily’s forehead. "Now, hand over the obsidian key, Lily. Or I leave both you and the matriarch to vaporize in four minutes."
