Chapter 7 - The Final Confrontation at the Cliffside Manor
"Blood Is Thicker Than Greed"Lily’s eyes narrowed as she faced Julian’s gun. "So this was your plan from the beginning? Let us destroy each other, take the key, and walk away with the entire empire?"
"It’s simple math, darling," Julian smiled arrogantly. "Victoria was too psychotic to control, and Eleanor is too old. You were useful for getting into the vault, but now you're loose end number one."
“THREE MINUTES TO DETONATION.” The red emergency lights flashed rhythmically, casting blood-red shadows across the room.
"You won't shoot me, Julian," Lily said smoothly, taking a slow step toward him.
"Don't test me, Lily! I'll put a bullet right between your eyes!" Julian snapped, cocking the hammer.
"You won't shoot," Lily repeated, "because the obsidian key requires a bio-metric retinal scan of a biological Vance heir to activate. If I die, the key locks forever, and the vault self-destructs."
Julian froze. His grip on the gun faltered for a fraction of a second. "You're lying."
"Am I?" Lily smirked. "Risk it. Pull the trigger and become a fugitive with a worthless piece of plastic."
In that second of Julian’s hesitation, a bloody, glass-covered hand reached out from the floor.
Victoria, using the last ounce of her dying strength, grabbed Julian’s ankle and pulled with all her might.
"WHAT THE—" Julian screamed as he lost his balance, falling backward onto the sharp edges of the broken glass coffee table.
The gun flew from his hand. Lily lunged forward, grabbed the weapon, and instantly fired two shots into Julian’s shoulders, pinning him to the floor.
"Victoria... why?" Lily asked, stunned as she looked at the dying woman in emerald.
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Victoria spat out blood, looking up at Lily with a tragic, twisted smile. "No one... gets to kill my sister... except me..."
CHAPTER 7 HOOK: With two minutes remaining on the countdown, Lily grabbed Eleanor and made a mad dash for the private rooftop helipad. But as they burst onto the roof, a dark figure was already standing beside the waiting helicopter.
