Chapter 5 - Betrayal in the Blood
Arthur took Lily to his penthouse, feeding her, clothing her in silk pajamas, and treating her like royalty.
"Lily," Arthur said softly that evening, holding the starry handkerchief. "Where did you get this?"
"It’s Emma’s," Lily said, eating her third slice of chocolate cake. "My little sister. Our mom gave it to her before she died."
Arthur closed his eyes, grief washing over him. "Your mother... what was her name?"
"Eleanor," Lily whispered.
Arthur broke down. He explained everything. Her mother was his daughter, who had run away to protect her children from Arthur's ruthless, power-hungry eldest son, Richard—the man who wanted full control of the Sterling empire.
"Richard cut my brake lines," Arthur realized, his face hardening into stone. "And if he finds out you are my legitimate heirs... he will come for you."
Suddenly, the penthouse plunged into darkness. The power was cut.
The glass of the floor-to-ceiling windows shattered inward as armed mercenaries repelled from the roof.
"Get behind me!" Arthur roared, drawing a hidden firearm from his desk.
A brutal firefight erupted. Arthur, despite his injuries, fought like a lion to protect his granddaughter. They managed to escape through a secret panic elevator, fleeing into the chaotic Chicago streets.
"We need to find Emma," Lily pleaded as they hid in an abandoned subway station. "If Richard knows who we are, he knows about Emma!"
Arthur pulled out an encrypted tablet, hacking into the national adoption database. His face went ghostly pale.
May you like
"Emma wasn't adopted by a wealthy family," Arthur choked out, turning the screen to Lily.
[END OF CHAPTER 5 HOOK] 👉 The screen showed Emma’s adoption certificate. The adoptive father’s name was Richard Sterling. He had the five-year-old girl hostage.
