Chapter 18 - The Unmasking
The intruder turned around slowly, the hood of the waterproof cloak falling back to reveal a face drenched in cold sweat and mud.
It wasn't an assassin. It wasn't an agent of the syndicate.
It was Julian Vance—Marcus’s younger brother and the junior vice president of their defunct shell company.
His eyes were wide with terror as he stared down the barrel of Adrian’s pistol. “Don’t shoot! Please, I swear I didn't come here to hurt anyone!”
“You broke into a private estate at one in the morning, bypassing encrypted security grids,” Adrian said coldly, keeping the laser locked on Julian’s chest. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn't let Bruno answer this call.”
Julian dropped to his knees in the wet gravel, shaking uncontrollably. “Marcus... Marcus didn't tell you everything before the feds took him! There’s a second vault—a physical safety deposit box in downtown Chicago. Vivienne had the key. She gave it to me before she skipped bail!”
Adrian stepped closer, the muzzle of his gun never wavering. “What’s in the box, Julian?”
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“Evidence,” Julian choked out, tears mixing with the mud on his face. “Proof that Vivienne didn't just want your money... she wanted you dead. The syndicate had a contract out on your life, Adrian. Bruno wasn't just in their way because of the security—they poisoned his water bowl first. When he didn't die, they tried to abduct him to silence the only witness who could track their scent.”
Adrian’s breath hitched. Poison. That was why Bruno had been sluggish that morning. The dog’s sheer, monstrous resilience was the only reason he had survived long enough for little Sofia to see the black car.
