The crystal chandelier overhead hummed, a low, high-voltage vibration that usually blended into the terrifying silence of my dining hall. Tonight, that silence was shattered by a single, innocent breath.

My hand tightened around the grip of my gun until my knuckles turned white. Every instinct screamed to put a bullet between her eyes, to end the cycle of betrayal right here on the edge of the cliff. But the threat hanging over the manor froze my finger against the trigger.

"You wouldn't," I said, my voice dead and level. "Chloe is your daughter too."

"Chloe is a liability in a world ruled by men like us," Elena replied coldly, pulling a compact satellite communicator from her pocket. "You have sixty seconds to decide, Julian. Hand over the global shipping portfolio, or I give the order."

Before I could answer, the crunch of gravel echoed behind me through the trees.

Marcus burst through the brush, assault rifle raised, his eyes locking onto Elena instantly. "Boss! We secured the ridge—" He froze as he saw her face. "Mrs... Mrs. Hale?"

"Bad timing, Marcus," Elena smiled, raising her communicator. "Say goodbye to Hale Manor."

With a sudden, violent movement, I lunged forward, tackling Elena to the ground just as she pressed the transmit button on her device.

The communicator flew from her hand, skidding across the moss and plunging over the edge of the cliff into the dark ocean below.

Elena struggled beneath me, her fingers clawing at my face with surprising strength, but I pinned her wrists to the ground, pressing my knee into her chest.

"Marcus! Call the perimeter teams! Secure the perimeter access roads now!" I roared.

"Already done, Boss!" Marcus yelled into his radio, sprinting forward with heavy zip-ties in hand. "Nobody's leaving this ridge!"