Chapter 6 - THE NURSERY SIEGEThe private elevator dinged softly, the doors sliding open to reveal the warm, sunlit expanse of the third-floor nursery.
It was a room Elizabeth had designed herself before her death—soft pastel yellows, hand-painted clouds on the ceiling, shelves lined with classic storybooks and oversized teddy bears. It was a shrine to a motherhood Elizabeth never got to experience in the light of day.
"Daddy!"
Three small voices cried out in unison.
Lily, Chloe, and Mia were huddled together in the corner of a custom-built play tent, their eyes wide with terror as the distant sounds of gunfire echoed up through the floorboards. Mrs. Higgins stood protectively in front of them, holding a heavy brass fireplace poker like a spear, her hands shaking violently.
Richard rushed across the room, dropping his pistol onto a plush rug and sweeping all three girls into his arms in one desperate, protective embrace.
"You're safe. I've got you. I'm not going to let anyone touch you," Richard breathed, burying his face in Lily’s dark hair, inhaling the sweet scent of baby shampoo that smelled hauntingly like Elizabeth.
"Mr. Blackwood," Higgins gasped, lowering the poker slightly. "They're... they're in the house. I heard them on the second-floor landing. Who are they?"
"Victor Vance's men," Richard said, his jaw tight as he stood up, keeping the girls clutched against his chest with one arm while his free hand retrieved his Sig Sauer. "And they're looking for the flash drive."
He strode over to the changing table, lifting the hidden wooden panel underneath. Inside sat a heavy, fireproof wall safe. He punched in the twelve-digit master code and twisted the heavy steel dial. The vault popped open, revealing stacks of bearer bonds, emergency cash, and—most importantly—a satellite uplink terminal completely independent of the estate's compromised network.
Richard slammed the encrypted flash drive Elizabeth had left him into the terminal's USB port.
Booting secure protocol... flashed on the small LCD screen.
Biometric verification required.
Richard pressed his thumb against the reader.
Access Denied. Secondary genetic signature required.
Richard cursed under his breath. The drive wasn't locked to his DNA—it was locked to Elizabeth’s, or someone carrying her direct genetic code.
He turned around, his eyes locking onto Lily.
"Lily," Richard said softly, kneeling down in front of the little girl. "I need you to be very brave for me, okay? Look at this little glass square. I need you to press your thumb right here."
Lily looked from Richard’s stern, sweat-stained face down to the glowing red scanner. She nodded slowly, her small, soft thumb pressing firmly against the glass.
BEEP.
Genetic match confirmed: Elizabeth Claire Blackwood lineage.
Decrypting master corporate dossier...
A massive, cascading series of financial documents, video logs, and legal patents began streaming across the screen. At the top of the folder was a flashing red audio file labeled: THE TRUTH ABOUT COMMONWEALTH AVENUE.
Richard clicked play.
Elizabeth’s voice filled the quiet nursery, clear, steady, and chillingly prophetic.
"If you are listening to this, Richard, it means the board of Blackwood Enterprises—led by Marcus Vance and my uncle Victor—has executed their final move. They didn't just want my father's patents; they wanted total control of the company's voting shares. They rigged my car. They made it look like an accident. But I managed to hide the true hard drive in the nursery wall safe before I left that morning. If our daughters are with you, Richard, protect them. Use the patents. Destroy Marcus. Take back everything they stole from us."
The audio cut out.
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Downstairs, the heavy oak doors of the third-floor stairwell landing blew open with a deafening crash. Heavy tactical boots began stomping up the final flight of wooden stairs.
They were right outside.
