Chapter 13 - THE BETRAYAL WITHINBefore anyone could react, the security monitor flickered.
Commander Sterling’s face appeared on the screen, looking calm, collected, and dangerously out of place. He was standing inside the secure armory on the floor below, holding a small duffel bag filled with tactical explosives.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Kane,” Sterling’s voice echoed through the penthouse speakers, smooth and devoid of emotion. “Loyalty to a dying empire is a bad financial investment. Master Chen offered me a ten-million-dollar retirement package in the Cayman Islands. Hard to say no to that.”
Adrian didn't yell. He didn't rage.
His face went completely blank—the face of a mafia kingpin preparing to execute a traitor.
“Sterling,” Adrian said quietly into the intercom, his voice like cracking glacier ice. “You’ve been with my family for fifteen years. My father trusted you.”
“Your father was soft, and you’re blinded by a secretary and a couple of kids,” Sterling sneered through the monitor. “By the way, the smart locks on the penthouse panic room? I just overrode them. You’re trapped inside. In three minutes, the armory explosives are going to blow the structural supports, and this entire floor is coming down.”
Click. The transmission cut out.
Panic instantly erupted in the room. Marco slammed his fist against the reinforced door controls, but the screens flashed ACCESS DENIED: SYSTEM LOCKED.
“He’s locked us out of the mainframe!” Marco cursed, drawing his weapon. “Boss, the smart locks are completely unresponsive. We can't override them manually from the inside!”
“Dad?” Noah’s small voice piped up from the corner, where he and little Chloe were clutching Gerald the elephant. For the first time, the little boy looked genuinely scared. “Are the bad guys going to blow up our house?”
Adrian dropped to one knee in front of his son, his expression softening instantly as he cupped Noah’s face.
“Listen to me, buddy,” Adrian said firmly, his voice steady and reassuring, masking the absolute fury boiling beneath his skin. “Your dad is going to fix this. Auntie Izzy and Marco are going to take you and Chloe down the emergency rappel line on the balcony. Understand?”
“What about you?” Noah asked, his lower lip trembling.
“I’m going to go talk to Commander Sterling,” Adrian said, a terrifying, predatory smile touching his lips.
I stepped forward, grabbing Adrian’s arm. “Are you out of your mind? You can't just walk down there unarmed! He has explosives!”
“I’m not going unarmed,” Adrian murmured softly, standing up and walking over to the concealed floor safe behind his mahogany desk. He punched in the code, the heavy steel door swinging open to reveal an array of specialized tactical gear and a custom-built sniper rifle.
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Izzy stepped up beside me, watching her brother gear up with a calm, almost giddy expression.
“Relax, Elena,” Izzy whispered, nudging my shoulder with a grin. “Addie hasn’t played field cleaner in five years. Sterling is about to learn why the Triad fears the Kane family name.”
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