Chapter 19 - The Snows of Lake Geneva
The shocking revelation hung in the air like a thunderclap. The very empire Eleanor had tried to steal through intimidation, terror, and poison had belonged to my family all along.
As federal agents dragged Eleanor and the corrupt council members out of the chateau, Arthur Vance—who had escaped custody in Seattle weeks prior and was hiding in the chateau’s security compound—suddenly burst through the side balcony doors with an automatic rifle!
"If I'm going down, none of you leave this mountain alive!" Vance screamed, wild-eyed and completely unhinged, aiming his rifle straight at me and James!
"Clara, down!" Declan roared.
Declan didn't hesitate for a single microsecond. He threw his body over mine and James's, using his back as a human shield as gunfire shattered the glass balconies.
A deafening blast echoed through the room—but it wasn't Vance’s gun.
Marcus had drawn his sidearm, firing three precise shots. Vance staggered back, his eyes wide with shock, before crashing through the shattered stained-glass window and falling into the freezing, dark depths of Lake Geneva hundreds of feet below.
Silence reclaimed the room.
I looked up, covered in snow and broken glass. Declan was lying over me, gasping for air.
"Declan! Declan, are you hurt?!" I screamed, frantically checking his back, his chest, his arms.
Declan slowly looked up at me, a small, weary smile breaking through his pale, dirt-streaked face. "I'm okay, Clara. I'm okay. Are you and James safe?"
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I looked down at our baby. James was wide awake, looking up at his father, his bright green eyes shining with calm wonder.
"We're safe," I whispered, crying tears of overwhelming joy as I pulled Declan’s face down into a deep, passionate kiss amidst the ruins of the castle. "We're finally safe."
