Chapter 5 - The Resurrection of Arthur Vance
"He's supposed to be dead," Victoria whispered, her face completely bloodless as she stared at the security monitor.
On the screen, a man in a heavy black military coat stood in the pouring rain, looking directly into the security camera. He had a cruel, handsome face, and a jagged scar that ran from his temple to his jawline. He raised a hand and made a slashing motion across his throat.
"Arthur," Leo said, his hand automatically dropping to his pocket where he kept his heavy steel framing hammer. "Your ex-husband. Why did you think he was dead?"
"He blew up his own yacht three years ago to escape federal embezzlement charges," Victoria said, her hands shaking as she grabbed Leo's arm. "But it was a lie. He faked it. He’s been hiding in South America, waiting for the right moment to return and claim his share of the Vance empire. Julian must have brought him back to destroy me."
"Where are the kids?" Leo asked, his voice instantly shifting into its protective, dominant tone.
"In the panic room. I had Marcus take them there the moment the perimeter was breached," Victoria said.
"Good. Stay here," Leo ordered, turning toward the foyer.
"Leo, no!" Victoria cried, grabbing his jacket. "He has mercenaries. He’s dangerous!"
"I don't care if he's the devil himself," Leo said, his eyes burning with a fierce, protective fire. "No one touches my kids."
The heavy oak doors of the mansion were blown off their hinges with a deafening crash.
Arthur Vance stepped inside, shaking the rain from his coat. Three heavily armed men flanked him, their weapons raised.
"Victoria!" Arthur called out, his voice echoing through the grand hall. "Come out, come out, little bird. I’ve come to collect my daughters. And my company."
Leo stepped out of the shadow of the corridor, holding nothing but his heavy steel hammer. He stood at the bottom of the grand staircase, his face a mask of absolute, unyielding stone.
"You're in the wrong house, Arthur," Leo said, his voice low and dangerous.
Arthur stopped, looking Leo up and down with a condescending sneer. "And who the hell are you? The help?"
"I’m the guy who tucks your daughters in at night," Leo said, taking a slow step forward. "The guy who makes them laugh. The guy who actually knows their names. And the guy who’s going to put you back in the grave you crawled out of."
Arthur laughed, a cold, mocking sound. "Kill him," he whispered to his men.
Before the mercenaries could raise their weapons, the lights in the mansion went completely dark.
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A single gunshot echoed through the darkness, followed by the sound of heavy bodies crashing to the floor. When the emergency backup lights flickered back on, Arthur Vance was gone—and the door to the panic room was standing wide open, with a trail of fresh blood leading out into the rain.
