Chapter 3 - The Trap Closes"They know," Marcus hissed, grabbing Elena by the wrist with surprising strength for an old man. "The blackmailers, and Julian. If they catch you with that parchment, you won't just lose your inheritance—you'll disappear."
"I'm not running," Elena said, her jaw setting into a hard, unyielding line. The shock was gone, replaced by a cold, searing fury. For years, she had lived in Vivian's shadow, tolerating the gaslighting, the subtle humiliations, and her father's indifferent cruelty. Now, she discovered her entire life was built on a throne of stolen bones. "If they want a war, I'll give them a massacre."
She snatched the parchment, slipping it securely into the lining of her leather journal, and grabbed a heavy brass candlestick from her mantelpiece.
The door burst open with a deafening crash.
Two burly security guards in dark suits stepped into the room, their eyes scanning the space before fixing on Elena. Right behind them glided Vivian, wrapped in a silk robe, a sadistic grin plastered across her face.
"Well, well, well," Vivian mocked, taking slow, deliberate steps into the room. Her eyes flicked to the scattered pieces of the sapphire on the desk. "Looks like someone couldn't handle her little trinket. Hand it over, Elena. The note, the jewelry, everything. You're playing a game far above your pathetic pay grade."
"You knew, didn't you?" Elena asked, her voice dangerously calm as she stepped back toward the balcony doors. "You and your mother didn't just stumble into this family. You were sent here to watch us—or rather, to watch Julian."
Vivian’s smile faltered for a microsecond, a flash of genuine surprise crossing her features before she masked it with a sneer. "Smart girl. Too bad smart girls don't live long in this house. Grab her!"
The guards lunged forward. But Marcus moved faster than his age suggested, shoving a heavy oak bookcase directly into their path. Books cascaded down like an avalanche, sending the guards stumbling.
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"Go, Miss Elena! Through the conservatory roof!" Marcus yelled, fighting off one of the guards before a heavy blow sent the old man crashing to the floor.
"Marcus!" Elena screamed. But she didn't hesitate. She vaulted over the desk, smashed the glass panel of the balcony door with her brass candlestick, and stepped out into the freezing midnight rain.
