Chapter 5: Escape from Vance Tower**
The second gunman fired frantically, but Julian had already tackled him to the floor, using military hand-to-hand combat skills ingrained long before his executive days. With two swift blows, the threat was neutralized.
Julian turned around, breathing heavily. He was standing on his own two feet, though his muscles burned with agony.
Victoria scrambled toward the service elevator, her eyes wide with terror. “You’re a monster! You can’t stop what’s coming, Julian!” The elevator doors slid shut before Julian could reach her.
“Mr. Vance…” Marcus groaned, clutching his bleeding shoulder. “Security downstairs has been compromised by Sterling’s men. We need to move.”
Julian scooped Lily into his arms. She felt impossibly light, burying her face into his neck.
“Daddy is strong,” Lily whispered softly.
The word shattered the remaining walls around Julian’s hardened heart. Tears threatened to spill, but he swallowed them down. He had built an empire of steel and algorithms, but he had never guarded anything as precious as the little girl in his arms.
“Hang on tight, Lily,” Julian said. “We’re going home.”
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They escaped through the private underground tunnel beneath Vance Tower, slipping into an unmarked armored SUV just as sirens began wailing in the rainy New York night.
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