Chapter 8
Time seemed to slow to a crawl in the moonlit parlor. Arthur’s finger hovered menacingly over the trigger of the revolver, his breathing shallow and erratic. Julian maintained direct eye contact with the older man, his mind calculating the exact distance between them—seven paces. Too far for a disarm without risking Clara’s safety, unless he created a distraction.
"You really think you've won, don't you, Arthur?" Clara asked, her voice steady and clear, drawing the older man's attention back to her. She took a deliberate step forward, hands unclasped at her sides. "You think you can erase my father, liquidate the estate, and walk away clean. But you forgot one simple detail."
Arthur flicked his gaze toward her, a momentary lapse in his concentration. "And what might that be, my dear niece?"
"The digital audit," Clara said, smiling coldly. "The moment Julian and I accessed that safe, a synchronized data package was automatically uploaded to the federal prosecutor's office in downtown Chicago. If anything happens to either of us tonight, your entire financial empire collapses before sunrise."
Arthur’s face drained of color. The revolver wavered slightly in his grip as panic flickered behind his cold eyes. "You’re bluffing," he hissed, though the conviction in his voice was faltering.
"Try me," Julian said, moving with sudden, blinding speed.
May you like
In less than a heartbeat, Julian lunged forward, closing the distance between them. Arthur recovered quickly, swinging the barrel of the gun toward Julian’s chest, but Julian deflected the blow upward just as the weapon discharged. A deafening roar echoed through the parlor, shattering the glass of a nearby display cabinet and sending shards raining down onto the carpet.
Julian slammed his forearm against Arthur’s wrist, forcing the older man to drop the revolver. The heavy firearm clattered against the marble hearth. Before Arthur could recover, Julian swept his leg out, sending the patriarch crashing hard to the floor. Julian pinned him instantly, pressing his knee firmly into Arthur’s back while twisting his arms behind him.
