Chapter 6
The cold night air hit the courtyard like a physical blow. The old greenhouse stood at the edge of the sprawling estate, its glass panes reflecting the pale moonlight and the distant flashing red and blue lights of federal vehicles converging on the main drive.
Clara and Sofia Vance stood near the side exit of the greenhouse, wrapped in heavy wool coats over their evening dresses. Clara, twenty-two and fiercely independent, clutched a small leather travel bag containing only family photographs and essential documents. Sofia, nineteen and trembling slightly, stared at the approaching headlights of the unmarked SUVs cutting through the manicured lawns.
“Are they going to arrest us?” Sofia whispered, her voice cracking with suppressed terror as she looked at Marcus, who stood guard by the exit door with his hand resting near his coat pocket.
“No, Sofia,” Marcus said gently, his deep voice carrying an anchoring reassurance. “You are not the targets of this investigation. Your safety is our primary objective. When the vehicle arrives, you get in, and you do not look back until you reach the municipal airfield. Maya will meet you there.”
The crunch of gravel signaled the arrival of a sleek, dark sedan idling quietly behind the greenhouse. The driver’s side window rolled down, revealing Arthur Pendelton behind the wheel. His expression was a mix of sheer panic and quiet resolve. He had finally chosen a side, realizing that Evelyn’s reign was crumbling and his own survival depended on getting the girls out safely.
“Get in,” Arthur urged, pushing the door open from the inside. “The federal team just breached the East Wing. We have minutes—maybe seconds—before they sweep the grounds.”
Clara didn’t hesitate. She pulled Sofia toward the car, bundling her younger sister into the back seat before sliding in beside her. She looked up at Marcus through the open window, her eyes flashing with a mixture of defiance and gratitude. “What about you and Maya?”
May you like
“We’re tying up loose ends,” Marcus replied with a faint, reassuring nod. He tapped the roof of the car twice, and Arthur hit the gas, the sedan accelerating smoothly down the private gravel lane toward the hidden service exit, slipping away into the dark woods before the federal searchlights could sweep the area.
Marcus turned back toward the mansion, his imposing silhouette blending into the shadows of the greenhouse frame. The real confrontation was about to begin, and he intended to be right in the middle of it.
