Chapter 12 - The Shattered Window
The sharp crash of shattering glass echoed through the sprawling estate, instantly shattering the fragile peace of the residential wing. Marcus reacted with lightning speed, dropping into a defensive stance and reaching inside his coat for a backup firearm.
"Stay here with Polina," Diego ordered, his voice dropping into absolute ice. He pulled the Browning 9mm from his inner pocket, checking the magazine with a practiced click.
"Mr. Sterling, it could be a diversion," Marcus warned.
"Then I'll find out who’s dumb enough to break into a federal crime scene," Diego replied, striding down the hallway toward the grand staircase.
He descended the stairs with measured, silent steps, his eyes scanning the cavernous foyer below. The moonlight pouring through the arched stained-glass windows illuminated a scene of chaos: the massive floor-to-ceiling window facing the front courtyard had been completely smashed inward, a heavy iron grappling hook dangling from its frame by a thick nylon rope. Shards of multicolored glass littered the white marble floor, sparkling under the moonlight right beside the spot where Diego had found the gold button earlier that evening.
Diego stepped onto the ground floor, keeping his weapon raised. The foyer was empty, save for the whistling night wind blowing through the broken window.
"Show yourself," Diego commanded, his voice echoing off the vaulted ceilings.
From the shadows near the grand piano, a figure stepped forward slowly. It wasn't an armed intruder or a tactical assassin. It was a young woman in her early twenties, wearing a simple dark trench coat, her blonde hair damp from the rain outside. She held her hands up defensively, but her blue eyes burned with an intense, familiar fire.
Diego lowered his pistol an inch, staring at her in stunned silence. The facial structure, the sharp jawline, the piercing gaze—it was an uncanny reflection of the photograph he had just been holding upstairs.
"Who are you?" Diego demanded, though a heavy suspicion was already forming in his chest.
"My name is Victoria," the young woman said, her voice trembling slightly as she lowered her hands. "And before you point that gun at me again, you should know that my mother didn't send me here to kill you. She sent me here to warn you."
Diego kept his distance, his grip firm on the weapon. "Genevieve sent you?"
Victoria flinched at the name, shaking her head. "Genevieve isn't my mother’s name. It’s an alias she used to hide from the board. Her real name is Catherine Sterling—your uncle’s surviving wife, and the rightful co-owner of the estate you think you control."
Diego stared at her, the revelation hitting him with staggering weight. "My uncle died twenty years ago. The fire—"
"The fire was a staged execution ordered by Arthur Vance and the board," Victoria interrupted, stepping closer despite the broken glass crunching beneath her boots. "They wanted the Sterling patents, and they were willing to slaughter an entire family to get them. My mother went into hiding to protect her children—me, and your little niece, Polina."
Diego’s breath hitched. He lowered his pistol completely, letting it hang by his side. "Polina is... your sister?"
"Half-sister," Victoria corrected bitterly. "And right now, she’s in mortal danger. Because the moment Arthur Vance was arrested, an automated override was sent to our mother’s safehouse in Geneva. They’re coming for us both, Diego. And they’re already inside the perimeter."
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Before Diego could process the warning, the overhead lights in the foyer flickered violently and died, plunging the grand hallway into absolute darkness.
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