Chapter 13
The sun dipped below the Manhattan skyline, plunging the sprawling Sterling estate into deep, impenetrable shadows. High-tech perimeter security sensors hummed silently along the wrought-iron fences, feeding live data to Marcus’s mobile command center stationed in the security annex.
Inside the mansion, all the lights on the ground floor were turned off, casting the luxurious living room into near-total darkness save for the pale moonlight filtering through the arched windows. Clara sat upstairs in the nursery with baby Ethan, the door locked securely from the inside, her hand resting near the emergency panic button.
Downstairs, Victor stood motionless in the center of the dark marble living room. He wore a simple black tactical shirt and dark trousers, the heavy gold watch on his wrist ticking softly against the quiet background. He had dismissed the regular guards, setting up the ultimate test of wills. If Julian Vance wanted to settle the score, Victor was going to give him the opportunity—on his own terms.
A faint click echoed from the back sitting room. The French doors, bypassed with a sophisticated digital frequency scanner, swung open with barely a whisper.
A tall, slender silhouette stepped into the darkened hallway. Julian Vance moved stealthily, wearing a dark trench coat and holding a suppressed pistol at his side. He smiled to himself, believing he had outmaneuvered Victor Sterling once again. He walked quietly across the rug toward the main living room, expecting to find an empty house or a terrified Eleanor.
Instead, he walked straight into the center of the marble floor and stopped dead in his tracks.
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The overhead chandelier clicked on with a sudden, blinding glare.
Julian blinked against the harsh light, raising his pistol, but before he could level the barrel, a heavy shadow slammed into him from the side.
