Chapter 12 - The Sniper’s Crosshairs
The sharp crack of the gunshot echoed off the ancient pine trees a fraction of a second after the glass shattered, the sound swallowed quickly by the howling rain. Elena ducked instantly, pressing her back against the floorboards of the town car while Julian threw the vehicle into reverse, tires spinning wildly in the mud.
“Down! Get down!” Julian roared, slamming his hand against the horn as he cut the wheel hard to swing the chassis behind the thick stone retaining wall of the estate’s driveway.
Valeria didn't scream. The paralyzing shock of the evening had transformed into a cold, lethal clarity. The red laser dot danced across the leather headrest where her head had been sitting only a heartbeat before. Someone was up in the second-floor window of the mansion—someone with a high-powered rifle and a clear line of sight.
“It’s Arthur,” Valeria said, her voice unnaturally calm as she unclipped her seatbelt and reached for the door handle.
“Valeria, don’t!” Elena grabbed the hem of Valeria’s burgundy midi dress, pulling her back. “If you step out there, you’re walking right into his trap! That’s why he left the key at the federal intake—he knew we’d come here to find your mother!”
Julian racked the slide of the hunting rifle, his jaw clenched so tight a muscle twitched violently in his cheek.
“She’s right, Val. The house is a kill box,” Julian said, peering through the shattered window into the swirling rain. “Arthur wants the trust, he wants the estate title, and most of all, he wants the last remaining signature required to clear his offshore accounts.”
Valeria looked down at her hands, then over at the heavy iron-bound ledger resting on the center console. Her father’s final act wasn't a betrayal; it was a confession. Inside the back cover of the ledger, tucked behind a yellowed parchment envelope, was a legal document she hadn't noticed before—a notarized deed transferring absolute ownership of the entire corporate portfolio directly to Richard and Elena, bypassing the probate court entirely.
If Arthur killed her tonight, the deed would remain unsigned, leaving the multi-billion-dollar empire locked in limbo and vulnerable to a hostile liquidation by Arthur’s shell companies.
“He doesn't want to kill me yet,” Valeria said, her dark eyes narrowing with sudden resolve. “He needs my signature on the transfer deed first. Otherwise, his offshore accounts remain frozen by federal decree.”
Julian stared at her, his blue eyes wide with disbelief. “You can’t walk up those steps, Val. It’s suicide.”
“It’s not suicide if I bring the bait,” Valeria replied softly. She reached into her ruined designer handbag—retrieved from the floor—and pulled out the heavy brass key.
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Before Julian or Elena could stop her, Valeria pushed the
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