Chapter 4 - Shadows in the Dark
Screams tore through the pitch-black ballroom as panic ignited the crowd. Julian moved on pure instinct, throwing his arms around Lily and pulling her down beneath the heavy wooden console of the DJ booth just as heavy boots thudded onto the marble floor from above.
"Stay down, Lily. Don't make a sound," Julian whispered into the girl’s ear. Her small hands clutched the lapels of his tuxedo jacket in silent terror.
Flashlight beams sliced through the dark room like searching blades. Men dressed in tactical black gear swept through the banquet hall, shouting terse commands in foreign accents. The remaining wedding guests cowered under tablecloths and scrambled blindly toward the emergency exits.
Across the room, the emergency backup lights kicked in, bathing the hall in an eerie crimson hue. In the blood-red gloom, Julian saw Marcus pinned against a gilded pillar, held by the throat by a tall man in a dark trench coat.
"Where is the girl?" the man demanded. His voice was a rasping scrape that carried across the cavernous room. "Arthur wants what was taken from the safe, Marcus. You swore it would be in your hands before the vows were exchanged!"
Julian felt a sickening bolt of betrayal hit his core. Marcus hadn't just signed a false death certificate; he was orchestrating the transfer of assets directly into the hands of Arthur Vance. Clara hadn't just acted alone; she was Marcus’s pawn.
Suddenly, a loud crash sounded near the stage. Clara had knocked over a silver candelabra, attempting to crawl toward the service hallway. The tactical operative turned his flashlight toward her.
"There she is!" a voice yelled. "And she doesn't have the drive!"
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Julian knew they had seconds before the search swung toward the DJ booth.
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