Chapter 7 - Breach of the Nursery
By 8:30 PM, the storm had knocked out the main power lines leading up the hill.
The grand estate was plunged into pitch darkness, save for the rhythmic, flickering flashes of lightning illuminating the tall crystal windows of the drawing room. The backup emergency generator kicked in with a low, mechanical hum, casting dim yellow emergency lights down the long marble hallways.
Ethan sat in his home office, staring at a glass of scotch on his desk. The room was quiet, except for the rain hammering against the glass.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the broken gold locket Sarah had given him yesterday.
He stared at the initials: D.V.
His phone rang. It was his private investigator in Manhattan.
"Ethan," the investigator’s tense voice came through the line. "I ran those initials you sent me. D.V. stands for Daniel Vance—Victoria’s cousin who passed away three years ago—but more importantly, Julian Vance."
"What about Julian?" Ethan asked, his stomach tightening into a knot.
"Julian landed at JFK International Airport two hours ago on a private jet from Zurich," the investigator reported fast. "Ethan, Vance Enterprises is completely broke. They're being investigated by the SEC for a hundred million in missing offshore funds. If you sign that merger tomorrow, your firm becomes liable for their debt!"
Ethan dropped his glass of scotch. It shattered against the hardwood floor.
"And Victoria?" Ethan stammered, his blood turning to ice.
"Victoria isn't marrying you for love, Ethan! Her brother is using her to seize control of your estate trust! If anything happens to your son—"
Ethan slammed the phone down!
He sprinted out of his office, his dress shoes sliding across the dark marble foyer, racing toward the grand staircase!
Meanwhile, on the second floor, Victoria walked silently down the carpeted hallway toward the nursery, holding a heavy brass candle holder in her right hand. The yellow emergency lights cast long, twisted shadows across her champagne gown.
She pushed the nursery door open.
Baby Leo was lying in his crib, crying softly, disturbed by the thunder shaking the house.
Victoria stepped up to the wooden rail, her face illuminated by a flash of lightning outside the window. A terrifying, hollow smile spread across her red lips.
"Poor little Leo," Victoria whispered, raising the heavy brass candle holder high into the air above the crib. "Your daddy should have signed the papers earlier."
"STOP!"
A voice roared from the nursery window!
CRASH!
The large glass window pane exploded inward!
Sarah, drenched in mud and rain, her hands bleeding from glass shards, scrambled through the broken window frame, throwing her entire body across the crib, shielding Leo with her back just as Victoria brought the heavy brass candle holder swinging down!
THUD!
May you like
The heavy metal struck Sarah across the shoulder blade, a agony shooting through her back, but she didn't move an inch! She held Leo tight against her chest, turning around to face Victoria with raw, furious defiance!
"You monster!" Sarah yelled over the roar of the storm!
