Chapter 62 - The Executioner's Return
We flew back to Chicago under cover of darkness, but the reprieve was short-lived. The Vanguard was now desperate. Their digital shield had been breached, and Lord James knew time was running out.
It was 2:00 AM at our Chicago estate. Rain lashed against the tall glass windows facing the lake. Noah and Sophie were sleeping in the safe room three floors below ground, guarded by heavy armor plating and automated defense systems.
I stood in the library, reviewing the decrypted files from the obsidian drive with Ethan and Marcus.
"This is worse than we thought," Marcus said, scrolling through the records. "The Vanguard doesn't just want Noah for his bloodline. Alistair Vance left a forty-billion-dollar trust fund that can only be unlocked by a direct male heir under the age of ten. If James gets Noah, he controls forty billion dollars."
Suddenly, the lights throughout the mansion flickered and died.
The gentle hum of the generators didn't kick in. The silence that followed was deafening.
"Thermal sensors triggered on the perimeter," Marcus whispered, pulling two tactical sidearms from his jacket. "We have company. At least ten hostiles."
Ethan stood up, his blue eyes turning icy cold, dropping the civilized mask of a corporate executive. He pulled a heavy combat knife from the desk drawer and checked his weapon.
"They sent the Executioners," Ethan said, his voice flat and deadly. "My father's personal strike squad."
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"Ethan..." I grabbed his arm, fear gripping my heart.
Ethan turned and kissed me deeply, his hand cupping my cheek. "Ten years ago, I swore no one would ever hurt you in your own home. Stay behind me, Victoria. It's time to show them why Alistair Vance feared his own son."
