Chapter 14
William stared at me for a long, silent moment, clearly torn between protecting me and stopping his brother.
“You stay behind Vance and me every single second,” William commanded sharply. “Do you understand me?”
“I promise,” I agreed, taking a deep breath to steady my racing heart.
Ten minutes later, our private helicopter touched down softly on the lower lawn of the Sterling Estate, hidden by fog.
Twelve armed guards in dark tactical gear stepped out of the aircraft ahead of us, securing the perimeter.
William, Vance, and I moved swiftly through the dense garden bushes toward the rear servant entrance.
The heavy oak door had been kicked open, its brass lock splintered into tiny metal pieces on the stone floor.
Inside, the grand estate was in absolute ruin—paintings ripped from walls, furniture overturned, and drawers dumped.
Julian Sterling’s men were tearing the house apart in a frantic, desperate search for the blue steel box.
We crept up the grand spiral staircase, heading toward the third-floor servant quarters leading to the attic.
The air grew cold and dusty as we reached the narrow wooden door marked PRIVATE STORAGE.
Shouting voices echoed from inside the attic room above us, followed by the sound of heavy hammers smashing drywall.
“He’s breaking the walls!” I whispered frantically to William.
May you like
William drew a small silver weapon from his coat, gesturing for Vance to stack up beside the wooden door.
“It ends today,” William murmured softly.
