Chapter 6 - The Midnight Intruder
The storm outside the estate intensified, rain hammering violently against the multi-million-dollar floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
Ethan walked over to his private mahogany bar, pouring two fingers of single-malt bourbon into a crystal glass.
His hands were steady now, fueled by an icy, protective rage that burned away all traces of fear.
"If what you say about my father's past is true, Victoria," Ethan began, turning to face her with dark, burning eyes.
"Then why did you marry me four years ago? Was I just your insurance policy against Rostov's cartel?"
Victoria flinched as if he had physically struck her across the face.
"I loved you, Ethan," she whispered, her voice choking up with genuine pain.
"I still love you! I didn't know about your father's dark history until six months into our marriage!"
"My family was ruined by your father's financial schemes in the nineties... I came to you for answers, but I fell in love instead."
Suddenly, the bright interior lights of the entire mansion flickered violently three times before cutting out completely.
Pitch darkness swallowed the sprawling foyer, leaving only the blue flashes of outdoor lightning illuminating the room.
The heavy hum of the central security system whined to a stop as the emergency backup generators failed to kick in.
"Ethan..." Victoria gasped in the dark, her hands reaching out blindly toward him.
"Stay behind the counter," Ethan ordered sharply, pulling a hidden brass key from behind a decorative framed painting.
He opened a concealed wall safe beside the fireplace, pulling out a sleek black Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol.
He racked the slide, the sharp metallic sound cutting through the sound of the falling rain outside.
Above them, on the second floor, a floorboard creaked loudly under heavy tactical boots.
Ethan raised the firearm, pointing it upward into the black emptiness of the staircase landing.
May you like
"Clara!" Ethan shouted upward into the dark house. "Lock the secondary bolt!"
A loud, agonizing thud echoed from the upper hallway, followed immediately by the sound of glass breaking in the nursery.
