Chapter 19 - The Shadow of the Past**
The bullet struck the wooden doorframe two inches above Clara’s shoulder, sending wooden splinters flying through the air.
Julian threw himself over Pamela’s arm, forcing the gun out of her hand and pinning her wrist against the floor.
Tactical federal agents burst through the shattered balcony doors, their weapons raised as they flooded the room.
“Secure the perimeter! Search the lower levels!” Agent Vance’s voice commanded above the chaos.
Within two minutes, Howard Sterling and Pamela were forced to their knees, their arms bound tightly behind their backs with flex-cuffs.
Julian pulled Leo into his arms, holding his son so close he could feel the boy’s rapid heart pounding against his ribs.
“You’re safe now, Leo,” Julian whispered over and over, his voice thick with emotion. “Daddy’s got you.”
Agent Vance stepped over the broken glass, looking down at Howard Sterling with a grim expression.
“Howard Sterling, you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit kidnapping, federal bank fraud, and corporate extortion,” Vance declared formally.
Howard looked up at Julian, a sinister, broken smile lingering on his bloodied lips.
May you like
“You think you’ve won, Julian?” Howard wheezed, coughing violently. “Ask your devoted maid about the night your mother died.”
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