Chapter 15 - Standing on the Edge of the Atlantic Abyss
Agent Ramirez and his SWAT team froze in their tracks near the burning fireplace, their weapons trained on Julian's shaking hand.
"Julian, put the detonator down! There's nowhere left for you to go!" Ramirez warned, keeping his voice steady and calm.
Outside, sixty feet below the stone cliff, heavy ocean waves crashed violently against jagged black rocks in a spray of white foam.
Ethan stood up slowly, wiping blood from his lip as he looked his half-brother dead in the eyes with quiet pity.
"You spent six years hiding in the dark because you thought Arthur didn't love you, Julian," Ethan said softly, stepping closer to the cliff edge.
"Shut up! He treated me like a bastard my entire life!" Julian shrieked, his thumb trembling against the detonator switch.
"He hid the truth from the entire world to give you his last name and half of his empire!" Ethan countered, holding out his hand.
Julian hesitated for one second, his eyes flickering with a sudden wave of grief as Ethan's words struck deep into his fractured mind.
That momentary hesitation was all Ethan needed; he sprang forward, grabbing Julian's wrist and twisting it violently to dislodge the remote.
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The detonator flew off the cliff edge, bouncing off the rocks below before plunging harmlessly into the churning sea.
***
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