Chapter 28 - The Invasion of Vance Manor
The grand living room became an arena of high-stakes conflict as rain poured through the shattered patio doors.
Arthur Sterling stood calmly amidst the broken glass, holding a silver-plated pistol equipped with a suppressor.
"Good evening, Commander Vance," Arthur spoke with a cold, refined British accent.
"You've kept my grandson quite well-protected, I must admit."
Richard stood firmly between Arthur and the panic room entrance, his own sidearm leveled directly at Arthur's chest.
"Take one more step, Sterling, and this ends right here," Richard warned with deadly precision.
Arthur smiled thinly, waving his hand toward his three armed mercenaries.
"I didn't come to kill you, Richard. I came to claim my rightful heir and his multi-billion-dollar trust," Arthur stated calmly.
"He's not a transaction; he's my son!" Richard thundered.
Suddenly, Maria stepped out from the hallway shadow, aiming a bright industrial laser flare directly into the lead mercenary's night-vision goggles.
The mercenary screamed as the blinding green laser burnt through his optics, causing him to fire wildly into the ceiling.
In the chaos, Richard tackled Arthur over the coffee table, disarming his silver pistol in a swift military maneuver.
The remaining two mercenaries moved forward, but Carlos activated the house's internal fire suppression system from his tablet.
Thick chemical foam sprayed from the ceiling vents, blinding the intruders and slicking the marble floor.
Richard delivered a devastating strike to Arthur's jaw, pinning the legendary syndicate boss against the marble hearth.
Outside, federal sirens echoed down the driveway as Agent Jenkins's tactical team stormed the estate premises.
Within minutes, Arthur's mercenaries were disarmed and forced to the ground at gunpoint.
Arthur lay bleeding on the hearth, staring up at Richard in utter defeat.
"You think you've won, Vance?" Arthur coughed bitterly. "My organization spans three continents!"
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"And my family stands right here," Richard replied with unbreakable pride.
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