Chapter 8
Clara raised her head slowly, her dark brown eyes burning with a fierce, defiant light despite her weakness.
“I won't sign anything, Thomas,” Clara rasped, her voice dry and raspy from disuse.
“Ethan knows the truth by now. My daughter has the ring.”
Senator Montgomery laughed, a cold, ruthless sound that echoed through the hollow warehouse.
“Ethan is a fool who was about to marry my daughter today!” Montgomery sneered.
“He didn't know you were alive for four years, and he won't find you tonight!”
“He’s already here, Thomas,” Ethan’s voice boomed from the shadows of the mezzanine balcony above.
Montgomery spun around in shock, raising his hand toward his guards.
“Kill him!” Montgomery screamed.
Before the guards could raise their weapons, Marcus fired two precise shots from the balcony rail.
The suppressed thuds echoed softly as both guards collapsed onto the concrete floor, disarmed and neutralized.
Ethan leapt over the railing, landing heavily on the warehouse floor and striding toward the Senator.
Montgomery grabbed Clara by her hair, pulling a small pocket knife from his suit vest and pressing it to her throat.
“Don't come any closer, Ethan!” Montgomery yelled, sweat pouring down his aging forehead.
“I’ll end her right now! I swear to God I will!”
Ethan stopped ten feet away, holding up his hands to show he was unarmed.
“Put the knife down, Thomas,” Ethan said, his voice terrifyingly calm.
“The state troopers have surrounded this pier. My sister signed your arrest warrant twenty minutes ago.”
“You ruined my family!” Montgomery wept hysterically, his hand trembling against Clara’s neck.
“My daughter was supposed to be a Vance! We were supposed to control the city together!”
“You’re a criminal who kidnapped my wife,” Ethan said, taking a slow step forward.
Clara looked up at Ethan, a single tear cutting a clean path through the grime on her cheek.
May you like
“Ethan…” she whispered softly.
“I’m here, baby,” Ethan replied, his eyes never leaving Montgomery’s trembling hand.
