Chapter 5 - The Ghost Returns
Marcus staggered backward in absolute, unadulterated terror as he stared directly at the mercenary leader's face.
Aria felt her breath completely catch painfully in her throat for the first time all evening.
The rugged man standing before them was Julian, her older biological brother who had supposedly died in a fiery plane crash eight years ago.
Julian had a long, jagged scar violently cutting across his cheek, but his piercing green eyes were unmistakably familiar to her.
"You look exactly like a man who has just seen a ghost, Marcus," Julian mocked with a cold, terrifyingly hollow laugh.
Selena began weeping hysterically on the hard floor, completely unable to process the violently shifting power dynamics.
Leonard moved instantly closer to Aria, instinctively shielding her small frame from this dangerous, highly unpredictable new threat.
Julian explained loudly that the Voss family had maliciously sabotaged his private plane to steal their parents' original scientific research.
He had miraculously survived the fiery crash and spent the last eight agonizing years building a ruthless underground mercenary syndicate.
"I came here tonight to completely and permanently erase the Voss bloodline from this miserable earth," Julian declared fiercely.
His men aggressively forced Marcus and Selena completely to their knees in the exact center of the ruined, sparkling ballroom.
Aria stepped forward bravely, desperate to reach the beloved older brother she had mourned deeply for nearly a decade.
"We can handle this legally, Julian, you do not have to become a cold-blooded murderer," Aria pleaded softly with tears in her eyes.
Julian looked down at his little sister, his expression rapidly hardening into an emotionless, terrifying mask of pure steel.
"The law only protects untouchable billionaires like the man standing right behind you," Julian spat furiously at Leonard.
He coldly ordered one of his armed men to hand Aria a heavy, fully loaded handgun.
"You have to pull this trigger and kill Marcus yourself to prove your absolute loyalty to our real family," Julian demanded ruthlessly.
Aria stared down at the cold metal weapon resting lightly in her trembling hands, completely horrified by the impossible choice.
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If she refused to brutally kill Marcus, Julian's men would gladly slaughter everyone in the room, including her beloved adoptive father.
Julian began counting down slowly from five, his gloved finger hovering dangerously over the sensitive trigger of his own rifle.
