Chapter 2 - The Emergency Pendant
I stared at the dark barrel of the silenced handgun, my mind racing faster than it had in decades.
Sterling took a slow, deliberate step toward me, his expensive shoes completely silent on the Persian rug.
He expected me to beg for my life or collapse into a weeping panic.
He had completely forgotten that before I married a billionaire, I survived seventy-eight years of a very hard life.
I clutched the heavy envelope to my chest with my left hand.
With my right hand, I slowly reached for the collar of my knitted sweater.
Hidden beneath the fabric was the standard emergency medical pendant issued by the state-funded wing of the nursing home.
Harrison had insisted I keep wearing it, joking that it was a charming vintage accessory.
"I am an old woman, Mister Sterling," I said, keeping my voice intentionally frail and trembling.
"Please do not shoot me, I will give you whatever you want," I pleaded, feigning absolute surrender.
Sterling offered a smug, arrogant smile and lowered his weapon slightly.
"That is a very wise decision, Evelyn," he purred, holding out his empty hand to receive the documents.
As he closed the distance between us, my fingers found the large red button on the plastic pendant.
I pressed it down with all the strength I had left in my arthritic thumb.
Instantly, a deafening, high-pitched medical siren blared from the penthouse ceiling speakers.
Red strobe lights began flashing wildly across the room, illuminating Sterling's face in flashes of pure panic.
The sudden noise startled him, causing him to flinch and look up at the ceiling.
I did not hesitate for a single second.
I grabbed the heavy, solid marble chess king from the table beside me and hurled it directly at his face.
The heavy stone struck him squarely in the jaw with a sickening crack.
Sterling groaned in pain and stumbled backward, dropping his handgun onto the plush carpet.
I scrambled out of the armchair, my old joints screaming in protest, and lunged for the heavy oak doors.
I threw the deadbolt open and stumbled out into the quiet, carpeted hallway of the VIP floor.
I ran as fast as my frail legs could carry me toward the service elevator at the end of the hall.
The emergency alarms were still blaring, echoing down the long, empty corridor.
I slammed my hand against the elevator call button, praying the doors would open quickly.
Behind me, I heard the penthouse doors crash open as an enraged Sterling stumbled into the hallway.
The elevator doors finally chimed and slid open, revealing two massive, armed security guards.
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I smiled in relief, stepping forward to ask them for help.
Then I saw Richard, Harrison's eldest son, standing behind the guards with a cruel smirk on his face.
