Chapter 2 - The Hostage Ballroom
Panic erupted instantly inside the luxurious venue.
The wealthy guests screamed and dropped to the marble floor as the armed men raised their weapons.
Adrian shielded Clara and Mia with his broad shoulders, his muscles tensing for a brutal fight.
Victoria casually walked back up the aisle, completely unfazed by the terrifying chaos she had orchestrated.
"You really should have just signed the marriage certificate, Adrian," she said with a mocking tone.
"Now you leave me with absolutely no choice but to take your empire by force."
She gestured to a scarred man in a grey suit, who pulled a thick stack of legal documents from his jacket.
"Sign the corporate transfer deeds right now, or my men will eliminate everyone in this room," Victoria threatened.
Adrian glared at her, his mind racing to find a tactical advantage in the crowded room.
"You will never get away with executing hundreds of innocent witnesses," Adrian growled.
Victoria laughed a dark, hollow laugh that echoed off the high ceilings.
"They are not going to die from bullets, my love."
"The ventilation system is rigged with a highly lethal, odorless nerve gas."
"If you do not sign those papers in two minutes, the entire ballroom will suffocate."
Clara tugged frantically on Adrian’s tuxedo sleeve, her eyes wide with sheer terror.
She reached into her dirty pocket and pulled out a crumpled, bloodstained piece of paper.
"Mommy told me to give this to you if we made it out of the dark cage," Clara whimpered.
Adrian snatched the note, his heart stopping entirely as he recognized Elena’s beautiful handwriting.
The note explicitly stated that Elena was still alive and being held captive directly beneath this very hotel.
A sudden surge of overwhelming, protective rage ignited inside Adrian's chest.
He was an ex-military operative who had spent years searching for his lost family.
He refused to let them be taken from him again.
Adrian looked at Victoria, grabbed the expensive fountain pen, and pretended to reach for the documents.
Instead of signing the paper, he drove the sharp metal pen directly into the hand of the scarred guard.
The man screamed in agony, dropping his heavy assault rifle to the floor.
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Adrian kicked the weapon into the air and caught it seamlessly.
He pointed the barrel directly at Victoria’s forehead, his finger resting dangerously on the trigger.
