Chapter 7 - The True Heir
Arthur cocked the hammer of the pistol, the metallic click echoing loudly.
"Kick the tire iron away," Arthur commanded, gesturing with the barrel of the gun.
Liam slowly pushed the heavy steel bar across the floor with his boot.
"Where is my mother?" Liam demanded, standing protectively in front of Sarah.
Arthur laughed bitterly and began circling them like a vulture.
"Eleanor is currently sipping champagne on a private island with a new identity," Arthur gloated.
"She hired me to clean up the incredibly messy loose ends she left behind."
Liam glared at the lawyer, desperately trying to formulate an escape plan.
"Why go through all of this trouble just to ruin our lives?" Liam asked to buy time.
Arthur paused and looked at Sarah with a look of pure disgust.
"Because your lovely wife is not the simple middle-class girl she claims to be," Arthur revealed.
"She is the sole surviving heir to the Sterling Estate, a fortune worth billions."
Liam looked back at Sarah, who shook her head violently in utter confusion.
"Eleanor discovered the truth three years ago and has been siphoning the trust ever since," Arthur explained.
"If Sarah or your son ever claimed the inheritance, Eleanor would be entirely ruined."
Liam finally understood the horrifying depth of his mother's greed.
She was perfectly willing to murder her own family for money.
Arthur raised the pistol and aimed it directly at Sarah's head.
"It is nothing personal, Liam, just extremely lucrative business," Arthur said coldly.
Liam knew he had absolutely nothing left to lose.
He let out a primal roar and threw himself forward with impossible speed.
He tackled Arthur violently around the waist, driving him hard into the concrete floor.
The gun went off with a loud crack, the bullet shattering a nearby wooden crate.
Arthur punched Liam viciously in the ribs, trying to throw him off.
Liam ignored the blinding pain and slammed his fist into Arthur's jaw.
The lawyer went limp, his head bouncing sickeningly against the hard ground.
Liam scrambled to his feet, breathing heavily as he picked up the dropped gun.
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He turned to untie Sarah, feeling a brief moment of victory.
Then, he heard the chilling sound of slow, sarcastic clapping coming from the shadows.
