Chapter 8 - The Falling Glass
Theodore launched himself across the pristine marble floor like a striking predator.
He slammed his shoulder violently into Julian’s chest, driving the air from his brother's lungs.
The handgun fired wildly toward the ceiling, shattering a massive crystal chandelier above them.
Hundreds of sharp glass shards rained down like deadly, glittering hail.
Gabrielle instinctively turned her back to the falling glass, shielding the babies entirely with her own body.
Theodore and Julian crashed heavily into the mahogany desk, sending expensive whiskey and documents flying across the room.
Julian fought with a desperate, cowardly panic, trying to bring the weapon back down to aim at Theodore.
Theodore grabbed his brother's wrist and twisted it aggressively until the bone cracked with a sickening snap.
Julian screamed in sheer agony, dropping the gun onto the polished floor.
"You destroyed my entire family for a bank account!" Theodore roared, punching his brother brutally across the jaw.
Julian stumbled backward, spitting blood onto his expensive Italian suit.
"You never respected me, Theo, you treated me like a useless child!" Julian yelled, backing away toward the massive floor-to-ceiling windows.
Theodore picked up the dropped handgun and aimed it squarely at his brother's chest.
"You are a monster, Julian, and you are going to spend the rest of your life rotting in a concrete cell," Theodore declared.
Suddenly, the doors of the private elevator dinged brightly, sliding open to reveal a heavily armed police tactical unit.
Victor Delgado walked out right behind them, holding a bloody bandage to his arm but smiling victoriously.
"I told you I would hold them off, Theo," Victor said, signaling for the officers to move in.
The police immediately surrounded Julian, screaming for him to get on the ground with his hands behind his head.
Julian looked at the armed officers, then looked out at the stunning, endless view of the Houston skyline.
He realized his luxurious life of absolute power and immense wealth was permanently over.
Instead of surrendering to the police, Julian turned and sprinted directly toward the heavy glass windows.
He grabbed a heavy bronze statue from a side table and smashed it violently into the reinforced glass.
The thick pane spiderwebbed and shattered instantly, exposing the penthouse to the howling winds fifty stories above the ground.
Julian looked back at Theodore with a manic, terrifying smile of absolute defeat.
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"You can keep the company, big brother," Julian whispered over the roaring wind.
Before the police officers could reach him, Julian stepped backward off the edge of the skyscraper.
