Chapter 9 - Out of the Ashes
Naomi collapsed to her knees, screaming her daughter's name until her vocal cords began to tear.
Damon completely lost his mind, throwing Victoria brutally against the wall in a blind, violent rage.
The mercenaries finally lowered their weapons, realizing their employer had just murdered a child.
Thick black smoke began to pour down the grand staircase from the burning roof above.
Damon dropped to the floor beside Naomi and pulled her sobbing body tightly against his chest.
His heart was shattered into a million sharp pieces, mourning the daughter he had only just discovered.
Suddenly, a small, familiar melody drifted softly through the smoke-filled air.
Naomi stopped crying and held her breath, listening intently to the faint sound.
It was the lullaby about the little birds that Zuri hummed whenever she was nervous.
"Zuri?" Naomi whispered, her voice barely carrying over the crackling flames.
A tiny figure emerged from the thick smoke near the base of the grand staircase.
Zuri was covered in dark soot and missing her other pink sneaker, but she was entirely unharmed.
"The loud noise scared me, Mama," Zuri sniffled, rubbing her dirty eyes.
Naomi screamed with joy, running forward and scooping her beautiful child into a desperate hug.
Damon felt tears streaming down his face as he wrapped his massive arms around both of them.
"How did you get off the roof?" Damon asked, his voice trembling with sheer relief.
"The sad lady carried me down the secret stairs before the fire happened," Zuri explained simply.
Damon froze completely, looking past his family toward the dark, narrow servant's corridor beneath the stairs.
There were no secret stairs leading to the roof unless someone had accessed the ancient blueprints.
The wailing sirens of dozens of police cruisers finally pierced the night, swarming the massive estate.
Federal agents burst through the shattered front doors, immediately placing Victoria and Marcus in heavy steel handcuffs.
Victoria screamed curses as she was dragged away, her empire completely destroyed by her own arrogance.
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Damon held Naomi and Zuri incredibly close, promising himself he would never let them go again.
The nightmare was finally over.
