Chapter 8 - Sins of the Brother
The deadly, invisible gas hissed aggressively into the freezing, sealed room.
I frantically searched the dark corners of the industrial freezer for anything heavy enough to break the thick steel door.
There was absolutely nothing but empty metal racks and thick, suffocating frost.
Clara began coughing violently, her lungs struggling terribly to process the poisoned, freezing air.
"Clara, stay close to the floor where the clean oxygen is heavier," I ordered urgently, pushing her gently down.
I climbed aggressively onto a rusted metal rack and used the heavy butt of my gun to repeatedly smash the ventilation grate.
The thick metal finally bent backward, but the deadly gas continued pouring rapidly into the tiny room.
I shoved my thick, leather belt tightly into the open pipe, temporarily blocking the deadly airflow.
It bought us a few precious minutes, but the freezing temperature was still rapidly killing us both.
"Why is he doing this to us?" Clara whispered weakly, her beautiful eyes fluttering dangerously shut.
"Because I stole this powerful empire from him, and I took everything he ever loved," I confessed bitterly.
Suddenly, my encrypted phone vibrated loudly with an incoming video call.
Lorenzo’s scarred, furious face filled the bright screen, standing on the snowy roof of the massive warehouse.
He was holding a terrified, freezing Lily tightly by her tiny, fragile arm.
"It is time to make a final choice, little brother," Lorenzo stated with absolute, chilling calm.
"I will remotely unlock that heavy freezer door right now."
"But you must walk out onto the main factory floor completely unarmed and surrender your life to me."
"If you refuse, I will throw this sweet little girl off the roof right now."
I looked down at Clara, who was weakly shaking her head in desperate, silent protest.
"Do not do it, Alessandro," she begged softly, tears freezing solidly on her pale cheeks.
But I had already made my final decision the very night Lily walked into my study with her stuffed rabbit.
"Unlock the door, Lorenzo," I demanded fiercely into the glowing screen.
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The heavy steel deadbolt clicked loudly, and the massive door swung slowly open.
I dropped my heavy weapons entirely onto the freezing floor and walked out to face my executioner.
