Chapter 8 - The Mother of Lies
I gripped the heavy pistol tightly and walked slowly through the open front door of my childhood home.
The living room was completely dark, but a faint light spilled from my father's old study.
Julian covered my flank as we crept silently down the hallway.
I pushed the heavy oak door open and found my mother sitting calmly behind the mahogany desk.
She was drinking a glass of expensive scotch, completely unbothered by our sudden arrival.
"You look absolutely dreadful, Callie," my mother said smoothly, taking a slow sip of her drink.
"Where is my money, Mom?" I demanded, aiming the gun directly at her chest.
She laughed quietly, a chilling sound that perfectly matched Axton's cruel demeanor.
"The money is exactly where it belongs, safely hidden away from your naive hands," she replied.
"You conspired with a murderer to kill your own daughters!" I yelled, my voice breaking with absolute rage.
My mother set her glass down and looked at me with pure, unadulterated contempt.
"I only conspired to kill you, sweetheart," she corrected me without a single ounce of guilt.
"Mila got greedy and tried to blackmail Axton for a larger cut of the payout."
She stood up and casually straightened her expensive silk dressing gown.
"I brought Axton into this family to correct a massive mistake your father made in his will," she explained.
"He left the entire company to you, completely cutting me out of my rightful fortune."
Julian stepped forward, his weapon raised and his eyes completely devoid of mercy.
"The police are already on their way here, Mrs. Sterling," Julian warned her.
"We have all the digital evidence linking your IP address to the massive theft."
My mother smiled wickedly and pulled a small remote detonator from her pocket.
"Did you really think I would leave a digital trail without a contingency plan?" she asked mockingly.
May you like
She pressed the red button on the remote with absolute confidence.
Nothing happened.
