Chapter 5 - The Hidden Passage
The sprawling mansion transformed into a chaotic, terrifying warzone in a matter of mere seconds.
Deafening gunfire echoed violently through the luxurious halls as Julian's loyal men aggressively returned fire.
Julian dragged Anaëlle firmly behind a heavy oak armoire to shield her from the flying, shattered glass.
Dark blood was steadily soaking through the shoulder of his highly expensive suit.
"We have to move to the underground bunker right this second," Julian ordered over the deafening noise.
He looked around the ruined bedroom to find her cowardly, pathetic brother.
Lucas had already completely vanished into the chaos, leaving his sister behind without a second thought.
Anaëlle felt a fresh, agonizing wave of heartbreak, but survival took absolute, immediate priority.
Julian pressed a hidden, biometric button underneath a heavily broken bedside table.
The large bookshelf swung smoothly open, revealing a dark, narrow stone staircase.
He pushed her forcefully inside and followed closely, locking the heavy steel door securely behind them.
The sudden, heavy silence of the secret tunnel was thick and incredibly eerie.
"Are you badly hurt?" Anaëlle asked, staring at his bleeding arm in the dim, red emergency light.
"It is just a superficial graze, keep moving forward," he commanded, his voice incredibly tight with pain.
They descended hundreds of steep steps deep into the solid bedrock beneath the grand estate.
The air grew intensely cold and smelled strongly of damp earth and old, rusted iron.
Anaëlle tore a piece of fabric from her red dress and offered it bravely to him.
He accepted it completely silently, tying it tightly around his wounded shoulder to stem the heavy bleeding.
"Why didn't you just let them kill me up there?" she asked softly as they walked through the dark.
"Because you are the only person alive who knows the Chopin piece perfectly," he replied incredibly cryptically.
She frowned in the dark, completely confused by his bizarre, untimely obsession with the piano music.
They finally reached the absolute end of the tunnel, arriving at a massive, steel biometric vault door.
Julian placed his bloody hand firmly on the scanner, but a red error light flashed angrily.
The system had been manually, intentionally locked out from the inside of the safe bunker.
"Someone has already severely compromised the safe room," Julian cursed violently under his breath.
The heavy vault door slowly creaked open on its own, revealing an absolutely terrifying sight.
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Standing inside the bunker was Julian's trusted underboss, holding a heavy shotgun aimed directly at Julian's chest.
And standing right beside the grinning traitor was Anaëlle's brother, tightly holding a massive bag full of cash.
