Chapter 5 - The Double Agent
I stared at Julian, my mind reeling from the absolute, bloody chaos of the moment.
He lowered his rifle and rushed forward to quickly untie Maya from the heavy steel chair.
"We have to leave before Margaret's backup arrives," Julian urged, helping my crying sister to her feet.
Vance picked up his discarded weapon, looking at Julian with extreme, unfiltered suspicion.
"Why should we believe a single word you say?" Vance demanded, aiming at Julian.
"Because if I wanted Clara dead, I would have let my mother shoot her on the stairs," Julian argued passionately.
It was a twisted logic, but I desperately wanted to believe the man I had married was still a good person.
"Where is the vault?" Julian asked, turning his intense, searching gaze to me.
"We need to empty it and destroy the ledger before my mother regroups her forces."
I looked at Vance, who gave me a subtle, highly reluctant nod of approval.
"It is at the First Sovereign Bank downtown," I confessed, clutching the silver ring tightly.
We piled into Julian's sports car, leaving Margaret hiding like a coward in the dark warehouse.
Julian drove recklessly through the empty city streets, his jaw clenched in pure determination.
Maya sat in the backseat, trembling and holding my hand with a desperate death grip.
"You saved us, Julian," I whispered, feeling a sudden wave of confusing, misplaced affection.
Julian offered me a small, reassuring smile in the glowing rearview mirror.
"I will always protect you, Clara," he promised softly.
Maya pulled me closer, her face completely pale and drained of all blood.
She leaned into my ear, her breath hot and frantic against my skin.
May you like
"Clara, don't trust him," Maya whispered, her voice barely audible over the roaring engine.
"He was the one who dragged me out of my dorm room and tied me to that chair."
