Chapter 8 - The Cornered Beast
Evelyn screamed in terror and dove behind the thick stone pillars of the terrace.
Richard fired a burst of bullets, shattering the table where we had just been sitting.
I grabbed the leather journal and sprinted toward the massive wooden doors of the wine tasting room.
"Kill them both!" Richard ordered his mercenaries, completely abandoning any pretense of family loyalty.
Bullets chewed through the expensive oak doors just as I slammed them shut behind me.
I ducked behind the solid oak tasting counter, clutching the journal to my chest.
Outside, the unmistakable sound of Leo's men returning fire echoed across the vineyard.
The valley had transformed into a brutal warzone, tearing apart the peaceful legacy my grandmother had built.
The side window shattered inward, and Marcus Thorne climbed into the room, holding a silver pistol.
He didn't look like a sophisticated lawyer anymore; he looked like a desperate animal out of options.
"Give me the pearl pendant, Clara," Marcus demanded, aiming the gun directly at my head.
He had finally realized that my grandmother's necklace was recording the initial assault in the foyer.
"The pendant is already transmitting everything to the cloud," I lied smoothly, trying to buy time.
Marcus laughed darkly, stepping closer until the cold barrel touched my forehead.
"Your grandmother tried to use hidden cameras to expose me too," Marcus whispered maliciously.
"That is exactly why I tampered with her oxygen machine at the hospice."
The terrible truth hit me with the force of a freight train.
Eleanor Vance hadn't died of natural causes; she was murdered by the man sworn to protect her estate.
"You killed her," I breathed out, tears of absolute rage blurring my vision.
"And now I'm going to kill you, just like I should have done in the foyer," Marcus sneered.
He pulled back the hammer of the pistol.
A massive explosion suddenly rocked the building, blowing the front doors entirely off their hinges.
Leo stormed through the smoke and debris, his suit covered in dust and his eyes blazing with fury.
He didn't hesitate for a single second.
Leo fired twice, hitting Marcus in the shoulder and forcing him to drop the weapon.
Marcus collapsed against the wine racks, groaning in agony as bottles shattered around him.
Leo rushed to my side, pulling me up from the floor to ensure I wasn't bleeding.
"Are you hurt?" he asked frantically, his rough hands framing my face.
"I'm fine," I promised, showing him the secured journal and the pearl pendant.
"But we need to end this right now."
We walked out onto the ruined terrace, where Richard was pinned down behind a destroyed SUV, completely out of ammunition.
Richard threw down his empty rifle and grabbed Chloe, who had been hiding in the back seat the entire time.
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He pulled a knife from his belt and held it to his own daughter's throat.
"Let me walk away, or I swear I'll cut her!" Richard screamed, completely losing his mind.
