Chapter 9 - The Helipad Confrontation
Elara lay on the cold concrete, blood pouring from the graze wound on her temple.
Alexis stood over her, his expensive suit ruined and his face twisted into a mask of pure hatred.
"Your father begged for his life just like this," Alexis whispered, his finger tightening on the trigger.
Elara looked up at the monster who had haunted her nightmares for fifteen long years.
She refused to close her eyes, refusing to give him the satisfaction of her fear.
"My father was a coward, but I am not," Elara stated with absolute defiance.
Before Alexis could fire the fatal shot, the deafening sound of police sirens filled the night air.
Dozens of heavily armored tactical vehicles crashed through the front gates of the estate.
Julian had survived the elevator fight and used a burner phone to broadcast the entire illegal event to the FBI.
Red and blue lights illuminated the helipad, blinding the billionaire for a crucial second.
Hélio lunged forward again, clamping his massive jaws firmly around the barrel of the assault rifle.
With a violent twist of his powerful neck, the lion ripped the weapon completely out of Alexis's hands.
Alexis stumbled backward, tripping over his own scattered millions, and fell hard onto the tarmac.
Federal agents swarmed the helipad, shouting orders and aiming dozens of weapons at the billionaire.
"Don't move! Hands in the air!" a lead agent screamed over a megaphone.
Alexis raised his hands slowly in defeat, his empire officially crumbling to dust around him.
Elara struggled to sit up, holding her bleeding head.
Candidate 03 ran over and helped her to her feet, tears of joy streaming down her face.
The remaining countdown on the detonator had been jammed by a federal signal blocker.
The facility was safe, and the animals were already being secured by emergency rescue teams.
Hélio walked over to Elara and nudged his massive, bloody head gently against her leg.
She buried her hands in his thick mane, sobbing openly as the weight of fifteen years finally lifted from her shoulders.
An FBI agent approached Elara, holding out a heavy, sealed folder he had recovered from Alexis's briefcase.
May you like
"Miss Vance, I believe this belongs to you," the agent said respectfully.
Elara opened the folder and saw the original, legitimate deeds to her family's animal reserve.
