Chapter 6 - The True Heir
The greenhouse felt suddenly devoid of oxygen.
Adrian stared down the barrel of the revolver.
"That is impossible," he whispered.
Naomi lowered the gun slightly, her hands shaking from exhaustion.
"Katherine adopted you in secret to protect the company from the real bloodline."
Adrian felt the foundation of his entire life crumbling beneath his feet.
Before he could demand another answer, blinding white floodlights pierced the glass ceiling.
The night sky above the greenhouse suddenly filled with the buzzing hum of surveillance drones.
Vance's voice boomed over a high-powered megaphone from the lawn.
"You are surrounded, Adrian!"
Dozens of red laser sights painted the glass walls of the conservatory.
"Throw the key and the drive out the door, and I might let the maid live."
Adrian looked at Naomi, who had dropped the gun in sheer terror.
Zuri began to cry, clinging to her mother's leg.
Adrian scooped up the discarded revolver from the dirt.
He had lived his whole life in boardrooms, not battlefields.
But he was not going to let a child die in his home.
"Follow me," Adrian commanded, grabbing Naomi's wrist.
May you like
He led them toward the heavy iron grate covering the drainage system.
A loud explosion shattered the main greenhouse doors, sending glass flying everywhere.
