Chapter 7 - The Mastermind Bride
Julian quickly holstered his weapon and ripped the thick silver duct tape off the elderly man's mouth.
Arthur gasped desperately for air, coughing violently as Clara rushed forward to untie the heavy ropes binding his wrists.
"What are you doing in here, Arthur?" Julian demanded, completely bewildered by his future father-in-law's captive state.
Arthur rubbed his bleeding wrists and looked at Julian with an expression of profound sorrow and absolute terror.
"My daughter is a complete sociopath, Julian, and she planned to murder both of us tonight," Arthur confessed rapidly.
He explained that Vanessa had secretly orchestrated a massive, hostile takeover of both their respective family corporations.
She had forged legal documents to inherit Julian's wealth while simultaneously framing Arthur for the penthouse bombing.
Her ultimate goal was to eliminate all the men in her life and escape to a non-extradition country with billions in stolen bearer bonds.
Julian felt his blood boil as the true, horrifying depths of Vanessa's psychotic greed were finally laid completely bare.
"She is heading to the private helipad on the roof right now to make her escape," Arthur warned weakly, pointing toward the ceiling.
Julian knew he could not let the woman who tried to murder him and his mother simply fly away to a tropical paradise.
He found a manual override switch hidden behind a painting in the bedroom, successfully raising the heavy steel blast doors.
"Stay here and keep him safe, Clara," Julian ordered, checking the magazine of his pistol one final time.
Clara adamantly shook her head and grabbed a heavy iron fireplace poker from the hearth.
"She took my little sister, Julian, and I am not staying behind while you finish this," Clara declared with fierce determination.
Julian admired her incredible bravery and gave a firm nod, leading the way toward the private staircase ascending to the roof.
They climbed the final flight of stairs silently, listening to the deafening roar of helicopter blades chopping through the night air.
Julian kicked the roof access door open and stepped out onto the windy, rain-soaked helipad.
The luxurious black helicopter was already idling on the large white H painted on the concrete surface.
Vanessa stood near the open cabin door, wearing her heavily blood-splattered designer wedding dress.
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She wasn't holding a bouquet of flowers or a glass of champagne to celebrate her supposed victory.
She was holding a fully automatic assault rifle, and she aimed it directly at Julian's chest with a terrifying, manic smile.
