Chapter 2 - Blood and Shadows
The collective gasp of the wealthy guests sucked the oxygen out of the grand room.
Evelyn Prescott stared at the kneeling men in absolute shock.
She demanded to know why they were bowing to a common gold digger.
The leader of the men stood up and drew a silenced pistol from his jacket.
He aimed it directly at Evelyn's chest without a hint of hesitation.
He calmly stated that anyone who insulted the true heir would be executed on the spot.
Evelyn stumbled backward, her arrogant facade completely shattering into pieces.
Daniel scrambled away on the floor, gasping for air and clutching his bruised throat.
He looked at Claire as if she were a ghost.
Claire stood frozen in place, unable to process what was happening around her.
She looked at her father, begging him for an explanation with her tear-filled eyes.
Richard did not give her one.
He knew the men with the silver pins were not there to save them.
He knew the Phoenix Vanguard only bowed before they took complete control.
Richard reached into his tailored suit jacket and pulled out a sleek black handgun.
The crowd erupted into pure panic.
Wealthy socialites screamed and sprinted toward the emergency exits.
Tables were overturned, shattering expensive crystal glasses across the polished floor.
Richard fired two rapid shots into the ceiling to create even more chaos.
He grabbed Claire's wrist with an iron grip.
He pulled her away from the kneeling men and dragged her toward the kitchen doors.
The leader of the Phoenix Vanguard shouted an order in a language Claire didn't recognize.
The men abandoned Daniel and immediately sprinted after Richard and Claire.
Bullets chewed through the wooden frames of the kitchen doors just as Richard kicked them open.
Chefs and waitstaff scattered as Richard navigated the stainless steel counters with military precision.
He pulled Claire through a narrow service hallway that led toward the loading dock.
Claire struggled to keep up in her heavy evening gown.
She begged her father to stop and tell her what was going on.
Richard slammed his shoulder against the heavy metal exit door, throwing it open to the rainy alley.
A sleek black sedan was already idling in the shadows, waiting for them.
Richard shoved Claire into the passenger seat and jumped behind the wheel.
He slammed the gas pedal, and the tires squealed against the wet asphalt.
Claire looked at the fresh bruise on her cheek in the rearview mirror.
She finally asked him how those men had tracked her to the gala.
Richard gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.
He told her that the bruise on her face was not just a simple injury.
Someone had struck her with a very specific amount of force.
The impact had activated a microscopic emergency beacon hidden beneath her skin since she was a baby.
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Claire stared at him in horror as the realization hit her.
The only person who had touched her face all day was Daniel.
