Chapter 5 - The Glass Cage
The blaring security alarm echoed through the massive halls like a screaming monster.
Thomas quickly pushed Elara toward a hidden servant passage behind the bookshelf.
He told her to run to the greenhouse and wait for his signal.
Elara squeezed into the dark narrow tunnel just as the study door burst open.
She heard Richard demanding to know why the safe was unlocked.
She did not stay to hear the butler's excuse.
Elara sprinted through the dusty passage until her lungs burned.
She emerged into the cold night air and ran toward the sprawling glass greenhouse.
The structure was a massive glowing dome filled with exotic orchids.
She slipped inside and hid behind a dense wall of tropical ferns.
Her heart hammered wildly against her ribs as she clutched the encrypted hard drive.
This small piece of technology was the key to destroying the Harrington empire.
She waited in the damp darkness for what felt like hours.
The security alarms eventually stopped blaring.
The sudden silence was even more terrifying than the noise.
Footsteps crunched slowly on the gravel path outside the glass walls.
Elara held her breath and pressed herself flat against the damp earth.
The heavy glass door of the greenhouse swung open with a screech.
A beam of bright flashlight swept across the blooming orchids.
It was not Thomas who had come to find her.
Victoria stepped into the humid greenhouse holding the silver revolver.
She locked the glass door behind her and pocketed the key.
The fake heir called out into the darkness with a chillingly sweet voice.
She told Elara that Thomas had just been fired and escorted off the property.
Victoria admitted that she knew about the hard drive and the insurance fraud.
She explained that she also hated Richard for turning her into a puppet.
Victoria lowered the weapon and made a completely unexpected offer.
She suggested they team up to destroy Richard together.
Elara slowly stepped out from behind the ferns to face her replacement.
She asked Victoria why she should trust a girl who pointed a gun at her earlier.
Victoria smiled coldly and pointed the flashlight toward the roof of the greenhouse.
May you like
Four of Richard's armed security guards were completely surrounding the glass dome.
Victoria whispered that they had exactly three minutes before Richard ordered them to shoot.
