Chapter 4 - The Fire Returns
Julian listened in sheer disbelief as Arthur ordered the destruction of his own hotel.
Arthur coldly stated on the phone that the girl was becoming a liability and needed to be purged.
The patriarch slipped the silver locket into his pocket and quietly walked out of the bedroom.
Julian immediately stepped out from behind the velvet curtain and rushed to the bed.
He placed his hand firmly over Victoria's mouth and shook her awake.
She opened her eyes wide in panic and tried to scream against his leather glove.
Julian shushed her desperately and whispered that her father was about to kill them both.
He released his grip just as the loud blare of the fire alarm echoed through the penthouse.
Thick black smoke began pouring through the air conditioning vents in the ceiling.
Victoria coughed violently and demanded to know what was happening to her home.
Julian grabbed her hand and told her they had to jump off the balcony to survive.
He led her out into the freezing wind just as the bedroom door exploded off its hinges.
Three heavily armed mercenaries stepped into the flames and fired blindly into the room.
Julian wrapped his arms tightly around Victoria and pulled her over the glass railing.
They plummeted toward the city street before Julian fired a grappling hook at a nearby crane.
The steel cable snapped taut and swung them violently through the air.
They crashed hard through the window of an abandoned office building across the street.
Julian groaned in pain as he pulled shards of broken glass from his heavy jacket.
Victoria sat up trembling and stared at the massive inferno consuming her penthouse.
She looked at Julian with tears streaming down her face and asked why her father wanted her dead.
Julian reached into his pocket and pulled out a burning piece of paper he had snatched from Arthur's desk.
It was a DNA test proving that Victoria was not the heir to the Sterling empire at all.
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She was actually the sole surviving heir to the rival family that Arthur had murdered fifteen years ago.
Before Victoria could process the truth a red laser sight slowly appeared directly on her forehead.
