Chapter 5 - The Medical Bag
Arthur stepped closer, the gun perfectly steady in his aged but ruthless hands.
"My grandfather established a very strict clause in the family trust," Arthur explained calmly.
"The entire billion-dollar estate automatically transfers to the first born grandchild."
He sneered at me with absolute, unfiltered disgust.
"I refuse to let a middle-class nurse control my empire just because my idiot son forgot to use protection."
I slowly backed away, my hip bumping against a heavy oak wine barrel.
"You are going to murder sixty of your own friends just to kill my baby?" I asked, stalling for time.
"They are not my friends, Serena, they are simply my business competitors," Arthur smiled.
"When this house burns to the ground, my legacy is secured, my rivals are eliminated, and I collect a massive insurance payout."
He raised the gun, aiming directly for my chest.
"Say goodbye, Serena."
He pulled the trigger.
The gun clicked empty.
Arthur looked down at the weapon in absolute confusion.
I didn't hesitate for a single second.
I grabbed a heavy, unpened bottle of vintage Bordeaux from the rack beside me.
I swung it with every ounce of adrenaline coursing through my pregnant body.
The thick glass shattered violently against the side of Arthur's head.
He crumpled to the concrete floor with a heavy groan, completely unconscious.
I dropped the broken bottleneck, my chest heaving with exhaustion.
I rushed over to Julian's body to investigate the weapon.
Julian had been a seasoned professional; he never would have carried an unloaded gun.
I checked Julian's pockets and found the missing magazine hidden inside his sock.
He had intentionally unloaded his weapon before he was overpowered, ensuring his killer couldn't use it.
Even in death, Julian had saved my life.
I loaded the magazine into the gun and racked the slide, preparing myself for whatever was upstairs.
I checked Arthur's pockets and found a heavy brass key that opened the cellar's service elevator.
I dragged myself into the small elevator car and pressed the button for the ground floor.
I needed to reach the security panel and unlock the magnetic doors before the bomb detonated.
The elevator dinged softly, and the doors slid open to the main kitchen.
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Standing directly in front of me was Matthias, completely drenched in gasoline.
And Fiona was standing right behind him, holding a lit flare.
