Chapter 18 - The Lion's Jaw
Arthur Sterling's composure cracked. The sneer slipped from his face, replaced by a sudden, feral hunger. "You have it?"
"I have Daniel's ring," Lena said, withdrawing the silver signet from her pocket and holding it up beneath the museum spotlights. The silver lion gleamed under the halogen glare.
"Give it to me," Arthur hissed, taking a step toward her, his cane forgotten as both hands reached out like claws. "Give it to me, and I let your sister and the children live!"
"My sister already handled your hit squad," Lena retorted, glancing down at her phone as it buzzed in her palm with a confirmation text from Rachel: *Safe. Both with me.*
Lena looked Arthur directly in the eye, walked over to the shattered golden harp enclosed in its glass case, and used the heavy marble stanchion nearby to shatter the protective glass. Alarms began wailing throughout the facility, sirens screaming red pulses against the walls.
"Lena, stop! You'll destroy the data!" Vivian shrieked.
Lena ignored her. She found the small indentation behind the harp’s soundboard—the lion crest carved in ancient maple wood. She pressed Daniel’s signet ring into the groove and turned it clockwise until a sharp, mechanical *CLICK* echoed through the chamber.
May you like
The hollow pillar of the harp hissed open, revealing a hidden compartment. Inside lay a single titanium flash drive and a handwritten ledger.
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