Chapter 5 - Shadows in the Penthouse
The Sterling penthouse on Fifth Avenue was cavernous, silent, and entirely devoid of warmth.
The floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of Central Park, blanketed in a cold, gray mist.
Maya poured two glasses of scotch from the crystal decanter on the bar, handing one to Julian as he sank heavily into the leather sofa, rubbing his temples.
"You destroyed them today," Maya said softly, sitting beside him.
"I removed tumors," Julian corrected, taking a slow sip of the amber liquid.
"Arthur and his cronies have been skimming from the subsidiary accounts for years. Eleanor knew about it and used it to keep them loyal. It was a rotting empire, Maya. I’m just cutting away the dead wood."
"Does it hurt?" Maya asked, her voice gentle.
Julian turned to look at her, a bitter smile touching his lips.
"To realize your mother is a monster who tried to murder your wife?"
He shook his head.
"It doesn't hurt anymore, Maya. It just feels like waking up from a thirty-year fever."
Suddenly, the security tablet on the entryway wall chimed sharply.
A red light blinked on the screen.
Julian frowned, setting his glass down.
"That’s the perimeter sensor on the private service elevator," he murmured, standing up.
Maya stood with him, her instincts instantly flaring.
"Nobody has the code except Marcus and the trusted staff."
Julian walked to the hallway, his steps silent on the hardwood floor.
He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a small, sleek black pistol—a piece he kept hidden for absolute emergencies.
The private elevator doors at the end of the hall gave a low, metallic ding.
The heavy steel doors slowly slid open.
A tall man in a dark trench coat stepped out, holding a silver briefcase.
He froze when he saw Julian standing twenty feet away with a gun leveled at his chest.
"Julian," the man said smoothly, raising his empty hands.
"Put the hardware down. It’s unmanly."
Julian’s eyes narrowed into slits of pure ice.
"Marcus. How did you get the master override code?"
The man smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
He slowly pulled down the collar of his coat, revealing a familiar silver-handled pin.
"Your mother employs a lot of people, Julian," the man said, his voice dripping with arrogance.
"And loyalty to the Sterling name runs deeper than you think."
"You're not Marcus," Maya whispered, stepping out from behind Julian.
"No," the man chuckled, pressing a button on his cuff.
"Marcus is currently tied to a chair in a basement in Queens. My name is Viktor. And I’m here to clean up the mess your mother left behind."
Viktor’s hand darted toward the silver briefcase on the floor.
Julian didn't hesitate.
He fired.
The bullet shattered the marble tile an inch from Viktor’s boot, sending white dust flying into the air.
"Next one goes through your knee, Viktor," Julian roared, closing the distance with terrifying speed.
Viktor panicked, grabbing a small remote from his pocket and clicking it furiously.
"You think you won, Julian?" Viktor laughed hysterically, backing into the elevator as the doors began to close.
"The board wasn't Eleanor’s only insurance policy. The whole house of cards is coming down!"
The elevator doors snapped shut, cutting off his laughter.
Julian slammed his fist against the steel doors, but the car was already dropping fast.
He turned around, his chest heaving, his eyes wild with adrenaline.
"Maya, get your coat," Julian commanded, grabbing her arm.
"What just happened?" Maya asked, her heart hammering against her ribs.
May you like
"My mother had a contingency plan," Julian said grimly, pulling her toward the secure panic room behind the study.
"And we just triggered it."
