Chapter 36 - Face to Face
The interior of the SUV was bathed in the harsh, blue glow of multiple tactical monitors. Victor Sterling was sitting in a plush leather captain’s chair, frantically tearing the screeching earpiece from his ear, his face twisted in a mixture of pain and sudden, unadulterated shock.
He looked up, expecting to see one of his highly trained mercenaries. Instead, he saw the barrel of a 9mm pistol aimed directly at the bridge of his nose, held by a woman he had severely underestimated.
"Hello, Victor," Emily said, her voice dropping to a terrifying, icy calm.
Victor froze, his arrogant, aristocratic features completely melting into a mask of pure terror. He slowly raised his hands, his eyes darting frantically around the confined space of the vehicle, realizing his guards were gone and he was entirely alone.
"Emily," Victor breathed, attempting to force a smooth, placating smile that failed miserably. "You are making a colossal mistake. If you pull that trigger, my men will slaughter everyone in that villa."
"Your men are currently dealing with my father," Emily replied, not lowering her weapon an inch. "And as we speak, they are losing."
Just as she spoke, a massive, thunderous explosion echoed from down the street. The front gates of the villa had been breached, but immediately following the blast was the rapid, rhythmic staccato of Arthur’s heavy assault rifle laying down suppressive fire, tearing the mercenary vanguard to pieces in the courtyard.
Victor flinched at the sound of the gunfire, realizing his perfectly planned siege was unraveling.
"What do you want, Emily?" Victor asked, his voice trembling slightly. "You want money? I can transfer fifty million dollars into any offshore account you name right now. You can take your child and disappear like a queen."
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Emily stepped fully into the vehicle, pressing the cold steel barrel of her pistol directly against Victor’s forehead.
"I don't want your filthy money, Victor," Emily whispered fiercely, her eyes blazing with absolute vengeance. "I want you to experience exactly what you put me through. I want you to feel the absolute, paralyzing terror of knowing that you are completely powerless, and that your life belongs to someone else."
