Chapter 15 - The Explosion and Escape
A massive, deafening explosion rocked the front of the mansion, sending a violent shockwave ripping through the grand hall. The controlled blast blew the heavy, ornate main doors completely off their hinges, sending chunks of burning wood and masonry flying into the night.
The concussive force knocked the charging security guards off their feet, throwing them backward onto the slick marble floor. The blast immediately severed the remaining emergency circuits. The faint backup lights sparked and died, plunging the entire estate into absolute, suffocating darkness.
The grand hall erupted into total pandemonium. Blind panic took over. Guests screamed hysterically, trampling over each other in a desperate bid to escape through the shattered front entrance. Footsteps pounded against the debris in a chaotic stampede. Somewhere in the pitch-black void, a single gunshot rang out, echoing sharply over the din, adding to the sheer terror of the moment.
For several long, agonizing seconds, the darkness was absolute. When the secondary, independent emergency generators finally kicked in, casting a sickly, pale yellow glow over the dust-filled room, the guards scrambled to their feet, aiming their weapons.
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But the space where Veronica had been standing was completely empty. The evil matriarch had vanished into the chaos like a ghost. The only evidence that she had ever been there was the small, black detonator remote, lying discarded on the dusty floor.
Thomas cursed loudly, dispatching his men to secure the perimeter and hunt her down, but the primary focus immediately shifted back to the center of the room. Beneath the twisted metal of the fallen chandelier, Daniel remained hopelessly trapped, and his condition was rapidly deteriorating.
