Chapter 20 - Blood in the Foyer
The grand foyer of the estate descended into absolute chaos. Thick, acrid smoke from the breaching charge filled the air, severely limiting visibility. Julian stood behind a massive marble pillar at the top of the sweeping staircase, his shotgun raised, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs. Below him, four men dressed in tactical gear and night-vision goggles moved systematically through the smoke, their laser sights cutting through the darkness.
Vance’s security team engaged immediately. Deafening gunfire erupted, echoing violently off the high ceilings and marble floors. Julian watched as Vance took down the lead intruder with two precise shots, but the remaining mercenaries returned overwhelming suppressive fire, forcing the security detail to fall back into the adjacent hallways.
"Julian, stay down!" Vance yelled over the deafening roar of the firefight.
But Julian wasn't going to hide while strangers fought his war. He leaned around the marble pillar, lined up the sights of his shotgun on a mercenary attempting to flank Vance’s position, and pulled the trigger. The heavy buckshot caught the intruder in the shoulder, spinning him aggressively to the ground.
"They are pushing toward the east wing!" a security guard shouted over the radio.
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Julian’s blood ran cold. The east wing housed the panic room where Lily was hiding. The mercenaries weren't just here to kill him; they were following Elena's specific orders to extract the child. It was the ultimate act of vengeance—to take away the one thing Julian valued more than his life.
"Hold the stairs!" Julian roared, abandoning his cover and sprinting down the second-floor corridor toward the east wing. He moved with a desperate, feral speed, driven by a primal instinct to protect his blood. He wouldn't let them reach that steel door. He would turn the hallway into a graveyard first.
