Chapter 8: The Architect of Ruin
Chapter 8: The Architect of Ruin
Victor laughed, a dry, humorless sound. "You can't. The master control panel was disabled the moment the cover locked. The only way to open it is a manual override code that only my brother Julian knows. And Julian is currently on a flight to Geneva to mourn his deeply tragic loss."
Marcus’s eyes darted frantically around the room. He saw the control panel smashed to pieces on the wall, wires sparking. He saw the drainage grate where Victor had discarded the key.
"Why?" Marcus demanded, keeping his weapon trained on Victor while simultaneously edging toward the pool.
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"Because a Vangarde heir cannot be raised by a peasant," Victor sneered. "Elena was a genetic incubator. Seven years we played the long game. Seven years we funneled money to her gambling-addicted father until he owed us his life. He signed away her rights, her trust, and her child. This is a family matter, Marcus. Walk away. I'll double your salary."
Marcus didn't reply with words. He stepped forward and struck Victor across the jaw with the heavy slide of his pistol, dropping the billionaire to the wet tiles.
