Chapter 11 - Secrets in the Vault
Mark did not lower his weapon by a single millimeter, his finger firm on the trigger guard.
"You are lying," Mark said coldly, the thunder booming directly overhead.
"Eleanor died of sudden acute organ failure," Mark stated, though his voice wavered with an old, buried grief.
"Is that what the medical examiner told you?" Julian mocked, taking a slow step toward him.
"Or is that what Victoria whispered in your ear while she slipped poison into Eleanor's daily tea?"
The horrifying revelation struck Mark like a physical blow, threatening to shatter his focus.
"You're trying to distract me," Mark growled, his resolve hardening into pure steel.
"Drop the weapon, Julian. Now!"
Instead of surrendering, Julian lunged forward with blinding speed, swinging the heavy crowbar toward Mark’s head.
Mark ducked swiftly beneath the swing, tackling Julian hard around the waist.
Both grown men crashed violently against the polished hardwood floor, grappling in the darkness.
Julian threw a brutal elbow into Mark’s ribs, knocking the breath from his lungs.
Mark groaned in pain but held his grip, driving his knee sharply into Julian’s midsection.
The crowbar clattered across the floorboards, rolling down the wide stairs into the foyer below.
Julian rolled over, his scarred face twisting with rage as he reached for a concealed hunting knife in his boot.
Before he could draw the blade, the loud sound of heavy police boots echoed up the staircase.
"Police! Don't move!" Detective Reynolds roared, his tactical flashlight blinding Julian instantly.
Three uniformed officers swarmed the balcony, pinning Julian face down onto the wet floorboards.
Julian let out a guttural curse, his cheek pressed flat against the wood.
"You think this is over, Sterling?" Julian shouted, struggling violently against the handcuffs.
"Open vault 418!"
"Open the vault and see who really signed Eleanor's death warrant!"
Officers dragged Julian down the stairs, his deranged laughter echoing through the cavernous foyer.
Mark leaned against the balcony railing, his ribs throbbing with sharp, stabbing pain.
He looked down at his trembling hands, the words echoing in his skull like a relentless bell.
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He had to know the truth about Eleanor.
He had to open vault 418.
