Chapter 17 - The Infiltration of the Estate
With Selena’s coordinates and the authentic medical records in our hands, Rachel secured a federal warrant from a non-corrupt district magistrate.
However, federal warrants took hours to authorize and dispatch, and time was running out for Julian’s encryption codes.
If Edward obtained the access codes tonight, Julian would be murdered before dawn, and the custody claim on my twins would be locked into place.
Caleb assembled a specialized private extraction team alongside Marcus, coordinating with the FBI’s white-collar tactical unit.
I refused to wait safely in the penthouse while the fate of my children’s future hung in the balance.
I strapped on a lightweight bulletproof vest beneath my dark jacket, standing beside Caleb in the tactical command van.
He looked at me with deep concern in his gray eyes, asking if I was truly ready to face Julian and his father together.
I told him that I had already died once in that family’s grasp; they could never terrify me again.
We rolled onto the perimeter road of the Vance Long Island estate under the cover of a dense midnight fog.
The estate was a sprawling fortress surrounded by ten-foot stone walls and state-of-the-art surveillance towers.
Using the access bypass Selena provided, our technical team disabled the gate cameras for an eight-minute operational window.
Marcus led the breach team through the eastern service entrance, neutralizing the private security sentries with silent tasers.
Caleb and I moved directly toward the private medical pavilion situated in the north wing of the mansion.
The clinical stench of antiseptic and ozone greeted us as we navigated the sterile white corridors.
Through the observation window of the primary ICU suite, we saw Julian tied to a hospital bed, surrounded by medical monitors.
Standing over him was Edward Vance, holding an electronic tablet while two armed guards flanked the doorway.
Edward was coldly demanding the secondary passcodes, his hand pressing down hard onto Julian’s surgical IV port.
Julian was weeping, pleading with his father, realizing too late that his savior was actually his executioner.
"You were always a weak, sentimental coward, Julian," Edward’s voice echoed through the speaker system.
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"You couldn't even kill your wife properly, leaving behind two bastards who threaten my entire empire."
Those words sealed Edward Vance’s fate.
