Chapter 5 - The Trap Springs Shut
Time seemed to dilate, stretching into an agonizingly slow fraction of a second. Sienna’s eyes locked onto the heavy barrel of the revolver in Holloway’s hand, then flicked up to his twisted, triumphant smile. He thought he had won. He thought she was trapped in a dead-end room with no way out.
He didn't know about the second countdown.
"You talk too much, Garrett," Sienna said, her voice entirely steady, cutting through the silence of the study like a razor blade.
Holloway’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second, unsettled by her absolute lack of panic. "Brave words for a dead girl. Tell me, does Damian know you're about to die for his little corporate coup?"
"Damian doesn't send people into a trap without closing the exits first," Sienna replied smoothly.
Before Holloway could pull the trigger, the entire estate plunged into absolute darkness. The smart-home system didn't just lose power; it hard-crashed. The emergency red backup lighting flickered on overhead, bathing the room in an eerie crimson glow.
At the same exact second, the heavy oak front doors of the mansion echoed with the deafening sound of a breaching charge blowing off its hinges. Heavy tactical boots thundered up the grand staircase, moving with military-grade synchronization.
Holloway’s face drained of color, panic finally breaking through his arrogant facade. He swung the gun back toward Sienna, his finger tightening on the trigger. "You—"
Sienna didn't wait. Years of hidden training under her brother’s undercover contacts—combined with ten months of silent, furious preparation—exploded into motion. She lunged forward inside the danger arc of the firearm, slamming the heel of her palm upward into Holloway’s wrist.
The heavy revolver fired harmlessly into the ceiling, plaster raining down in a cloud of white dust. With a swift, fluid twist, Sienna hooked her leg behind his knee and drove her elbow downward into his chest. Holloway let out a choked gasp of air as he crashed hard onto the Persian rug, the wind knocked completely out of his lungs.
Sienna pinned him instantly, pressing her knee into his sternum while her hand scooped the obsidian hardware token out of the safe.
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The study door flew off its hinges as Nico Reyes stepped into the room, assault rifle slung across his chest, followed by four private security operatives who secured the perimeter in seconds. Nico looked down at Sienna sitting atop a gasping, bruised Garrett Holloway, and a rare, approving smirk touched the corner of his mouth.
"Mr. Vance sends his regards," Nico said smoothly, snapping handcuffs onto Holloway’s wrists. "And he's waiting for you downstairs."
