Chapter 6 - Confrontation at the Gate
The cool air of the underground tunnel smelled of damp earth and exhaust fumes. Evelyn moved quickly, her footsteps echoing softly against the concrete floor. The tunnel emerged near the estate’s secondary vehicle courtyard, located just behind the grand iron gates that separated the private property from the winding mountain road.
Heavy rain had begun to fall, slicking the cobblestone driveway and reflecting the red taillights of Arthur’s dark luxury sedan. The car was idling near the gate house, its engine humming softly.
Through the rain, Evelyn saw Julian standing near the driver's side door of the sedan. He was holding a iron tire iron, standing toe-to-toe with Vance, who had a concealed firearm drawn and pointed directly at Julian's chest.
— Put the keycard in the gate terminal, Julian, — Vance demanded, his voice cold and steady under the pouring rain. — Don't make this a double homicide. Your father just wants to leave the country cleanly.
Inside the back seat of the sedan, Arthur Sterling sat motionless behind the tinted glass, staring straight ahead like a fallen king refusing to acknowledge his defeat.
— You won't shoot me, Vance, — Julian said, his voice dripping with venom as he stepped closer to the gun. — The moment a gunshot rings out, the neighboring estates will report it. The police are already on their way.
— The jammer is working, Julian. No one is coming, — Vance sneered.
— The jammer is offline! — Evelyn’s voice cut through the sound of the falling rain.
She stepped out from the shadow of the tunnel archway, holding the iron poker firmly in her hand. Beside her, near the server box mounted on the brick wall of the gatehouse, Marcus emerged, holding a severed cable.
— Signal restored, — Marcus called out, raising a thumbs-up. — The distress call has been logged by the state police router. Sirens will be here in less than five minutes.
Vance’s eyes widened in momentary panic, his eyes darting toward Marcus. Taking advantage of the distraction, Julian lunged forward, swinging the tire iron with all his strength. He struck Vance’s forearm, sending the handgun flying across the wet cobblestones into the darkness.
Vance groaned in pain, stumbling back against the sedan, but before he could recover, Julian slammed him against the vehicle's frame, pinning his arm behind his back and forcing him to his knees.
At that moment, Victoria stumbled out from the side bushes near the gatehouse, covered in mud and gasping for air. She looked at Vance on the ground, then at Arthur sitting silently in the back seat, and finally at Evelyn.
— It’s over, Victoria, — Evelyn said, stepping toward her sister. — The police know everything. There is nowhere left for you to run.
Victoria collapsed onto the wet ground, burying her face in her hands as she burst into tears of defeat and shame. — I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Evelyn...
The rear door of the luxury sedan slowly swung open. Arthur Sterling stepped out into the rain, holding a thick leather briefcase. Despite his pristine suit being ruined by the downpour, his expression remained arrogant and cold.
— You think you’ve won, Julian? — Arthur said softly, glaring at his son. — You ruined the Sterling reputation by marrying a nobody. I built this empire with my sweat and blood. I will not let it be handed down to a bastard child!
— Leo is my biological son, father! — Julian yelled, his voice cracking with emotion as rain poured down his face. — We did the DNA test at an independent clinic last week after I realized you were tampering with our family medical records! He is my son, and he is a true Sterling! You did all of this out of pure, pathetic hatred!
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Arthur froze, his arrogant posture sagging slightly as the truth hit him. The ground beneath his feet seemed to crumble as he realized his grand narrative of protecting the family bloodline was nothing more than a delusion born of his own prejudice.
In the distance, the faint sound of police sirens began to echo up the mountain road, growing louder with every passing second.
