Chapter 10 - Bloodline and Betrayal
Two weeks before Chloe’s due date, a sudden shadow fell across the estate.
It was 3:00 AM when Leo Barnes quietly woke Arthur with a coded knock on the study door.
“Arthur,” Leo whispered, his face drawn tight. “We found a leak.”
Arthur slipped out of bed, ensuring Chloe was deeply asleep, and followed Leo down to the estate’s secure subterranean server room.
“Who is it?” Arthur demanded, lighting a cigar.
“It’s not one of the capos,” Leo said, pulling up security footage on the bank of monitors. “It was Marco, the head of the estate’s night security shift. He was approached three days ago by remnants of Vivien Croft’s loyalists hiding out in Montreal. They wired five hundred thousand dollars to an offshore account in his sister's name to disable the perimeter sensors near the boat dock at 4:00 AM tomorrow.”
Arthur’s eyes narrowed into slits of pure, murderous rage. “They want to hit the house while Chloe is sleeping.”
“That was the plan,” Leo nodded. “They hired a dozen cartel hitmen from Mexico. Heavy weaponry, RPGs. They intend to burn the house down from the water.”
Arthur took a slow drag of his cigar, blowing a thick ring of blue smoke toward the ceiling.
“Marco thought he could sell my family for half a million dollars,” Arthur murmured softly. “Leo, leave the perimeter sensors on their regular schedule. Let Marco believe his sabotage worked. Position our sniper teams on the bluff overlooking the dock with thermal optics and heavy .50 caliber rifles.”
“And Marco?”
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“Take him to the cellar. He will watch his co-conspirators die on the monitors before he joins them.”
Arthur turned to leave the room, his voice dropping into an icy command. “Make sure Chloe doesn't hear a single shot. If she wakes up with an elevated heart rate, you’ll answer to me.”
