The Midnight Raid
Chapter 04 - The Midnight Raid
By 11:00 PM, the storm outside Blackwood Manor reached its peak. Thunder shook the heavy stone walls, and sheets of icy rain lashed against the windows.
Inside the private guest suite on the east wing, Lily sat on the edge of a plush bed, holding a warm cup of chamomile tea. Little Ethan was fast asleep in a crib beside her, his left wrist neatly wrapped in a medical splint.
Victor walked into the room, wearing a simple black sweater and trousers, carrying a tray of fresh food for Lily.
“How is your shoulder?” Victor asked softly, setting the tray on the nightstand.
“The doctor gave me a soothing cream,” Lily offered a small, tired smile. “It feels much better, Mr. Blackwood. Thank you.”
Victor looked down at the young woman. She was twenty-two years old, raised in a humble working-class family, working two jobs to pay for her younger brother’s medical treatments. Yet, when faced with an abusive billionaire heiress, she had used her own body to shield a child that wasn't hers.
“I owe you an apology, Lily,” Victor said sincerely, taking a seat in the armchair beside her. “I brought a monster into this home. I put my son’s life in danger because I was too focused on work to see the truth.”
“You didn't know, sir,” Lily replied gently. “Serena was very careful. She only dropped her act when you were completely out of the country.”
Before Victor could answer, the mansion’s lights suddenly flickered and died completely!
The room plunged into pitch-black darkness, illuminated only by the flashes of lightning through the tall windows.
A second later, the heavy iron emergency alarms began wailing throughout the estate!
WOOOO... WOOOO... WOOOO...
Carlo’s panicked voice crackled through Victor’s shoulder radio: “BOSS! MAIN POWER GRID HAS BEEN CUT FROM THE OUTSIDE! PERIMETER FENCE COMPROMISED ON THE WEST WING! WE HAVE MULTIPLE ARMED INTRUDERS ON THE PROPERTY!”
Victor jumped up instantly, drawing his heavy silver pistol from his belt holster.
“Carlo! Get the tactical team to the east hallway!” Victor ordered into his radio.
He turned to Lily, his eyes burning with intense authority. “Get Ethan out of the crib! Follow me right now!”
Lily didn't hesitate. She snatched Ethan into her arms, wrapping him tightly in a thick blanket, and stayed close behind Victor’s broad back as they burst out into the dark, red-lit hallway.
Outside in the gardens, heavy gunfire erupted!
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
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Muzzle flashes strobed through the glass windows as Arthur Vance’s mercenary strike team breached the estate grounds, firing automatically at Victor’s security guards.
“They’re coming for the boy!” Carlo’s voice yelled over the radio. “They want to destroy the direct bloodline to Clara’s estate!”
