Chapter 8 - The Collapse
The explosion blew out the massive glass windows of the bedroom, sending shards of glass raining down upon us.
Julian stumbled backward, instinctively covering his face to protect his eyes from the debris.
It was the distraction I desperately needed.
I raised my pistol and fired a single shot, striking Julian squarely in the shoulder.
He screamed in agony, dropping his silver handgun as he collapsed onto the hardwood floor.
I kicked his weapon away, standing over my ex-husband with absolutely zero mercy in my heart.
"You are never touching my son again," I said, my voice echoing with icy finality.
Marcus rushed into the room a second later, covered in soot and blood, but very much alive.
"Interpol is swarming the front gates!" Marcus shouted over the wailing alarms.
"The explosion was their breach charge, we need to surrender to them immediately."
I grabbed Leo's hand and pulled him toward the hallway, stepping right over Julian's bleeding, pathetic form.
"Wait!" Julian gasped, clutching his shattered shoulder as he looked up at Leo.
"Leo, please, I am your father!"
Leo stopped walking and looked back at the man who had tried to ruin our lives.
"No," Leo said coldly, sounding older and wiser than any fourteen-year-old should ever have to be.
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"You are just the man who lost."
We walked out of the room, leaving the broken king to face the absolute ruin of his empire.
