Chapter 11 - The Standoff
"You are a remarkably persistent pest, Miss Lawson," Arthur said, cocking the hammer of the revolver. The clicking sound echoed loudly in the small, concrete room.
Clara’s heart hammered against her ribs, but she stood tall, clutching the bag containing the ledger. "You’re a monster, Arthur. You locked your own wife in an asylum because she wouldn't let you cheat your way to the top."
"Eleanor was weak," Arthur spat, his eyes cold and devoid of any humanity. "She wanted to destroy everything I built over a trivial matter of tax evasion and off-the-books accounting. I protected this family."
"By drugging your own son?" Clara fired back. "By making him think he was crazy?"
"He saw too much. It was necessary," Arthur said, taking a step forward. "Just as this is necessary. Hand over the bag."
"If you shoot me, the guests upstairs will hear it," Clara bluffed.
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"We are three floors underground behind soundproofed walls," Arthur smiled grimly. "No one will hear a thing. Graves is already bringing the boy down here. We will take a lovely family trip to the coast, and tragically, you and Julian will be lost at sea."
Before Arthur could pull the trigger, the lights in the basement abruptly shut off, plunging the room into absolute, pitch-black darkness.
