Chapter 3 - THE TEMPEST AT THE DOOR
Before the young man could lift his hand for a second strike, a low, ominous sound rolled in from the dark courtyard outside.
The heavy, rhythmic rumble of heavy-duty engine cylinders vibrating through the stone foundation.
Thrum. Thrum. Thrum.
Then, a sharp, metallic crack echoed through the foyer.
The massive, double-paneled oak front doors did not open slowly.
They blew inward as if struck by a battering ram.
The brass deadbolt sheared completely off the wood, clattering loudly against the marble entryway.
A torrent of blinding, late-afternoon sunlight flooded the dim, warm-toned foyer.
It cut a violent, white path across the polished floor, illuminating floating dust motes like millions of tiny, furious stars.
A man stepped across the shattered threshold.
He was in his mid-fifties, his thick hair completely silver at the temples, combed back with ruthless precision.
He wore an impeccably tailored navy blue double-breasted suit.
The gold buttons gleamed with quiet, terrifying authority.
Behind him, four men in identical black suits and dark sunglasses filled the doorway, blocking out the light of the outside world completely.
Their broad shoulders spanned the entire width of the grand entrance.
The middle-aged man did not stop to look at the crystal chandelier.
He did not look at the expensive artwork on the walls.
His cold, slate-grey eyes locked instantly onto the purple-red swelling across his daughter’s cheek.
The air in the mansion dropped twenty degrees in a single second.
The young husband froze.
His hand, still gripping the torn grey satin of his wife’s dress, slowly uncurled.
His fingers went completely limp.
The silver-haired man walked forward.
His footsteps sounded like gunshots against the hardwood floor.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
The four bodyguards split off, flanking the perimeter of the room, their hands resting loosely near the tailored seams of their jackets.
The elderly woman in the purple velvet dress took a sharp, involuntary step backward up the stairs.
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The pearls around her neck rattled violently.
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