Chapter 13 - The Phantom in the Dark
The massive Italian villa was eerily silent, save for the violent crashing of thunder from the sudden storm outside.
Julian moved through the dark corridors with the silent, lethal grace of an apex predator defending its territory.
He knew every single inch of this house, every creaking floorboard, and every hidden corner.
His tactical earpiece buzzed with static as Anton confirmed that Elena and the baby were safely locked inside the titanium vault downstairs.
With his family secured, Julian was free to unleash the absolute monster he kept hidden from the world.
He spotted a shadow moving near the grand staircase, a figure dressed entirely in black tactical gear.
The intruder was completely silent, moving with a level of elite training that deeply unsettled Julian.
Julian raised his weapon and fired two suppressed shots directly at the man’s center of mass.
The intruder moved with inhuman speed, diving behind a marble pillar just as the bullets shattered the expensive vase behind him.
"You have excellent reflexes for a billionaire businessman," a cold, metallic voice echoed through the dark foyer.
"Who the hell are you?" Julian demanded, keeping his weapon trained perfectly on the edge of the pillar.
"My name is Silas," the voice replied smoothly. "I am Victor’s younger, unrecorded biological brother."
Julian’s eyes widened slightly in the darkness.
He had known Victor for fifteen years, yet the traitor had never once mentioned having a brother.
"Victor protected me, he funded my training, and he gave me a life," Silas hissed, stepping out from the shadows with a blade gleaming in his hand.
"And you locked him in a cage to rot for the rest of his miserable life."
"Your brother tried to murder my pregnant wife!" Julian roared, stepping forward into the open.
Silas chuckled, a dry, humorless sound that chilled the air.
"And now, I am going to finish the job he started."
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Silas lunged forward with terrifying speed, swiping the tactical combat knife directly at Julian’s throat.
Julian leaned back, feeling the razor-sharp edge slice a thin line across his collarbone.
