Chapter 17 - The Siege of the ConservatoryPanicked shouts echoed from the hallway outside as board members and executives fled the building ahead of the arriving federal agents.
Richard’s face twisted into a mask of pure desperation. He reached inside his desk drawer, pulling out a snub-nosed revolver, pointing it directly at Marcus’s chest.
"You ruined forty years of my work for a ghost!" Richard shouted, his hand trembling as his finger tightened on the trigger. "If I’m going down, Marcus, the Vance name dies with me!"
Before Richard could pull the trigger, the heavy glass doors of the boardroom swung open with violent force. Harrison, along with three tactical federal officers, rushed into the room, their weapons raised.
"Drop the weapon!" Harrison roared.
Richard hesitated for a split second, looking from the armed officers to Marcus, who hadn't even flinched from the barrel of the gun. The weight of his utter defeat crashed over Richard like a tidal wave. The gun slipped from his nervous fingers, clattering uselessly against the glass table.
Two federal agents rushed forward, slamming Richard against the table and ratcheting heavy steel handcuffs over his wrists.
Marcus stood up slowly, adjusting his suit jacket. He picked up the silver lighter from the glass table, slipping it back into his breast pocket. He looked down at his uncle, whose eyes were hollow with defeat.
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"Ethan didn't die for nothing, Richard," Marcus said softly. "His daughter is going to inherit everything you tried to steal."
Without waiting for a response, Marcus turned on his heel and walked out of the boardroom, stepping past the commotion of arresting officers into the morning sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
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