Chapter 11 - THE FIRE BELOW THE HOUSE
Richard smiled from the floor.
“You think this is over?”
He pressed a button hidden inside his cuff link.
An alarm began ringing.
Smoke poured from vents along the basement walls.
Eleanor screamed.
“You activated the destruction system.”
Richard pushed Lucas away.
“These records belong to me.”
“If I cannot control them, no one will have them.”
Flames rose behind the filing cabinets.
Daniel freed Lily.
Lucas lifted her into his arms.
Clara remained trapped on the opposite side of the room as fire spread across the stairs.
Lucas handed Lily to Daniel.
“Take her out.”
Lily clung to him.
“No.”
“I have to get Clara.”
“She is your sister.”
Lily released him.
Lucas covered his mouth with his sleeve and crossed the burning room.
Clara stood against the wall.
She looked terrified.
“Why are you helping me?”
“Because I am your father.”
“You don’t know me.”
“No.”
Lucas reached through the smoke.
“But I want to.”
A burning beam fell between them.
Clara screamed.
Lucas climbed over the fallen wood and pulled her toward the tunnel.
Richard tried to follow.
Sophia blocked him.
“You are not escaping again.”
Richard struck her injured shoulder.
She collapsed.
Vanessa grabbed the sapphire necklace from the floor and wrapped its chain around Richard’s wrist.
He dragged her toward the flames.
Eleanor seized the gun.
For a moment, no one knew whom she would shoot.
She aimed at Richard.
“You promised my daughters would be safe.”
Richard laughed.
“You sold them to me.”
Eleanor’s face twisted with shame.
She fired at a pipe above him.
Water from the old sprinkler system burst across the room.
The flames weakened long enough for police to enter.
Officers arrested Richard.
Eleanor surrendered.
Sophia was carried outside.
Lucas emerged through the tunnel holding Clara’s hand.
Lily ran toward them.
She looked at the older girl.
“Are you my sister?”
Clara nodded slowly.
“I think so.”
Lily hugged her.
Clara stood frozen.
Then her arms closed around Lily.
Lucas watched both daughters beneath the flashing emergency lights.
May you like
He had entered the estate believing he had one child to save.
He left knowing Richard had stolen an entire family from him.
