Chapter 5 - Fire in the East Wing
Before anyone could process the horrifying truth of their bloodline, a deafening explosion ripped through the east wing of the grand manor. The marble floorboards buckled violently under their feet, and crystal glass from the stained-glass windows rained down into the hall like sharp hail. Black, acrid smoke began pouring through the decorative archways as the manor's automated fire alarms began to shriek frantically. The explosion wasn't an accident caused by the storm; it was a pre-planned contingency Julian had set in motion before entering the estate.
Julian used the blinding cloud of black smoke and instant panic to his advantage. He reached out, grabbed a heavy brass statuette from a nearby marble pedestal, and struck Jonathan hard across the temple. The old lord collapsed to the floor with a dull, heavy thud. Sprinting to the open steel vault, Julian snatched the master leather ledger—the ultimate physical proof of his illegitimate birth and his family's total debt—right out of the wall structure. "Brother or not, this entire legacy burns to the ground tonight!" Julian screamed through the growing haze, darting recklessly into the flaming corridor with the ledger tucked tightly under his arm.
