Chapter 27 - The Cornered Predator
The deposition ended in absolute chaos, with Victoria screaming at her own lawyers as they dragged her out of the room. But Emily knew that a woman like Victoria wouldn't simply sign a waiver and disappear back to Switzerland. A cornered predator is always the most dangerous.
That night, a severe thunderstorm rolled over the valley. Thunder rattled the stained-glass windows of the Victorian house, and lightning illuminated the empty rooms in stark flashes of white light.
Aunt Marlene had been sent to stay at a secure hotel downtown under Julian’s instructions, leaving only Emily and Julian inside the mansion. They had spent the evening securing the windows and ensuring the security systems were fully operational.
At 2:00 AM, the power grid failed. The entire neighborhood was plunged into total darkness.
Emily woke up instantly, her heart pounding. The steady ticking of her grandmother’s silver watch on her nightstand was the only sound in the room. Beside her, Julian was already awake, sitting on the edge of the bed with a heavy flashlight in his hand.
"The backup generator didn't kick in," Julian whispered. "The main breaker must have been manually tripped from the outside."
"She’s here," Emily said, a cold certainty settling over her.
"Stay in the room, Emily. Lock the door behind me," Julian instructed, his voice tight.
"No," Emily said, slipping out of bed and grabbing a heavy brass candlestick from the mantel piece. "I told you, Julian. This is our home. We protect it together."
They crept down the grand staircase, the beams of their flashlights cutting through the thick darkness of the foyer. The air inside the house smelled strange—sharp, chemical, and terrifyingly familiar.
"Gasoline," Julian gasped, pulling Emily back.
Suddenly, a bright flash illuminated the back parlor. Through the open double doors, they saw a figure standing in the center of the room, holding a blazing red emergency flare. It was Victoria. Her hair was disheveled, her expensive coat gone, her eyes reflecting the manic light of the flame.
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"If I can't have this house, no one will!" Victoria shrieked, her voice echoing maniacally over the sound of the thunder outside. "My mother built this place for me! She ruined my life by giving it to your pathetic branch of the family! I’m going to burn it to the ground, just like I burned that warehouse twenty years ago!"
She raised the flare, preparing to toss it onto the gasoline-soaked curtains.
