Part 4: The traitor within revealed!
Part 4: The traitor within revealed!
The heavy ballroom doors felt miles away from the quiet horror now taking root in Sarah’s mind. A cold chill ran down her spine—colder than the moment she had witnessed Mark shove her mother.
"Julian?" Sarah repeated, her voice barely a whisper, though it cut through the room like a razor. "Julian was helping her?"
Arthur Sterling lowered his tablet, his face grim. "The security footage from the private elevator is crystal clear, Ms. Montgomery. Julian used his master executive keycard to grant Ms. Bennett access to the VIP floor at 8:15 PM—right as your engagement party was reaching its peak."
Eleanor gasped, covering her mouth with trembling hands. "Not Julian... please, not your father's son. Richard, tell me this isn't happening!"
Richard Montgomery’s jaw tightened, his knuckles turning white as he leaned heavily on his wooden walking cane. His silver eyebrows knit together in a dangerous scowl.
"Julian has been resentful ever since the board voted Sarah as the sole managing director of the estate three years ago," Richard said, his voice laced with deep disappointment. "I knew he was foolish, but I never imagined he would sink to treason against his own blood."
Sarah’s mind raced, piecing together the chaotic puzzle of the last few months. Mark’s sudden arrogance, his reckless financial moves, his unearned confidence in front of high-society investors—it hadn't just been his own greed. Mark was a puppet, a disposable pawn used by Julian to distract Sarah while the real robbery took place in the shadows!
"They don't just want money," Sarah said, her eyes flashing with realization. "The deeds to the shipping ports... if those hard copies fall into the hands of the rival Syndicate Corp before Monday morning, they can file an emergency injunction to seize control of our international supply chain."
"Exactly," Arthur confirmed. "And without those original physical deeds, proving Montgomery Global’s sole ownership in court could take months—time during which the family's assets would be completely frozen."
"Where are they now?" Sarah demanded, turning toward the grand entrance of the hotel.
"Our highway patrol team spotted Julian’s dark sports car heading north toward the private airstrip near Lakeview," Arthur replied, rapidly tapping on his phone. "They have a charter flight booked for 9:30 PM. That gives us less than twenty minutes."
"Call the chief of police," Richard commanded, stepping forward. "Block the airstrip!"
"No, Dad," Sarah interrupted, raising her hand firmly. "If police sirens start blaring, Julian will panic. He’s reckless enough to destroy those documents or transfer them digitally to Syndicate Corp before anyone can touch him. I need to handle this myself."
"Sarah, it’s too dangerous!" Eleanor pleaded, clutching her daughter's arm. "He's desperate!"
"He pushed you, Mom," Sarah said gently, kissing her mother’s cheek with fierce determination. "He thought he could humiliate our family, tear down everything Dad built, and walk away with a fortune while laughing behind our backs. It ends tonight."
Without waiting another second, Sarah stripped off her diamond earrings, threw them onto a nearby silver tray, and kicked off her high heels. She strode out of the ballroom in her elegant white jumpsuit, her long dark hair flowing behind her as Arthur and four heavy security officers rushed to follow her lead.
Outside the hotel, the valet barely had time to react before Sarah snatched the keys to her matte-black custom SUV. The engine roared to life with a primal growl, tires screeching against the asphalt as she accelerated into the rainy night.
Rain poured over the windshield as Sarah navigated the winding coastal highway at breakneck speeds. Beside her in the passenger seat, Arthur was tracking the GPS signal from Julian’s vehicle on his laptop.
"He's two miles ahead, Ms. Montgomery," Arthur said, holding onto the dashboard as Sarah rounded a sharp turn. "The runway light grid just turned on. Their private jet is idling on the tarmac."
"He won't make that flight," Sarah said through gritted teeth, stomping on the gas pedal.
Up ahead through the heavy downpour, the red taillights of a luxury sports car gleamed near the metal gates of the private airfield. The gate was already smashed open.
On the lit tarmac, a sleek black Gulfstream jet was humming, its passenger stairs lowered. Standing near the base of the stairs under an umbrella was Chloe Bennett, clutching a heavy metallic briefcase tightly against her chest.
Julian stepped out of the sports car, wearing an expensive tailored suit, a smug, triumphant grin plastered across his face as he yelled over the roar of the jet engines: "Hurry up, Chloe! Once we wheels-up to Geneva, the Montgomery empire belongs to us!"
Suddenly, high-beam headlights blinded them both.
The deafening roar of Sarah’s SUV tore through the storm as the vehicle slammed through the perimeter fence, skidding sideways across the wet tarmac and blocking the path to the airplane stairs by mere inches!
The sudden stop sent a cloud of smoke and burning rubber into the air.
Julian stumbled back in shock, shielding his eyes from the blinding light. Chloe shrieked, dropping her umbrella as she backed away toward the jet.
The driver’s door swung open. Sarah stepped out into the pouring rain, completely unbothered by the wind and water soaking her clothes. Her gaze was fixed entirely on her stepbrother.
"Going somewhere, Julian?" Sarah called out, her voice cold enough to freeze the falling rain.
Julian’s shock quickly melted into a twisted, arrogant smirk. He straightened his jacket, taking a slow step toward her.
"Ah, little sister," Julian mocked, wiping rain from his forehead. "Always trying to be the hero. You’re too late. The transfer codes are already encrypted. All Chloe has to do is step onto that plane, and by midnight, you and your precious little mother will be penniless beggars."
"You betrayed your own father," Sarah said, taking a calm step forward. "You used Mark to distract me, pretending he was the mastermind, while you stole from the safe like a coward in the dark."
"Father chose a baker's daughter's child over his own flesh and blood!" Julian spat, his face twisting with rage. "He made YOU the heir! You think I was going to sit back and let you run the company?"
Chloe panicked, clutching the metal briefcase tighter. "Julian! Stop talking to her! Get on the plane! The pilot says we have to clear the airspace now!"
Julian reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a sleek, silver device—a remote detonator.
"Do you know what's inside that SUV of yours, Sarah?" Julian sneered, a psychotic glint in his eyes. "A little parting gift I left in the VIP suite. The moment I press this button, the entire server room at Montgomery Headquarters goes up in flames. Decades of legal deeds, digital backups, gone forever."
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Sarah stopped in her tracks, her eyes narrowing.
Julian raised his thumb over the red button, grinning like a madman. "So here's the deal, sister. You let us board this plane, or I press this button and erase everything our father ever built in three seconds."
