Chapter 10 - The Unbroken Shield
Arthur’s eyes flicked sideways for a split second toward the shadow where five-year-old Noah was standing, holding his wooden building block tight against his tiny velvet tuxedo jacket.
That fraction of a second was all Ethan needed.
Ethan exploded forward with terrifying, inhuman speed. He covered the ten feet between them in a single stride, sweeping his arm across to slam Arthur’s gun barrel upward toward the high ceiling just as a silenced shot cracked through the quiet room.
PFFT!
A heavy 9mm round tore through the plaster ceiling overhead, sending a shower of white dust down over the mahogany desk.
Ethan caught Arthur by his throat, lifting the sixty-two-year-old lawyer completely off his feet and slamming him hard against the stone face of the fireplace. The gold-rimmed glasses flew from Arthur’s face, shattering against the hearth.
Ethan squeezed his hand around Arthur’s neck, his hazel eyes burning with an absolute, lethal rage that made the older man choke for air.
Ethan: "You pointed a gun in front of my son."
Elena rushed across the room, scooping Noah into her arms and carrying him safely into the adjoining hallway, shielding his eyes from the violent confrontation.
Noah clung to his aunt's neck, his small voice trembling slightly. "Elena... is Daddy mad at the man?"
Elena kissed the top of Noah’s brown curls, her voice extraordinarily gentle despite the chaotic violence taking place yards away.
Elena: "Daddy is just protecting our family, sweetie. You're completely safe."
Inside the library, Marcus and three security officers rushed through the hidden steel panel, securing Arthur Sterling in heavy steel handcuffs as Ethan stepped back, pulling his cuffs down and adjusting his tie.
Arthur slumped against the stone hearth, gasping for breath, his face red, his aristocratic dignity completely ruined.
Arthur: "It... it doesn't matter, Vance! The London network... they already have the primary encryption keys! You can't stop the global board from ratifying the transfer tomorrow morning!"
Ethan looked down at the defeated lawyer, his expression settling into a mask of cold, supreme confidence.
Ethan: "The global board won't ratify anything, Arthur. Because the primary encryption key isn't a digital code."
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Ethan reached into his pocket, pulling out the platinum key engraved with the letter C that Elena had given him.
Ethan: "It’s a physical key. And it's been in my pocket all night."
