Chapter 7 - The Final Siege
Through the smoke and deafening gunfire inside the Plaza, Julian fought his way toward the secondary exit. His security team, having heard the breach, forced their way into the side doors, engaging Vance’s mercenaries in a brutal, tight-quarters firefight.
Julian moved like a phantom through the chaos, neutralizing threats with lethal efficiency. But as he reached the service corridor, a wounded mercenary fired a wild burst from a submachine gun.
A bullet grazed Julian’s side, tearing through his suit jacket and slicing across his ribs. He gritted his teeth, suppressing the surge of pain, and put the shooter down with a single shot.
Out in the alleyway behind the hotel, the back doors burst open. Julian stumbled out into the cool rain, clutching his bleeding side, only to find Thomas’s van idling near the curb.
The side door flew open, and Sophia leaped out, completely ignoring the rain and the danger.
"Julian!" she cried, rushing to his side and catching him before his knees could buckle.
"I told you... to stay in the van," Julian grunted, a painful smile touching his lips despite the blood staining his white shirt.
"And I told you I wasn't leaving you," she retorted, her eyes filled with tears as she helped him into the vehicle. Thomas slammed the doors shut and hit the accelerator, speeding away into the night as police sirens began to wail across midtown.
Inside the van, Sophia immediately ripped open Julian's shirt, using medical gauze to press firmly against his bleeding wound.
"You're going to be fine," she wept, her hands covered in his blood. "Dr. Vance is waiting at the penthouse. You're going to survive this."
Julian reached up, his blood-stained fingers resting gently against her cheek, catching her tears. "I’ve survived gunshots before, Sophia... but I’ve never had a reason to come home until I met you."
Sophia leaned down, pressing her forehead against his, sobbing with relief. "You have a reason now. Don't you dare die on me."
An hour later, back at the penthouse, Dr. Vance finished stitching Julian’s wound. The injury was clean, missing vital organs, requiring only rest and time to heal.
Thomas walked into the master bedroom, holding an encrypted tablet. "Boss, it’s over. The flash drive Sophia’s team retrieved from Vance's server contained his complete operational ledger. Federal authorities have launched raids on all of Vance's remaining assets across the country. Victor Vance himself was arrested at the Plaza and is currently under heavy guard at Bellevue Hospital."
Julian nodded slowly from his bed. "And the other families?"
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"They are terrified and grateful," Thomas smiled grimly. "They know you saved their lives at the summit. The council has unanimously voted to recognize the Reeves Syndicate as the sole authority over the New York shipping corridors."
"Good," Julian said quietly. "Dismiss the men, Thomas. Let them celebrate. I want peace in this house tonight."
