Chapter 4: The First Spark
Julian’s smug, aristocratic smile vanished. The transformation was instantaneous and pathetic. The self-assured lord of the manor dissolved into a terrified boy in an expensive suit. His eyes widened to comical proportions, his jaw dropping as the reality of the black muzzle pointed at him finally pierced his veil of invincibility.
For a fraction of a second, nobody moved. The enforcers behind Julian were frozen, caught completely off-guard by the brazenness of a lone woman pulling a weapon on the most powerful man in the county on his own front steps.
"We have a big project today," Lilith said. Her voice didn't waver. It cut through the heavy summer air with absolute, terrifying clarity. She didn't shout, but every person on those steps heard her.
She cocked the hammer back. The mechanical click was deafening.
"Burn it all down."
Lilith pulled the trigger.
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The gunshot roared like thunder, a violent, tearing sound that shattered the pristine illusion of the Vance estate. She didn't aim for Julian's heart—she aimed for his knee. A geyser of red erupted against the blinding white of his trousers, and Julian let out a high-pitched, agonizing shriek, collapsing onto the marble steps. His blood pooled rapidly, a glaring, ugly stain defiling his perfect world.
Chaos erupted. The enforcers finally broke their shock, hands diving into jackets for weapons, but Lilith was already moving.
