Eight-year-old Leo grabbed a massive fistful of chocolate frosting and slammed it directly into the center of his stepmother’s pristine white silk dress.

The silence in the clinical hallway was deafening. The only sound was the hum of the fluorescent lights and the heavy pounding of David’s heart.

Julian held the detonator high, his thumb pressing lightly against the trigger switch. "Decide, David! Five seconds! Do I walk out of here a billionaire, or do you lose Elena a second time—permanently?"

David looked into his brother's crazed, greedy eyes. He realized that arguing with a fanatic was useless. He needed a distraction.

Suddenly, Sarah took a sharp step forward, pulling a small silver pepper spray canister from her trench coat pocket—a defensive tool she had kept hidden since the country club.

"You ruined my life too, Julian!" Sarah screamed, spraying the high-grade chemical stream directly into Julian’s face.

"AGHH!" Julian shrieked, clutching his burning eyes as the burning liquid blinded him. His grip on the detonator loosened.

NOW! David roared in his mind.

David lunged forward like a striking predator. He slammed his body into Julian, tackling him onto the hard floor. The remote detonator flew from Julian's hand, sliding across the polished tile floor toward the elevator shaft.

Julian's two armed mercenaries pulled their sidearms, but David's private security team fired first from the elevator bay.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Silenced shots echoed down the hallway as Julian's guards collapsed to the floor, disarmed and neutralized.

David grabbed the detonator from the floor, immediately flipping the safety switch to OFF. He stood over his half-brother, who was writhing on the ground, clawing at his burning eyes.

David kicked Julian's briefcase away, staring down at him with utter disdain. "You lost, Julian."

David turned to Marcus. "Handcuff him to the structural beam. If he moves, shoot him."

David ran toward the heavy steel vault door at the end of the hall. He pulled up the master access panel, swiped his administrator keycard, and placed his palm against the scanner.