Chapter 9 - The Rescue from Below
Down in the dark basement holding room, the heavy iron door suddenly shuddered with a deafening crash.
Bang! Bang!
Before Emily could even stand up from her chair, the reinforced lock shattered. The door swung violently open. Standing in the doorway wasn't a guard, but a massive, heavily armed estate cook named Mateo—a man who had secretly remained loyal to Alessandro and despised Victor's cruel demeanor.
"Get up, Miss Parker," Mateo said, panting heavily as he handed her a set of keys and a heavy iron wrench. "The boss is in trouble."
"What happened?" Emily asked, grabbing the wrench.
"Victor made his move. He's got the boss cornered in the study with Marcus and Liam. They're going to kill him." Mateo’s eyes burned with fierce determination. "You saved my cousin from being framed last month by spotting those ledger discrepancies. Now we need your head to get us out of this."
Emily didn't hesitate a second. "Lead the way."
Moving swiftly through the service corridors—pathways designed for staff that most bosses forgot existed—Emily and Mateo bypassed the main security checkpoints. They reached the back stairs leading directly up to the west wing, right behind Alessandro's private study.
Through the slightly ajar double doors, they could see the horrifying scene inside: Alessandro tied securely to his heavy leather desk chair, while Victor stood over him with a silhouetted pistol in his hand, and Victoria watched with cold indifference.
"Any last words, Alessandro?" Victor sneered, raising the barrel of the gun.
"Yeah," a calm, deep voice echoed from the doorway. "Don't point a gun at someone unless you're sure they're alone."
Victor whipped around. Before he could squeeze the trigger, Mateo lunged across the threshold like a charging bear, tackling Marcus to the floor and sending his weapon clattering across the hardwood. At the same time, Emily stepped forward, her hand steady, holding a heavy brass fire extinguisher she had snatched from the hallway wall.
With a fierce cry, she swung it with all her might, smashing it directly into Liam's side, sending the second guard crashing into the mahogany bookshelf.
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Victor cursed, pivoting his gun toward Emily, but before he could fire, Alessandro—using his immense strength and leverage—shoved his chair backward, crashing his legs directly into the back of Victor's knees. Victor buckled, dropping the pistol as he hit the floor.
Within seconds, Mateo had Victor pinned beneath his knee, while Emily stood guard over Victoria, who backed away in sheer terror, her glamorous composure completely shattered.
