Chapter 6: The Structural Failure
Nathan’s eyes went wide. "What did you do?"
"I didn't just study your business, Nathan," Elara said, her voice echoing in the vast, marble space. "I studied your home. This estate? It’s built on a foundation of greed and shortcuts. And I just triggered the fail-safe."
The walls groaned—a deep, resonant sound like a dying beast. Dust began to rain down from the intricate ceiling. The lights flickered and died, leaving them in the eerie, blue glow of the emergency lights.
The mother stopped, the gun wavering. "You’re lying. This structure is impenetrable."
"Nothing is impenetrable if you know where the cracks are," Elara retorted. She wasn't just talking about the house.
May you like
The chandelier swayed violently. A massive piece of plaster crashed to the floor, shattering the black-and-white tiles. The chaos was absolute. The servants, the guards, the people who had kept them insulated from the world—they were fleeing, their screams muffled by the groaning of the foundation.
Nathan turned to run, but the floor beneath him gave way. He stumbled, falling into the dark abyss that had opened in the middle of the ballroom. His cry was short, swallowed by the roar of collapsing stone.
