The sun had long set, plunging the northern hills into darkness. The thunderstorm from the previous night had returned with vengeance, battering the Vance Estate with sheets of freezing rain and deafening thunder.
But inside, no one slept.
The sprawling mansion had become a militarized fortress.
Arthur Vance stood behind reinforced bulletproof glass in his second-story study, staring into the storm. His eyes were bloodshot, with deep purple bags beneath them. He hadn't slept, eaten, or sat down since opening that wooden box of bloody dog tags twelve hours ago.
Wash your neck. Tonight, the Vance bloodline ends.
Those words echoed in his mind like a cursed mantra, driving him toward insanity.
Outside, sweeping spotlights cut through darkness. Arthur had emptied his corporate treasury t
