The 50-Million Dollar Loophole: How One Widow Broke the Bank

Chapter 18: The Cellar

Julian stopped dead in his tracks on the wet lawn. The beautiful, historic stained-glass window of the front door was entirely shattered.

The heavy oak door hung uselessly off its hinges, swaying slightly in the cold wind. He bypassed the front porch, silently creeping around to the side of the house.

He needed to secure a home invasion insurance claim later, but right now, he needed a weapon. He grabbed a heavy iron fire poker from the backyard patio.

He slipped through the broken door, his dress shoes silent on the hardwood floor. Above him, he heard the heavy, chaotic thud of heavy boots and tearing drywall.

Sterling's men weren't here to evict Eleanor. They were executing an illegal stolen asset recovery mission, violently searching for the original property deed.

Julian practically held his breath, creeping toward the basement door. He slowly turned the knob and slipped into the pitch-black darkness of the cellar, descending the wooden stairs.

He reached the bottom, gripping the iron poker tightly. Suddenly, a cold hand clamped hard over his mouth from the shadows.

Julian violently twisted, raising the weapon, but stopped inches from striking. It was Eleanor. She was trembling, covered in dust, but her eyes were fiercely defiant.

Before either of them could whisper a word of relief, a deafening, mechanical whining sound echoed through the floorboards directly above their heads.

The goons find her husband's old safe and begin drilling into it.