Chapter 2 - The Dragon AwakensThree hundred miles away in an executive office overlooking downtown Houston, Marcus Sterling froze.
He didn't need to ask who was calling. Even after five years of bitter silence, the sound of his younger sister’s voice tore straight through his heart. Marcus was the founder and managing partner of Sterling & Associates, one of the most formidable corporate litigation and criminal defense firms in the state of Texas.
“Maya?” Marcus stood up so fast his leather chair slammed into the glass wall behind him. “Maya, where are you? What’s wrong?”
“Dallas...” I choked out, leaning my back against the bathroom cabinets as fresh blood stained the lace of my robe where a drain had torn loose. “Garrick... and his mother. They took my medication, Marcus. They flushed it. They threw away my medical supplies... they’re telling me to mow the lawn...”
A silence fell over the line—a silence so dense and terrifying that I could hear Marcus’s deliberate, heavy breathing over the speaker.
When Marcus and I had lost our parents in a car accident during my freshman year of college, he had taken on the world to protect me. But when I married Garrick Vance—a rising hedge fund manager embedded in a conservative, high-society religious network—Garrick had systematically isolated me from my family. Garrick had convinced me that Marcus was overly controlling, driving a wedge between us until I foolishly cut off contact with the only real protector I had left.
“Are you in physical danger right now, sweetie?” Marcus asked, his voice instantly shifting into a terrifyingly calm, tactical tone.
“I’m bleeding, Marcus,” I wept softly. “I can barely stand. I don't know what to do.”
“Listen to me very carefully, Maya,” Marcus instructed, grabbing his coat and car keys off his desk while gesturing frantically to his executive assistant through the glass door. “I am stepping into my car right now. My private pilot is prepping the jet at Sugar Land airfield. I will be at your front door in less than ninety minutes.”
“Marcus, Garrick’s mother has influence with the local police—”
“I don't give a damn about local police, Maya,” Marcus cut in coldly. “Lock the bathroom door again. Do not engage with them. Do not push that lawnmower. If Garrick tries to force that door open, tell him you are on the phone with federal council. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes...” I sobbed. “Hurry, please.”
“I’m already moving, kiddo. The dragon is awake.”
Meanwhile, down on the ground floor of the Vance estate, Garrick was pouring himself a glass of expensive scotch. Miriam was standing by the pristine kitchen island, adjusting her gold cross necklace while looking through a church newsletter.
“She’s bringing shame on this family, Garrick,” Miriam said sharply. “If she doesn't pull herself together by Saturday, people are going to start asking questions about why she isn't supporting your campaign for the elder board.”
“She’ll mow the lawn, Mom,” Garrick said, taking a sip of his drink, his face tight with anger. “I’m not letting her play the victim anymore. I’m going up there right now to make sure she’s out in the yard.”
Garrick walked up the stairs, his heavy leather shoes thudding against the carpet. He reached the master bathroom door and grabbed the handle.
It was locked again.
“Maya!” Garrick pounded his fist against the wood. “Open this door right now! Stop playing games!”
Inside, sitting on the floor with my back against the wall, I held the burner phone tightly.
“No, Garrick,” I said, my voice surprisingly steady despite the agonizing pain in my chest. “I’m not coming out.”
“You have three seconds to unlock this door, or I’m kicking it off its hinges!” he roared. “You live under my roof! You obey the rules of this house!”
“If you touch this door, Garrick,” I called back, staring at the brass knob, “my brother’s legal team will have an emergency injunction served on you before the sun goes down.”
On the other side of the door, Garrick laughed—a loud, mocking sound. “Your brother? That hot-head in Houston? You haven't spoken to Marcus in five years! He doesn't give a damn about you!”
May you like
He lifted his foot, preparing to kick the frame.
Suddenly, down in the driveway, the thunderous roar of high-performance engines shattered the quiet afternoon of the gated neighborhood.
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