Chapter 4 - The Heist of the Old Mansion
The sound of gunfire echoed through the dark warehouse.
Julian fired three warning shots toward the intruders, forcing them to take cover behind the iron pillars. Grabbing Eliana’s hand, he dragged her through a hidden fire escape at the back of the building.
They sprinted through the pouring rain, throwing themselves into Julian’s sports car. Julian slammed his foot on the accelerator, the tires screeching as the car launched into the night, leaving the masked assassins behind in the rearview mirror.
Eliana sat in the passenger seat, breathing heavily, her face completely pale. “Your own mother tried to have me killed?”
“She doesn’t view you as a human being,” Julian said through gritted teeth, his hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. “She views you as a threat to her empire. And she will stop at nothing to eliminate threats.”
“What do we do now?” Eliana asked, her voice trembling. “If we go to the police, she controls them. If we go to Sterling, he will just use me to destroy both of you.”
Julian turned the wheel sharply, heading toward the dark outlines of the city’s historic district.
“We go to the old mansion,” Julian said, his eyes filled with a dangerous resolve. “We use Marcus’s key. We get the real will before my mother realizes we survived.”
Thirty minutes later, the sleek sports car pulled up into the dense woods surrounding the abandoned Vance Estate—the massive, gothic mansion where Arthur Vance had lived before his death. The estate had been locked up for years, preserved like a mausoleum.
Bypassing the security cameras using a private override code his father had given him as a child, Julian led Eliana through a side entrance near the greenhouse.
They navigated the pitch-black, dusty corridors of the ancient house until they reached the deep subterranean wine cellar. Julian pushed aside a heavy oak wine rack, revealing a reinforced steel vault built into the stone foundation.
Julian pulled out the silver key Marcus had given him. He inserted it into the keyhole and turned it.
CLICK.
The heavy steel door swung open with a groan.
Inside was a small chamber. On a velvet pedestal in the center sat an old mahogany box.
Eliana’s breath caught in her throat. Julian stepped forward, his heart pounding against his ribs, and opened the latch.
Inside lay two items: a handwritten letter addressed to Eliana and Julian, and a thick leather-bound document stamped with the official seal of the High Court.
Julian opened the document and read the key clause aloud, his voice shaking:
"I, Arthur Vance, hereby revoke all previous testamentary dispositions. In the event of my death, 51% of all voting shares in Vance Financial Group, along with the entire family estate, shall be transferred immediately to my legal daughter, Eliana Vance."
Eliana gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. “He... he left everything to me?”
“Not to leave me out,” Julian whispered, reading further down the page. “He made you the controlling owner, but named me as the lifetime Chief Executive Officer... on the sole condition that we run the company together as brother and sister.”
Julian looked up at Eliana, tears welling in his own eyes. His father hadn't abandoned either of them. He had created a legacy designed to unite them, to fix the mistakes of his past.
“It was never about money,” Eliana wept softly. “He really loved me...”
“Yes,” Julian said, reaching out and gently taking her hand. “He did.”
Suddenly, the bright lights of the vault flickered on.
A sharp, cruel clap echoed through the stone chamber.
“How touching,” a voice boomed from the doorway.
Julian and Eliana spun around.
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Standing at the entrance of the vault was not Victoria Vance.
It was Richard Sterling, flanked by six heavily armed mercenaries—and standing right beside him, wearing an expensive suit and holding a cold, indifferent smile, was Marcus, the butler.
