CHAPTER 6 – The Girl Who Opened the Vault Without Touching It
A deafening silence filled the mansion.
"No..." Edmund whispered. "Only the true heir could authorize Vault Seven."
The attorney's hands shook as he read the security report again.
"The system confirms it. The biometric verification was accepted at exactly 8:43 p.m."
Mrs. Ashford suddenly smiled.
Then she laughed.
At first it was soft.
Then louder.
Soon the entire room echoed with her chilling laughter.
"You really think this little girl is your only heir?"
Edmund slowly turned toward her.
"What do you mean?"
Mrs. Ashford folded her arms.
"You spent eleven years searching for one child..."
"...while forgetting there were two."
Lily's eyes widened.
"Two?"
Mrs. Ashford stepped closer, enjoying every second.
"Your father had twins."
The words struck Lily like lightning.
"No... that's impossible."
"Your mother gave birth to two daughters that night," Mrs. Ashford continued. "But after the accident, we separated you."
She pointed directly at Lily.
"You were raised in poverty."
"And your sister..."
"...was raised to hate you."
Edmund's face turned pale.
"You kidnapped the second child?"
Mrs. Ashford smirked.
"I didn't kidnap her."
"I adopted her."
Everyone gasped.
Just then...
The mansion doors slowly opened.
A young woman in an elegant white suit walked inside, surrounded by elite security guards.
She looked exactly like Lily.
The same blue eyes.
The same face.
The same tiny birthmark on her left wrist.
Lily froze.
It was like looking into a mirror.
The young woman stared back without a hint of emotion.
"My name is Sophia Ashford," she said calmly.
"I am the legal owner of Vault Seven."
Edmund stepped forward in disbelief.
"Sophia..."
She handed him a black access card.
"I opened the vault."
Mrs. Ashford smiled proudly.
"I raised her to become exactly what I needed."
Sophia looked directly into Lily's frightened eyes.
"I've waited my entire life to meet you."
For one brief second...
Lily thought she saw tears forming in Sophia's eyes.
But they disappeared just as quickly.
Sophia's voice turned ice cold.
"The vault contains enough evidence to destroy this entire family."
She paused.
"But before I hand it over..."
She looked straight at Lily.
"I need to know one thing."
"If saving the truth means losing the only family you've ever known..."
"Will you still choose the truth?"
Lily couldn't answer.
Because at that exact moment...
The lights throughout the mansion suddenly went out.
Then a massive explosion shook the entire estate.
Someone had planted explosives beneath the mansion.
May you like
And whoever opened Vault Seven...
Had just triggered the countdown.
