Chapter 15 - The Phantom in the Garden
"Who are you?" Mateo demanded, his voice echoing off the stone pillars. He stepped backward, his hand instinctively reaching into his coat pocket for his phone to dial emergency services.
The man in the trench coat let out a low, humorless chuckle, stepping forward into the soft glow of the landscape lighting. The light caught his features clearly, and Mateo’s blood ran cold.
It wasn't Arthur. The man was younger, perhaps in his late thirties, with sharp, predatory eyes and a jagged scar running from his left jawline down into his collar. But the resemblance in posture, tone, and menace was uncanny.
"Put the phone away, little brother," the man said smoothly, keeping his hands visible and empty. "Or should I say... sole heir to a pile of ashes?"
"I don't have a brother," Mateo snapped, gripping his phone tighter. "Security is already on their way. You're trespassing on private trust property."
"Private trust property," the stranger repeated, tasting the words with bitter amusement. "Built on stolen patents, laundered syndicate cash, and the blood of men your father buried before he even met your mother. You think Arthur Vance was the only monster in the family tree, Mateo? You think he acted alone?"
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The stranger pulled a worn, leather-bound notebook from his coat—nearly identical to the ledgers Elena had kept in the secret vault—and tossed it carelessly onto the wooden bench between them.
"My name is Julian Vance," the man said softly. "Arthur's firstborn son. The one he locked away, erased, and left for dead long before he ever met your mother."
