Chapter 19 - The Final Strike
Three hours later, accompanied by a federal escort team and armed with Julian’s signed confession and the safety deposit key, Adrian stood before vault 412 in the subterranean basement of the First National Bank of Chicago.
The heavy steel vault door swung open with a deep, hydraulic groan.
Inside sat a single manila envelope stamped with the red wax seal of the international syndicate, alongside a flash drive and a legal document dated two days prior—an insurance policy naming Vivienne as the sole beneficiary of Adrian’s multi-million-dollar estate, signed with a forged signature that nearly matched his own.
Adrian pulled the documents from the envelope, slid them into his briefcase, and locked the case with a sharp, satisfying click.
The syndicate was completely eradicated. Vivienne was running out of money, out of aliases, and out of time. And Julian was currently sitting in a federal holding cell awaiting trial for conspiracy and corporate espionage.
As Adrian walked out of the bank into the crisp Chicago dawn, his phone buzzed.
It was a live-feed notification from the estate's front gate camera.
He tapped the screen.
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The camera showed the heavy iron gates standing wide open once more—not because of an intruder, but because Maria was out there hosing down the gravel pathway. And sitting right beside her, keeping a watchful, loving eye on little Sofia as she chased autumn leaves across the lawn, was Bruno.
The massive mastiff looked directly into the camera lens, let out a soft, contented puff of air, and wagged his tail.
