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The cold glare of the executive lobby felt miles away as Nathaniel’s private helicopter sliced through the rain-slicked night air, carrying us toward Aldridge Street. My small fingers clutched the edge of the leather seat so hard my knuckles turned white. Next to me, the billionaire—my grandfather, though the word still tasted foreign on my tongue—sat in tense silence, his thumb tracing the worn edge of my eighth-birthday photograph. / Chapter 4 / 10

Chapter 4 - The Private RunwayThe wind howled across the tarmac of the municipal airstrip forty miles outside the city. A sleek, twin-engine Gulfstream G650 sat idling on the runway, its landing lights cutting through the heavy fog like twin swords.

Inside the private hangar, security officers hired by Malcolm were frantically loading luggage into the aircraft's cargo hold. At the bottom of the aircraft stairs stood a tall, grim-looking man in a dark trench coat, holding the hand of a twelve-year-old boy.

The boy had dark, brooding eyes—the exact replica of my mother’s when she was frightened. Around his neck hung a heavy silver pendant.

"Come on, Samuel. We're leaving," the man in the trench coat urged, tugging at the boy's arm.

"Let go of me!" Samuel snapped, pulling his hand back. "Where is my mom? The man in the office said she was sick! I want to see her!"

"Your mother is gone. You belong to Mr. Graves now—the real Mr. Graves," the man replied harshly, grabbing Samuel by the shoulder and forcing him toward the stairs.

Suddenly, the night air filled with the deafening roar of sirens. From the perimeter access roads, half a dozen black SUVs bearing the Graves Energy crest smashed through the security gates, their high beams blinding everyone in the hangar.

"Federal and private security! Nobody move!" a voice boomed over a loudspeaker.

The men in the trench coat panicked, pulling out firearms. But before they could even raise their weapons, a swarm of tactical officers descended from all sides, disarming them in seconds with military precision.

The passenger door of the lead SUV flew open, and Nathaniel stepped out, followed closely by me. I had insisted on coming. I needed to see my brother with my own eyes.

Samuel stood frozen at the base of the airplane stairs, staring at the flashing lights and the army of armed guards. Then, his eyes landed on me. He stared at my faded blue dress, my dust-covered sneakers, and the patched backpack slung over my shoulder.

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The heavy mahogany door of the dressing room seemed to close in on us, trapping the suffocating tension inside. Richard’s hands were shaking as he clutched the small, tarnished silver pendant. His knuckles were bone-white.

The heavy mahogany door of the dressing room seemed to close in on us, t...

The heavy silver fork slipped from my fingers, clattering sharply against the gold-rimmed porcelain of my dinner plate.

The heavy silver fork slipped from my fingers, clattering sharply agains...

The heavy mahogany door of the Fairmont Copley suite clicked shut with a muffled, expensive thud.

The heavy mahogany door of the Fairmont Copley suite clicked shut with a...

"Who... who are you?" Samuel asked, his voice trembling.

I stepped forward, my own legs shaking beneath me. "I'm Ruby. I'm... I'm your little sister."

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