flash
The grandfather clock in the master hallway chimed 2:00 AM. In the absolute silence of the Vale estate, I slipped out of my twin-sized guest bed—twenty feet away from Adrian’s sprawling king suite—and knelt beside the loose floorboard in the closet. / Chapter 4 / 10

Chapter 4 - Enter Charles ValeClutching a heavy mahogany cane, seventy-eight-year-old Charles Vale strode into the room. Behind him walked a team of top-tier corporate legal sharks carrying heavy briefcases.

Gasps echoed through the room. Charles hadn't stepped foot in this building in three years.

"Uncle Richard," Charles’s voice echoed, sharp as a razor. "You talk about stability? Let’s talk about treason."

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Richard’s face drained of color. "Charles... you're supposed to be resting at the estate—"

"And miss you trying to usurp my grandson?" Charles slammed his cane onto the marble floor. "Before you try to oust Adrian, let's look at who actually owns the controlling shares of this company. Hand me the portfolio, legal."

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