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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. / Chapter 24 / 30

Chapter 24 - Blood and Code"Welcome, niece," Marcus said, gesturing broadly to the high-tech command center. "I must admit, you gutted Vanessa and locked away Julian far cleaner than I ever expected. You have the true Caldwell killer instinct."

I kept my hand steady inside my coat pocket, resting on a small, legal self-defense piece Thomas had insisted I carry. "You faked your death to steal the family’s black-market reserves, Marcus. You left a trail of chaos just so you could swoop in and claim the entire empire when we were weak."

Marcus stood up, walking slowly toward me with his hands raised mockingly in surrender. "It wasn't about theft, Grace. It was about evolution. The old Caldwell empire was built on blood, dirt, and exploitation—things my father and grandfather worshiped. But the modern world runs on data and power. And right now, my servers have locked every single corporate account, trust fund, and land title you own."

He tapped a key on the console. A red warning banner flashed across the main screen: ASSET FREEZE INITIATED. ALL ACCOUNTS TRANSFERRING TO PRIMARY HOLDER: MARCUS CALDWELL.

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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...

Vanessa’s eyes were dry, clear, and sharp. She looked around the library as if measuring the dimensions for a redesign.

Vanessa’s eyes were dry, clear, and sharp. She looked around the library...

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