Chapter 6 - BLOODLINE OF VENGEANCE
Richard Vance’s smug laugh echoed off the glass doors as the limousine pulled away into the rainy afternoon. Adrian stood on the curb, his jaw set, his mind calculating every legal and financial countermeasure available. But the reality was grim: Richard Vance now controlled 51% of Falkner stock, backed by an anonymous offshore conglomerate known only as Aegis Global.
“We have seven hours before midnight,” Helena said, stepping up beside Adrian, her face completely free of fear. The vulnerable waitress was gone; in her place stood a woman forged in the fires of survival. “Where is your father’s old estate? The one in the countryside where he kept his private records?”
Adrian looked at her, surprised. “The Blackwood Manor? It’s been locked up since his death three years ago. Why?”
“Because my mother kept a duplicate set of ledger keys,” Helena said, pulling a worn brass key from a chain around her neck. “Before my father was killed, he knew the Falkners might betray him. He hid the original cargo manifests and the real arson reports inside the wall safe of your father’s private study. My mother gave me this key on my eighteenth birthday and told me never to use it unless we were faced with absolute ruin.”
Within an hour, Adrian’s high-speed sports car was tearing through the winding, fog-draped roads leading to Blackwood Manor. The iron gates were rusted shut, but Adrian rammed the car through, shattering the chain links.
They entered the decaying mansion, flashlight beams cutting through decades of dust and spiderwebs. The grand staircase was crumbling, but Helena walked with absolute purpose, heading straight for the library on the second floor.
She walked over to the massive mahogany desk, knelt by the fireplace, and pressed a hidden lever behind the hearthstones. A panel in the wall clicked open, revealing a heavy iron safe.
“The combination,” Helena said, looking at Adrian. “It’s the date of the fire.”
Adrian dialed the numbers: 0-8-1-4.
The safe door swung open with a heavy groan. Inside lay leather-bound journals, stacks of original sea logs, and a sealed black envelope stamped with the crest of Aegis Global.
Adrian pulled out the envelope and tore it open. As he scanned the documents inside, his blood turned to ice.
“This isn't just a corporate ledger,” Adrian whispered, his eyes wide with shock. “Aegis Global isn't an offshore company owned by Richard Vance.”
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“Who owns it?” Helena asked.
Adrian turned the final page, showing her the signature at the bottom of the founding charter. “It belongs to your mother, Eleanor.”
