Chapter 4 - THE VAULT OF SECRETSThe descent into the underground wine cellar was silent, save for the rhythmic dripping of water somewhere in the stone foundations. Lily left Ethan sleeping securely in a cushioned armchair in the study, locking the heavy mahogany door behind her with a brass key she found on the mantelpiece. Armed only with a heavy brass candlestick, she crept down the winding stone staircase toward the sub-basement.
The air grew damp and smelled faintly of old vintage wine and wet earth. As she reached the bottom landing, the heavy steel door of the Hale family vault stood slightly ajar, a sliver of clinical white light spilling out onto the flagstones.
Lily pressed her back against the rough stone wall, inching closer until she could hear muffled voices drifting from inside the vault.
"—the trust fund transfers completely at midnight," a man’s cold, clipped voice echoed through the crack. "Once Victor is legally declared incompetent or trapped in the East Wing, the board will automatically appoint Serena as sole executor."
"And the child?" Serena’s voice replied, smooth and devoid of any warmth. "What about little Ethan?"
"He'll be sent away to the overseas facility, just like the first one five years ago," the man chuckled softly. "No one looks twice at an orphan adopted by charity."
Lily’s breath hitched in her throat. She clamped a hand over her mouth, but her foot accidentally nudged an empty wine bottle on the floor.
Clink.
The voices inside stopped instantly. Heavy, measured footsteps approached the vault door. Lily panicked, darting behind a row of towering oak wine racks just as the heavy steel door swung wide open.
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Serena stepped out into the cellar corridor, her eyes scanning the shadows with predatory sharpness. "Who's there?" she demanded, stepping closer to the wine racks. "Show yourself before I call security!"
Lily pressed herself flat against the damp stone wall behind the racks, her heart pounding so loudly she was certain Serena could hear it. A shadow fell across the floorboards right beside her feet.
