Chapter 5: The Vault of Secrets
At sunrise, Julien stood inside the underground vaults of the Banque Nationale de Paris, surrounded by towering walls of reinforced steel. The vault attendant turned the dual keys, slid open safe-deposit box #408, and bowed out, leaving Julien in utter silence.
Julien pulled out a weathered leather-bound journal and a brass chronometer mechanism, intricately handcrafted with gears as fine as spider silk.
He opened the journal. The first page was dated twenty-three years ago:
> *To my beloved Julien,* > *If you are reading this, time has finally repaired the bridge between us. I spent my freedom chasing whispers of your whereabouts, but my lungs failed before my love could reach you. Inside this journal are the original patents for the tri-axial escapement movement they stole from me—the patents that built the fortune of Vance & Sterling.*
Julien felt a cold shockwave hit his spine.
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*Vance & Sterling.* The luxury conglomerate Julien had spent the last fifteen years fighting in the stock market—the very empire run by the ruthless billionaire Marcus Sterling—was built on stolen patents that rightfully belonged to his father. His entire life’s war wasn't a coincidence. It was an unwritten vendetta waiting to be resolved.
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