Chapter 6
The rough asphalt scraped against Valeria’s bare legs as the scarred man hauled her out of the sedan, ignoring her sharp gasps of pain. The cold night air hit her exposed shoulder, making her shiver violently in her burgundy dress. She looked back desperately toward the car, but her mother remained seated in the back, watching the abduction with an unsettling, statuesque detachment. Julian didn't move either, sitting frozen behind the steering wheel like a caged animal awaiting orders.
"Get your hands off me!" Valeria screamed, wrenching her arm away with a sudden burst of adrenaline. She stumbled backward, her heels clicking unevenly against the pavement, but the scarred man simply stepped forward, his eyes dead and unblinking.
"Save your breath, Mrs. Vance," the man growled, his voice deep and raspy. "Your mother made a deal, and collateral is collateral. Where is the green folder?"
Valeria stared at him, her chest heaving as she tried to regulate her breathing. She thought of Julian’s warning, of the ledger containing the dirty secrets of her family's wealth, and of the horrifying realization that she was nothing more than a pawn in a lethal game of chess.
"I don't have it," Valeria spat, her voice laced with sudden defiance. "If you want my mother's secrets, ask the woman sitting comfortably in the back of that car!"
The scarred man chuckled, a dark, humorless sound that sent a shiver down her spine. He pulled out a small, encrypted radio from his tactical jacket and spoke into it quietly. "Boss, we have the daughter. But the folder isn't on her. The mother claims it's at the old estate."
From inside the sedan, Mrs. Vance rolled down the rear window. Her expression remained chillingly composed as she addressed the scarred man directly. "The folder is securely locked in the vault at the Westport estate. But you won't get the combination from me or my daughter. You need Arthur."
Valeria whipped her head around toward the black SUV blocking their path. The passenger door opened slowly, and the older man in the blue suit stepped out into the amber glow of the streetlamps. He didn't look like a terrified captive; he walked with the arrogant, unhurried stride of a man who owned the very ground he walked on. He adjusted his blue suit jacket, looked at Valeria with mild pity, and then turned his gaze toward Mrs. Vance.
"You’re playing a very dangerous game, Eleanor," Arthur said smoothly, his voice carrying an unmistakable note of authority. "Handing the girl over to these animals won't save your empire."
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"It’s not my empire anymore, Arthur," Mrs. Vance replied softly, stepping out of the sedan to stand beside her daughter. "It’s yours. And it’s time to pay the debt."
Arthur smiled, a chillingly polite expression, and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a heavy, antique brass key that caught the light of the streetlamp.
