CHAPTER 8: The Bank Vault
At 8:45 AM, the marble lobby of Sovereign Bank opened its ornate brass doors. Grace walked in wearing an oversized trench coat she had purchased at a thrift shop, her dark hair tucked neatly beneath a woolen scarf.
She approached the private wealth desk and presented Clara’s original estate paperwork alongside her own passport.
"I need access to Safety Deposit Box 804," Grace told the branch manager calmly. "Family joint authorization."
The manager looked at the name, typed on his keyboard, and hesitated slightly. "One moment, Mrs. Vance. Let me escort you to the secure vault downstairs."
Grace caught the subtle shift in his eyes. He had been flagged. Nathan had anticipated this move.
Downstairs, the vault was a quiet sanctuary of polished steel and reinforced titanium. The manager unlocked the outer grille, slotted his master key into Box 804, and stepped back. "I'll give you privacy."
As soon as the heavy gate clicked shut behind him, Grace opened the deposit box. Inside sat a pristine manila folder containing the original bearer bonds and, more importantly, a signed handwritten confession by Nathan’s predecessor detailing how Marcus Vance used state infrastructure to protect the Vanguard cartel.
Suddenly, the vault door hummed. The locking mechanism engaged.
May you like
Standing outside the reinforced observation glass was Nathan.
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