Chapter 8 - The Family Vault
The metallic scent of fresh blood hung thick in the nursery air as Marcus wiped a smear of crimson from his forehead with the back of his hand. He stared at Maya, his chest heaving with exhaustion, the harsh reality of her accusation hitting him harder than the intruder’s fists.
“I didn't give anyone the code, Maya,” Marcus said, his voice straining with sincerity as he took a tentative step toward her. “When the front windows shattered, I ran down to the security room. The main vault was already open, and the physical backup drives containing our family’s corporate history were gone.”
Maya held little Leo, who had finally quieted down into exhausted sniffles, her eyes narrowing as she processed the impossible logistics of the break-in.
“If the vault was open and the code wasn't given out, then someone cloned your biometrics, Marcus,” Maya countered, walking past him toward the hallway to inspect the damage. “And there are only two people in this world with biometric clearance to that vault: you and Eleanor.”
Marcus followed her out into the brightly lit hallway, his expression darkening as the pieces of the puzzle began to assemble themselves into a terrifying portrait of betrayal.
“My mother called me thirty minutes before the party started,” Marcus murmured, running a hand through his short hair as the memory clicked into place. “She asked me to meet her in the vault room to sign some routine trust documents for Leo’s future fund. She hugged me before I walked upstairs.”
Maya stopped walking, turning to face her husband with a mixture of pity and cold realization.
“She scanned your thumbprint and captured your retinal data while she hugged you, Marcus,” Maya said softly. “She set up her own home to be robbed just to steal the evidence Julian and I compiled against her foundation.”
Marcus slammed his fist against the hallway wall, leaving a dent in the drywall as his frustration finally boiled over into raw rage.
“We are going to her estate right now,” Marcus declared, turning toward the stairs with a look of absolute determination. “If she thinks she can frame you and steal my family's legacy to cover her crimes, she has another thing coming.”
Maya grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks before he could take another step toward the staircase.
“If we go to her house now without a federal warrant, we walk right into her trap,” Maya warned. “We need to meet Julian at the safe house first. He has copies of everything backed up on an encrypted server.”
Marcus stared at his wife for a long moment, the trust slowly rebuilding between them, before nodding slowly in agreement.
“Okay, let’s go,” Marcus agreed, pulling his car keys from his pocket. “We’ll take the back roads so her security detail doesn't track us.”
May you like
As they crept down the dark back staircase toward the garage, the motion-activated security lights outside suddenly flashed blindingly bright, illuminating a black sedan idling quietly at the end of their driveway with Eleanor sitting in the backseat staring straight up at them.
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