Chapter 4
Victoria’s carefully composed expression faltered under Arthur’s direct gaze, revealing a flicker of genuine panic beneath her polished exterior. She took half a step closer, lowering her voice so it wouldn't carry back toward the dining room where the others were undoubtedly regrouping. She confessed that she never agreed with Eleanor’s cruel games regarding Clara, even if she had remained silent out of fear of losing her own financial allowance. Clara watched Victoria closely, searching for any sign of deception in the other woman’s watery eyes. She remembered how Victoria had stood by the table earlier, neither participating in the insults nor offering a hand to help. Victoria pulled a small, silver-bound key from the pocket of her dark dress and held it out hesitantly between her fingertips. She explained that this key unlocked the private archive room on the third floor, where the original legal documents proving the theft of Clara’s father’s patents were hidden away in a locked safe. Arthur looked at the small key, then up at his cousin, weighing the immense risk of trusting someone who had benefited from the family’s corruption for years. He asked Victoria why she was betraying Eleanor now, after decades of blind obedience to the family matriarch. Victoria swallowed hard, admitting that she had recently discovered Eleanor planned to disinherit all the younger relatives and leave the entire estate to an outside foundation. The realization that their years of compliance would yield nothing had shattered the illusion of loyalty among the Vance women. Clara gently touched Arthur’s arm, signaling that they needed those documents to secure their future and protect their unborn child from future legal battles. Arthur accepted the key from Victoria’s trembling hand, slipping it into his pocket alongside the mysterious smartphone. He warned Victoria that if this was a trap set by Eleanor, there would be nowhere in the city she could hide from the consequences. Victoria nodded quickly, stepping back into the shadows and advising them to use the service stairs at the end of the hall to avoid the security cameras. As Victoria hurried back toward the dining room to cover her absence, Arthur and Clara turned toward the narrow, poorly lit corridor leading to the service staircase. The air grew cooler as they climbed the hidden steps, moving deeper into the neglected historical heart of the massive estate.
