Chapter 12 - Beneath the HouseThe staircase descended farther than I expected.

Ten steps.

Twenty.

Forty.

At the bottom was a steel door.

Richard found a keypad.

“No key?”

I checked my pocket.

The old wooden box.

The small key.

It fit.

The door opened.

Inside was a vault.

Not a safe.

A room.

Shelves filled with documents.

Boxes of photographs.

Hard drives.

Property deeds.

Bank statements.

And one wall covered with names.

My mother's name was at the center.

Around it were arrows.

Victor.

Daniel.

Melissa.

Executives.

Judges.

Police officers.

Politicians.

People I had never heard of.

I stared.

“This is bigger than the company.”

Richard nodded.

“Much bigger.”

My grandfather had been investigating corruption for decades.

The shipping business had been used to move money.

Bribes.

Illegal contracts.

Fake invoices.

People had been paid to look away.

My mother discovered it.

Victor tried to silence her.

My grandfather tried to expose them.

Then he failed.

Or did he?

I found one final file.

PROJECT BLACKWOOD

I opened it.

The first page contained a list of properties.

Dozens.

Hundreds.

Assets held anonymously.

At the bottom was a total.

$126,400,000

I sat down.

Richard looked over my shoulder.

“This is what he meant.”

“The real inheritance.”

“Not money.”

“Power.”

“No.”

Richard pointed toward the names.

“Leverage.”

Before I could respond, Margaret entered the vault.

She looked older than she had that morning.

“You found it.”

I turned.

“You knew?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“Because your grandfather made me promise.”

“Promise what?”

“Not until you were ready.”

I laughed bitterly.

“How was I supposed to get ready? I slept nine nights in a car.”

She looked down.

“That was never supposed to happen.”

“What?”

“Your father wasn't supposed to throw you out.”

I stared at her.

“What?”

“Your grandfather left instructions that Daniel was to support you until you turned twenty-one.”

My stomach dropped.

“Then why did he say the estate was done taking care of me?”

Margaret slowly shook her head.

“He had no authority to change the trust.”

Richard's face hardened.

“Someone forged the household instructions.”

“Who?”

Margaret looked at the wall of names.

Then at me.

“I believe your stepmother did.”

Silence.

Melissa.

The woman who packed my things.

The woman who used my money.

The woman who knew about the estate.

But why?

Ava rushed into the vault.

“Nathan.”

She was breathless.

“What happened?”

“Your father escaped custody.”

My stomach tightened.

“How?”

“He didn't.”

“What?”

She held up a phone.

“Victor did.”

My blood ran cold.

“Where is he?”

“Gone.”

“And Daniel?”

Ava hesitated.

“He's dead.”

I couldn't speak.

She handed me a photograph.

My father was lying on a prison transport floor.

Blood on his shirt.

One bullet wound to the chest.

But beneath the photograph was a message.

Victor Hale is not your final enemy.

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Then another line.

He works for your family.