Chapter 3 - The Hidden Vault
Julian grabbed a heavy crowbar from the utility closet and led me up the narrow stairs to the attic office.
The room smelled exactly like my father—a mixture of old leather, black coffee, and peppermint.
Julian pushed the heavy oak desk to the side, revealing a dusty, faded patch of hardwood flooring.
With two sharp cracks of the crowbar, he pried up the loose boards.
Hidden in the insulation was a heavy, fireproof steel lockbox.
"He said the combination was your birthdate," Julian whispered, stepping back to give me space.
My hands shook violently as I spun the small metal dial.
Zero, four, one, two.
The lock clicked open with a heavy, satisfying thud.
Inside the box were three thick manila folders and a small USB flash drive.
I opened the first folder and gasped out loud.
It was a stack of overdue loan notices from incredibly dangerous, unlicensed private lenders.
The loans were not in my father's name, but in Eleanor’s name.
She had borrowed hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund a secret gambling addiction.
The second folder contained a massive life insurance policy.
My father had recently changed the primary beneficiary from Eleanor to me.
He had known she was stealing from him, and he was trying to protect my future.
"She killed him," I whispered, the horrifying realization crushing my chest.
"She found out about the money, and she killed him to get the payout."
Julian looked sick to his stomach, running a hand through his dark hair.
"We need to take these documents to the police immediately," he urged.
Suddenly, the loud, shrill sound of the bistro's back door alarm echoed up the stairwell.
Eleanor and Chloe had arrived early, and they were already inside the building.
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I shoved the folders and the flash drive deep into my oversized tote bag.
It was time to face the monsters head-on.
