My father had been in the ground less than three hours when my brother-in-law stood in the center of the drawing room and announced that his wife was inheriting it all.

The warehouse was a massive, echoing space Dad used for overflow storage. The rain was pounding against the tin roof as I walked in, Alexander trailing silently in the shadows behind me. I wasn't stupid enough to come alone.

Victoria was waiting under a single halogen light. She looked exhausted, the dark circles under her eyes visible even in the dim light.

“You’re destroying this family,” Victoria said as I approached.

“You destroyed it the minute you stole from Dad,” I countered.

“I kept this family relevant!” she yelled, her voice echoing in the empty space. “Dad was a workaholic who didn't care about our social standing! I built the connections! I brought in the elite clients! I earned that money!”

“You earned a prison sentence,” I said softly.

Victoria smiled, a jagged, terrifying expression. “Do you really think I’d let you walk into that boardroom tomorrow and ruin me?”

From the shadows behind her, three men stepped out. They weren't the polished security guards from the penthouse. They were rough, carrying heavy lead pipes. Richard stepped out behind them.

“Give us the original ledger and the hard drives,” Richard demanded. “Or you don't leave this warehouse.”

“You’re going to kill me?” I asked, keeping my voice steady.

“Just a tragic accident,” Victoria said coldly. “A robbery gone wrong in a bad part of town.”

Before the men could take a step, the massive bay doors of the warehouse rolled open with a deafening mechanical grind. Blinding floodlights pierced the darkness.

Alexander hadn't just accompanied me; he had called the police.

“Drop the weapons!” a voice boomed over a megaphone. Red and blue sirens illuminated the wet pavement outside.

Victoria and Richard froze in absolute terror. The hired thugs immediately dropped their pipes and put their hands on their heads.

“You really think we’d walk into a trap without a contingency plan?” Alexander said, stepping out of the shadows. He looked at Victoria. “You always underestimated this family.”