Chapter 9 - The Break-In
Adrian stared at Marissa, feeling a sudden, violent jolt of realization.
Four years ago, right around the time of his father's death, he had received an unmarked cardboard box.
Because he had been overwhelmed with grief and taking over the company, he had never bothered to open it.
He had instructed his household staff to store the box in the dusty, unused attic of his massive estate.
The actual evidence wasn't gone; it had been sitting inside his own house this entire time.
But getting to it would be the most dangerous thing Adrian had ever attempted.
His estate was currently occupied by Arthur Vance's private security forces, who were actively hunting him.
Marcus outlined a desperate plan, drawing a rough map of the estate's blind spots on a napkin.
They drove to the forested edge of the Whitmore property just as the afternoon sky began to darken.
Marcus used a remote override device to temporarily disable the perimeter laser grid.
Adrian and Marissa slipped through the iron gates, moving silently through the manicured gardens.
They used a hidden servant's entrance that Marissa knew about from her months of working there.
The massive house was eerily quiet, the grand hallways cast in long, dark shadows.
They crept up three flights of stairs, avoiding the main corridors where guards were patrolling.
They finally reached the heavy wooden door leading to the attic.
Adrian slowly pushed the door open, the hinges groaning softly in the silence.
The attic was filled with decades of forgotten family heirlooms and stacked boxes covered in thick sheets.
Adrian frantically searched the labeled boxes in the corner until he found one marked with his name.
He ripped the packing tape off with trembling fingers and tore the cardboard open.
Inside, resting on top of the original blueprints, was a silver flash drive and a handwritten letter from Julian.
Adrian picked up the flash drive, knowing it held enough evidence to destroy Arthur forever.
Suddenly, the heavy wooden door of the attic slammed shut with a deafening crash.
The overhead lights flickered on, illuminating the dusty room in a harsh, blinding glare.
Arthur Vance stepped out from behind a large antique wardrobe, looking perfectly calm.
May you like
He raised a double-barreled shotgun and aimed it directly at Marissa's chest.
"I have been waiting for you to remember that package, Adrian," Arthur smiled coldly.
