Chapter 8 - The Vault of Lies
Ethan realized the entire Ashford family history was a carefully constructed fiction.
Arthur Ashford had faked his death to manage the family's illegal financial operations from the shadows.
It made him the perfect guardian for a vault filled with extortion material.
Ethan, Marcus, and Claire drove to the towering bank building at three in the morning.
Ethan used his high-level corporate clearance to bypass the lobby's night guards.
They descended into the subterranean levels, reaching the massive titanium vault door.
Marcus wired a sophisticated electronic bypass to the biometric scanner.
The light flashed green, and Ethan punched in the ten-digit code Claire had provided.
The heavy gears ground together, and the vault door slowly swung open with a hiss of pressurized air.
Inside, millions of dollars in cash sat stacked beside rows of private safe deposit boxes.
Ethan went directly to box number 777, prying it open with a specialized crowbar.
He pulled out a thick, black leather ledger and flipped through the pages.
"We have it," Ethan smiled, holding the undeniable proof of Vivian's crimes.
He turned around to hand the book to Marcus for safe keeping.
But Marcus was no longer watching the door.
Marcus was pointing his suppressed pistol directly at Ethan's chest.
"Put the book on the table, Mr. Hale," Marcus ordered, his voice devoid of any loyalty.
Ethan froze, realizing his most trusted head of security had been bought.
"Vivian pays much better than you do, Ethan," Marcus sneered, confirming the betrayal.
From the shadows of the vault, a tall, elegantly dressed man stepped into the light.
It was Arthur Ashford, smiling at his terrified niece.
"Hello, Claire, you have grown up to look exactly like your foolish mother," Arthur laughed.
May you like
Arthur pulled a syringe filled with a clear liquid from his tailored suit pocket.
"Hold him still, Marcus, while I put our little runaway back to sleep permanently."
