Chapter 7 - The Billion-Dollar Heir
Ethan stared at the fragile woman huddled in his oversized coat.
She owned the very empire he had ruthlessly built for the last fifteen years.
His father had orchestrated her parents' murder not just for money, but for total corporate control.
Ethan quickly closed the file before Claire could see the devastating truth.
He had to fix this massive betrayal before he lost the only company he ever cared about.
The armored SUV arrived at a luxury high-rise in the center of Manhattan.
Marcus guided them into a private underground elevator that led directly to Ethan's secure penthouse.
The doors opened to reveal a massive, modern fortress of glass and steel.
Claire stepped onto the expensive marble floor, looking completely lost in the opulent space.
"You are safe here, Claire," Ethan said gently, leading her to the guest suite.
He ordered his private medical team to attend to her malnourishment and minor injuries.
While Claire rested, Ethan paced the living room, drinking a glass of scotch.
He needed to destroy Vivian Ashford before she used the police to destroy him.
To do that, he needed the master ledger hidden in Vivian's private bank vault.
The ledger contained all the illegal bribes Vivian had paid to politicians and judges.
"Marcus, we are breaking into the Manhattan National Bank tonight," Ethan ordered.
Marcus nodded slowly, checking the ammunition in his sidearm.
Ethan knew the bank's security system was virtually impenetrable without a biometric scan.
He walked into the guest suite and found Claire sitting quietly by the window, watching the city lights.
"Claire, I need your help to finally put your aunt in prison," Ethan said softly.
He explained they needed to access the vault, but the secondary lock required a specific numeric code.
Claire closed her eyes, remembering a sequence her mother used to whisper to her as a child.
She recited a ten-digit number that Ethan immediately wrote down.
"That code will get us in, but we have a major problem, sir," Marcus interrupted from the doorway.
"The current manager of that bank is Arthur Ashford," Marcus stated flatly.
May you like
Ethan froze, realizing the impossibility of the situation.
Arthur Ashford was Claire's uncle, a man who had supposedly died of a heart attack ten years ago.
