Chapter 10 - The Real Vault
Six months later, the house looked absolutely spectacular.
The insurance company had paid out a massive settlement, allowing Vanessa to install the gourmet kitchen she had always dreamed of.
The walls were painted a crisp, elegant white, and the hardwood floors gleamed perfectly in the afternoon sun.
Melissa was sitting at the new marble island, drinking a cup of coffee and looking healthier than she had in years.
She had filed for divorce while Todd was sitting in a federal holding cell awaiting his life sentence.
Vanessa's mother and Loretta had both taken plea deals, trading ten years in federal prison for testifying against Michael and the bank.
The corrupt judge who had signed the fake eviction notice had been disbarred and was currently under FBI investigation.
Everything had fallen perfectly into place, exactly the way Vanessa had fought for it to.
"I still can't believe Grandpa actually hid a million dollars in gold coins in the basement," Melissa said, shaking her head in amazement.
Vanessa smiled, wiping down the flawless marble countertop.
"It paid for your divorce lawyer and left us with a nice safety net," Vanessa replied.
She poured herself a glass of wine, savoring the profound peace and quiet of her restored home.
The doorbell chimed softly, breaking the tranquil silence of the afternoon.
Vanessa walked to the front door, expecting a package delivery from her favorite online boutique.
Instead, she found a solitary, unmarked envelope sitting on the Welcome mat.
She picked it up, noticing there was no return address or postage stamp, meaning someone had hand-delivered it just moments ago.
She tore open the thick paper and pulled out a single, handwritten letter written in dark blue ink.
Vanessa read the first sentence, and the glass of wine slipped from her fingers, shattering violently across the hardwood floor.
May you like
"They found the wrong safe, Vanessa," the letter read.
"I know where the real one is, and I am coming for it tonight."
