Chapter 5 - The Ticking Clock
Mathis rushed forward and frantically untied the thick ropes binding the old man.
Master Roche collapsed into Mathis's arms, his breathing shallow and erratic.
"Nicolas found out I helped your father draft the secret contingency documents," Roche coughed.
Elise knelt beside them, pulling a bottle of water from the duffel bag.
"Did you tell him about the vault?" she asked with trembling lips.
Roche shook his head slowly.
"He doesn't need the vault anymore, Elise."
The lawyer explained that Nicolas had forged the father's death certificate earlier that evening.
In exactly three hours, at midnight, Nicolas was legally selling the entire Varenne logistics network to an international arms syndicate.
"He is turning your family's legacy into a global weapons distribution pipeline," Roche whispered.
Mathis felt a surge of pure rage toward his older brother.
"We have to get to the authorities with the notarial copy," Mathis said.
Roche reached into his torn jacket and pulled out a small, metallic flash drive.
"This drive contains the encrypted video confession of your father, proving Nicolas's treason," Roche gasped.
Suddenly, Roche's eyes rolled back in terror.
He ripped open his blood-soaked shirt.
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Strapped to his chest was a military-grade explosive device with a digital timer glowing red in the dark.
The timer showed fourteen seconds remaining.
