Chapter 5 - The Collapse
Grandpa dropped heavily to his knees, his face turning an alarming shade of gray.
He clutched the left side of his chest, his breathing instantly becoming ragged and shallow.
"Call an ambulance!" I screamed at my mother, dropping to the floor to support his weight.
Mom froze entirely, staring at the man who held the keys to her luxurious lifestyle.
"If we call the police or paramedics, Silas might think we are breaking the deal!" Ava panicked selfishly.
I ignored them both, pulling my phone from my pocket and desperately dialing 911.
Grandpa grabbed my wrist with surprising strength, his sharp eyes locking onto mine.
"Amelia, listen to me," he gasped, fighting through the agonizing pain in his heart.
I leaned in close, tears blurring my vision as the only person who ever loved me struggled to breathe.
"There is a hidden safety deposit box at the downtown branch of the First National Bank," he whispered.
He weakly reached into his shirt collar and pulled out a small, silver key attached to a heavy gold chain.
"Take this," he ordered, pressing the cold metal key into my trembling palm.
"Everything you need to destroy them is inside that box," he promised with his final ounce of strength.
His eyes rolled back, and his entire body went completely limp against the hardwood floor.
The wail of approaching sirens finally echoed in the distance, cutting through the tense silence of the house.
Mom lunged forward, her eyes fixated on my closed fist.
"Give me that key, Amelia!" she demanded aggressively.
I scrambled backward, slipping the key securely into the deep pocket of my jeans.
"This belongs to me, and you will never touch it," I warned her fiercely.
Paramedics burst through the ruined front door, immediately swarming Grandpa's lifeless body with medical equipment.
They loaded him onto a stretcher and rushed him out to the waiting ambulance in a matter of seconds.
I ran out the door to follow them, completely ignoring my mother's furious screaming behind me.
I climbed into the back of the ambulance, holding my grandfather's cold hand as the vehicle sped away.
When we arrived at the emergency room, the doctors rushed him straight into the intensive care unit.
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I sat alone in the sterile waiting room, feeling the heavy silver key burning a hole in my pocket.
Suddenly, two large men in dark leather jackets walked through the sliding glass hospital doors.
