Chapter 6 - The Hidden Vault
The revelation hit me like a physical blow to the chest.
My entire life, I had believed Richard was my biological father, despite his endless cruelty.
Now, he was using my dead mother's greatest secret as a shield to protect his stolen empire.
I ripped my arm away from his painful grip, fighting to keep my facial expression perfectly neutral.
"You're bluffing," I stated coldly, though my heart was hammering violently.
"Try me, Clara," Richard spat, his eyes wild with desperate malice.
"The journals are in the Aspen lodge's hidden vault, and I have the only key."
Before Richard could say another word, Dominic lunged at Evelyn, screaming about his stolen money.
The ballroom instantly descended into absolute chaos as guests fled for the exits.
Leo grabbed my hand and pulled me firmly through the panicked crowd toward the side doors.
"We need to get to Aspen tonight before he sends someone to destroy those journals," Leo ordered as we sprinted to the waiting car.
We boarded Leo's private jet less than an hour later, leaving the burning wreckage of the engagement party behind us.
The flight to Colorado was tense and quiet, the snowy peaks finally appearing through the dark clouds.
We arrived at the luxurious ski lodge just before midnight, using Leo's men to bypass the exterior security cameras.
The massive log cabin was completely silent, exactly as my grandmother had left it.
I led Leo down into the wine cellar, pressing my hand against a specific wooden barrel to reveal a hidden steel door.
"Grandmother built this vault to hide her most sensitive documents," I whispered, entering the access code.
The heavy door clicked and swung open with a quiet hiss.
We stepped into the dimly lit room, but the massive steel safe in the center was already hanging wide open.
I rushed forward, my stomach dropping as I stared into the empty metal box.
There were no journals, no cash, and no secret family records.
The only thing left inside the vault was a single, elegant black envelope sitting on the metal shelf.
Leo picked it up cautiously, checking it for traps before handing it to me.
I tore the envelope open and pulled out a handwritten note in perfectly looped cursive.
May you like
"Did you really think I'd leave the leverage where he could find it?" the note read.
It was signed by Evelyn.
