Chapter 5 - The Heir's Gambit
Julian reached the master suite entirely unbothered. He locked the heavy door behind him and rushed to the Renaissance painting.
He slid the painting aside, revealing a heavy steel wall safe. The biometric scanner glowed red, but beneath it was a small, archaic keyhole. Julian inserted the silver key and turned. A heavy, satisfying click echoed in the quiet room.
He pulled the safe open. Inside were stacks of bearer bonds, a velvet box containing his mother’s jewelry, and a thick, sealed manila envelope marked For Hawthorne. In Event of Death or Incapacitation.
Julian grabbed the envelope, unsealing it quickly. Inside was the true will, naming Julian the sole heir and appointing Mr. Hawthorne—Arthur's ruthlessly loyal lawyer—as Julian’s guardian. More importantly, there was a flash drive containing the undeniable proof of Victoria’s embezzlement and thallium purchases.
"You always were a snooping little rat."
Julian’s blood turned to ice. He spun around.
Standing in the doorway, leaning heavily against the frame, was Victoria. She looked disheveled. The thallium Mrs. Gable had slipped into her wine was affecting her motor skills, but the pure, venomous rage in her eyes kept her standing. In her right hand, she held a heavy brass fire poker.
"Did you really think a deaf maid and a starving boy could outsmart me?" Victoria slurred, pushing off the doorframe and taking a clumsy, heavy step into the room. "I checked the kitchen baseboard yesterday, Julian. I knew you had the key. I was just waiting for you to open the safe for me."
Julian backed up against the wall, clutching the envelope to his chest. "You're going to prison."
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"I am going to Paris," Victoria laughed, a harsh, sociopathic sound. "And you are going to have a tragic accident. A fall from the balcony. Such a devastating loss for the Vance family."
She raised the brass poker, lunging forward.
