Chapter 5 - The First Key
The heavy iron key swayed slightly on its silver chain, catching the dim light of the penthouse.
Gabriel removed the necklace and placed the key perfectly on the glass table.
“I have suspected Vincent for years,” Gabriel said, his voice terrifyingly calm.
“But my uncle was clever enough to hide every piece of evidence, until now.”
Mara stared at the key, her mind racing to connect the pieces of her grandfather's puzzle.
“The ledger says three keys are required to unlock the master accounts,” she explained rapidly.
“If Vincent doesn't have all three, he doesn't have absolute power.”
Gabriel nodded slowly.
“He has the syndicate's loyalty out of fear, but he cannot access the offshore billions without the keys.”
Mara looked back down at the empty iron lockbox.
She noticed that the velvet lining at the bottom looked slightly uneven.
She reached inside, pressing her fingers against the corners until she felt a hidden latch.
With a soft click, a false bottom popped up.
Mara reached inside the hidden compartment and pulled out a small, silk-wrapped bundle.
She unrolled the fabric on the glass table.
A second ancient iron key lay perfectly intact.
Gabriel’s eyes widened in genuine surprise.
“Your grandfather hid the second key,” Gabriel realized.
“He stole it before Vincent could get to it.”
Mara stared at the two keys sitting side by side.
“We only need one more,” Gabriel stated, his voice filled with dangerous determination.
“If we find the third key, we can bankrupt my uncle and strip him of his empire overnight.”
Before Mara could process the magnitude of what they were planning, Gabriel’s encrypted phone buzzed violently.
He looked at the caller ID and frowned deeply.
It was an unknown number.
He answered it and put it on speakerphone, placing it next to the keys.
Heavy, panicked breathing filled the silent penthouse.
“Gabriel,” Cassandra’s voice sobbed through the speaker, sounding weak and terrified.
“Cassandra,” Gabriel replied coldly.
“Where are you?”
“He found me, Gabriel,” she cried, her voice cracking with pain.
“Vincent knows the waitress deciphered the letter, and he knows she has the box.”
“You betrayed us, Cassandra,” Gabriel stated without an ounce of sympathy.
“I had no choice!” she screamed through the phone.
“He threatened my family, but he shot me anyway.”
Mara stepped closer to the phone, her heart breaking for the woman who had nearly gotten them killed.
“Where is the third key, Cassandra?” Gabriel demanded.
Cassandra let out a wet, rattling cough.
“Vincent doesn't have it,” she whispered weakly.
“He has been searching for it for twenty-three years.”
“Then where is it?”
Cassandra’s breathing slowed down drastically.
“Ask the girl, Gabriel.”
Mara froze.
“What does she mean by that?” Mara asked, panic rising in her chest.
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“He hid it in plain sight,” Cassandra gasped.
“The waitress is wearing it.”
