Julian’s smile cracked. “Someone must have stolen it. These things happen.”
Vincent tapped his watch twice — a signal. Three bodyguards materialized, blocking every exit. “Take Julian to my study,” Vincent said. “Take Vanessa upstairs. We’ll have a family discussion.”
THE VAULT’S SECRET
In the second-floor study, Vincent opened his wall safe. Inside sat a velvet-lined wooden box with six compartments. Five held small vials with silver caps. One compartment was empty.
“This compound came from a lab in Milan last year,” Vincent said, lifting one of the remaining vials. “Undetectable. Mimics a heart attack. I keep it for the organization’s emergencies.”
He set Emma’s vial beside the others. The crest matched perfectly.
“Did you take it yesterday, Julian? When you brought me the quarterly report?”
Julian exploded. For three years, he shouted, Vincent had gone soft — moving the family into legal real estate, shutting down the docks, weakening everything their father built. The council wanted Vincent gone. He and Vanessa were going to “fix” what Vincent had broken.
Vanessa broke down sobbing. Julian had forced her, she cried — threatened to kill her family if she refused.
“Liar!” Julian roared. “It was her idea! She wanted the estate in her name!”