Chapter 24 - The Vault of Secrets
The State Bank of the city was a majestic, granite-and-marble fortress built in the late nineteenth century. Its vault was deep underground, smelling of cool brass and ancient security.
Bea walked down the marble steps, carrying the small brass key James had left her in his will. The vault teller, an elderly man who remembered James fondly, escorted her to the private viewing room.
She inserted the key. With a heavy, satisfying mechanical click, the long metal box slid out.
Inside, beneath James's old pocket watch and a dried rose Eleanor had given him, lay a sealed blue envelope. Bea opened it, her eyes scanning the official, state-certified medical reports. They were signed by three independent neurosurgeons, declaring James Ashby of sound mind, fully competent, and free of any cognitive impairment.
But as she reached for the envelope, the door to the viewing room opened. Two men in dark suits stepped in, blocking her exit. Behind them came Julian.
"I had a feeling you'd come here, cousin," Julian said, his voice echoing in the small concrete room. "Hand over the blue envelope."
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"This belongs to my father's estate, Julian," Bea said, holding the files tightly against her chest. "It proves your father was a criminal and a liar."
"My father died in a cell because of your father!" Julian roared, his polished mask slipping to reveal the raw, generational rage beneath. "I don't care about the truth. I care about winning. Give me the files, or my associates will ensure your sister's architectural firm suffers a fatal structural audit."
