"The crystal chandelier cast a cold, haunting light over the extravagant floral arrangements of the most expensive funeral in the city.

Using the data siphon still connected to the server, Clara bypassed the local lock and sent a signal out to Vance’s remote rig.

Outside the estate, Vance saw the emergency alert on his laptop. "Hold on, guys... I'm overriding the vault's atmospheric safety protocols!"

Vance executed a brute-force cyberattack on the mansion’s primary power grid. Instead of opening the vault door, he triggered the building’s emergency fire suppression system, causing the high-pressure halon gas to vent upstairs into Julian’s private office while forcefully venting fresh air into the vault.

BOOM!

An electrical surge shattered the magnetic locks on the vault door. The heavy steel door swung open.

Clara and Leo burst out, gasping for fresh air, the complete ledger fully downloaded onto the portable drive in Leo's pocket.

"Upstairs! Now!" Leo shouted.

They sprinted up the stairs, reaching the grand ballroom just as the fire alarm sirens blared throughout the mansion. Sprinklers erupted, pouring cold water over millions of dollars worth of art, velvet drapery, and the evening gowns of panicked socialites.

Julian stumbled out of his office onto the grand balcony overlooking the ballroom, coughing violently from the gas, his suit soaked.