Chapter 9 - The Man in the Black Coat
The intruder left no fingerprints.
No camera captured him.
But Lily remembered his face.
“He had a scar.”
Julian showed her old photographs.
She pointed to Vincent.
“That one.”
Julian felt anger surge through him.
Vincent was alive.
And inside his home.
He doubled security.
But Vincent was already gone.
A message arrived.
Come alone to the old rail station.
Midnight.
Julian went.
Marco wanted to follow.
“No.”
“Sir…”
“This ends tonight.”
The station was empty.
Snow drifted through the broken roof.
Julian waited beneath a dead clock.
A man stepped from the shadows.
Older.
Thinner.
But unmistakable.
Vincent DeLuca.
Julian raised his gun.
“You are supposed to be dead.”
Vincent smiled.
“So was Claire.”
Julian’s finger tightened.
“Where is she?”
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“Not for long.”
Julian stepped closer.
“You poisoned Cassandra.”
“No.”
“You watched my house.”
“Yes.”
“You kidnapped Claire.”
Vincent shook his head.
“I saved her.”
Julian stared.
“From what?”
Vincent’s expression changed.
“From your father’s legacy.”
Julian scoffed.
“My father is dead.”
“He left orders.”
“What orders?”
Vincent looked toward the tracks.
“To eliminate Claire if she discovered the accounts.”
Julian’s blood ran cold.
“Who carried them out?”
Vincent looked directly at him.
“You did.”
Julian froze.
“No.”
“Four years ago, you signed a security order.”
“I signed dozens.”
“One of them gave your internal security team permission to remove a threat.”
Vincent pulled out a photograph.
Claire.
Bound to a chair.
Alive.
The photograph was dated four years earlier.
Julian nearly dropped the gun.
“You were told she was dead,” Vincent said.
“By whom?”
May you like
“Thomas Bell.”
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