Chapter 15 - Vault B-117
The private vault required two forms of identification and a biometric scan.
Thomas Cole had anticipated that.
Nathan’s name appeared as secondary owner.
Vault B-117 opened with a heavy mechanical click.
Inside sat one folder.
One phone.
And a small digital recorder.
Nathan activated the phone.
There was only one video.
Thomas appeared again.
This time, fear showed clearly on his face.
“Nathan.”
“If you found the watch, then someone I trusted failed me.”
Thomas looked behind the camera.
“I no longer believe Richard Vale is the greatest threat.”
Nathan frowned.
Thomas continued.
“Richard created the financial trap.”
“Victoria helped remove Grace.”
“But someone else turned our mistakes into a machine.”
“Daniel Ross.”
Nathan’s jaw tightened.
Thomas explained that Daniel had worked as a corporate intelligence contractor years earlier.
He discovered the secret Cole-Vale agreement.
Instead of exposing it, he monetized it.
He sold information to both families.
He created crises.
Then sold protection.
Richard believed Daniel served him.
Eleanor believed Daniel served her.
Thomas once believed the same.
“He intends to control whichever family survives.”
Thomas’s voice lowered.
“And he knows about Lily.”
Nathan stopped breathing.
The recording had been created before Thomas died.
Thomas already feared for Lily.
Nathan opened the folder.
Inside were copies of offshore account records.
Daniel had been receiving payments from both Richard and Victoria.
But one document stood out.
A life-insurance policy.
Insured person: Thomas Cole.
Beneficiary through corporate debt instrument: Ross Strategic Holdings.
Nathan felt sick.
Daniel profited from Thomas’s death.
Marcus examined the recorder.
“There’s another file.”
They played it.
Two male voices filled the vault.
Thomas.
And Daniel.
Thomas sounded furious.
“You poisoned the medication.”
Daniel answered calmly.
“You cannot prove that.”
Nathan’s blood turned to ice.
Thomas replied.
“I don’t need to.”
“I copied everything.”
“If anything happens to me, Nathan will find it.”
Daniel laughed.
“Nathan believes what powerful men teach him to believe.”
Then Thomas said something that silenced the room.
“My son will surprise you.”
The recording ended.
Nathan stood motionless.
Marcus spoke first.
“We take this to federal prosecutors now.”
Nathan nodded.
His phone rang.
Grace.
He answered immediately.
Her voice was panicked.
“Nathan.”
“What happened?”
“The protection detail is gone.”
Nathan froze.
“What do you mean gone?”
“They received an order to relocate us.”
“From whom?”
“I don’t know.”
A crash sounded on Grace’s end.
Nathan heard Lily scream.
Then Daniel Ross spoke into the phone.
“Your father was wrong about you.”
Nathan gripped the phone.
“Daniel.”
“You are exactly as predictable as he was.”
Nathan’s voice became quiet.
“If you hurt them, there is nowhere on earth you can hide.”
Daniel laughed softly.
“I don’t intend to hurt them.”
“I intend to trade them.”
May you like
“For what?”
“The company.”
