Chapter 19 - The Hidden Lining
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Three months later.
The restructuring of Stanford Development was complete. Marcus Stanford and Richard Sterling were awaiting trial behind bars, while the Harbor Tower retrofitting project had become a national model for structural rehabilitation.
Lianna had moved into the bright, sunlit townhouse by the bay, where baby Austin was taking his very first steps across the hardwood floor.
One evening, Corbin sat with Lianna in her home office, reviewing the foundation’s first quarterly charity distribution reports.
As Corbin organized the historical files to be archived in the foundation’s safe, he picked up the old blue document envelope that Ethan had left behind four years ago.
He ran his fingers over the thick, weathered paper, feeling an unexpected stiffness near the bottom seam.
Corbin frowned. He held the blue envelope up to the desk lamp.
“Lianna,” Corbin said, catching her attention. “Did Ethan ever mention making a double lining in this envelope?”
Lianna looked up from her laptop, puzzled. “No... why?”
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Corbin took a small letter opener from the desk and carefully sliced along the bottom seam of the blue envelope.
Inside a hidden, wax-sealed compartment nestled between two layers of heavy cardboard was a small, heavy brass key stamped with the number 412, along with a faded piece of paper bearing a handwritten address in downtown Providence.
