Chapter 7 - The Discovery in the Vault
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Late Wednesday night, less than twenty-four hours before the gala, the Meridian tower was wrapped in quiet darkness.
Dela stood inside the service elevator on B2—the restricted basement level. The cashier's check had secured her baby's medical care, but she still needed the final piece of evidence to bring down Victor Sinclair and avenge Elias.
The elevator doors slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a dimly lit concrete corridor lined with heavy steel doors.
Dela pulled out the small brass key card Gus had slipped into her apron pocket during the wine incident earlier that evening. Attached to the card was a tiny scrap of paper with a four-digit PIN code: 0914.
She walked down the corridor until she reached Door 12—Victor Sinclair’s private temporary holding vault for the merger documents.
Dela swiped the brass card. The digital panel glowed blue. She typed in the PIN.
Click.
The heavy steel door unlocked, swinging open smoothly.
Inside, the vault was small, holding a single glass desk, a high-speed scanner, and a metallic safe resting in the corner. Sitting on top of the desk was Arthur Vance’s leather briefcase, left unlocked overnight for the morning legal preparations.
Dela opened the briefcase. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she pulled out a thick, black leather-bound ledger marked Dock 44 — Private Audits.
She opened it to the first page.
There, in neat, handwritten entries, were the real financial records of Sinclair Maritime. Millions of dollars diverted from cargo shipments, fraudulent insurance claims, and at the bottom of page forty-two, a list of recurring "consulting fees" paid to a shell corporation called Apex Logistics.
Dela’s eyes widened. Apex Logistics was the company that owned the semi-truck that had struck Elias's car on Interstate 90.
“It wasn't an accident,” Dela whispered, tears welling in her eyes. “Victor ordered the hit.”
Suddenly, the lights in the vault flickered and died, plunging the room into absolute darkness.
The heavy steel door swung shut behind her, the electronic lock snapping into place with a sickening thud.
Dela rushed to the door, grabbing the handle. It wouldn't budge.
“Hello?!” she called out, knocking firmly against the reinforced steel.
May you like
From the other side of the thick door, a cold, muffled female voice echoed through the intercom speaker.
“You should have stayed in the kitchen, Mrs. Hawthorne,” Margot Sinclair’s voice sneered over the speaker. “Enjoy the darkness. You’re going to miss the party tomorrow.”
