Chapter 11 - The Secret of the Vault
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Norah woke up the next morning tangled in silk sheets, her body aching beautifully from the night before. Adrien was already dressed in a dark grey suit, standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows with a cup of black coffee, speaking rapidly in Italian on his phone.
When he saw her stirring, he ended the call immediately and walked over to the bed, kissing her deeply.
“Good morning, future Mrs. Moretti,” he smiled against her lips.
Norah blushed, pulling the sheet up to her chest. “You’re very confident I’m going to say yes to a proposal you haven't technically asked yet.”
“I don't ask for what is already mine,” he teased, though his eyes were completely serious. He sat on the edge of the mattress, his expression shifting to business. “Marco got the information back from Zurich.”
Norah sat up, clutching the sheets. “About the key?”
“Yes,” Adrien said, handing her a thick manila folder. “Your grandmother, Sofia Falcone, didn't trust her son—your father, Richard. She knew Richard was weak and that Celeste was greedy. Before she died, she didn't leave her wealth to them. She put it all in a blind trust, locked in a Swiss vault.”
Norah opened the folder. Inside were copies of banking documents in German, with English translations attached.
“Wait,” Norah said, her eyes scanning the bold print. “The Bennett Luxury Group... my father said he inherited it from her.”
“He lied,” Adrien said flatly. “He forged the immediate will to take control of the company. But the true bearer shares, the documents that legally prove ownership of sixty percent of the Bennett Luxury Group, are sitting inside a safety deposit box in Zurich. A box that can only be opened by the bearer of that brass key.”
Norah’s breath hitched. She looked at the key sitting on the nightstand.
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“Vanessa knew,” Norah whispered in horror. “That’s why she looked like she saw a ghost when I dropped it. They knew the key existed, but they didn't know Grandma gave it to me.”
“Exactly,” Adrien nodded. “Your father doesn't own the company I just ruined, Norah. You do.”
