Chapter 18 - The Syndicate's Debt
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A week later, while reviewing the historical documents in the hidden cellar room, Edward found a locked steel box tucked beneath the table. Using the small key attached to his mother’s ring, he unlocked it.
Inside were private investigator reports dating back three years—reports commissioned by his mother shortly before Edward met Victoria.
Edward scanned the pages, his blood running cold.
Victoria hadn't met Edward by chance at a gallery opening in New York. Her entire introduction to his life had been orchestrated. She was deeply indebted to an elite, underground criminal syndicate known as The Apex Group, an organization that specialized in using honey-traps to infiltrate wealthy families and seize their real estate assets.
Victoria had been sent specifically to target the Vance ancestral mansion. The syndicate wanted the land—not for the house, but because the estate sat directly over a major planned commercial highway expansion worth hundreds of millions.
Edward slumped back in his chair, realization hitting him like a physical blow. Victoria wasn't just a greedy social climber acting on impulse. She was a weapon deployed by dangerous people.
Suddenly, his cell phone chimed on the desk. It was an encrypted text message from an unknown number:
May you like
Victoria failed her contract. But the land still belongs to us, Edward. Expect a visit soon.
Edward stared at the screen, his jaw tightening as he realized the war to protect his mother's legacy was far from over.
