Chapter 21 - The Black Envelope|
Exactly three months after that peaceful Sunday, the delicate illusion of safety Natalie had built completely shattered. She was standing at the kitchen counter, pouring a fresh cup of coffee, while Ethan was in the backyard pruning the roses. It was a perfectly ordinary afternoon until a sleek, bulletproof black SUV pulled into their quiet suburban driveway.
Natalie froze, the coffee pot hovering in her hand. A tall man in a tailored charcoal suit stepped out. He didn’t look like a salesman or a lost driver. He moved with the precise, calculated grace of a predator. Ethan noticed him through the window, and Natalie saw her fiancé’s posture instantly change. His shoulders stiffened, and he dropped the pruning shears, rushing toward the back door.
The doorbell rang. It sounded echoing and ominous in the quiet house.
Natalie walked to the foyer and pulled the door open. The man stood there, his eyes hidden behind dark aviator sunglasses. He held out a thick, black velvet envelope sealed with crimson wax.
“Are you Natalie Vance?” his voice was deep, lacking any trace of warmth.
“Who is asking?” she replied, her heart hammering against her ribs.
“I am Silas Thorne,” the man said, removing his sunglasses to reveal piercing gray eyes. “I am the executor of your late father’s true estate. And I am afraid the letter you found was only the beginning of his final test.”
Ethan burst through the front door from the hallway, his face pale. “Silas. You shouldn't be here. She’s out of the game.”
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Natalie snapped her head toward Ethan, completely stunned. “Ethan? You know this man? What game?”
Silas smiled, a cold, humorless expression. “Oh, Natalie. You thought you were done with the lies? Your father didn't die of a heart attack. He was murdered. And your charming fiancé here used to work for the people who did it. Open the envelope. It is time you inherit the empire.”
