Chapter 23 - The Underground Vault|
The threat against Chloe was the trigger. Natalie’s fear instantly crystallized into a cold, hard resolve. Within an hour, she was sitting in the back of Silas’s armored SUV, Ethan sitting silently beside her. The tension between them was a physical weight, but she refused to acknowledge him. He was a stranger to her now.
The GPS coordinates led them to an abandoned subway station deep beneath the financial district of the city. Silas guided them through a maze of service tunnels until they reached a massive, polished steel door that looked like it belonged in a nuclear bunker.
“The biometric scanner requires the key, your retina, and a drop of your blood,” Silas instructed, handing her a small medical lancet.
Natalie didn't hesitate. She pricked her finger, pressed it to the scanner, aligned her eye, and inserted the titanium key. The heavy steel door hissed, unlocking with a series of heavy mechanical clunks, and swung open to reveal a massive, brilliantly lit vault.
Natalie gasped. The room was lined with floor-to-ceiling safety deposit boxes, but the center table was what caught her attention. It was stacked with neat piles of bearer bonds, untraceable diamonds, and a sleek black laptop.
“Your father’s legacy,” Silas said. “Untraceable wealth, and the digital ledger containing the dirty secrets of the most powerful people in the country.”
Ethan stepped forward, looking at the laptop. “If she accesses that ledger, a silent alarm will trigger at the syndicate’s headquarters. They will know she has claimed the throne.”
“Let them know,” Natalie said, her voice dropping to a chillingly calm register. She walked to the table, her hands brushing over the cold diamonds. She thought of her sister’s newfound peace, of the abusive childhood orchestrated by the fear of these very men.
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“Natalie, don't do this,” Ethan pleaded. “We can run. We can disappear.”
“I am done running,” she said, opening the laptop. “Who is the first name on the list, Silas?”
