Chapter 10 - THE VAULT OF SECRETS
The old Moretti vault had not been opened in eight years.
Not because Dominic forgot it existed.
Because his father had made one final request before his death.
“Some truths destroy more than lies.”
Those were the last words Dominic remembered hearing from him.
At the time, he thought it was the fear of an old man.
Now he wondered if it was a warning.
The underground vault beneath the Moretti estate was hidden behind a wall of steel.
Only three people had ever possessed the access code.
His father.
His uncle Anthony.
And Dominic.
But when Dominic entered the code that morning, the door opened immediately.
Someone had been inside recently.
The dust around the lock had been disturbed.
Marco noticed it too.
“Someone beat us here.”
Dominic’s expression hardened.
“Then they wanted us to find something.”
Hannah stood behind him silently.
She looked at the vault like she had been there before.
Dominic noticed.
“You recognize this place?”
She looked away.
“No.”
Another lie.
A small one.
But a lie.
Inside the vault were dozens of old files.
Financial records.
Photographs.
Documents.
Evidence of deals Dominic never knew existed.
Marco opened one folder.
His face changed.
“Boss…”
Dominic took it.
Inside was a report about a company called Carter Medical Research.
The same facility where Hannah’s mother had disappeared.
The same place where Emily Carter had supposedly died.
Dominic turned the pages.
Then froze.
Because the final signature on the report belonged to his father.
“What does this mean?”
Hannah stepped closer.
“It means your father knew.”
Dominic looked at her.
“Knew what?”
“That my mother was being hunted.”
Silence filled the vault.
A second folder fell from the shelf.
Inside was an old photograph.
Four people stood together.
Dominic’s father.
Eleanor.
Richard Whitmore.
And a young woman Dominic recognized immediately.
Hannah’s mother.
But there was something else.
Written on the back of the photograph were five words.
“The child must be protected.”
Dominic looked at Hannah.
“Child?”
Her face turned pale.
Because she understood.
Before she could speak, the vault lights suddenly shut off.
A loud metallic sound echoed.
The door locked automatically.
Someone was trapping them inside.
Marco reached for his weapon.
“Someone is here.”
Then a voice came through the security system.
A voice Dominic knew.
A voice that made his blood run cold.
“Dominic.”
His uncle Anthony.
“You were never supposed to open that door.”
Dominic stared at the speaker.
“Anthony.”
A quiet laugh echoed.
“You always were too curious.”
Dominic stepped toward the camera.
“You killed them.”
A pause.
Then Anthony answered:
“No.”
His voice became colder.
“I saved this family from them.”
Dominic looked at Hannah.
And realized the worst part.
May you like
Anthony didn’t sound guilty.
He sounded convinced.
