Chapter 10 - THE FIRE WAS A DISTRACTION

The fire looked catastrophic.

It was not.

The old records building had been mostly empty.

Daniel’s men contained the flames before they reached the main archive.

That was what Samuel wanted.

Chaos.

Vehicles moving.

Security splitting.

Everyone looking outside.

Dominic realized it thirty seconds too late.

“Harper.”

He ran.

Mia had moved Harper back to the safe room.

Or so everyone believed.

When Dominic reached the west wing, the safe-room door stood open.

Elena was on the floor.

Conscious.

Dazed.

Mia was gone.

Harper was gone.

Dominic’s world narrowed.

Daniel arrived behind him.

“Elena.”

She struggled upright.

“A guard.”

“Vale uniform.”

“He knew the code.”

Dominic turned toward Nathan.

Nathan had been brought inside under guard.

His face went white.

“Six-digit authorization.”

Daniel looked at him.

“The compromised system.”

Nathan nodded.

“Samuel has a full security profile.”

Dominic’s phone rang.

Claire.

Daniel had detained her at the gate.

Her phone should have been confiscated.

Dominic answered.

Samuel’s voice came through.

“You protected the school.”

Dominic said nothing.

“Predictable.”

Samuel continued.

“You always preferred walls.”

“Your father did too.”

“Where are they?”

“Under your feet.”

The call ended.

Nathan swore.

Dominic looked at him.

“Where?”

“The old river tunnel.”

“What river tunnel?”

Nathan was already moving.

“Built during Prohibition.”

“It runs from the estate to an abandoned boathouse near the Hudson.”

Daniel followed.

“How do we get in?”

“The blue room.”

They ran through the chapel.

Down the hidden staircase.

Behind the servers, Nathan found another door.

Locked.

Dominic shot the mechanism.

The door opened.

Daniel looked at him.

“Subtle.”

Dominic did not respond.

The tunnel smelled of earth and cold water.

Fresh footprints marked the dust.

Small ones.

Harper.

Dominic followed them.

Then saw something yellow on the ground.

A torn piece of Harper’s nightgown.

His chest tightened.

“She left a trail.”

Nathan picked it up.

“Smart kid.”

They continued.

Far ahead, voices echoed.

Mia.

“Don’t touch her.”

Samuel answered calmly.

“Then cooperate.”

Dominic stopped at a bend.

He could see them.

Mia stood beside Harper.

A man held Mia by the arm.

Samuel stood opposite her.

Two others guarded the tunnel.

Claire was nowhere visible.

Nathan whispered,

“I can get closer.”

“No.”

“He’ll hesitate with me.”

“No.”

Nathan looked at Dominic.

“You said trust you once.”

“Yes.”

“Now trust me.”

Before Dominic could stop him, Nathan stepped around the corner.

“Dad.”

Samuel turned.

His face brightened.

“Nathan.”

Harper saw Dominic behind the shadows.

Her eyes widened.

Dominic put one finger to his lips.

She understood.

Samuel moved toward Nathan.

“You embarrassed me.”

Nathan shrugged.

“You raised me.”

Samuel almost smiled.

“You sound like your mother.”

Nathan’s expression changed.

“My mother died believing you were dead.”

Samuel’s face remained calm.

“She was safer that way.”

“No.”

Nathan took another step.

“You were.”

Samuel’s smile disappeared.

Behind him, Harper slowly reached toward Mia’s hand.

Mia saw Dominic too.

She did not react.

Good.

Nathan continued speaking.

“All these years.”

“You told me the Vales stole our family.”

“You told me Dominic’s father destroyed you.”

Samuel looked almost offended.

“He did.”

Nathan shook his head.

“No.”

“You destroyed yourself.”

Samuel’s eyes hardened.

That was the opening.

Dominic moved.

Daniel and Marcus came behind him.

The first guard was disarmed before Samuel could turn.

Mia pulled Harper down behind a stone support.

Nathan lunged toward his father.

The second guard reached for a weapon.

Daniel tackled him against the wall.

Samuel ran.

Dominic followed.

The tunnel opened into a larger chamber near the river.

Boxes lined the walls.

Computers.

Cash.

Documents.

The real Shepherd archive.

Samuel stopped beside a steel table.

Dominic entered.

Nathan behind him.

Samuel smiled.

“There.”

He spread his arms.

“The inheritance your parents denied you.”

Dominic looked around.

Decades of secrets.

Political payments.

Black accounts.

Leverage.

Enough information to destroy careers, companies, perhaps entire institutions.

Samuel whispered,

“This is power.”

Dominic stared at the boxes.

Then looked at him.

“No.”

Samuel frowned.

Dominic continued.

“This is fear pretending to be power.”

Nathan stared at Dominic.

Samuel laughed.

“You sound like Isabella.”

“Good.”

Samuel’s face twisted.

Then Claire stepped from behind the boxes.

She held Mia’s silver pendant.

Dominic’s eyes narrowed.

Claire smiled.

“You forgot one thing.”

She pressed the pendant between her fingers.

“The recording isn’t the only copy.”

Mia appeared behind Dominic with Harper protected against her side.

Claire looked at Mia.

“You should have stayed downstairs.”

May you like

THE MAID’S DAUGHTER

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE,” HIS FIANCÉE TOLD THE MAID—THEN THE MAFIA BOSS LOOKED AT HER LITTLE GIRL“Get out of my house. And take that...

**MY HUSBAND CALLED ME A “BARREN LEECH”—HE DIDN’T KNOW MY MONEY WAS KEEP...

My husband threw his wedding ring at my feet and told security to remove the “barren leech” from the ballroom.He had no idea he wa...

MY DAUGHTER’S NOTE STOPPED MY WEDDING—AND EXPOSED MY BRIDE

MY DAUGHTER SLIPPED ME A NOTE BEFORE “I DO”—AND EXPOSED MY BRIDE’S PLANPART 1 — TEN MINUTES BEFORE THE VOWS“Daddy, if you marry he...

Mia answered,

“You should have chosen a better lock.”