The Beaumont estate stood as it always had a looming monument to wealth and power. Its tall iron gates, lined with intricate designs of roses and thorns, creaked open under Fabricio's skillful manipulation of the security panel. Naela sat silently in the passenger seat, her hands clenched into fists in her lap.
The sprawling gardens, once meticulously maintained by her father's dedicated staff, now appeared overgrown and wild. Vines snaked up the marble columns of the front façade, giving the mansion a haunting air. Naela's memories of the place flooded back some warm with the faint glow of her father's love, others cold with the shadows of Claudia and Isabella's cruelty.
Fabricio's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"
Naela turned to him, her eyes hard. "I don't have a choice."
He nodded, his expression unreadable, and stepped out of the car. Naela followed, her heart pounding as the heavy silence of the estate settled around them.
Inside, the mansion was eerily quiet. Their footsteps echoed against the marble floors as they moved through the grand foyer. Dust coated the once polished surfaces, and the chandeliers overhead hung like ghosts of a bygone era.
Naela couldn't help but glance at the sweeping staircase where Claudia used to stand, her icy gaze cutting through the air as she issued commands. She swallowed hard, forcing the memories away.
Fabricio walked ahead, his movements calculated as he surveyed the space. "Where's the vault?"
"In the basement," Naela replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "There's a hidden door behind the wine cellar." Fabricio gestured for her to lead the way, and together, they descended the narrow staircase that led to the lower levels of the estate. The air grew cooler, tinged with the faint scent of damp stone and aged wood. Naela paused in front of a large wooden cabinet that dominated one wall of the wine cellar. Her hands trembled as she reached for the hidden latch she hadn't touched in years. With a soft click, the cabinet slid aside, revealing a narrow passageway.
Fabricio raised an eyebrow. "Impressive."
"My father didn't trust anyone, not even his family," Naela said, stepping into the passage.
The corridor was dark and cramped, the only light coming from a small flashlight Fabricio carried. At the end of the passage was a heavy steel door, its surface engraved with an ornate family crest.
"This is it," Naela said, her voice shaking slightly.
Fabricio examined the door, his sharp eyes scanning for any signs of traps or alarms. "The journal said only blood could unlock it. Do you know what that means?"
Naela hesitated, then nodded. "My father designed it to recognize our DNA. There's a hidden compartment where I have to place my hand."
She stepped forward, her pulse quickening as she pressed her palm against a small panel beside the door. A soft hum filled the air, followed by a mechanical click. The door creaked open, revealing a room bathed in dim light.
The vault was larger than Naela had expected. Shelves lined the walls, filled with documents, ledgers, and artifacts she didn't recognize. At the center of the room was a wooden desk, its surface cluttered with papers and photographs. Fabricio wasted no time, moving to the desk and sifting through the items with practiced efficiency. Naela wandered to one of the shelves, her eyes scanning the titles of the documents. Many were marked with cryptic symbols and dates, but one in particular caught her attention.
It was a leather bound book with her father's initials embossed on the cover. She opened it carefully, her breath hitching as she recognized the neat handwriting inside.
"It's his personal records," she said, her voice trembling. "Details of business deals, accounts… and…" She trailed off, her fingers freezing on a page marked with a red X.
"What is it?" Fabricio asked, moving to her side.
Naela pointed to the page, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's a list of names."
Fabricio leaned closer, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the page. "These are powerful people," he said grimly. "Politicians, businessmen… and Monroe."
Naela's stomach twisted. "Why would my father keep a list like this?"
"To protect himself," Fabricio said, his tone dark. "Your father wasn't just involved with Monroe. He was keeping tabs on everyone. This list is leverage information he could use against them if things went south."
Naela's mind raced as she flipped through the book, finding more pages filled with similar notes. "He was trying to bring them down," she said, realization dawning. "He wasn't working with them. He was fighting them."
Fabricio's jaw tightened. "And now they're after you because they think you have this."
Before Naela could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed down the passage. Fabricio's head snapped up, his hand instinctively reaching for the gun at his side.
"Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice low and steady.
Naela's heart pounded as the footsteps grew louder. The shadows in the doorway shifted, and a figure appeared a man with a cruel smile and a gun in his hand.
"Well, well," the man said, his voice dripping with mockery. "What do we have here? The Beaumont heir and her knight in shining armor." Fabricio didn't hesitate. He fired a single shot, the sound deafening in the enclosed space. The man dropped to the ground, but the echo of more footsteps told them he wasn't alone.
"Grab the book," Fabricio barked, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Naela clutched the journal to her chest as Fabricio moved to the doorway, his gun trained on the shadows. Another man appeared, and another shot rang out.
"We need to move," Fabricio said, his voice tense.
Naela followed him out of the vault, her hands shaking as they navigated the narrow passage. The sound of gunfire echoed behind them, but Fabricio's presence kept her grounded.
When they finally emerged into the wine cellar, Fabricio sealed the hidden door and grabbed her arm.
"Run," he said, his tone urgent.
Naela didn't need to be told twice. Together, they raced through the mansion and out into the night.
As they sped away from the estate, Naela clutched the journal tightly, her mind spinning with the weight of what they had uncovered.
"This isn't over," Fabricio said, his voice low. "They'll come for us."
Naela turned to him, her fear replaced by a steely determination. "Then we'll be ready."
For the first time, she felt like she understood her father's fight and she wasn't about to back down.