Chapter 4 - THE KEY
I had worn the necklace for six years.
My grandmother had told me never to remove it.
I thought it was simply a sentimental gift.
Now Victor was staring at it as though it were a loaded gun.
“What is it?”
He stepped closer.
“Give it to me.”
I hesitated.
“No.”
His eyes narrowed.
“I need to examine it.”
“My grandmother told me never to let anyone take it.”
“Your grandmother knew exactly what it was.”
I removed the chain.
Victor turned the key over.
There was a tiny symbol engraved on the back.
The same silver serpent.
His expression changed.
“Where did she get this?”
“She never told me.”
Victor looked at me.
“Your mother did.”
“What?”
“The key belonged to Elena.”
He handed it back.
“Your grandmother gave it to you because she knew someone would eventually come looking.”
“Looking for what?”
“A vault.”
The word made my stomach tighten.
“What's inside?”
“We don't know.”
“You said it belonged to my mother.”
“Yes.”
“Then why don't you know?”
“Because Elena never told anyone.”
We returned to the mansion.
Victor ordered everyone into lockdown.
No one entered.
No one left.
That night, I sat in the library surrounded by old family records.
Victor placed a box on the table.
“This belonged to your mother.”
Inside were letters.
Photographs.
Documents.
I opened the first letter.
The handwriting was elegant.
My hands trembled.
My little Lily,
If you are reading this, then I failed to protect you.
I stopped breathing.
Victor stood behind me.
I continued.
There are people who believe power belongs to whoever has the largest army. They are wrong. Real power is knowing the truth and knowing when to reveal it.
A tear fell onto the paper.
Your father made mistakes. Your brother will make mistakes. But neither of them knows the whole truth.
I looked at Victor.
He looked stunned.
“Keep reading.”
The next sentence made both of us freeze.
The person who betrayed me is not outside the family.
Victor's jaw tightened.
“Who?”
I turned the page.
The bottom half had been torn away.
“There's more.”
Victor picked up the next letter.
It was empty.
Every page after that was blank.
“What happened?”
He shook his head.
“Someone removed the ink.”
“Can it be recovered?”
“Maybe.”
Suddenly, a woman screamed downstairs.
Victor ran.
I followed.
We reached the foyer.
One of the guards was lying unconscious.
A window stood open.
Rain blew inside.
Victor looked around.
Then he saw the floor.
There was a message written in red.
SHE REMEMBERS.
I stared.
“Who?”
Victor didn't answer.
Then an elderly maid came running toward us.
“Mr. Vale!”
“What?”
“Your mother.”
Victor turned.
“What about her?”
The maid was crying.
“She called.”
“When?”
“Just now.”
“Where is she?”
The maid pointed toward the telephone.
Victor picked it up.
The line was dead.
Then my necklace became warm.
I touched it.
A faint click came from inside the key.
Victor looked at me.
“Open it.”
“What?”
“Twist the head.”
I did.
The key separated.
Inside was a tiny memory card.
I stared at it.
Victor immediately called his technician.
Minutes later, the file opened.
A video appeared.
My mother sat in front of the camera.
Older.
Tired.
But alive.
She looked directly into the lens.
“Lily, if you're seeing this, then they have found you.”
My heart broke.
She continued.
“Your brother will try to protect you. Let him.”
Victor stared at the screen.
“But don't trust everyone in this house.”
The video suddenly glitched.
Then Elena whispered:
“The person who betrayed me has been waiting for you to come home.”
The screen went black.
Victor stood motionless.
Then a gunshot sounded outside.
A guard shouted:
“They're here!”
Victor grabbed my hand.
“Stay behind me.”
But when we reached the front door, there was only one thing waiting on the driveway.
A black coffin.
May you like
And on top of it was a photograph of me.
Taken that morning.
