Chapter 5: B: Wait Out Vault

👉 [Previous Decision]: You chose Option B – Wait for Marcus to leave before searching the hidden room.

I watched Marcus Pendelton carefully place the tin box on a shelf in the storage area, then move towards a series of pipes, pulling out a wrench. He seemed absorbed in a routine inspection.

I decided to play it safe. I could wait for him to leave, then re-enter the basement and get to the hidden vault myself. The element of surprise felt crucial.

I slipped back up the service stairs, quietly closing the door behind me. I settled into a corner of the hallway, listening for the distinctive sound of the basement door locking from the outside.

Minutes stretched into what felt like an hour. The building remained silent. Too silent.

Then, I heard it – a different set of footsteps. Heavier, more deliberate. Not Marcus.

Arthur Pendelton himself walked down the main hallway, a set of master keys in his hand. He stopped directly at the basement door, inserting a key.

My stomach dropped. He was here to secure the vault himself.

He opened the door and started to descend the stairs. His head turned, his eyes sweeping the empty hallway.

He stopped, his gaze fixing on me, huddled in the corner. His expression didn’t change, but his posture radiated cold fury.

“Mr. Kross,” he said, his voice like ice. “I believe your lease explicitly states that common areas, particularly service areas, are not for loitering.”

He took another step, closing the distance. “It seems you have a persistent curiosity about parts of my property that do not concern you.”

Two burly men, Arthur’s security, appeared from around the corner. Their faces were grim.

“It’s time for you to leave, Mr. Kross,” Arthur stated, his hand gesturing towards the main entrance. “Permanently.”

I had missed my window. Caught, exposed, and now being forced out of the building entirely. All my leads, everything I had discovered, remained trapped within the Pendelton walls.