The Midnight Inheritance: How My Business Partner Framed Me at the Vanderbilt Gala
👉 Previous Decision: You chose to shadow Marcus as he slips down into the mansion’s lower vault level.
Julian moved silently, like a phantom in the shadows. He followed Marcus Adler as his partner, agitated and furtive, slipped down a narrow stone staircase leading to the mansion’s lower vault level. The air grew colder with each step, the faint scent of damp earth and old money replacing the gala’s perfumes.
Julian crouched behind the heavy, intricately carved steel door frame of the vault entrance, barely breathing. From within, he heard Marcus’s voice, low and urgent.
“Beatrice, think about it,” Marcus was saying, his words echoing slightly in the confined space. “Clara is unstable. The grief, the shock… she’s not fit to manage $120 million. You know it.”
Julian peered around the edge of the door. Marcus stood facing Aunt Beatrice Vanderbilt, her regal posture stiff even in the dimly lit vault. Marcus was gesturing wildly, his voice rising in intensity.
“Sign the emergency petition,” Marcus pressed, his voice a sibilant hiss. “Declare her incompetent. We freeze her out, put her in a quiet sanatorium. You’ll get 20% of the estate, Beatrice. Twenty percent of $120 million, before sunrise.”
Beatrice’s expression was unreadable, her lips pressed into a thin line. She looked at a stack of documents Marcus held out to her. Julian felt a cold dread settle in his stomach. Marcus wasn’t just trying to frame him; he was moving to seize complete control.
Julian quickly pulled out his small, discreet pocket recorder, a standard piece of PI tech he always carried. He pressed record, capturing Marcus’s desperate plea and Beatrice’s silent consideration.
He shifted his weight, trying to get a clearer angle. His foot landed on a loose stone floorboard. It scraped against the rough concrete with a sharp, jarring sound.
Marcus’s head snapped up. His eyes, keen and predatory, darted towards the vault entrance.
Julian froze, his heart slamming against his ribs.
➡️ Read Chapter 10 to continue the story
More Stories
+ There are no comments
Add yours