Chapter 3 - the vault beneath the floor
The air grew cold and damp as Dominic led Claire down the ancient stone staircase leading into the estate's subterranean vaults. Marcus and four heavily armed enforcers moved silently ahead, their flashlights cutting through the thick darkness.
They reached a massive double door made of solid reinforced steel, embedded directly into the bedrock foundation of the mansion. In the center of the steel door was a recessed lock mechanism shaped like a lion’s head, flanked by two biometric scanners.
"This vault hasn't been opened since your mother's passing eight years ago," Dominic noted, stepping aside so Claire could reach the door.
Claire stepped forward, her heart pounding against her ribs. She placed her left hand against the cold iron surface, aligning her signet ring directly into the lion's mouth.
CLICK! CLANG!
A heavy mechanical gear turned inside the stone wall. The steel door unsealed with a deep pneumatic hiss, swinging inward to reveal a dry, dust-covered room filled with iron chest trunks and legal storage boxes.
In the center of the room sat a single glass display case containing a yellowed, wax-sealed parchment document—the original land grant charter for the 500-acre Serrano territory.
Dominic walked over to the glass case, shattering it with a single blow of his heavy fist. He pulled out the parchment document, unrolling it under his flashlight.
"Look at the signatures at the bottom," Claire whispered, leaning closer.
Dominic’s dark eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. Written beneath Claire’s mother's signature was a secondary witness mark—signed by Dominic’s late father, Lorenzo Serrano.
"My father didn't buy this estate from your mother," Dominic realized, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "He held it in trust for you until you reached thirty-two years of age."
"Which means," Claire gasped, "Vivienne forged the debt sale documents to steal the estate for herself!"
Before Dominic could respond, a heavy metallic clang echoed down the hallway behind them. The massive steel door slammed shut, locking them inside the vault as mechanical locks engaged from the outside.
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Over the vault's internal intercom speaker, Vivienne’s arrogant, shrill voice cackled with wicked delight.
"Did you really think it would be that easy, Dominic?" Vivienne mocked over the static. "Enjoy your new tomb with your little maid. The council will sign the transfer papers in twenty minutes!"
