Chapter 7 - the shadow of chicago
Dominic walked over to his private desk, pressing the speaker button on the encrypted radio console.
"Dominic," a gravelly, familiar voice rasped over the speaker line. "It's Uncle Victor from Chicago."
"Victor," Dominic acknowledged smoothly. "I assume you heard the news about Vivienne."
"I heard," Victor replied dryly. "The girl got greedy and sloppy. But you need to know something before you sign off on that land charter, nephew."
Dominic’s dark eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"Vivienne wasn't working alone," Victor revealed over the static. "She was selling the eastern shipping rights to a syndicate syndicate backed by the Moretti family in London. And they just launched a private transport ship carrying the secondary vault keys across the Atlantic."
Claire stepped up beside Dominic, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Secondary vault keys?"
Dominic looked at Eleanor, who sat quietly in her chair. "Eleanor... is there another vault?"
Eleanor sighed softly, reaching into her collar and pulling out a small silver pendant shaped like a half-moon.
"The signet ring Claire holds is only one half of the master key," Eleanor revealed gently. "The second half—the crescent seal—was hidden in a private vault in London eight years ago to keep it out of Vivienne's hands."
Dominic’s jaw tightened. "Which means the London syndicate is coming here to claim the rest of the empire."
"Let them come," Dominic said flatly into the radio microphone. "This estate is heavily defended, and the co-rulers are ready."
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"They aren't just bringing men, Dominic," Victor warned sternly over the line. "They are bringing the original master ledger... the document that contains the names of every secret investor in the eastern territory."
Dominic clicked the radio off, turning to Marcus. "Prepare the private jet. Claire and I are flying to London tomorrow morning."
