Chapter 4 - THE SAFE BENEATH VALE TOWER
By sunrise, Vale Tower was surrounded by reporters.
The financial press had learned that something was wrong before most employees had reached the office.
Trading in Vale Industries shares had not yet opened, but analysts were already speculating about an emergency leadership crisis.
Julian released a statement at 6:12 a.m.
He called the board action “temporary.”
He called the lender response “procedurally improper.”
He called rumors of financial misconduct “malicious fabrications.”
He did not mention me.
That was his first mistake.
His second was entering Vale Tower through the main entrance while cameras were waiting.
His third was allowing Selene to follow twenty minutes later.
By breakfast, photographs of both of them were everywhere.
David showed me the coverage from the recovery suite.
I turned the screen facedown.
“I don't care what the press thinks.”
“Good.”
“Do we have access to the basement?”
“Not yet.”
Vale Tower sat on land owned by a complicated property partnership.
The upper structure belonged to one entity.
The underground records levels belonged to another.
Naturally, my father controlled the second entity.
But ownership did not mean we could simply break into a leased corporate space.
David had already sent attorneys to obtain access.
I hated waiting.
By nine, my injuries had been formally documented.
By ten, I gave my first statement to investigators.
I described the room.
Julian.
Selene.
The counting.
The threats.
The absence of staff.
The final two strikes.
The words Julian had used afterward.
I did not exaggerate.
I didn't need to.
Truth was enough.
At 11:18 a.m., David received a call.
He listened for less than a minute.
Then looked at me.
“They found the safe.”
My father stood.
“Where?”
“Sublevel three.”
“Was it opened?”
“No.”
“Why?”
David's expression tightened.
“Because someone reached it first.”
Security footage from the underground service corridor showed a woman entering at 7:43 that morning.
She wore sunglasses, a long coat, and a baseball cap.
She left sixteen minutes later carrying a slim black case.
Even with her face partially hidden, I recognized the way she walked.
Selene.
My stomach dropped.
“She knew about it.”
Dad looked furious.
“Or someone told her.”
“Julian?”
“Maybe.”
I shook my head.
“Julian didn't even understand who you were last night.”
“That doesn't mean he knew nothing about his father's records.”
A call came from Vale Industries general counsel.
David placed it on speaker.
The attorney sounded exhausted.
“Mr. Laurent, Julian is demanding that we terminate the security contract and prevent your representatives from accessing the building.”
My father responded calmly.
“Does he currently have authority to issue that instruction?”
“No.”
“Then don't.”
“There is another issue.”
“What?”
“We discovered an attempted document purge overnight.”
I looked at David.
The attorney continued.
“Thousands of files were scheduled for deletion from the executive archive.”
“Did they succeed?”
“Partially.”
“Who initiated it?”
A pause.
“Credentials assigned to Selene Ward.”
Selene's full name.
I repeated it silently.
Selene Ward.
She had always been introduced to me simply as Selene.
A consultant.
Then an adviser.
Then Julian's constant companion.
Then the woman he stopped pretending wasn't his mistress.
“What was she deleting?”
David asked.
“We're still reconstructing it.”
“Anything tied to Sable Advisory?”
Another pause.
“Yes.”
My father and David exchanged a look.
I leaned forward.
“Can you trace where Selene went?”
David nodded.
“We're trying.”
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone in the room looked at it.
I answered.
“Elena?”
Selene.
She was whispering.
“Where are you?”
“Somewhere Julian can't reach me.”
“You need to listen.”
“I'm listening.”
“I did not know he was going to do that to you.”
My hand tightened around the phone.
“You counted.”
Silence.
Then she said, “I know.”
“You smiled.”
“I was scared of him too.”
I almost laughed.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You were holding champagne.”
“Elena, I need you to understand.”
“You enjoyed watching me hurt.”
Her breath caught.
“Maybe I did.”
The honesty surprised me.
Then she said something else.
“But that doesn't mean I want to die for him.”
The room went still.
“What are you talking about?”
“The case I took from the basement.”
Dad stepped closer.
I held up a hand.
“What is in it?”
“Not what your father thinks.”
“What is it?”
“Copies.”
“Of the ledger?”
“Parts of it.”
My pulse accelerated.
“Where are you?”
“I can't tell you yet.”
“Selene.”
“If Julian knows I called you, I'm finished.”
“Then why call?”
“Because last night I realized something.”
“What?”
“Julian is losing.”
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
Not guilt.
Not remorse.
Calculation.
Selene had spent years choosing the side that seemed strongest.
Now she was switching again.
“What do you want?”
“Protection.”
“From Julian?”
“From everyone.”
“And in exchange?”
“I give you the case.”
My father shook his head.
I ignored him.
“Why should I trust you?”
“You shouldn't.”
At least she was consistent.
“But you should trust what is inside that case.”
“What is inside?”
She lowered her voice.
“Proof that Julian has been stealing from Vale Industries.”
“We already know that.”
“No.”
“You know a fraction.”
She paused.
Then delivered the sentence that changed the entire case.
May you like
“Julian didn't build Sable Advisory to hide company money.”
“He built it to hide money he stole from you.”
