Chapter 9 - The Threat Behind the Door
Valerie opened the bedroom door.
The hallway was empty.
She looked down.
A small brass key lay on the carpet.
She recognized it immediately.
Arthur's study key.
But nobody should have had it.
She picked it up.
Then she noticed a faint scratch on the lock.
Someone had entered the study.
Valerie moved silently.
Inside, the hidden compartment was open.
The letter was gone.
Her heart dropped.
Someone had stolen Arthur's final letter.
But they had missed one thing.
The cassette.
Valerie had already taken it.
She called Evelyn.
“Someone broke into the study.”
Evelyn went quiet.
“Then they know.”
“Know what?”
“That Arthur left more than one instruction.”
Valerie frowned.
“There's another?”
“Yes.”
Evelyn hesitated.
“He told me never to reveal it unless you were in danger.”
Valerie's pulse quickened.
“What did he say?”
Before Evelyn could answer, the call disconnected.
Valerie stared at the phone.
Then she heard glass breaking downstairs.
She rushed toward the sound.
Julian was standing in the hallway.
“Valerie!”
“What happened?”
“Someone broke into the office.”
They ran together.
The office window was shattered.
The safe was open.
Documents were scattered everywhere.
But nothing appeared stolen.
Until Julian checked his desk.
“My laptop.”
Gone.
Valerie looked at him.
“What was on it?”
“Everything.”
“Everything?”
“The foundation records. The property transfers. My emails.”
Valerie's face tightened.
“Then they didn't come for money.”
Julian understood.
“They came for evidence.”
A message appeared on his phone.
Unknown number.
Stop digging.
Then another.
Or the next thing we take won't be a laptop.
Julian looked at Valerie.
May you like
For the first time, he was genuinely afraid.
👉 The threat had changed everything: whoever was behind the fraud was willing to hurt them both.
