Chapter 10 - The Brother Who Came Home.
The clock in the wine cellar read 12:24 a.m.
Thirty-six minutes remained until the time shown on the video.
Marcus checked the file metadata three times.
“It was created earlier tonight,” he said.
“The timestamp was altered.”
Lorenzo stared at the frozen image of his own staged death.
“Someone wants me in the dining room at one.”
Adrian gave a bitter laugh.
“Then don’t go.”
Lorenzo finally looked at him.
“That may be the first sensible thing you’ve said tonight.”
Adrian’s expression hardened.
“I came here because Victor called me.”
The room went silent.
Lorenzo stepped closer.
“Our attorney called you?”
“At eleven-ten.”
“What did he say?”
“That there was a problem with tomorrow’s board packet.”
“And you told me you were in New York.”
“I was on my way back.”
“You lied.”
“I didn’t want another argument.”
Lorenzo smiled without warmth.
“You returned to my house after midnight, entered during a security breach, and immediately knew our father’s ring had come from his grave.”
Adrian’s eyes flashed.
“I visited the cemetery last week.”
“Why?”
Adrian hesitated.
That hesitation was enough to make Marcus move closer.
Adrian exhaled.
“The grave had been disturbed.”
Lorenzo stared at him.
“And you never told me?”
“I thought it was vandalism.”
“You thought someone opening our father’s grave was ordinary vandalism?”
“I handled it.”
“You covered it up.”
Adrian looked away.
Lorenzo suddenly understood something.
Adrian had been afraid long before tonight.
Maybe because he was guilty.
Maybe because someone was framing him.
Both possibilities were dangerous.
Lorenzo turned to Marcus.
“Where is Victor?”
Marcus checked his phone.
“His home alarm system shows no activity.”
“Call him.”
Marcus did.
No answer.
Lorenzo called Victor personally.
The call went straight to voicemail.
Celeste whispered, “The man in the cellar knew about the board meeting.”
“Yes.”
“He knew about the vault.”
“Yes.”
“He knew Noah existed.”
Lorenzo looked at her.
“That narrows the list.”
Evelyn frowned.
“How many people knew Celeste’s brother was missing?”
Celeste swallowed.
“Victor did.”
Adrian turned sharply.
“Why would Victor know that?”
“Because he helped me arrange the supposed rehabilitation story.”
Lorenzo felt the pieces shift again.
Victor had represented the DeLuca family for twenty-five years.
He had drafted Lorenzo’s marriage agreement with Celeste.
He managed Adrian’s corporate filings.
He knew Isabelle’s estate.
He knew the board schedule.
He knew the vault existed.
And he knew enough about every family weakness to weaponize it.
Marcus’s phone rang.
The gatehouse guard sounded shaken.
“Sir, there’s a vehicle outside the west gate.”
“Whose?”
“It belongs to Mr. Shaw.”
Lorenzo’s pulse quickened.
“Is Victor inside?”
“No, sir.”
“The driver’s door is open.”
Marcus listened.
Then his expression changed.
“What?” Lorenzo demanded.
May you like
The guard answered loudly enough for everyone to hear through the speaker.
“There’s blood on the steering wheel.”
