One of the guards stepped forward, his massive hand reaching out for the leather book.
Emily’s eyes darted around the cellar. Just as the guard grabbed the corner of the binder, Emily slammed her flashlight directly into his face. The man grunted in pain, stumbling back.
Capitalizing on the second of chaos, Emily ducked beneath the second guard’s arm, threw her weight against a wooden wine rack, and sent dozens of heavy glass bottles crashing onto the floor.
Red wine and shattered glass exploded across the stone floor, creating a treacherous barrier.
“Catch her!” Margaret shrieked, her calm demeanor vanishing instantly.
Emily sprinted up the stairs, blood pumping in her ears, holding the binder against her ribs like a lifesaver.
Emily burst out of the wine cellar door and into the servant hallway. She knew she couldn’t use the main entrance—security guards loyal to Margaret would be posted at the front gate.
She ran toward the kitchen pantry, unbolted the small delivery door used by grocers, and plunged out into the pouring rain.
The cold rain instantly soaked her clothes, but she didn’t stop. She ran through the muddy gardens, her shoes slipping against the wet grass, heading toward the perimeter wall where an old wrought-iron gate led out to the public road.
Behind her, flashlight beams cut through the darkness. The guards were already pursuing her.
“Emily!” a voice shouted through the storm.
She froze for a split second, hiding behind a thick oak tree. Up the main driveway, a sleek black sedan screeched to a halt, its headlights cutting through the heavy downpour.
The driver’s side door flew open. Daniel stepped out, holding an umbrella, his tie loosened, looking frantically around the grounds.
“Daniel!” Emily screamed over the thunder, stepping out from behind the tree.
Before she could reach him, a dark SUV pulled up onto the grass from the side road, blocking her path. The doors slid open, and three men in raincoats jumped out.
“Get in the car, girl!” one of them yelled, reaching for her arm.
Emily ducked, dodging his grip, and sprinted directly toward Daniel’s headlights. “Daniel, look out!”
Daniel saw the commotion. Dropping his umbrella, he sprinted across the flooded lawn. He tackled the lead pursuer just as the man caught up to Emily, sending both men tumbling into the mud.
“Get in my car! Go!” Daniel yelled at her, hauling himself up and throwing a heavy punch that knocked the attacker backward.
Emily didn’t hesitate. She scrambled into the passenger seat of Daniel’s sedan, clutching the precious binder. Daniel sprinted around the hood, jumped into the driver’s seat, slammed the car into reverse, and hit the accelerator.
The tires spun in the mud before gripping the asphalt. The sedan shot backward out of the driveway, flipped around, and roared off into the storm, leaving Margaret’s men and the dark SUV behind in a cloud of exhaust and spray.
The engine roared as Daniel pushed the sedan down the winding coastal highway, far away from the Vance estate. The rain hammered against the windshield, the wipers working frantically.
Emily sat shivering in the passenger seat, hugging herself, her wet clothes dripping onto the leather interior. Beside her, the leather binder remained tightly gripped in her lap.
Daniel reached into the back seat, pulled out a thick wool coat, and draped it over her shoulders. “Are you alright? Did they hurt you?”
“I’m okay,” Emily said, her teeth chattering slightly. She turned to look at him, her eyes filled with sorrow. “Daniel… I’m so sorry. Your mother… she was there. She tried to have me taken away.”
Daniel’s hands tightened on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. “I know. When I was at the board meeting, I caught one of my mother’s assistants trying to access my private files regarding the Reed estate. I realized she was trying to cover something up, so I left the meeting immediately.”
“It’s worse than we thought, Daniel,” Emily said softly. She opened the binder, pointing to the yellowed pages signed fifteen years ago. “Your mother didn’t just buy the estate cheaply. She was a co-conspirator. She helped Arthur Sterling liquidate my father’s assets.”
Daniel glanced over at the signature on the page. His jaw clenched, a profound pain flashing through his dark eyes. The woman who had raised him, who had taught him honor and integrity, was built on a foundation of lies.
“I need to show this to the authorities,” Emily said quietly. “It means exposing your family, Daniel. It means ruining the Vance name.”
Daniel stared at the dark road ahead for a long moment before speaking. “My mother made her choices, Emily. My father always told me that a name built on stolen soil isn’t a legacy—it’s a prison. We are going to my private cabin in the mountains. We’ll examine every page tonight and call the State Prosecutor in the morning.”