Chapter 4 - The Betrayal at the Archives
To make the trust deed legally untouchable before the 2:00 p.m. board meeting, they needed one final piece of evidence: the original notarized wax-sealed ledger stored in the subterranean historical vaults of the Old City Archive—the very building where Emma used to work.
At 11:00 a.m., Luca’s black sedan pulled up to the rear entrance of the sprawling granite archive building downtown.
“Cassian and four men will secure the perimeter,” Luca said as he stepped out into the light drizzle, offering his hand to Emma. “The vault is four levels below ground. Do you know the path?”
“I spent four years down there,” Emma said, holding a flashlight in her tote bag. “I know every brick.”
They descended the narrow, spiral concrete stairs into the bowels of the building. The air grew cold, smelling of ancient paper, damp limestone, and iron dust. Rows upon rows of floor-to-ceiling metal shelving stretched into the darkness, containing over a century of city records.
Emma led Luca through the maze of high filing units until they reached a heavy, reinforced iron door marked Special Collections: 1900–1950.
Pulling a heavy brass key from her pocket—a key her father had given her on his deathbed—Emma inserted it into the lock. The tumblers clicked open with a satisfying metallic thud.
Inside the small, dry room, sitting inside a glass display case, was the master ledger bound in dark red leather, stamped with the golden seal of the City Charter.
“This is it,” Emma whispered, her heart racing as she reached into the case and lifted the heavy volume. She opened it to page 412. There, in faded black ink, were the signatures of Arthur Carter, Luca’s father, and the original board members, explicitly declaring the $112 million trust irrevocably tied to the Carter family bloodline.
Suddenly, a loud CLICK echoed from the dark hallway outside the vault.
Luca moved instantly. He grabbed Emma by the waist, pulling her behind a heavy steel filing cabinet just as a burst of suppressed gunfire shattered the glass display case behind them.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
Guns equipped with silencers tore through the air, ripping through ancient paper boxes and raining confetti-like debris down on them.
“Richard’s mercenaries,” Luca growled, pulling a matte-black pistol from beneath his coat. His expression turned instantly into that of a lethal predator.
“How did they know we were here?” Emma gasped, pressing her back against the steel cabinet, clutching the master ledger tightly against her chest.
“A mole on the city council,” Luca replied smoothly, popping the magazine out to check his rounds before slamming it back in. “Stay behind me, Emma. Do not let go of that ledger.”
Three men in dark tactical gear stepped into the vault entrance, their submachine guns raised.
Luca didn't flinch. He leaned around the filing cabinet and fired three precise shots.
Two of the attackers dropped instantly to the concrete floor. The third dove behind a row of archive shelves, blind-firing down the aisle.
A stray bullet struck the overhead iron sprinkler line, causing cold water to burst forth, flooding the narrow corridor and creating a thick, blinding mist.
The remaining mercenary began advancing down the aisle toward their position.
Emma looked around frantically. She knew this vault better than anyone. She noticed that the advancing gunman was standing directly beneath the heavy, manual mobile shelf unit—a ten-ton iron rack used for massive land deeds.
“Luca!” Emma hissed, pointing at the large iron wheel on the side of their shelf. “Turn that crank!”
Luca understood instantly. He lunged forward, grabbing the heavy iron wheel and spinning it with brutal, superhuman force.
The massive ten-ton steel filing unit slid along its floor tracks with a deafening screech of grinding metal, pinning the mercenary against the concrete wall before he could raise his weapon. The man dropped his gun, gasping for air as the heavy shelves locked him in place.
Luca stepped over, kicking the dropped weapon away, and pulled Emma out from behind the cabinet.
Water rained down on them from the broken sprinkler, soaking Luca’s suit and drenching Emma’s hair. But the master ledger in her arms remained completely dry, wrapped securely inside Luca’s waterproof leather coat which he had wrapped around it moments before the fight.
Luca looked down at Emma, his chest heaving, his face splattered with water and a tiny cut on his cheek.
Then he laughed—a short, dark, triumphant sound.
“You’re incredible, Emma Carter,” Luca murmured, taking her face in his broad hands, his thumbs wiping the water from her cheeks.
Emma looked up into his fierce, dark eyes, her heart pounding not from fear, but from the electric, unstoppable rush of surviving together.
“Let me fix your face,” she whispered, reaching up to gently touch the cut on his jaw.
May you like
Luca caught her wrist, holding her hand against his cheek, his dark eyes burning with an unmistakable, fierce devotion.
“We have a board meeting to attend,” Luca said softly. “Let’s go take your father’s legacy back.”
