CHAPTER 7 – THORNE MANOR
CHAPTER 7 – THORNE MANOR
Thorne Manor stood forty miles outside the city, surrounded by frozen gardens and black iron gates.
The estate had been abandoned since William Thorne’s death.
Rain struck the stone walls as a convoy of armored vehicles approached shortly before dawn.
Adrian led the security team.
Detective Morales followed with a warrant.
Marcus sat beside Khloe in the rear vehicle.
She wore a dark coat over her hospital clothing. A physician accompanied them, along with emergency equipment in case her condition worsened.
Marcus had argued against bringing her.
Khloe had ended the argument with one sentence.
“My father died for whatever is inside that drawer.”
When they entered the manor, motion sensors activated old wall lights.
Portraits of Thorne ancestors watched them from the grand staircase.
Dust covered the furniture.
The house felt less abandoned than asleep.
Eleanor led them toward the library.
She removed a book from the lowest shelf and pressed a metal latch hidden behind it.
A section of the wall opened.
Cold air rose from a stone staircase.
Marcus looked at his mother.
“How many secrets did Father keep?”
“More than I understood.”
They descended beneath the manor.
At the bottom stood a steel door with two keyholes.
One bore the Grant symbol.
The other carried the Thorne seal.
Adrian inserted Daniel’s key.
Marcus looked toward Eleanor.
“Where is Father’s?”
“I told you. Missing.”
Khloe approached the door.
“Then how do we open it?”
A voice came from the darkness behind them.
“With this.”
Isabella stepped into the light.
She wore black trousers and a dark coat instead of the crimson gown.
In her hand was William Thorne’s key.
Beside her stood Victor Rossi.
Three armed men emerged behind them.
Marcus moved in front of Khloe.
“How did you leave the hospital?”
Isabella smiled.
“You were all staring at the wrong phone.”
“The police had you detained.”
“They had a woman who looked enough like me under poor lighting.”
Detective Morales reached for her weapon.
Victor raised a pistol.
“Don’t.”
Adrian’s officers lifted their guns.
For several seconds, no one moved.
Victor looked at Eleanor.
“You always were too sentimental.”
Eleanor stared at the missing key.
“William trusted you.”
“William was weak.”
“You killed him.”
Victor smiled.
“I corrected a business problem.”
Marcus’s expression turned lethal.
“You murdered my father.”
“He discovered transactions he did not understand.”
“He understood enough to threaten you.”
“And Daniel Grant encouraged him.”
Khloe stepped from behind Marcus.
“You killed my father too.”
Victor looked at her without remorse.
“Your father should have stayed loyal to his badge.”
Adrian’s hands tightened.
Isabella approached the door.
“Put the key in.”
Khloe did not move.
Isabella pointed her gun toward Khloe’s stomach.
Marcus stepped forward.
Victor aimed at him.
“One more step and your wife loses the child.”
Marcus stopped.
Isabella smiled.
“Now you understand your place.”
Khloe held Daniel’s key.
“If I open the door, you kill us.”
“If you don’t, I kill you first.”
Khloe looked at Adrian.
He gave the smallest possible nod.
She inserted the key.
Isabella inserted William’s.
They turned them at the same time.
The steel door unlocked.
Inside was a narrow archive chamber.
Shelves held sealed ledgers, photographs and old computer drives.
At the center sat a metal case.
Victor entered first.
He opened it.
Inside was a stack of documents and a small silver flash drive.
For the first time, triumph appeared on his face.
“Twenty years.”
He lifted the drive.
“Twenty years of waiting.”
A sharp alarm sounded.
Red lights began flashing.
Victor turned.
“What did you do?”
Khloe looked at him.
“Nothing.”
Eleanor smiled faintly.
“William designed the archive to detect unauthorized opening.”
Steel shutters dropped over the exits.
The armed men rushed toward the door.
Too late.
Everyone was trapped inside.
A recorded voice filled the chamber.
William Thorne’s voice.
“If this room has been opened by both family keys, then either Daniel and I survived…”
A pause.
“…or our killers finally found what they wanted.”
Victor stared upward.
William’s recording continued.
“The evidence inside this chamber has already been copied to a remote server. Opening the archive activates its release.”
Isabella looked at her father.
“You said it would be safe.”
Victor struck the control panel.
The recording continued.
“Copies will be sent to federal authorities, major newspapers and every voting member of Thorne Group’s board.”
Marcus looked at Victor.
“It’s over.”
Victor raised his weapon.
“No.”
He aimed directly at Khloe.
May you like
“If I lose everything, so do you.”
A gunshot exploded inside the chamber.
