Chapter 5 - The Stolen Locket
The heavy doors of the private elevator slid shut, leaving behind a silence so dense it felt difficult to draw breath.
Sophie was trembling, clutching the hem of Emma’s cashmere sweater, her eyes darting toward her father. “Dad? Is Uncle Julian bad? Is he going to take our house away?”
Adrian took a slow, deep breath, dropping to one knee before his daughter. He gently took her small hands in his, his expression softening into an affectionate smile that Emma knew took every ounce of his willpower to maintain. “Nobody is taking our house, Sophie. Uncle Julian just has some business disagreements with me. Go with Elena to the media room and watch your movie, okay? Emma and I need to speak for a moment.”
Sophie hesitated, then looked at Emma. Emma gave her an encouraging nod. “Go on, Sophie. I’ll come check on you in a little bit.”
Once Elena led Sophie down the west wing, Adrian walked toward the massive glass window. He didn't speak for a long time. His shoulders were rigid, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.
“He has the votes,” Adrian said finally, his voice barely louder than a whisper. “Julian has spent eighteen months systematically poisoning the board against me. Without proof that Clara didn't authorize those shell accounts, the board will vote to remove me as CEO. Once I'm stripped of corporate immunity, Julian will hand the forged files to the FBI. I’ll be fighting an indictment for the next five years.”
“What about the physical drive you mentioned?” Emma asked, stepping closer to him. “The one that Clara kept her private records on?”
“It was lost in the crash,” Adrian sighed, running a hand over his face. “Clara was driving back from our upstate cabin during a freak blizzard. Her car skidded off the bridge into the river. The recovery team found her vehicle, but her personal belongings—her handbag, her laptop, everything—were washed away downstream.”
Emma’s mind raced. Something about the story scratched at the back of her memory. She thought about Sophie’s bedroom, about the drawings, about the way Sophie had spoken about her mother the night before.
“Sometimes I remember her voice, but sometimes I don’t. I hate when I don’t.”
“Adrian,” Emma said slowly, her pulse suddenly quickening. “When Sophie was showing me her room last night... she showed me a secret box she keeps hidden under her floorboards. She told me it was where she kept the things that smelled like her mother.”
Adrian turned, his brow furrowing. “What things?”
“Old scarves, letters... and a silver locket.” Emma’s voice rose with growing urgency. “She said her mother gave it to her right before she got in the car that night. She told Sophie, ‘Keep this safe, no matter what happens, because this is our family’s shield.’”
Adrian stared at her, his eyes widening in total disbelief. “Clara didn't have her jewelry when the car was recovered. The police assumed it was lost.”
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“Sophie said her mom put it around her neck before she left for the cabin,” Emma insisted, her heart hammering against her ribs. “She told her never to show it to Uncle Julian.”
Without another word, Adrian sprinted down the hallway toward Sophie’s bedroom, with Emma right on his heels.
