Chapter 33

Vincent stared at the empty safe, his blood boiling.

He had spent the entire day guarding it, convinced Evelyn would slip up and reveal her hand.

If she cracked the code, he could cut her out completely—without paying her a single cent.

Margaret called thirty minutes later, her voice sharp with frustration. "I've run through every possible combination except the ones you've already tried. But listen—the birthdate on Clara Thorne's ID isn't her real one. Let's try the actual date."

"Brilliant!" Vincent replied, his excitement barely contained.

Two hours later, the safe clicked open.

Margaret had been right. Richard hadn’t used the official date—he’d used Clara’s real birthday, combined with Evelyn’s.

The code was a tribute to them.

A perfect match to the hidden family portrait.

Margaret’s face twisted in fury on the video call as the safe swung open.

"That bastard!" she spat. "After all these years together, he still chose them over me! If he weren’t already dead, I’d make him regret it!"

Vincent barely heard her.

His muscles tensed, his pulse racing as he reached inside.

The safe had two layers of security—the code, and then either a key or facial recognition.

The key was right there in the room, its location known only to him and the two technicians.

He turned it, heart pounding, and pulled the door open.

Empty.

Completely empty.

Vincent’s face darkened, his hands clenching into fists.

"Where the hell is it?!"

He slammed his fist against the metal, his vision blurring with rage.

"Evelyn," Margaret hissed through the phone. "It has to be her. She gave you that slip of paper on purpose. She already knew the real birthdate—she must have taken everything!"

Vincent’s jaw tightened. "Did she really think she could steal it all?"

"That little viper!" Margaret sneered. "You can’t let her get away with this, Vincent!"

She wanted them at each other’s throats.

And she’d get her wish.

Vincent ended the call.

Evelyn was trouble.

But so was Margaret.

Neither mattered unless they served his interests.

He kicked the safe shut, his mind racing.

Had Richard moved the contents before he died?

Or had Evelyn taken them after?

Either way, she was his prime suspect.

Did she really think she could take everything and walk away unscathed?

Not if he had anything to say about it.