Chapter 9 - Celeste Meets A Mysterious Stranger Near The Garden Gates
The heavy iron gates of the Vale estate were shrouded in thick autumn fog under the pale moonlight. Celeste stood near the stone pillar, her dark trench coat blending seamlessly with the shadows of the weeping willow trees.
A sleek black sedan pulled up quietly alongside the curb without turning on its headlights or parking lights. The rear passenger door swung open smoothly, revealing a tall man wearing an expensive charcoal suit and silver-rimmed glasses.
"You took longer than expected to crack the secondary firewall," the man said, his voice cold and refined. Celeste stepped closer to the vehicle, her previously warm expression replaced by a mask of chilling professional detachment.
"The security protocols were upgraded after Malcolm died, Victor," Celeste replied sharply. "Adrian is getting suspicious, and his sister is sniffing around the corporate accounts in Manhattan."
Victor smiled thinly, adjusting his silver glasses as he leaned back against the leather seat cushions. "It doesn't matter what Adrian suspects now; the trust fund transfer triggers automatically at midnight," Victor noted smoothly.
"Make sure the locked room in the East Wing is cleared out before the federal auditors arrive tomorrow," Victor ordered. Celeste nodded once, her eyes flashing with a dangerous ambition that Adrian had never seen before.
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"The Vales think they own this estate, but by tomorrow, every brick will belong to us," Celeste whispered confidently. The sedan door clicked shut, and the vehicle glided away into the foggy Connecticut night without making a sound.
Celeste turned around to walk back toward the mansion, freezing instantly as she saw a tall figure standing near the garden path. Adrian stood under the moonlight, holding his father’s leather journal in his hand with a dead, unreadable expression.
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