Chapter 12 - Maria Discovers A Hidden Safe Behind Portraits
Back at the estate, Maria was supervising the deep-cleaning and historical cataloging of the west wing library.
While dusting a heavy oil portrait of Ethan’s grandfather, she noticed a strange gap behind the wooden frame.
She pulled the heavy painting forward, revealing a concealed digital wall safe built directly into the reinforced brickwork.
“Mr. Hawthorne, you need to see this immediately,” Maria called out, dialing Ethan’s private office extension.
Ten minutes later, Ethan hurried into the library carrying a portable forensic scanner and a master override key.
“Good eye, Maria; Victoria must have had this installed without my knowledge during last year’s renovations,” Ethan observed.
He punched in a sequence of override codes, and the heavy steel door of the wall safe clicked open smoothly.
Inside sat bundles of bearer bonds, forged passport documents, and a handwritten ledger detailing corporate blackmail schemes.
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“This isn't just embezzlement; she was systematically blackmailing our top competitors for inside market data,” Ethan realized in shock.
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