Chapter 16 - The Return of the Shadow
Just as life seemed to settle into a predictable, peaceful rhythm, an unexpected package arrived at my penthouse.
It was a plain brown box delivered by a private courier, bearing no return address or sender name.
David, my security chief, inspected the package thoroughly before allowing me to open it inside my private office.
Inside the box sat an old, tarnished silver pocket watch that had belonged to my late grandfather, the founder of Vanguard.
Beside the watch was a handwritten note on expensive parchment paper that made my blood run stone cold.
My dear Evelyn, the note read in elegant, flowing calligraphy.
You handled Julian with impressive efficiency, just as I trained your father to handle his enemies.
However, you seem to have forgotten that Vanguard Holdings was built on a partnership.
My family holds forty percent of the original charter shares, and it is time for us to collect our dividend.
I will see you at the annual shareholder meeting in Geneva next month.
May you like
I stared at the note, my fingers trembling slightly as I recognized the signature at the bottom.
It was signed by Arthur Sterling—the powerful, elusive billionaire who had disappeared from Wall Street ten years ago.
