Chapter 30 - THE FINAL ENVELOPE
By midnight, the mansion was quiet, the guests having all departed for their hotels.
Julian sat in his father's study, finalizing legal documents on his laptop.
A sudden soft knock on the study door made him look up.
Sarah walked in, holding a courier envelope that had just been delivered to the front gate.
"This arrived by private messenger from London, Julian," Sarah said, her voice laced with sudden anxiety.
Julian took the envelope, noticing a wax seal stamped with an emblem showing a lion holding a dark oval stone.
He broke the seal, pulling out a single sheet of heavy parchment paper.
The message was written in elegant silver ink:
"My dear Sterling family, you destroyed Harrison and Camille, but you only cut off a single branch of our tree."
"The dark oval pendant you hold is one of three master keys created by your grandfather in 1945."
"The second key is hidden in London... and the third key is currently around the neck of the daughter you didn't know you had, Julian."
Julian dropped the letter onto the mahogany desk, his face draining of all color as he stared at the words.
Sarah gasped, picking up a photograph that fell from inside the envelope.
The photo showed a six-year-old girl with dark hair playing in a park in London, wearing a dark oval pendant around her neck.
Outside the study windows, the night sky suddenly lit up with a flash of lightning as thunder rumbled across Long Island Sound.
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Julian grabbed his jacket, his eyes fierce with renewed determination as he looked at Sarah.
"Get the jet ready, Sarah," Julian said quietly. "We're going to London."
