Chapter 5 - THE PRIVATE EXECUTIVE SUITE
The private high-speed elevator shot upward toward the seventy-fifth floor, bypassing the bustling corporate offices below in mere seconds.
Inside the glass enclosure, Chloe stared at her tattered olive green jacket, feeling entirely out of place in the luxurious surroundings.
"You don't need to be afraid anymore, Chloe," Arthur reassured her gently, leaning against his polished silver-handled cane.
The elevator doors slid open silently, revealing a sprawling penthouse executive suite furnished with mahogany wood and priceless artwork.
A massive floor-to-ceiling window offered a breathtaking panoramic view of the Chicago skyline under the bright morning sun.
"Is this real? Am I dreaming?" Chloe asked softly, running her fingers across the smooth fabric of a velvet sofa.
"It is entirely real, and every single brick of this empire belongs to you by birthright," Arthur answered firmly.
He walked over to his massive oak desk, pressing a secure intercom button to summon his chief corporate physician.
"Dr. Evans, bring the STAT DNA testing kit to my private suite immediately," Arthur commanded into the speaker.
Chloe stood nervously by the window, watching a flock of birds soar past the distant Sears Tower while her mind raced.
"Why did nobody ever look for me?" Chloe asked quietly, turning her gaze back to the aging billionaire patriarch.
CHAPTER 6ING: THE TWENTY-YEAR COVER-UP
Arthur closed his eyes in deep pain, leaning heavily against his cane as the dark memories of the past surfaced.
"Twenty years ago, your mother and you were forced into hiding after opposing a hostile corporate takeover," Arthur explained grimly.
"An orphanage fire was reported in rural Indiana, and I was told... I was told both of you perished in the flames," he added bitterly.
"The fire was no accident, was it?" Chloe pressed perceptively, her street-smart instincts kicking in instantly.
"Victoria's father orchestrated it to ensure his branch of the family inherited the entire Vance Global fortune," Arthur revealed with venomous regret.
A discreet knock at the heavy mahogany door interrupted their conversation as Dr. Evans entered the suite with a sterile medical case.
"You called for the DNA kit, Mr. Vance?" the physician asked professionally, glancing curiously at the young worker in the tattered jacket.
"Take a hair follicle sample from Miss Chloe and cross-reference it with my genetic profile in the secure national database," Arthur ordered.
May you like
Dr. Evans nodded, carefully extracting a few strands of messy brown hair and sealing them in a barcoded vial.
"We will have definitive results in precisely thirty minutes," Dr. Evans stated, exiting the room with brisk efficiency.
