CHAPTER 6 – The Secret Only Vivienne Could Unlock
The ballroom had emptied.
The wedding was officially canceled.
Half-eaten meals remained on the tables, flowers were scattered across the marble floor, and shattered glass still glittered beneath the crystal chandeliers.
Yet no one seemed to notice.
Every eye was fixed on the steel lockbox.
Vivienne ran her fingers over the engraved words.
Only the daughter who was never meant to know may open the truth.
She looked at her father.
"Dad..."
"Why would Mr. Hawthorne leave something for me?"
Richard didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he stared at the box as though it carried the weight of decades.
"Because," he finally said, "Theodore knew something that neither of us did."
Detective Laura Bennett crossed her arms.
"Let's start with the obvious."
"Who exactly was Theodore Hawthorne to you?"
Richard let out a long breath.
"We weren't just business partners."
"We were best friends."
The room grew quiet.
Dominic frowned.
"My father never mentioned you."
Richard gave a sad smile.
"After twenty-five years of friendship..."
"He stopped mentioning me."
"What happened?"
Richard looked away.
"We had one disagreement."
"And it ended everything."
Vivienne had heard pieces of the story growing up.
Years ago, her father had once trusted Theodore Hawthorne with an enormous business expansion.
Then, almost overnight, they severed all ties.
No explanation.
No public scandal.
Just silence.
She had assumed it was another corporate dispute.
Now she wasn't so sure.
Richard gently placed his hand on the lockbox.
"Theodore visited me one week before he died."
Vivienne's eyes widened.
"You never told me."
"He asked me one question."
Richard closed his eyes, remembering.
"Richard... if something happens to me... will you protect the innocent?"
"I laughed."
"I thought he was talking nonsense."
"He handed me an envelope."
"I never opened it."
Detective Bennett frowned.
"What happened to it?"
Richard looked ashamed.
"It disappeared."
"The day after his funeral."
Dominic's heart pounded.
"My father knew he was going to die?"
"No."
Richard shook his head.
"He believed someone wanted him dead."
The detective immediately looked interested.
"Did he say who?"
"He refused."
"He only said..."
Richard spoke slowly.
"The danger isn't outside my family anymore."
Dominic felt a chill run down his spine.
Meanwhile...
One of the forensic technicians carefully examined the lockbox.
"Sir."
Richard turned.
"I found something."
He pointed to the bottom corner.
Hidden beneath years of dust was a tiny fingerprint scanner.
Almost impossible to notice.
Richard frowned.
"I've never seen that."
The technician smiled.
"It wasn't designed for your fingerprint."
Everyone looked at Vivienne.
"Would you like to try?" the technician asked.
Vivienne hesitated.
"What if it triggers something?"
Richard placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"I trust Theodore."
"So do I."
Slowly...
Vivienne placed her right thumb on the scanner.
Nothing happened.
For three long seconds...
Silence.
Then—
BEEP.
A soft green light appeared.
The entire ballroom froze.
The keypad illuminated.
A mechanical voice echoed from inside the box.
Identity confirmed.
Welcome... Vivienne.
Every person in the room stared at her.
Even Richard looked stunned.
"It... knows your name."
Vivienne stepped backward.
"I've never touched this before."
Another message appeared on the small digital screen.
ENTER DATE OF BIRTH
Richard looked confused.
"Your birthday."
Vivienne typed it in.
ACCESS DENIED
She frowned.
"That's my birthday."
The screen went dark.
Then another message slowly appeared.
TRY AGAIN.
YOUR REAL BIRTHDAY.
The room became eerily silent.
Vivienne looked at her father.
"What does that mean?"
Richard's face had gone completely pale.
He whispered almost to himself,
"No..."
"That's impossible."
Detective Bennett looked between them.
"Mr. Ashford..."
"Is there something your daughter doesn't know?"
Richard couldn't answer.
His silence was answer enough.
Vivienne's voice trembled.
"Dad..."
"What is it?"
Richard slowly sank into a nearby chair.
For the first time in her life...
She saw tears in her father's eyes.
"There was..."
"...a fire."
Twenty-eight years ago.
"The hospital where you were born caught fire."
Vivienne frowned.
"I know."
"They evacuated everyone."
Richard slowly nodded.
"Yes."
"But afterward..."
He looked directly into her eyes.
"They handed us a baby."
"We believed..."
"...she was you."
The words hung in the air like thunder.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Vivienne stared at her father.
"What are you saying?"
Richard's voice cracked.
"I'm saying..."
"I no longer know if the child your mother and I raised..."
"...was the one we were supposed to bring home."
Before anyone could process the revelation—
The lockbox emitted another sharp BEEP.
A countdown appeared on the screen.
SECOND ATTEMPT REQUIRED
Time Remaining: 09:59
As the timer began counting down...
May you like
The lights in the ballroom suddenly went out.
Everything went completely black.
