Chapter 12: The Murderous Secret

The heavy iron gates of the Sanctuary Alpine Clinic appeared through the thick Swiss fog.

The private clinic stood high on a rocky cliff above Lake Geneva.

It was famous for hiding the medical secrets of the world's richest people.

Sarah pulled her black wool coat tighter around her body. The cold mountain wind bit against her skin.

Beside her, Adrian sat in his mechanical wheelchair.

He wore a black cashmere scarf around his neck.

To anyone watching them, Adrian looked like nothing more than a rich, weak businessman who had come to the clinic for private medical care.

But under the blanket covering his legs, Adrian held a powerful military-grade tablet.

"The head administrator is Dr. Geller," Adrian whispered.

"Victoria bribed him two hours ago. Right now, he's deleting the digital backup of your mother's 2017 medical files."

Sarah's eyes widened.

"The physical files downstairs are the only copies left."

"Then we have less than ten minutes," Sarah whispered.

Her heart was beating hard.

She kept her head high and tried to look calm, like the powerful woman who had conquered the New York fashion world.

But her hands were freezing inside her leather gloves.

"Mr. Vance!"

A sharp-faced man with silver hair hurried across the marble lobby.

It was Dr. Geller.

He quickly straightened his white coat.

"What an unexpected honor," he said nervously.

He looked at Sarah before turning back to Adrian.

"We weren't told that the main branch of the Vance family would be visiting today."

"My wife needs a private consultation about a family archive," Adrian said.

His dark eyes became cold and threatening.

"I believe the paperwork was requested under Lin & Co. Archive File 09."

Geller's face suddenly went pale.

"I... I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Vance."

He took a small step backward.

"That archive was damaged by a major system problem just moments ago. The digital files cannot be recovered. Our IT team is—"

"I don't care about your digital files, Dr. Geller."

Sarah's voice stopped him.

She stepped closer.

"My mother's original medical records are stored downstairs."

"Her toxicology reports."

"The original insurance rejection letters."

She stared directly into his eyes.

"We are going down there to get them."

"That is against the rules!" Geller shouted.

He quickly reached toward his pocket.

"Without a formal order from the Swiss federal—"

Before he could finish, Adrian's tablet made a soft sound.

Adrian slowly turned the screen toward him.

Geller's eyes widened.

The screen showed Geller's secret bank account in the Cayman Islands.

A five-million-dollar payment from Victoria Vance was waiting in the account.

Adrian looked at him calmly.

"The Swiss authorities take illegal corporate bribes very seriously, Doctor."

"I have already stopped this payment."

Geller's face became even paler.

"If you press that security button, the next people walking through this lobby will be the federal police."

Adrian's voice remained calm.

"But if you take my wife to the vault right now, the five million dollars disappears."

He paused.

"And you keep your medical license."

Geller stared at him.

He knew he had lost.

Slowly, he lowered his hand.

He swallowed hard.

"Follow me, please."

Three minutes later, Sarah stood inside the underground archive.

The room was cold and filled with rows of metal filing cabinets.

Sarah quickly searched through the files.

"Row 9... Section B."

Her fingers moved quickly over the labels.

Then she stopped.

Her hand landed on a thick blue folder covered in dust.

ARIA LIN — PATIENT RECORD 2017

Sarah pulled it out.

She opened it immediately.

Her breath stopped.

The original medical bill was inside.

Behind it was a check from the Vance Foundation for forty million dollars.

The check had been signed by Adrian's mother, Madelyn Vance.

But something else was attached to the back.

It was a handwritten note on Eleanor's personal paper.

The date was three days before Sarah's mother died.

Sarah read the words.

"Check received. Do not administer the imported cardiac blockers. Let the standard failure proceed."

Sarah froze.

Her eyes filled with tears.

Eleanor had not simply stolen the money.

She had told the clinic not to give Sarah's mother the medicine that could have saved her life.

"She murdered her," Sarah whispered.

A hot tear rolled down her cheek.

"My stepmother actually signed her death sentence."

"Look at the bottom of the note, Sarah."

Adrian's voice came from the doorway.

He had rolled his wheelchair into the room.

Sarah looked down.

There was a witness signature at the bottom of the note.

The ink had faded with time.

But the name was still clear.

Victoria Vance.

Sarah's eyes widened.

Victoria had known about the crime from the beginning.

She had helped Eleanor hide the murder.

In return, Eleanor had helped Victoria fight Adrian's branch of the Vance family.

"They both did it," Sarah said, her whole body shaking.

She held the folder tightly against her chest.

"They killed both of our mothers, Adrian."

She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"This evidence can send Victoria to prison for life."

Adrian's expression became cold.

"Then the trap is officially closed."

He suddenly stood up from his wheelchair.

Sarah stared at him.

He walked toward her.

His strong arms gently held her shoulders before pulling her against his chest.

He could feel her trembling.

"Vivian Vance thinks she won because she took our Phoenix Collection's place at the Grand Palais."

Adrian's eyes burned with anger.

"She has no idea what we are taking back to France."

He looked at the folder.

"This document can destroy Victoria's entire group on the global board."

Suddenly, red emergency lights began flashing around them.

A loud siren filled the underground room.

Sarah jumped.

Then Dr. Geller's terrified voice came through the intercom.

"Mr. Vance! I'm sorry!"

"I didn't call them!"

"Vivian Vance's private security team has entered the upper lobby!"

"They know you're down there!"

"They're closing all the elevators!"

Adrian's arms tightened around Sarah.

Then a dangerous smile slowly appeared on his face.

"It seems my cousin Vivian wants to play dirty."

He looked down at Sarah.

"Hold onto that file, my clever wife."

His eyes became cold and dangerous.

"Let's show Europe how the main branch handles a home invasion."

The real war had just begun.