Chapter Fifty-Five: Blood and Proof

The elevator couldn't drop fast enough.

Dominic's knuckles were white where he gripped the handrail, his jaw so tight I was surprised his teeth didn't crack. Jules stood in the corner, muttering what sounded like creative ways to murder people with office supplies.

"Well," I said as we hit the fortieth floor, "that went better than expected."

Jules snorted. "Better? They threw you out like yesterday's trash."

"They threw me out because they're scared." The realization hit me as I said it. "Maeve didn't waste time with pleasantries or testing the waters. She went straight for the kill shot."

"Because she knows you're the real deal," Dominic said, his voice deadly quiet.

"Or because she's been planning this takeover for months." I watched the numbers drop—35, 30, 25. "Think about it. Victoria gets shot, ends up in a coma, and suddenly her sister appears to question everything? That's not coincidence."

The elevator dinged at the lobby level, and we stepped out into the marble paradise that had impressed me an hour ago. Now it just looked like an expensive tomb.

"So what's the plan?" Jules asked as we headed for the exit.

"DNA test. Today. This afternoon if possible." I was already pulling out my phone. "How fast can we get results?"

"With enough money? Twenty-four hours," Dominic said. "I know people."

"Of course you do."

We were halfway to the car when my phone rang. Unknown number.

"Don't answer it," Jules said immediately.

But something made me hesitate. "What if it's the hospital? About Victoria?"

I swiped to accept. "Hello?"

"Scarlett?" The voice was young, nervous. "This is Sana. Sana Van Alston."

I stopped walking so fast that Jules nearly crashed into me. "Sana?"

"I... I need to talk to you. Away from my mother. Away from the board."

Dominic was already shaking his head, his expression dark with suspicion.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because she's lying." Sana's voice was barely above a whisper. "About everything. And I think... I think I know where you can find proof."

My heart started racing. "What kind of proof?"

"Meet me at the coffee shop across from the building. The one with the green awning. I'll be there in ten minutes."

The line went dead.

"Absolutely not," Dominic said before I could speak. "It's obviously a trap."

"Maybe. Or maybe it's exactly what we need."

"Scarlett—"

"She stood up for me in there. Against her own mother."

Jules moved closer, her hand instinctively going to her concealed weapon. "People do that to gain trust before they stab you in the back."

"And sometimes people do it because it's the right thing to do." I looked between them. "We need allies. If Sana wants to help, we should at least hear what she has to say."

"Fine," Dominic said through gritted teeth. "But we do this my way. Full security, multiple exit strategies, and at the first sign of trouble, we're gone."

"Deal."

The coffee shop was one of those tiny Manhattan places where everything cost twenty dollars and the baristas looked like they'd rather be literally anywhere else. Sana was already there, sitting in a corner booth with her hands wrapped around a cup like it was the only thing keeping her warm.

She looked up when we walked in, and I could see the family resemblance more clearly now. The same bone structure as Victoria, the same intelligent eyes. But where Victoria had steel beneath the elegance, Sana just looked tired.

"Thank you for coming," she said as I slid into the booth across from her.

Dominic remained standing, positioning himself where he could see the entire cafe. Jules took the table next to us, close enough to intervene if needed.

"Your mother thinks I'm a fraud," I said without preamble.

"My mother thinks a lot of things." Sana's laugh was bitter. "Most of them are wrong."

"But you don't?"

"I was there when Victoria got the DNA results three weeks ago."

The words hit me like a physical blow. "Three weeks ago?"

"She's known about you for almost a month. She's been trying to figure out how to find you, how to approach you safely." Sana leaned forward. "She was terrified someone would try to hurt you if they found out."

"Someone did try to hurt me."

"I know. And I think..." Sana swallowed hard. "I think my mother has been planning to take over the company for a long time."

The coffee shop suddenly felt too quiet.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"She's been having meetings. Private ones, with board members and investors. People who think Victoria is too old to keep running things effectively." Sana's voice dropped to a whisper. "She's been building support to push Victoria out."

Every muscle in Dominic's body went rigid.

"For how long?" His voice was deadly quiet.

"Months. Maybe longer. She kept saying Victoria was making emotional decisions instead of smart business ones. That the company needed younger leadership."

"And now that Victoria's in the hospital..." I said.

"Now she has the perfect opening. Victoria can't defend herself, can't rally her supporters." Sana looked miserable. "My mother sees this as her chance."

Jules leaned over from her table. "And your showing up just gave her more ammunition. The mysterious heir with no proof."

"I have proof," Sana said suddenly. "Of your identity. Victoria made copies of everything—DNA results, birth certificates, hospital records from when you were born. She hid them in her private safe."

"Where?"

"Her penthouse. But I don't have the combination."

"Victoria would have told someone," I said. "Someone she trusted completely."

"She might have told you," Sana said. "If you really are her granddaughter, she would have found a way to give you access."

I thought back to my conversations with Victoria, trying to remember if she'd said anything that might be a code or combination.

Then it hit me.

"The date," I whispered. "She kept mentioning a date. October fifteenth."

"Your mother's birthday," Sana said, her eyes widening. "Victoria always said it was the most important day of her life."

"So we get into the safe, get the proof, and shove it down Maeve's throat," Jules said with satisfaction.

"It's not that simple." Sana looked around nervously. "The penthouse has security. And my mother probably has people watching it."

"Then we make sure we get there first," Dominic said.

"There's something else." Sana pulled out her phone and showed us a text message. "My mother sent this an hour ago."

The message was simple: Board meeting tomorrow morning. Final vote on succession. Be there.

"She's moving fast," I said.

"Because she knows if you get proof, her whole plan falls apart." Sana put her phone away. "We have less than twenty-four hours."

"Then we'd better get started." I stood up, feeling the familiar surge of determination that came with having a clear enemy and a concrete plan.

"Scarlett," Sana said as I turned to leave. "There's one more thing."

I looked back.

"My mother has been asking about your background, your marriage, anything she can use to make the board question your character. She's not just going to challenge your identity—she's going to try to destroy your reputation."

The words settled like a weight in my stomach.

Outside the coffee shop, Manhattan suddenly felt less like a playground and more like a battlefield.

And the war for the Van Alston empire was about to begin.