Chapter 34: Uncut TimberThe quiet hum of the Brooklyn studio was broken by the rustle of thick paper as Elena unrolled a map from the 1932 Vane archives. Outside the afternoon sun shone on the harbor making the polished oak desk look like amber.Julian walked up from the research deck wearing white gloves. He carried a velvet-lined box made of mahogany that had been hidden behind loose bricks in the old Wall Street vault."Marcus found something about the 1932 shipping manifests " Julian said, his eyes focused. He put the box on the table. "My great-grandfather didn't just hide the names of the crew members who helped during the winter strike. He paid them with something that couldn't be tracked."Elena leaned forward. Opened the mahogany box. The afternoon light shone on the contents breaking into bright shards.Inside the box was a raw diamond covered in gray sediment. It was rough and jagged, not like jewelry."A diamond in the rough " Elena whispered, thinking about the history o
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