Chapter 28
Chapter 28:
Elias picked up his tablet from the nightstand. His fingers flew across the screen.
“I want to know where she learned that needle technique,” Elias ordered, his voice obsessed. “And Julian… check the license plate of the car she left in. I want to know who is driving my ex-cousin-in-law around in a secure transport p>
Julian hesitated. “She values privacy, sir. Maybe we should respect that p>
Elias looked up. His eyes were cold steel.
“I value answers,” he snapped. “Find them p>
Aurora arrived at her apartment building in the Bronx. Jones waited until she was safely inside the lobby before driving off. The paint was peeling. The hallways smelled of boiled cabbage and damp carpet.
She unlocked her door and stepped into the cramped, one-room space.
She looked at the water stain on the ceiling. She looked at the roach trap in the corner.
“Time to move,” she said to the empty room.
Morning light filtered through the grimy window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Aurora was already awake. She was taping up a cardboard box with the efficiency of a machine.
There was a knock on the door. Three sharp raps.
Aurora opened it. Arthur Vance stood there, leaning on his cane. He wore his best suit, though the elbows were shiny with age. He looked past her at the boxes stacked in the hallway.
“Running away again, Aurora?” Arthur asked, his voice gruff but his eyes soft with worry. “We just got you back p>
Aurora smiled. It was a genuine smile, reserved only for him. “Not running, Grandpa. Upgrading. I made a sale p>
She ushered him in. Arthur looked around the tiny apartment. He pulled a folded brochure from his pocket and handed it to her.
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St. Jude’s Academy for Advanced Learning.
“I pulled some strings,” Arthur said, looking at his shoes. “I know some people from the old days. You can finish your degree there. Get a real job. Get out of this life p>
Aurora looked at the glossy paper. It showed smiling students on a green lawn. It represented safety. It represented the path she was supposed to take before Sterling Thorne derailed her life.
She pushed the brochure back gently. “I don’t need credentials, Grandpa p>
Arthur sighed, a sound of deep, bone-weary frustration. “The world doesn’t care what you know, Aurora. They care what you can prove. People judge the paper, not the person p>
“Then I’ll buy the paper company,” Aurora joked.
Arthur didn’t laugh. He looked sad.
Aurora grabbed her laptop. She opened it and turned the screen toward him. “Look p>
Arthur squinted at the screen. It was an investment portfolio dashboard. He saw the numbers. He saw the commas. His eyes widened. He took a step back, clutching his cane.
“Nine figures?” he whispered. “Is this… is this legal p>
“I bought Bitcoin in 2011, Grandpa,” Aurora lied smoothly, masking the complex web of offshore tech holdings and patent royalties she actually owned. “While everyone was sleeping, I was trading p>