Chapter 16
Chapter 16:
Aurora led Arthur to the door. As they passed the hallway table, she stopped. She looked at the expensive blue-and-white vase Dennis was so proud of.
“By the way,” she said, her voice carrying back to the dining room. “That Ming vase is a fake. The glaze is too glossy for the period. It’s a reproduction from the nineties p>
She opened the door.
“You overpaid,” she added.
They stepped out into the night air. The heavy oak doors slammed behind them, vibrating the frame.
Arthur was trembling as they walked to the car. “I’m sorry, Aurora. They are monsters. I should have protected you p>
Aurora stopped at the car door. She hugged him, burying her face in his shoulder.
“No, Grandpa. You did protect me. You taught me what real family is p>
She opened the passenger door for him. Before she got into the driver’s side, she pulled out her phone.
She texted her lawyer.
Execute Plan B on Dennis Vance’s outstanding liabilities. Alert the bank to the fraudulent guarantor status.
She hit send.
Dennis Vance was about to learn that while Sterling Thorne was dangerous, Aurora Vance was fatal.
The drive back to the Bronx was quiet. Arthur stared out the window, watching the manicured lawns of Westchester fade into the graffiti-stained brick of the city.
“I failed as a father,” Arthur murmured, his breath fogging the glass.
“You raised me,” Aurora said, keeping her eyes on the road. “You succeeded where it mattered p>
m𝓸r𝓮 𝓾ρda𝓽es 𝓲𝓷
They arrived back at the tenement. The stairs felt steeper tonight. Inside the apartment, the cold air hit them.
“Grandpa, I have some savings,” Aurora said, turning on the electric kettle. “We are moving. I want you in a better place. Somewhere with an elevator. And heat p>
Arthur sat in his armchair, looking defeated. “I can’t take your money, Rory. You need it. You’re starting over p>
“It’s not settlement money. I earned it,” she insisted. “And it’s not a gift. It’s rent. I’m living with you, remember p>
The next morning, Aurora was making pancakes when her phone buzzed. It was a notification from her bank. The options traded on Vanguard Pharma had fully settled. Her account balance was now healthy enough to buy this entire building if she wanted to.
Arthur came out of his room dressed in his best suit—a charcoal wool number that was twenty years out of style but impeccably pressed.
“I’m going to the lawyer,” he announced, adjusting his tie. “To write Dennis and Heather out of my will p>
Aurora smiled. “I’ll drive you p>
They went to a high-end law firm downtown, one Arthur had used decades ago when he still had some money. While Arthur went into the office, Aurora stepped out to get coffee.
She entered a boutique café near the financial district. The air smelled of roasted beans and expensive cologne. It was crowded with suits—bankers, lawyers, analysts.