Chapter 2 - Sebastian Opens A Locked Room
The Voss archive sat beneath the reception hall.
Elise had expected a basement.
Instead, she found an underground library.
Tall shelves.
Climate-controlled cabinets.
Rows of leather-bound ledgers.
Original contracts.
Historical maps.
Private correspondence.
She stopped at the threshold.
“Oh.”
Sebastian noticed.
“You like it.”
“I respect it.”
“That wasn't what I asked.”
Elise smiled faintly.
“Yes.”
He unlocked another set of doors.
“This is where we keep documents that never enter public circulation.”
“Why?”
“Because some documents become dangerous when the wrong people know they exist.”
She looked at him.
“That's a strange thing to say at a charity reception.”
Sebastian smiled.
“You'll discover I say a lot of strange things.”
Inside, he placed a folder on the table.
“Look.”
Elise opened it.
The original provenance document was there.
She compared it with the public version.
Her eyes narrowed.
“The ink is different.”
Sebastian leaned over her shoulder.
“Where?”
“Here.”
She pointed.
“This notation was added later.”
“How much later?”
“Impossible to say exactly.”
“But?”
“After 1902.”
Sebastian's gaze sharpened.
“That matters?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because the artifact was supposedly transferred in 1894.”
He stared.
Elise continued.
“Which means someone added a registry reference eight years after the alleged transfer.”
Sebastian was silent.
“Could it be an innocent clerical correction?”
“It could.”
“But you don't think it is.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because the same correction appears in four separate documents.”
Sebastian's expression hardened.
“Four?”
“Yes.”
“Show me.”
Elise did.
For nearly an hour, she worked.
Sebastian said almost nothing.
He simply watched.
Sometimes he asked a question.
Sometimes he handed her another file.
Each time Elise answered.
Eventually she looked up.
“These documents aren't random.”
“What did you find?”
“The same handwriting appears on all of them.”
“Whose?”
“I don't know.”
She turned a page.
“But I know what the handwriting was imitating.”
Sebastian leaned closer.
“Who?”
“A man named Elias Voss.”
Sebastian went still.
“My grandfather.”
“Yes.”
“The handwriting belongs to him?”
“No.”
She looked at him.
“Someone copied his handwriting.”
Silence filled the archive.
Sebastian's face became cold.
“Who would do that?”
“Someone trying to make fraudulent documents look legitimate.”
He stared at the papers.
“Those documents were used to acquire millions of dollars in assets.”
Elise nodded.
“Then somebody may have built an empire on forged history.”
Sebastian looked at her.
“Can you prove it?”
“I can prove the documents don't match.”
“That's not the same thing.”
“No.”
Elise closed the folder.
“But it could be enough to start.”
Sebastian sat down.
“What do you want?”
She blinked.
“What?”
“For doing this.”
“Nothing.”
He frowned.
“Everyone wants something.”
“I want to know why you're asking me.”
He looked at her.
“Because you noticed something trained professionals missed.”
“Maybe they weren't looking.”
“That is not better.”
“It is more accurate.”
A small smile appeared.
“You really don't care who I am.”
Elise considered that.
“I know who you are.”
“Then?”
“I don't think your name changes the facts.”
He seemed genuinely surprised.
Most people in his world did not speak to him that way.
Before he could answer, his phone rang.
He stepped away.
“Yes.”
A pause.
“Where?”
His expression changed.
“Don't touch anything.”
He ended the call.
Elise watched him.
“What happened?”
“One of my accountants is missing.”
Her stomach tightened.
“Connected to the documents?”
“We don't know.”
“Was he working on the foundation?”
“Yes.”
“Then maybe you should find him.”
Sebastian looked at her.
“I intend to.”
He walked toward the exit.
Elise followed.
At the top of the stairs, they encountered Vivian.
She smiled.
“Sebastian.”
He stopped.
“I was looking for you.”
“What do you want?”
“I wanted to know who this woman is.”
“Elise.”
“Yes, I gathered that.”
Vivian turned to Elise.
“You work for Grant?”
“No.”
“You work for my brother?”
“No.”
“Then why are you in our archive?”
Sebastian answered.
“Because I invited her.”
Vivian's eyes hardened.
“Why?”
“That is my decision.”
Vivian smiled.
“Of course.”
She looked at Elise.
“You should be careful. My brother has a habit of becoming interested in people who are useful.”
Elise stiffened.
Sebastian's voice turned cold.
“Enough.”
Vivian shrugged.
“I was only being friendly.”
“No. You were testing her.”
Vivian's smile disappeared.
Sebastian stepped between them.
“Don't.”
The room went quiet.
Vivian looked at him.
Then at Elise.
She walked away.
Elise watched her go.
“She doesn't like me.”
Sebastian looked at her.
“She doesn't like anyone who makes me curious.”
Elise frowned.
“Curious?”
“Yes.”
“That's not particularly reassuring.”
He smiled.
“It wasn't supposed to be.”
That afternoon, Sebastian assigned a security detail to Elise.
She refused.
“I can protect myself.”
“I know.”
“Then remove them.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because someone followed you here.”
Elise froze.
“What?”
Sebastian handed her a photograph.
A man stood across the street from her apartment.
She recognized him.
“I've seen him.”
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
Sebastian's face hardened.
“Why didn't you tell anyone?”
“I didn't know who he was.”
“Now you do.”
“What does he want?”
“I don't know yet.”
Elise stared at the photograph.
“Could it be related to the documents?”
“It could.”
She looked up.
“Then I'm already involved.”
“Yes.”
“Whether I want to be or not.”
“Yes.”
She sighed.
“Wonderful.”
Sebastian almost smiled.
“I had the same reaction.”
Later that evening, Grant called.
Elise answered.
“Where are you?”
“Home.”
“No, you're not.”
She frowned.
“What?”
“I checked.”
Her skin prickled.
“You checked?”
“You left the reception with Sebastian.”
“Yes.”
“You humiliated me.”
“No, Grant.”
“You did.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“You didn't have to.”
His voice became bitter.
“He's interested in you.”
Elise looked out the window.
“That's none of your business.”
“It is my business.”
“No.”
“You're my girlfriend.”
“Then act like it.”
Silence.
Finally Grant said,
“You don't understand what people like Sebastian do.”
Elise's voice became cold.
“I understand exactly what people like him do.”
“And?”
“They don't hide their cruelty behind the word 'favor.'”
He went silent.
She knew she had hit something.
Then he said,
“You'll regret this.”
Elise ended the call.
Minutes later, Sebastian called.
“I need you to leave your apartment.”
“Why?”
“Now.”
Her stomach dropped.
“What happened?”
“Your door is open.”
She stared at it.
She had locked it.
At least, she thought she had.
Sebastian's voice sharpened.
“Elise.”
She grabbed her coat.
“I'm leaving.”
“Good.”
“Where should I go?”
“To the Voss residence.”
She stopped.
“I can't.”
“You can.”
“Grant is going to think—”
“Elise.”
His voice softened.
“You need somewhere safe tonight.”
She closed her eyes.
“Fine.”
And as she stepped into the hallway, she found a single envelope on the floor.
No name.
No stamp.
Only three curved lines crossing a longer stroke.
The same mark.
She opened it.
May you like
Inside was one sentence.
STOP LOOKING FOR THE TRUTH.
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