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And another yelp, courtesy of the robotic AI voice at the entrance.
Two glass double doors slid open, inviting me into the main space. If this were the night of his bridal hunt, no way could I ever have broken into this fortress.
Projectors lit up white arrows on the floor. They led to the furthest end of the gallery. So deep, I couldn’t even make out anything beyond a blur.
“Please, follow the guided path.”
I stepped on an arrow, keeping my feet directly on the column, as if it were a wooden plank on a rope bridge. One wrong step andvamoosh.
The thought of swerving out of line and breaking a five-million-dollar masterpiece pricked the back of my mind as I strolled past statues, paintings, divots, and corridors, too focused on my steps to soak it all in.
Once I reached the last arrow, I dared to glance up. Dozens of boxes, tubes, and racks scattered across the otherwise empty section of the gallery.
“Please, collect your belongings, Miss Ballantine.”
I pointed to myself, feeling fifty shades of ridiculous. “Me?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.”
I hadn’t expected an answer. Nor had I planned for this, for that matter. In fact, I’d need a moving truck and a crew to get all of this out.
Still, curiosity got the better of me. I fingered a random suede box, tugging off the lid.
My knees gave out a little.
Something golden swam in a sea of red satin.
No way.
I snatched it in an instant, reeling it closer to admire. “Dad’s pinky ring.”
A pure gold behemoth.
Naturally, Vera had auctioned it off with the first batch of his valuables two years ago.
I slid it onto my thumb. Still loose, but I decided to wear it at all costs.
The robotic voice interrupted the moment. “Mr. Sun repatriated Mr. Ballantine’s belongings.”
That spurred me into action.
I raced to the art rack. Dad’s replica paintings took up thirty or so rows, sorted alphabetically. Even Da Vinci’sSalvator Mundi.Slotted in a gallery-grade sorting rack as if the replica deserved as much care as Zach’s billion-dollar collection.
Zachary Sun had managed to collect every item Vera ever sold off. The Rolex, the gems, the antique china.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
It must have taken so much time and effort.
When did he start planning this?
Whydid he start planning this?
I couldn’t wipe the goofy grin from my lips even if I tried. I didn’twantto. To think I’d spent the past thirty days so scared of that damn key.
