The teller pulled the long metal box from the wall and set it on a small table in the corner.

“I will leave you two alone,” she said, walking out of the vault.

Nathan stepped closer to me, his hand resting on my shoulder.

“Open it,” he said softly.

My fingers gripped the cold metal lid of the box.

I lifted it slowly, the hinges grooving in the quiet room.

Inside, there was a thick, yellowed envelope sealed with red wax.

The wax seal bore the crest of the Vance family.

“That is my grandfather’s personal seal,” Nathan whispered.

I reached in and took the envelope.

The paper was crisp and dry, crackling under my fingers.

Before I could break the seal, the heavy door of the bank lobby slammed shut.

We heard the sound of raised voices coming from the front of the building.

“I don’t care if she is in the back,” a sharp, familiar voice said.

It was Eleanor’s voice.

Nathan’s grip tightened on my shoulder.

“She followed us,” he whispered.

We heard the sound of quick, heavy footsteps approaching the vault hallway.