I tore the envelope open, my fingers clumsy and wet.

Inside was a single sheet of paper and a small, heavy brass key.

I unfolded the letter, holding it close to the window to catch the moonlight.

*My dearest Vivian,* the letter began.

*If you are reading this, Harrison has shown his true colors, and Aster Hall is in danger.*

*The documents they showed you are false.*

*The true ownership deeds of Aster Hall are not in the family safe.*

*I hid them inside the secure vault beneath the grand ballroom.*

*The entrance is behind the mahogany paneling near the musicians’ gallery.*

*Use this key to open the iron grate.*

*Protect our home, my darling.*

My heart hammered against my ribs as I stared at the key in my palm.

“Beneath the ballroom,” I whispered to Matteo.

“The old vault,” he said, his eyes wide in the darkness. “I remember your father talking about it.”

“Harrison doesn’t have the deeds,” I said, a spark of hope rising.

“He only has copies.”

Then, my eyes fell on a stack of papers resting on the vanity table nearby.