Part 9: The Headquarters on the Herengracht
The headquarters of Vance Holding on the Herengracht is an imposing building with glass facades and marble columns. Formerly, this was the place where my father ruled and where I, as an outcast, was never allowed to cross the threshold. Now, with the will and the blue dossier in my possession, I walk through the revolving door with my head held high.
The receptionist looks at me with wide eyes; the news of my parents' arrest is now on the front page of every morning paper. "Good morning, Mr. Vance," she says with a nervous smile. "The boardroom is on the fifth floor." I take the elevator up. The glass walls offer a breathtaking view of the Amsterdam canals, but my focus is elsewhere: the secret vault beneath the building that grandma spoke of in her last video message.
When I step into the boardroom, it is not an empty room waiting for me, but Arthur de Witt — the for decades loyally considered vice-chairman of the company and my father's right hand. He sits behind the mahogany desk with a cup of black coffee, his face stern and inscrutable. "Lucas," Arthur says calmly, putting down his cup. "I didn't expect you to show up here so soon after all those years in the shadows." "You don't need to put on a show, Arthur," I reply coldly as I place my bag on the table.
"Grandma told me everything. And the USB stick in my possession shows exactly who was pulling the strings behind the fraud and the poisoning." Arthur raises an eyebrow. His mouth curls into a cold, toxic smile. He leans back in his leather chair and says: "Do you really think a prodigal son ignored for sixteen years can just take over power? You have no idea what kind of hornet's nest you've stepped into, Lucas."
