Chapter 4 - The Poisoned Vow
Lucas kept the heavy wine bottle raised, his muscles tense with absolute distrust.
He had just learned that his entire wedding was a deadly trap orchestrated by a criminal syndicate.
He could not simply trust a random armed mercenary who claimed to work for his dead wife.
The guard slowly placed his tactical rifle on the dirty concrete floor and kicked it away.
My name is David, and I was the private investigator you hired five years ago to find Elena's car.
Lucas lowered the bottle slightly, recognizing the distinct scar over the man's left eyebrow.
David explained that he had infiltrated Marcus's security team to help Elena build her federal case.
He promised he had a catering van idling in the service driveway to smuggle them off the property.
Lucas quickly pulled Lily out from behind the wine barrels and followed David through a hidden ventilation shaft.
They crawled through the dusty, narrow metal tunnel until they reached the loading dock outside.
The cold evening rain soaked their fancy clothes as they climbed into the back of the rusted white van.
David jumped into the driver's seat and sped away from the heavily guarded mansion without turning on the headlights.
Lucas finally allowed himself to breathe a small sigh of relief as the estate vanished in the rearview mirror.
Suddenly, the silence in the back of the van was broken by a shrill, ringing sound.
Lily pulled a small, pink cell phone from her dress pocket, completely confused by the incoming call.
Lucas snatched the phone and answered it, recognizing Vanessa's cruel voice immediately on the other end.
You really thought you could just run away from our special day, my sweet husband?
Vanessa laughed wickedly as the sound of police sirens wailed in the background of her call.
She revealed that she had just informed the authorities that Lucas murdered Marcus in cold blood.
But framing him for a fake murder was not the most terrifying part of her malicious phone call.
Vanessa cheerfully admitted that she had poisoned the wedding cake Lily ate just an hour ago.
She claimed the slow-acting neurotoxin would stop the child's heart in exactly forty-five minutes.
The only existing vial of the antidote was safely tucked inside Vanessa's purse.
Lucas looked down at Lily, horrified to see a dark purple rash already forming on her small neck.
He desperately banged on the metal partition, screaming for David to turn the van around immediately.
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But David simply reached over and pressed a button that locked the heavy steel doors in the back.
I am incredibly sorry, Lucas, but Vanessa pays significantly better than a dead woman ever could.
