Chapter 5 - The Ashes of Betrayal
The shockwave from the explosion threw me backward into the hallway, shattering every window in the front of the house.
I hit the floor hard, staring in absolute, paralyzing horror at the blazing wreckage of our vehicle on the driveway.
The little girl was inside that car, and my mother-in-law had just incinerated her without a second thought.
A primal, agonizing scream tore from my throat, raw with the grief of a mother watching a child burn.
James kicked Silas off of him, his face pale as a ghost as he witnessed the towering flames consuming the driveway.
Eleanor calmly stepped through the shattered doorway, brushing glass from her expensive designer coat.
"You have always been so utterly dramatic, Sarah," Eleanor stated, completely unfazed by the horrific violence.
Silas stood up, brushing the dirt from his suit as he looked at Eleanor with a deeply confused expression.
"You were supposed to secure the asset, Eleanor, not destroy it," Silas hissed, pointing his gun at the older woman.
Eleanor laughed dismissively, a sound so cold and calculating it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
She explained that she had arrived ten minutes earlier, spotted the baby hiding in the car, and quietly removed her before arming the explosive.
"The child is perfectly safe in my private vehicle parked down the street," Eleanor revealed, looking at James with maternal disappointment.
She told Silas that the original deal they had negotiated was no longer acceptable due to the inconvenience James had caused.
My husband stared at his own mother in utter disbelief, finally realizing she had been working with the cartel this entire time.
Eleanor confessed that she had brokered the original contract ten years ago to save the family's failing real estate empire.
She had intentionally sacrificed Elena, her own daughter, to ensure the family maintained their wealthy status in society.
And now, she was trading her newborn granddaughter for a massive payout that would secure her retirement in Europe.
"You are a monster," James whispered, tears of absolute betrayal streaming down his bruised face.
Eleanor shrugged, motioning for Silas to transfer the funds to her offshore account immediately if he wanted the location of her car.
Silas pulled out his phone, rapidly typing in the authorization codes to complete the twisted transaction.
I realized this was my only chance to act while their attention was entirely focused on the money.
I quietly reached for the hunting rifle James had dropped earlier, my fingers closing tightly around the cold wooden stock.
I raised the weapon, pointing the barrel directly at my mother-in-law's chest with zero hesitation.
"Tell me exactly where my three boys are right now, or you won't live to spend a single dime," I commanded.
Eleanor looked at the gun, her confident smile faltering for the very first time.
Before she could speak, a heavy, blood-soaked hand wrapped around the barrel of my rifle from behind.
I spun around in terror, coming face to face with the cartel enforcer James had knocked out at the hospital.
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"The boys aren't with us, lady," the bleeding man gasped, a sick smile spreading across his ruined face.
"Your brother the cop came to get them an hour ago, but he never actually worked for the police department."
