At my mother’s funeral, my husband’s mistress slapped me and announced she was carrying his child. He stood beside her and ordered me to leave. Then the funeral director handed me a sealed letter my mother had written about that woman.

I rode the glass elevator to the top floor, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs.

I stepped into the luxurious VIP penthouse and found Ryan waiting by a large mahogany table.

Ashley stepped out from the bedroom, shedding her fake pregnant belly onto a nearby velvet chair.

"It is about time you finally surrendered, Claire," Ashley sneered while tossing a stack of legal documents onto the table.

"Just press your thumb onto this digital scanner, and we will let you walk away with your life," Ryan demanded.

I walked slowly toward the table, keeping my posture perfectly straight and unbothered.

"Before I give you everything, I just want to know one thing," I said clearly for the hidden microphones.

"Did you actually poison my mother to speed up the inheritance?"

Ryan laughed, a cruel and hollow sound that echoed through the quiet penthouse.

"Your mother was already sick, Claire, I just swapped her heart medication for sugar pills to help nature along."

My blood ran completely cold as I heard his remorseless confession to murder.

Ashley grew impatient and slammed her hand aggressively onto the table.

"Enough talking, put your thumb on the scanner right now!" she screamed.

I raised my hand and slowly pressed my thumb against the glowing green glass of the biometric device.

The machine beeped twice, but instead of displaying a successful transfer, the screen flashed bright red.

"What did you do?" Ryan panicked, pressing the buttons on the scanner frantically.

"I didn't do anything," I replied with a cold, triumphant smile.

"The scanner just transmitted your murder confession to every single television screen in the ballroom downstairs."

Ryan lunged across the table to grab my throat, his eyes wide with absolute rage.

Before his hands could even touch my skin, the penthouse doors were violently kicked open.

When my newborn 'passed away,' my mother-in-law leaned in and said

My Husband Left Me Alone in My Car While I Was in Labor

“You’re Dead When We Get Home,” He Snapped

Elias stormed into the room with a dozen heavily armed FBI agents right behind him.

"Nobody move!" Elias commanded, aiming his weapon directly at Ryan's chest.

Chapter 7 - The Penthouse Trap