Chapter 4 - The Poisoned Drink
I stared blindly at the terrifying text message from Marcus as my mind raced to connect the horrifying dots.
Victoria was secretly funneling massive amounts of insurance money directly to her supposedly dead husband.
They were professional, deeply ruthless predators who targeted wealthy, vulnerable widowers with young children.
"Is everything alright with your company, darling?" Victoria asked, her voice dripping with fake, sickening concern.
I quickly slipped the phone back into my pocket and turned around to face the dangerous woman standing in my kitchen.
"Just a minor supply chain issue, nothing I cannot handle on Monday," I lied effortlessly, forcing a relaxed posture.
Victoria smiled beautifully and slid one of the heavy crystal wine glasses directly across the marble island toward me.
"You look incredibly stressed, you really should drink this and try to relax with me," she urged softly.
I stared at the dark red liquid, a sudden wave of intense, sickening paranoia completely washing over my entire body.
I remembered the terrifying ease with which she had manipulated our lives and wondered what else she was capable of.
I picked up the heavy glass, pretending to take a long, appreciative sip while secretly keeping my lips tightly closed.
"It is absolutely delicious, thank you for being so thoughtful," I smiled, setting the full glass back down on the counter.
Victoria's eyes narrowed for a tiny, barely perceptible fraction of a second before she took a sip from her own glass.
I knew I needed to get Lily out of this isolated mansion tonight, but I could not risk raising Victoria's suspicions.
I casually mentioned that I wanted to check on Lily one more time before we officially settled in for the evening.
I walked quickly up the grand staircase, my mind frantically formulating a desperate, highly dangerous escape plan.
I entered Lily's dark bedroom and gently shook her awake, placing a firm finger over my lips to tell her to be quiet.
I quickly packed a small backpack with her favorite clothes, a warm blanket, and her stuffed rabbit.
"We are going on a secret midnight adventure, just you and me," I whispered, trying to make the terrifying situation sound fun.
Lily nodded bravely, completely trusting me as I lifted her quietly into my arms and grabbed the heavy backpack.
We sneaked silently down the back servant stairs, completely avoiding the main hallway where Victoria was waiting.
I reached the heavy steel door that connected the house to our massive, multi-car underground garage.
I pushed the heavy handle down, fully expecting the smooth mechanism to quietly click open.
The handle completely refused to budge, and the digital keypad above it glowed with a harsh, angry red light.
I pulled out my master keycard and swiped it frantically, but the system repeatedly denied my absolute ultimate access.
May you like
Suddenly, the smart-home intercom system crackled loudly to life, echoing ominously through the dark, narrow stairwell.
"Did you really think I would let you leave the house after you touched my private lockbox?" Victoria's cold, metallic voice sneered through the speakers.
