Chapter 4 - The Hideout
I stared through the narrow wooden slats in absolute disbelief.
Mia had been my closest confidante for seven years.
We had shared secrets, celebrated birthdays, and traveled together on countless vacations.
Yet here she was, creeping through my dark bedroom in the middle of the night.
Mia held a small, specialized flashlight in her mouth as she rummaged through my dresser drawers.
She was methodically packing my clothes and personal items into a large, heavy duffel bag.
She was intentionally making it look like I had packed my bags and fled the country on my own.
I pressed my hand against my mouth to muffle my rapid, terrified breathing.
Mia turned around, and the beam of her flashlight swept across the room.
That was when I noticed the distinct, overpowering scent of expensive jasmine perfume in the air.
It was the exact same rare, custom perfume the fake blonde wife had been wearing outside the office.
My stomach dropped into a bottomless pit of betrayal.
I looked closely at the large tote bag slung over Mia's shoulder.
A pristine, expensive blonde wig was protruding slightly from the unzipped pocket.
Mia was the woman pretending to be me.
My own best friend had partnered with my husband to destroy my entire life.
A blinding, furious rage eclipsed every ounce of fear in my body.
I pushed the louvered closet doors open with a violent crash.
Mia spun around, her eyes widening in pure shock as the flashlight dropped from her mouth.
She scrambled backward, desperately reaching into the pocket of her designer trench coat.
She pulled out a specialized medical syringe filled with a cloudy, lethal-looking liquid.
Mia lunged at me, aiming the deadly needle directly for my neck.
I sidestepped her clumsy attack and grabbed a heavy bronze lamp from the nightstand.
I swung the lamp with all my strength, striking her squarely across the side of her head.
Mia collapsed onto the expensive hardwood floor, completely unconscious.
I stood over her, my chest heaving with adrenaline as I tied her hands behind her back with a silk necktie.
I grabbed her smartphone from her pocket and pressed her thumb against the sensor to unlock it.
I opened her recent text messages and found a conversation with Daniel.
May you like
The most recent message from my husband made my blood run completely cold.
The text read, "Transfer the final fifty million tonight at the gala, and bring Claire's body to the warehouse."
