Chapter 5 - The Other Woman
I crouched in the dark bushes, staring in absolute disbelief at the scene unfolding in my living room.
The blonde woman wrapped her arms around Christopher's neck, smiling brightly as he poured her a glass of champagne.
"Who is she?" the syndicate enforcer whispered from the shadows beside me.
"I have absolutely no idea," I replied, my voice thick with betrayal.
I pulled out my phone and zoomed the camera lens in on the woman's face.
I snapped a quick, clear photo and ran it through a reverse image search on my secure browser.
The results populated almost instantly, making my blood run completely cold.
Her name was Elena Vance.
She was legally married to Christopher in another state exactly four years ago.
"He has a second wife," I breathed out, the sheer magnitude of his deception crushing my chest.
"A bigamist who steals from the mob," the enforcer muttered with a dark smirk.
I watched Elena point excitedly toward a stack of glossy travel brochures resting on my coffee table.
They were planning a luxurious new life together, completely funded by my ruined career and stolen reputation.
I realized Beatrice’s "Europe trip" was never actually meant for her.
It was a cover story to move the embezzled money overseas for Christopher's secret second family.
"We need to get inside and secure the bearer bonds before they leave," the enforcer stated flatly.
He pulled out a set of specialized lock picks and moved toward the heavy glass patio door.
Within seconds, the lock clicked open, and we slipped silently into the dark kitchen.
I could hear Christopher and Elena laughing loudly in the adjacent living room.
I moved quietly toward the hidden floor safe concealed beneath the pantry rug.
I quickly punched in the complex six-digit code that Christopher foolishly thought I didn't know.
The heavy metal door clicked open, revealing stacks of pristine, untraceable bearer bonds.
I shoved the thick stacks of paper into my leather tote bag.
Suddenly, the bright overhead kitchen lights violently clicked on.
Beatrice stood in the doorway, holding a heavy silver candlestick like a weapon.
"I knew you would come back like a desperate rat," she sneered.
But Beatrice didn't look at me or the armed enforcer standing behind me.
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She looked directly past us toward the living room, a terrifyingly sinister smile spreading across her face.
"Did you really think I didn't know about Elena?" Beatrice laughed coldly.
