My three-year-old daughter walked through the one door nobody in billionaire Marcus Cole’s mansion was allowed to open. I thought I would lose my job before breakfast, but instead, Lily pointed at his security monitor and exposed something his own fiancée had done behind our backs. What Marcus saw on that screen made his face go completely still.

I froze completely, unable to breathe as I stared at Vanessa's wicked smile.

She was playing the perfect victim, and Marcus was falling for it completely.

"The police are on their way," Vanessa whispered against his chest.

"We need to get out of the house before more of Marta's men find us," she urged him.

Marcus nodded, pulling away and grabbing her hand.

"Sarah, take Lily and follow closely behind me," he ordered.

I wanted to scream the truth, to tell him Vanessa was manipulating everything.

But if I spoke up now, she might kill us both before the police arrived.

I picked up Lily and followed them out into the ruined hallway.

Smoke hung heavy in the air, and the smell of sulfur burned my lungs.

We stepped over the bodies of the mercenaries and headed toward the grand staircase.

"My car is waiting at the back entrance," Vanessa told Marcus.

"We can drive straight to the local precinct," she added smoothly.

We reached the massive kitchen, which was eerily quiet and empty.

Vanessa stopped suddenly and grabbed a bottle of water from the counter.

"Drink this, Marcus, you look incredibly pale," she said, handing him the bottle.

Marcus took it gratefully, unscrewing the cap without a second thought.

"Don't drink it!" I screamed, unable to hold my silence any longer.

Marcus paused, the bottle just inches from his lips.

He looked at me with deep confusion.

"Sarah, what is wrong with you?" he asked.

Vanessa's face twisted into a mask of pure, unadulterated fury.

"She is in shock, Marcus, just ignore her," Vanessa insisted, pushing the bottle toward him.

"She smiled at me!" I yelled, pointing a shaking finger at Vanessa.

"She killed Marta to cover her own tracks, and that water is poisoned!" I accused.

Marcus looked back and forth between the two of us, the tension in the room suffocating.

He slowly lowered the water bottle, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

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

Vanessa realized her sweet act was failing, and she reached into her coat pocket.

She pulled out a small, lethal stun gun and jammed it directly into Marcus's neck.

Chapter 6 - The Poisoned Apple