Chapter 9 - The Lion's Den
The heavy metal tumblers clicked softly under Norah's trembling fingers.
She entered the final number of the combination Declan had given her, praying he had remembered it correctly.
The safe beeped twice, and the thick steel door swung open on perfectly oiled hinges.
Inside, resting on a bed of black velvet, was a small glass vial filled with a glowing blue liquid.
Norah snatched the antidote, clutching it tightly to her chest with a massive wave of relief.
She had actually done it.
She turned around to run back out the door, ready to save the life of the most dangerous man she knew.
Before she could take a single step, the heavy office door clicked shut, the deadbolt engaging with a loud snap.
The lights in the office suddenly flared to full brightness, blinding her for a brief second.
A man was leaning casually against the locked door, wearing a flawlessly tailored designer suit.
He held a sharp, curved hunting knife loosely in his right hand.
Norah's entire world stopped spinning as she stared at the man blocking her only exit.
It was Arthur.
Her ex-husband looked incredibly wealthy, healthy, and entirely unbothered by her presence.
"Hello, Norah," Arthur smiled, a sickeningly sweet expression she used to blindly trust.
"I have to admit, I didn't expect you to survive the fire at the mansion."
Norah backed away slowly, her eyes darting around the room for any potential weapon.
"You sold me to a crime syndicate to pay off your gambling debts," she said, her voice shaking with pure, unadulterated hatred.
Arthur laughed, taking a slow, predatory step toward her.
"I didn't sell you, sweetheart, I simply traded an asset I no longer needed," he corrected her casually.
He pointed the tip of the curved knife directly at the blue vial in her hand.
"Hand over the doctor's medicine, Norah, and I promise to make your death quick," he offered.
Norah looked at the man who had destroyed her credit, her dreams, and her entire life.
She realized she was no longer the terrified, broken housewife he had abandoned eight months ago.
May you like
She gripped the vial tightly in her left hand and grabbed a heavy bronze statue from the desk with her right.
"If you want this vial, Arthur," she said coldly, "you are going to have to bleed for it."
