Chapter 7 - The Poisoned Apple
I stared at the note, the full scope of Evelyn's manipulative genius finally becoming clear.
She hadn't just been stealing from Dominic; she had been playing Richard from the very beginning.
Evelyn was holding the journals hostage to ensure she controlled the ultimate power in the family.
"She took them before the engagement party," Leo deduced, scanning the empty vault.
"She knew you would eventually come looking for the truth."
My phone buzzed in my pocket, shattering the silence of the empty cellar.
The caller ID displayed Evelyn's name.
I answered the call, putting it on speaker so Leo could hear every word.
"Hello, Clara," Evelyn said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness.
"I assume you've found my little surprise in the mountains."
"What do you want, Evelyn?" I demanded, skipping the pleasantries.
"I want a peaceful resolution," she lied smoothly.
"Meet me at the Napa vineyard tomorrow at noon, just you and me."
"Bring the signed deeds, and I will trade them for your mother's journals."
Leo shook his head silently, warning me that it was an obvious trap.
"I'll be there," I agreed, hanging up before she could set any more conditions.
We flew back to California just as the sun began to rise over the coastline.
The Napa vineyard was stunningly beautiful, with endless rows of green vines hiding the dark secrets buried beneath them.
I walked onto the main terrace alone, leaving Leo and his men hidden in the surrounding hills.
Evelyn was sitting at a wrought-iron table, sipping a glass of expensive red wine.
She pushed a thick, leather-bound journal across the table toward me.
"Your mother was a fascinating woman, Clara," Evelyn sneered.
"It's a shame she didn't live long enough to tell you about her affairs."
I reached into my bag and pulled out the forged property deeds, placing them near the journal.
"Drink a glass of wine with me to celebrate our new arrangement," Evelyn offered, pouring a second glass.
She slid the crystal goblet toward me, a triumphant glimmer in her eyes.
I remembered the lessons my grandmother had taught me about surviving in a house of vipers.
"I don't drink," I said quietly, deliberately knocking the glass off the table.
The red wine spilled over the stone patio, instantly fizzing and eating away at the grout like a corrosive acid.
Evelyn's face dropped as her lethal poisoning attempt failed spectacularly.
Before she could run, a fleet of black SUVs tore through the vineyard gates, crushing the expensive vines.
But they weren't Leo's men.
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Richard stepped out of the lead vehicle, holding a suppressed assault rifle, with Marcus Thorne right behind him.
"You really thought I wouldn't track my own wife?" Richard yelled, raising the weapon.
