Chapter 1 - The Shattered Glass
The deafening sound of heavy crystal shattering paralyzed the entire wedding gala.
The elite crowd gasped in absolute horror as the unhinged bride physically assaulted the defenseless worker.
Vanessa grabbed a fistful of the young waitress's hair and yanked her violently toward the marble floor.
She screamed hysterically about her ruined designer dress and the expensive whiskey staining Julian's custom tuxedo.
Despite the agonizing pain burning in her scalp, the weeping waitress forced herself to stand upright.
Her name was Clara, and she wasn't crying because of the humiliation inflicted by the rich crowd.
She was absolutely terrified of what was currently melting inside those spilled whiskey ice cubes.
Julian stood frozen in the center of the grand ballroom, his ghost-white face staring down at the mess on his shoes.
He gently pushed his screaming bride aside and knelt on the wet marble to inspect the shattered glass.
His entire reality shattered the exact second he saw the undeniable evidence hidden within the ice.
A tiny, transparent micro-capsule had been frozen inside the center of the perfectly square artisan ice cube.
The warm whiskey had begun to melt the outer shell, releasing a vibrant blue liquid that hissed against the floor.
Julian possessed a master's degree in chemical engineering, and he recognized the lethal synthetic nerve agent instantly.
Just two drops of that specific compound would have stopped his heart in less than thirty seconds.
He slowly raised his head and locked eyes with Clara, realizing she had intentionally tripped to spill the drink.
The poor waitress had just risked her own life to save him from a brutal, silent assassination.
Julian turned his gaze toward Vanessa, who was still aggressively berating the hotel manager about her ruined evening.
A chilling realization washed over his body like a bucket of freezing ice water.
He remembered perfectly well that it was his beautiful bride who had personally handed him that specific glass.
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Clara leaned in close to grab the broken shards and whispered a warning that made his blood run completely cold.
"Look at the best man's pocket square, Julian, or you will be dead before midnight."
