Chapter 7 - The Locked Door
Silas stared at the shattered crystal on the floor, his eyes completely dead and devoid of emotion.
Norah’s heart hammered so aggressively against her ribs she thought it might break through her chest.
She quickly dropped to her knees and began picking up the broken glass with her bare hands.
"I am so sorry, Mr. Silas," she stammered, purposely letting her hands shake.
"I was dusting the desk and I completely lost my balance."
Silas slowly walked into the room, closing and locking the heavy door behind him.
The sound of the lock clicking into place sounded like a death sentence.
He stood directly over her, his polished shoes mere inches from her trembling fingers.
"You are a very clumsy girl, Nora," Silas said softly.
"But I don't think you are stupid."
He reached down and grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her head back violently.
Norah gasped in pain, dropping the glass shards.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" Silas hissed, his eyes filled with malicious intent.
"I don't know what you mean," Norah cried, tears springing to her eyes.
Silas smiled cruelly and pulled his heavy pistol from his shoulder holster.
Before he could press the gun to her head, his encrypted burner phone began to ring loudly on the desk.
Silas cursed under his breath and released her hair, shoving her roughly to the floor.
He answered the phone, keeping his gun aimed directly at her chest.
"Is the poison ready for the charity gala tonight?" Silas asked the caller, completely ignoring her presence.
"Make sure it is in his first glass of champagne."
"Arthur will be dead before the main course is served."
He hung up the phone and looked back down at Norah.
"It is a real shame you had to hear that, cleaner."
He raised the pistol again, preparing to end her life.
Norah didn't hesitate for a single second.
She threw a handful of the sharp, broken glass directly into his face.
Silas screamed in agony, dropping his weapon and clutching his bleeding eyes.
Norah scrambled to her feet, unlocked the door, and sprinted blindly down the hallway.
She burst into Arthur’s office without knocking, completely out of breath and bleeding from her hands.
"Silas is the traitor!" she yelled frantically.
"And he is going to poison you at the gala tonight!"
Arthur stood up from his desk, his expression turning into a mask of pure, terrifying violence.
May you like
"Get dressed," Arthur ordered coldly.
"We are going to a party."
