Chapter 10 - The False Victory
The next month was surprisingly peaceful at the Cross estate.
With Benny Carver dead and her father exiled from the city, the immediate threats vanished.
Adrian was incredibly attentive, showering Elena with affection and expensive gifts.
The children completely accepted her, and the massive house finally felt like a real home.
They had a beautiful Sunday dinner together, laughing and sharing stories around the massive table.
Adrian raised his glass of wine, looking at Elena with genuine, undeniable love.
"To my perfect wife, and our perfect family," Adrian toasted warmly.
Elena smiled, clicking her glass against his, feeling a true sense of victory at last.
She had survived the mafia, saved the children, and tamed the beast.
That night, after everyone had gone to sleep, Elena went down to Adrian's private study.
She wanted to put her diamond necklace away in the heavy steel floor safe behind his desk.
She entered the passcode Adrian had given her, and the heavy door swung open.
As she reached inside to place the jewelry box, her hand brushed against a hidden false bottom.
She pried the metal plate up and found a stack of old, yellowing documents.
The first paper was a bank wire transfer dated exactly three years ago.
It showed three million dollars sent directly from Adrian’s personal account to Dr. Mitchell.
Adrian had paid the doctor to fake her infertility so her father would be forced to sell her.
Elena gasped, covering her mouth as the horrific truth finally sank in.
He had orchestrated her entire downfall years before they ever officially met.
She dug deeper into the hidden compartment, her hands shaking uncontrollably.
She pulled out a medical file belonging to Caroline Cross, the first wife.
The autopsy report showed that Caroline did not die in a random car explosion as everyone believed.
Caroline's toxicology report listed massive, fatal amounts of synthetic aconite in her blood.
It was the exact same rare poison the housekeeper had supposedly tried to use on Adrian last month.
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Elena realized with absolute terror that the poisoned tea wasn't an assassination attempt on her husband.
Adrian had intentionally poisoned Elena, just like he poisoned his first wife, simply to test if she was strong enough to survive it.
