Chapter 5 - The Poison
Paranoia consumed Elena's every waking moment.
She did not confront Adrian about the listening device hidden in her coat.
Instead, she began to watch his every move, searching for any cracks in his perfect armor.
She focused all her remaining energy on bonding with the children.
Lily began holding her hand during dinner, and Noah finally started speaking to her in quiet whispers.
Even Claire seemed to soften, offering Elena a small, hesitant smile in the mornings.
On a rainy Tuesday afternoon, the housekeeper brought a silver tray of hot tea into the drawing room.
Adrian was sitting by the fire, reviewing shipping manifests on his tablet.
Elena sat on the sofa opposite him, reading a book aloud to Lily.
"Your tea, Mr. Cross," the housekeeper said, placing a steaming porcelain cup on his desk.
Adrian barely looked up, waving the woman away.
Before he could reach for the cup, his phone buzzed with an urgent security alert.
He stood up immediately, his face darkening with anger.
"I have to deal with a breach at the docks," he announced, marching toward the door.
Elena looked at the abandoned cup of expensive herbal tea.
The cold draft in the room made her shiver, so she reached over and took a sip of Adrian's drink.
It tasted faintly of bitter almonds, but the warmth felt good against her throat.
Ten minutes later, the book slipped from Elena’s trembling hands.
A massive, agonizing cramp ripped through her stomach, causing her to double over.
She gasped for air, but her lungs felt like they were filled with crushed glass.
Lily screamed in terror as Elena collapsed onto the Persian rug.
The world spun wildly out of control as black spots danced across her vision.
The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was the housekeeper standing in the doorway.
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The woman was not rushing to help her.
She was standing perfectly still, watching Elena die with a cold, satisfied smile.
