Chapter 1
The interior of the lead sedan was silent, save for the hum of the engine and Clara’s shallow breathing.
Elias held her tightly against his chest, his bespoke suit ruined by the chlorine and her shivering tears.
"The baby," Clara whispered, her hands frantically gripping her stomach. "Elias, I felt a sharp pain before I hit the water. She didn't just push me."
Elias’s eyes darkened, hardening into chips of black ice.
He pressed a button on the divider window. "Tell the pilot to have the medical team waiting on the helipad. Now."
They arrived at his private hospital in less than twenty minutes.
A swarm of doctors rushed Clara through the pristine white halls. Elias was forced to wait behind a set of double glass doors, his wet clothes leaving dark stains on the marble floor.
He didn't pace. He just stared at the doors, a terrifying stillness radiating from him.
An hour later, Dr. Aris stepped out. His face was pale.
"The baby is fine, sir. Heartbeat is strong," the doctor said quickly, sensing the lethal energy in the room.
Elias exhaled a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "And my wife?"
Dr. Aris hesitated, looking down at his tablet.
"The fall didn't harm her. But we ran her bloodwork... Mr. Sterling, there are severe traces of Aconite in her system. Wolfsbane."
Elias froze.
"She’s been given micro-doses for weeks," the doctor continued, his voice trembling. "If she hadn't fallen into the pool and swallowed that water to induce vomiting, the poison would have reached her heart tonight."
Elias didn't say a word. He pulled out his phone and dialed his head of security.
"Victoria didn't just try to drown her," Elias whispered into the receiver. "She’s been poisoning my heir."
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A pause.
"Lock down the valley. No one leaves alive."
