Chapter 5 - The Poison Plot
That night, the house was dead silent. Rain lashed against the tall glass windows of the grand library.
Believing the servants were asleep and the estate’s security compromised, Celeste and her father sat by the fireplace with glasses of vintage scotch.
Nora, lurking in the shadows of the adjoining gallery behind the heavy velvet drapes, held her breath.
"Is the digitalis ready?" Julian asked, his voice low and calculating.
"Yes," Celeste replied, swirling her amber drink. "Dr. Vance prepared the liquid compound. It’s odorless and tasteless. Three drops in her morning tea every day starting after the wedding. Within a month, her heart gives out naturally. The doctors will attribute it to her previous stroke."
"Good," Julian nodded approvingly. "With Elena dead and Luca bound to you by marriage, the Ventresca holdings will merge into our offshore accounts. Luca will be too busy mourning his mother to notice the drain until it's too late."
Celeste laughed—a sharp, ringing sound that made Nora’s stomach churn.
"Luca thinks he’s so smart," Celeste said, resting her head against the high-backed chair. "He thinks he’s the dangerous one because he runs the syndicate. He has no idea that the real snakes are the ones sitting in the pews."
In his riverfront penthouse, Luca watched the recording play in real time.
He reached down to his phone and tapped a short code.
A minute later, Nora’s burner phone vibrated quietly in her apron pocket. She pulled it out, her heart pounding against her ribs.
A text message from an unlisted number appeared on the screen:
May you like
’Hold the line for 24 more hours, Nora. You and my mother will be free forever. - L’
Nora closed her eyes, letting out a long, quiet breath. The trap was fully baited.
