Chapter 2 - The Double Life
Victoria gasped, staggering back. "What... who is that?!"
The woman stepping out of the shadows wore a sharp black pant-suit, her hair pulled into a sleek ponytail. Her face was completely unmarred, her expression cold and calculated.
"Hello, Victoria," the woman said in a crisp, sharp tone. "Did you really think my twin sister would be defenseless against a viper like you?"
Elena—the woman bleeding on the floor—slowly sat up with Alexander’s help. But as she touched her baby bump, she pulled away a foam padding layer concealed under her loose dress.
Victoria’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. "A FAKE BUMP?! You were never pregnant?!"
"Oh, Elena was pregnant," the twin, whose name was Maya, said coolly as she flashed a police investigator badge. "She gave birth to Alexander’s heir three weeks ago in absolute secrecy at a military hospital. What you saw today was a trap—designed specifically to catch you in the act of trying to murder the Blackwood heir!"
"You trapped me?!" Victoria screamed, looking around like a trapped animal. "Alexander, you collaborated with these rats?!"
Alexander didn't flinch. "Three years ago, my mother died of sudden organ failure. The doctors called it natural causes. But two months ago, Elena found a handwritten journal in the old manor attic detailing your family's secret debt to the syndicate. You needed the Blackwood inheritance to keep your father out of prison."
"You have no proof!" Victoria shouted desperately, backing toward the broken glass doors of the patio. "A video can be fabricated! A smart lawyer will tear this to shreds in five minutes!"
Inspector Vance stepped forward, pulling out a pair of steel handcuffs. "Victoria Vance—no relation, thankfully—you are under arrest for attempted murder, conspiracy, and the premeditated homicide of Lady Eleanor Blackwood."
Victoria let out a manic laugh. "You think you won? Look at your phone, Alexander. Look at it!"
Alexander’s phone vibrated violently in his pocket. He pulled it out.
May you like
An alert popped up on his screen: BLACKWOOD ENTERPRISES STOCK CRASH: 45% DROP IN 10 MINUTES.
Victoria grinned through her soaked hair, her blood-red lips curling into a demonic smile. "Did you really think I came here alone today? While I kept your focus on this little theater performance, my father just executed a hostile takeover of your holding company. By now, every asset you own belongs to the Vance Syndicate!"
