Chapter 1 - The Descent and the TrapThe abyss swallowed the wheelchair, and the deafening roar of the waterfall muffled the final, echoing crash of metal against jagged rock. For a heartbeat, absolute silence seemed to blanket the gorge, broken only by the rushing white water below.
The woman—Clara—slowly lowered her hands from her face. Her breathing was shallow, adrenaline singing in her veins. Beside her, Mark—the lover, the accomplice, the shadow that had haunted their marriage for two years—lowered his arms from his fake theatrical gesture of despair.
— Did anyone see us? — Clara whispered, her eyes darting through the thick mist toward the winding mountain trail.
— No one. The park ranger station is three miles back, and the rain scared off the weekend hikers, — Mark muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead despite the chilling mountain air. — It’s done, Clara. Arthur is gone. The multi-million-dollar estate, the shares in the shipping empire, the offshore accounts—it’s all yours. Ours.
They embraced, a toxic mixture of triumph and lingering fear binding them together. But as Mark’s hand patted her back, his eyes drifted toward the edge of the cliff.
A sharp, metallic clinking sound cut through the roar of the waterfall.
Mark stiffened. He pulled away from Clara and stepped cautiously to the rocky precipice. He leaned over, peering down into the swirling white spray below.
What he saw made his blood run instantly cold.
May you like
The wheelchair was indeed shattered on the rocks fifty feet down, its aluminum frame twisted into a grotesque, broken shape.
But the seat was empty.
