Chapter 5 - The Gathering Storm
Word travels fast in a wealthy family estate during the holidays, especially when rage is involved. Within five minutes, the rest of the extended family—aunts, uncles, and cousins who had gathered for the annual Christmas Eve dinner—poured out of the dining room to see what the commotion was about.
David stood up slowly, clutching the photographs in his fist so tightly his knuckles turned bone-white. He looked around the room, his chest heaving with ragged breaths.
"Where are they?" David roared, his voice shaking the crystal chandelier hanging from the foyer ceiling. "Where are Kevin and Mia right now?!"
"They're on Amtrak Train 48," I answered clearly, stepping into the center of the room to command the floor. "Somewhere crossing Illinois right now. They think I'm standing in a freezing coach car, shivering and waiting for them to text me snack orders."
An uproar erupted among the relatives. Aunt Clara dropped her glass of wine, shattering it against the floorboards, while Uncle Richard stepped forward, demanding an explanation from a paralyzed, weeping Eleanor. The grand holiday celebration had instantly morphed into a full-scale family tribunal.
"This is an absolute catastrophe," Eleanor sobbed, wringing her hands as she realized her social standing, her family name, and her golden-boy illusion were going down in flames. "David, please, let's not act rashly. We can handle this privately. We can talk to Kevin when he gets back—"
"Talk to him?" David interrupted, his laugh sharp and venomous. "He's been sleeping with my wife for months, Eleanor! While I was working late to fund their lifestyle, they were sharing hotel rooms behind my back! And you want to talk?!"
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David whipped out his phone, his thumb flying furiously across the screen. I watched quietly, knowing exactly what he was doing. He was tracking their location, calling contacts, and plotting a reception that Kevin would never, ever forget.
"They think they have forty-eight more hours of peace," David muttered, a dark, terrifying smile spreading across his face. "Let's see how much they enjoy the rest of that train ride when they find out their bank accounts have been frozen, their return tickets canceled, and their luggage waiting for them in a dumpster."
