Chapter 3 - Arsenic in the Tea

"They're going to ruin us, Dad," Clara said, her voice urgent. "Victor has already called an emergency board meeting for tomorrow morning. They are going to vote you out as Chairman, using your 'emotional instability' over Elena's pregnancy as grounds to declare you unfit."
Richard slowly stood up. The sorrow in his eyes was gone, replaced by a terrifying, murderous calm. He wiped the blood from his hand with a linen handkerchief. "They want a war, Clara? I built this empire on the bones of men smarter than Victor. I will not let a gutter rat and my backstabbing brother take it from me."
Just then, the door to the study clicked. To their surprise, the lock turned from the outside.
Elena walked in. But she was no longer crying. The desperate, begging housewife was gone. She had wiped the tears from her face, put on fresh lipstick, and held a small, silver tray with a cup of chamomile tea—the same tea she brewed for Richard every single night.
"You look stressed, Richard," Elena said, her voice dropping into a terrifyingly calm, venomous tone. She set the tea on the edge of the shattered desk. "You should drink your tea. It helps your heart condition."
Clara immediately stepped between her father and the cup. "Get out of here, Elena. The police are on their way. I called them five minutes ago for corporate fraud."
May you like
Elena laughed, a sharp, mocking sound. "The police? On what charges, Clara? A fake pregnancy isn't a crime. And as for the offshore accounts? Every single document bears your father’s digital signature. Victor and I made sure of it. If anyone goes to prison for fraud, Richard, it’s you."
She leaned closer, her eyes locked onto Richard’s pale face. "You’ve been feeling tired lately, haven't you? Short of breath? Your doctor thinks it's stress. But it's amazing what a daily micro-dose of digitalis in your evening tea can do to a weak heart. If you don't sign the transfer papers tonight... you won't make it to the board meeting tomorrow. You'll die of a sudden, tragic heart attack, mourning the 'loss' of your unborn child."