Chapter 3 - The Confession in the DarkWhile Daria held court near the dais, I slipped away through a side service corridor down to the underground parking garage. My phone chimed with a secure video feed. I tapped the screen.
It showed Dr. Weston—the chief forensic odontologist who had signed off on Catherine’s death certificate two years ago—tied to a chair in a secure safehouse, sweating profusely under a desk lamp. Marcus stood just off-camera.
"Tell him what you told us, Doctor," Marcus’s voice echoed through my earpiece.
Dr. Weston stammered, his eyes darting wildly. "I-I didn't have a choice! Daria Kincaid threatened my family! She brought me the dental molds of a Jane Doe found in a river fifty miles away and ordered me to match them to Catherine's dental records. She paid me a million dollars in offshore funds. The remains in that burned car... they weren't Catherine! It was all a setup!"
"Good," I muttered, recording the feed directly to my encrypted drive. "Keep him locked tight. Phase Three starts in twenty minutes."
I ended the call and turned around—only to freeze.
Standing a few feet away in the shadows of the concrete pillar was Julian Vance, Daria’s chief legal counsel and her personal hatchet man. He was holding a sleek, silver cigarette case, tapping it slowly against his thumb.
"Sneaking around during a major gala, Samuel?" Julian smiled, his eyes glittering with malice. "Your mother told me to keep an eye on you. She thinks you're planning something foolish."
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My heart hammered against my ribs, but my face remained an unreadable mask. "I just needed some air, Julian. This room is full of vipers."
"Indeed it is," Julian replied, taking a step closer. "And sometimes, the vipers bite back."
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