Chapter 5 - THE POISONED TEA
The tension in the grand drawing room was thick enough to choke on.
Derek Vane—dressed in a bespoke charcoal suit, his blond hair slicked back, looking every bit the arrogant socialite—sat on the silk sofa with his ankle resting on his knee. Across from him sat Victor Hale, pouring tea from a silver pot with agonizing slowness.
Clara stood in the adjoining dining room, hidden behind the thick velvet curtains, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. She could see Derek’s face through a narrow gap in the fabric. This was the man who had torn her life apart, the man who was currently suing her for full custody of Lily, claiming she was mentally unfit.
"You look tired, Victor," Derek said smoothly, taking a cup of tea. "The boys giving you trouble? I heard you lost another nanny last night. That makes... what, seven this year?"
"The children are spirited," Victor replied coldly, setting the teapot down. "They miss their mother."
"Of course they do," Derek sneered, taking a delicate sip. "My sister was a saint. It's a shame her death was so... tragic. And so mysterious. You know, the police still haven't closed the file on her disappearance."
"The police closed the file two years ago, Derek. It was ruled an accidental drowning."
"Files can be reopened," Derek murmured, setting his cup down with a sharp clink. "Especially if new evidence comes to light. For instance... if I were to inform the judge in my custody battle that my ex-wife, Clara, has somehow ended up living under your roof?"
Victor’s eyes narrowed into terrifying slits, but his face remained a mask of iron. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Don't play dumb, Victor!" Derek snapped, leaning forward, his charming facade dropping to reveal the snake beneath. "I know she’s here! I tracked her phone! She’s broke, desperate, and you’re using her to try and get around Eleanor’s will!"
"Ms. Bennett was interviewed by an agency," Victor said calmly. "I hired her based on her qualifications. She has no idea who you are in relation to this family."
"Lie to yourself all you want," Derek laughed dryly. "But here’s the reality: Clara is an unfit mother. By the end of this week, the court will grant me full custody of Lily. And once I have Lily, Clara will do whatever I want. Including testifying in court that you murdered my sister!"
Behind the curtain, Clara gasped, covering her mouth to smother the sound.
Derek was planning to use Lily to blackmail her into framing Victor for murder!
"You're insane," Victor said, his voice dropping an octave, deadlier than a loaded gun.
"I’m ambitious," Derek corrected him, standing up and adjusting his cufflinks. "I want my sister's $4.2 billion trust released. You have three days to sign the paperwork transferring full control of the estate to me, Victor. If you don't... Clara loses her daughter, and you go to prison for life."
Derek turned on his heel and walked toward the foyer.
As he passed the dining room curtains, he paused. He turned his head toward the fabric where Clara was hiding, a terrifying, crooked smile spreading across his face.
"I know you're behind that curtain, Clara," Derek whispered loudly enough for her to hear. "Say goodbye to Lily."
He walked out, slamming the heavy front door behind him.
Clara collapsed out from behind the curtain, her knees giving way. Victor rushed to her side, catching her before she hit the marble floor.
"Clara!" Victor called out, lifting her face.
"He's going to take her," Clara sobbed uncontrollably, grabbing Victor’s lapels. "He’s going to take my little girl! I have to leave, Victor! I have to go get Lily right now!"
"If you leave now, you play right into his hands," Victor said firmly, holding her shoulders tightly. "Look at me, Clara! Look at me!"
She forced herself to meet his dark, intensely focused eyes.
"Derek thinks he holds all the cards," Victor whispered softly, a strange, dangerous light flickering in his eyes. "He doesn't know that Eleanor left behind something else. Something that can ruin him forever."
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"What?" Clara asked, wiping away a tear.
"Eleanor wasn't murdered, Clara," Victor revealed, his voice shaking with a secret he had kept buried for years. "And she didn't drown. She’s locked in a private psychiatric facility in Switzerland... because Derek tried to poison her three years ago."
