Chapter 2 - Shadows in the Marble HallBefore Richard could thumb the toggle on his detonator, Elena didn’t retreat—she lunged forward with blinding speed. Years of grueling physical training, surviving on the fringes of society while hunting for clues, had turned the seemingly fragile housekeeper into a coiled spring.
With a sweep of her foot, she kicked a jagged piece of crystal across the marble. It struck Richard’s ankle precisely, throwing him off balance just enough to make him stumble. The remote slipped from his fingers, clattering against the steps and sliding down into the foyer below.
“Emily, run!” Elena shouted over her shoulder.
Emily stumbled backward, tears blurring her vision, but survival instinct took over. She grabbed the banister and bolted toward the grand side exit leading to the gardens.
Richard roared in fury, catching his balance and lunging down the stairs past Elena. “You miserable bitch!” he screamed, his face contorting into a mask of pure rage as he abandoned any pretense of gentlemanly charm. He didn’t care about the remote anymore; his bare hands were weaponized. He reached for Elena’s throat, intending to snap her neck before finishing off his wife.
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Elena ducked beneath his wild swing, driving her elbow upward into his solar plexus. Richard gasped, the wind knocked out of him as he staggered backward against the neoclassical pillar.
“You don’t know who you’re dealing with,” Elena whispered coldly, her eyes locking onto his with a terrifying intensity that made Richard’s blood run cold. “You thought I was just a maid. But I am the vengeance you never saw coming.”
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