Chapter 1: The Woman Who Owned the House
"Now I am the owner of this house. Learn your place!""
Victoria Vance's voice sliced through the grand foyer of Vance Manor.
A second later, the contents of an enormous crystal goblet slid down Elena's face, soaking her gray hair, her uniform, and the small silver cross hanging around her neck.
The liquid smelled of expensive perfume and industrial cleaning chemicals.
Elena staggered backward, struggling to breathe.
Victoria watched her with a smile.
She was wearing an emerald-olive silk gown, custom-made in Milan, worth more than most people earned in a year. Its elegant fabric shimmered beneath the afternoon sunlight filtering through the stained-glass windows.
But there was something Victoria didn't know.
The gown was already killing her.
And the only person in the entire mansion who knew why was the woman she had just humiliated.
Elena's trembling hand disappeared into her apron pocket.
She pulled out a matte-black walkie-talkie.
"Daniel..."" she whispered.
Static crackled.
"Daniel, please. Come downstairs. You need to see what she's done.""
Victoria's smile barely changed.
Then the heavy doors of the master study flew open.
Daniel Vance stormed down the staircase.
At thirty-two, he was the golden heir of one of America's wealthiest industrial families. His photograph had appeared on the covers of financial magazines, his company was valued at nearly $4 billion, and his name was associated with everything from luxury hotels to pharmaceutical manufacturing.
He was also Victoria's fiancé.
"What the hell is happening?"" he demanded.
Victoria immediately transformed.
The cruel expression vanished. Her shoulders collapsed, her eyes filled with tears, and her perfectly manicured fingers began trembling.
She rushed into Daniel's arms.
"Daniel! She attacked me!""
Daniel caught her waist.
"What?""
"She threw something at me. Look at my dress! She tried to hurt me!""
He turned toward Elena.
The housekeeper was still dripping with the milky substance. Her knees shook beneath her, and she clutched the walkie-talkie against her chest.
"Elena!"" Daniel shouted.
"Explain yourself!""
"Master Daniel, please listen. I didn't attack her.""
"Then why is my fiancée covered in that disgusting mess?""
"Because she poured it on me!""
Daniel's expression hardened.
Victoria pressed her face against his shoulder.
"Darling, I'm frightened. She's been behaving strangely for weeks.""
Elena shook her head.
"That's not true. Sir, I need you to look at the gown. Please. Don't let her wear it.""
Daniel blinked.
"What?""
"The silk gown. Please take it off her. Immediately.""
Victoria's crying stopped for half a second.
Then she buried her face deeper into Daniel's jacket.
"See? She's threatening me again!""
Daniel stepped between the women.
"That's enough.""
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a white linen handkerchief, and gently wiped a spot of foam from Victoria's collarbone.
"You're nothing but a housekeeper, Elena. My father gave you a roof over your head when nobody else would. And this is how you repay us?""
Elena's lips trembled.
"Your father didn't give me charity, sir.""
Daniel frowned.
"What did you say?""
"Nothing.""
"No. Finish your sentence.""
Elena looked at Victoria.
For one brief moment, the two women stared at each other.
Then Elena lowered her eyes.
"Please. Just let me go to my quarters.""
Daniel pointed toward the servants' corridor.
"Get out. If you come back before tomorrow morning, I'll have the state police remove you.""
Elena slowly rose.
She held the walkie-talkie against her chest and disappeared into the dark hallway.
Victoria remained in Daniel's arms.
But once his attention shifted toward the staircase, she opened her eyes.
The tears stopped.
Her breathing steadied.
She glanced toward the hallway where Elena had disappeared.
"That old woman knows something," she whispered.
Daniel loosened his tie.
"She's been here too long. My father should have dismissed her years ago.""
Victoria touched the silk at her waist.
"Daniel, I don't want her anywhere near our wedding.""
"Consider it handled.""
He kissed her forehead.
"Tomorrow, you'll officially become Mrs. Vance. This house, the company, the entire family legacy will belong to us.""
Victoria smiled.
"Everything?""
"Everything.""
He walked toward the study.
Victoria waited until his footsteps disappeared.
Then she reached inside her gown and pulled out a small folded piece of paper.
It contained three words written in Elena's unmistakable handwriting:
*THE SILK IS POISONED.*
Victoria stared at the message.
For the first time that afternoon, her fingers began to shake.
She hurried upstairs and locked herself inside the master dressing room.
Under the bright vanity lights, she examined the gown.
At first, everything looked perfect.
The emerald silk was smooth, expensive, and beautifully tailored.
Then she noticed something.
Near the inside seam beneath her left arm, a tiny patch of fabric had turned an unusual shade of brown.
She touched it.
A sharp burning sensation traveled across her fingertip.
Victoria gasped and immediately wiped her hand against a towel.
Her phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
She answered.
"Who is this?""
A woman's voice came through, quiet and breathless.
"Take that dress off, Victoria.""
Victoria froze.
"Who are you?""
"You have approximately twelve hours before the symptoms become irreversible.""
Victoria gripped the phone.
"What have you done to me?""
The woman gave a bitter laugh.
"Me? I didn't make that dress.""
A pause.
Then the voice continued.
"Your fiancé did.""
The call disconnected.
Victoria stood motionless beneath the chandelier.
Outside the dressing room, someone knocked.
"Victoria?""
It was Daniel.
"Open the door. There's something you need to know about the wedding.""
She looked at her burning fingertip.
May you like
Then at the poisoned silk.
And suddenly, she realized that the man she was about to marry might be much more dangerous than the woman he had just thrown out of his house.
