Chapter 2: The Evidence in the Palm of Her Hand
The security team grabbed Elena by the arms, dragging her toward the heavy mahogany doors. She didn't struggle, but her eyes remained locked on Julian.
"I’m sorry, sir," Elena said, her voice steady despite the stinging pain on her cheek. "I’m sorry for the mess. But if you had drunk that, you wouldn't be standing here right now."
"She’s clearly deranged," Victoria hissed, clutching Julian’s arm. "Look at her! She’s trying to ruin our night, our reputation!"
Julian’s brow furrowed. He looked at the shattered glass, then at the spilled liquid that was already beginning to bubble and smoke slightly against the marble—a chemical reaction no one else noticed.
"Wait," Julian said, holding up a hand. "Let her speak."
"Julian, no!" Victoria pleaded, her grip tightening. "She’s a servant. She’s nothing!"
Elena pulled her phone from her apron pocket. Her hands were trembling, but her thumb hit 'Play' with surgical precision. The room watched the screen.
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It wasn't a grainy, distant shot. It was high-definition footage from a hidden camera Elena had rigged in the butler’s pantry—a camera she had installed because she had grown suspicious of Victoria’s sudden interest in Julian’s diet. The video showed Victoria dropping a clear, odorless powder into the pitcher of juice. It showed her smiling—a cold, terrifying smile—before she walked out to meet her husband.
The silence that followed was suffocating. Every eye in the room turned to Victoria.
