Chapter 5 - SHADOWS IN THE HALLWAY
Adrenaline, sharp and metallic, flooded my veins. I ducked into the industrial kitchen, locking the heavy stainless-steel door behind me. Elara began to fuss, sensing the sheer terror radiating from my body. I shushed her desperately, pulling her into the narrow, dark gap between the walk-in freezer and the pantry.
Footsteps echoed on the marble floors outside. I heard Elias's voice, cold and devoid of his usual warmth. "Find them. Lucas's brother wants the child eliminated before the board meeting ends. If there is no heir, Julian takes the company."
May you like
Julian. Lucas's own flesh and blood. The betrayal was absolute.
I pressed my back against the cold steel, covering Elara's mouth gently with my hand. I had lost my children once. I would not let the universe take another child from my arms. I noticed a rack of culinary knives above my head. Slowly, silently, I reached up and pulled down a ten-inch carving blade. I wasn't just a grieving widow anymore. I was a mother backed into a corner.
