Chapter 6 - THE SABOTAGE
Leo and Vanessa were desperate. If they couldn't ruin Clara on paper, they needed to ruin her in practice.
The sabotage happened on a Saturday afternoon while Marcus was at the office. Vanessa, using an old security code she claimed she hadn't returned, bypassed the front gate and entered the mansion. She brought with her a highly allergic peanut snack, knowing full well Lily had a severe allergy to peanuts—a fact documented in her medical files.
Vanessa left the open bag on the low coffee table in the sunroom, right where Lily played.
Clara was in the kitchen preparing lunch when she heard a strange, wheezing cough. Panic, cold and sharp, flooded her veins. She sprinted into the sunroom.
Lily was clutching her throat, her face red, the wrapper of a peanut butter cookie on the rug.
"Lily!" Clara screamed. She didn't hesitate. She grabbed the EpiPen from her emergency belt pouch—which she wore every single day—and administered it with practiced precision.
By the time the ambulance arrived, Lily was breathing normally, though frightened. Marcus arrived at the hospital an hour later, looking as though he might commit murder.
Security footage from the mansion confirmed everything.
> Subject: Security Breach at 14:00 hours.
> Individual Identified: Vanessa Cole.
> Action: Placed known allergen in child's play area.
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"They crossed the line," Marcus whispered in the hospital corridor, holding Clara's hand in a tight, unyielding grip. "I'm going to destroy them."
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