Chapter 2 - Shadows in the Estate
The woman who stepped into the doorway was striking, poised, and impeccably dressed in an cream silk blouse and dark tailored trousers. Her dark hair was pinned back in a flawless twist, and her posture exuded authority. From the diamond earnings reflecting the soft study light to her smooth, porcelain skin, she looked like royalty.
This was Victoria Moretti—Adrian’s wife, daughter-in-law to the elderly woman we had helped on the street.
“Oh,” Victoria said, pausing on the threshold. Her voice was smooth like crushed velvet, but her eyes held a sharp, calculating glint as they landed on me, then shifted down to Mia. “I didn't realize we had visitors in Adrian’s private office.”
My heart slammed against my ribcage. Mia’s small body was trembling against my leg. I pulled her further behind me, trying to keep my posture relaxed and natural despite the cold panic washing over me.
“I’m sorry,” I said, forcing a polite, apologetic smile onto my face. “Mia wandered in here looking for a bathroom. We were just leaving.”
Victoria’s gaze drifted slowly to the wooden desk—specifically toward the spread of photographs and altered medication logs sitting open under the desk lamp. For a fraction of a second, her jaw tightened. The faint pulse of a vein throbbed on her temple before her warm, aristocratic mask snapped back into place.
“The restrooms are down the main hall to the right, dear,” Victoria said softly, taking a step toward us. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small silver wrapper, offering a foil-wrapped chocolate to Mia. “Here you go, sweetheart. A little treat for our brave guest.”
Mia didn't reach out. She buried her face directly into the fabric of my worn winter coat, refusing to look at the woman’s face.
“She’s a bit shy with strangers,” I lied, stepping around Victoria while keeping a protective arm around my daughter’s shoulders. “Thank you, though.”
“It’s no trouble at all,” Victoria murmured, watching us closely as we backed out into the wide marble hallway. “We are so very grateful for what you did for Eleanor yesterday. The city can be so dangerous for an old woman.”
As soon as we cleared the doorway, I walked as quickly as my legs could carry us toward the main drawing-room where Adrian Moretti was speaking with his family doctor. My mind was racing at a thousand miles an hour.
Mia’s words echoed relentlessly in my ears: She put something in her drink.
Eleanor Moretti hadn't suffered a stroke or a sudden dizzy spell on the pavement near Bryant Park. She had been poisoned. And the poisoner was sitting at the same dinner table with her, living inside this grand, heavily guarded estate.
When we reached the drawing-room, Adrian turned around. He was a tall man in his late thirties with dark eyes and tired lines deeply etched into his forehead. He looked like a man carrying the weight of an empire on his shoulders.
“Is everything alright, Miss Ward?” Adrian asked, noticing my flushed face and Mia’s tight grip on my hand.
“Mr. Moretti,” I began, my voice wavering slightly before I caught myself. “We should probably get going back to the city. I have a shift tonight—”
“Nonsense,” Adrian insisted warmly, stepping forward. “My driver will take you back whenever you wish, but please, stay for lunch. My mother insists on rewarding you properly. You saved her life yesterday.”
I glanced across the room. Eleanor was sitting in a plush velvet armchair beside the fireplace, wrapped in a cashmere shawl. She looked frail, her pale skin contrasting sharply with the deep shadows beneath her eyes. Sitting beside her, pouring a fresh cup of tea from a silver pot, was Victoria.
Victoria looked up from the teacup, catch my eye, and smiled. It was a cold, empty expression that sent a shiver down my spine.
May you like
I looked down at Mia. She looked up at me, her big brown eyes filled with an unspoken plea to leave. But I knew if we just walked out right now without saying anything, Eleanor would be left entirely defenceless against the woman sitting beside her.
“Mr. Moretti,” I whispered, stepping closer to him so the others couldn't hear. “Can I speak with you in private? It’s about what happened yesterday near the park.”
