Chapter 5
Daniel stepped into the study, his eyes instantly sweeping the room with predatory precision. He had sensed something amiss, the intuitive paranoia of a man with many secrets keeping him constantly on edge. Elena stood frozen near the window, her hands gripping the thick velvet curtains to steady her breathing. The distance between them felt vast, yet the tension was palpable enough to crack glass.
“What are you doing in here, Elena?” Daniel asked, his voice chillingly quiet as he closed the study door behind him with a soft, deliberate click. He advanced slowly, his dark polo shirt blending into the shadows of the dim room. “You know this is my private workspace. You have no business being in this part of the house without permission.”
Elena forced her voice to remain steady, masking the terror that threatened to overwhelm her senses. “I was looking for a book, Daniel. The library was too bright, and I thought I might find something quiet in here.” She held her ground, refusing to shrink back as he drew closer.
Daniel stopped a few feet away, his dark eyes narrowing as he scrutinized her posture, her flushed face, and the subtle tremor in her hands. He didn’t believe her for a second. His gaze drifted past her toward the mahogany desk, noting the slight displacement of the leather blotter and the heavy oak frame on the wall behind it. A cold, menacing smile touched the corners of his mouth.
“You’re a terrible liar, Elena,” Daniel murmured softly, stepping even closer. “Curiosity is a fatal flaw in this family. Catherine had the exact same problem. She thought she could poke around where she didn’t belong, and look what happened to her.”
The confirmation hung heavy in the air. Daniel had just admitted complicity, dropping the subtle facade of innocence he had maintained in the kitchen. Elena’s eyes widened in horror. “You killed her,” she whispered, the words escaping before she could stop them. “You and Margaret murdered Catherine because she found out about your illegal operations.”
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Daniel’s expression hardened into ice. He lunged forward with terrifying speed, his hand shooting out to grab Elena by the arm, squeezing the bruised flesh with deliberate cruelty. Elena gasped in pain, but instead of crying out, she drove her heel down hard onto the instep of his expensive leather shoe.
With a sharp curse, Daniel released his grip, stumbling backward just enough for Elena to bolt toward the door. She wrenched it open and sprinted down the long hallway, her heart pounding furiously against her ribs. She needed to get out of the manor immediately. The evidence she needed was in her head, and the cracked phone in her pocket was her only lifeline. As she reached the grand foyer, she heard Margaret’s sharp voice echoing from the top of the sweeping staircase, cutting off her escape route.
