Chapter 2 - The Confession Beneath the Chandelier
The crystal stopper came out with a sharp, echoing pop that made everyone in the room flinch. Eleanor held the heavy decanter suspended over a vacant crystal glass, her knuckles white. The ambient hum of the estate’s grand piano from the music room seemed miles away, swallowed by the suffocating tension hanging over the dining table.
“You really think I would kill my own flesh and blood?” Eleanor whispered, her voice cracking slightly as she glanced at the dark red stain on her thumb.
“I know what you are capable of, Mother,” Jax replied steadily, his hands resting flat on the mahogany surface. His ink-covered fingers contrasted sharply with the polished wood. “You built this empire on ruined partnerships and quiet eliminations. Katherine isn't even in the house tonight, which means she was sent away before you executed the final phase of your little plan.”
Marcus wiped the last trace of blood from his chin, his black suit rumpled from the collision with the grandfather clock. He stepped cautiously toward Eleanor, whispering a warning in her ear. But Eleanor pushed him away with a sharp gesture of her elbow.
“Katherine acted on her own accord,” Eleanor lied smoothly, though her eyes darted toward the hallway. “She was always impulsive. She thought you were steering the shipping logistics into bankruptcy.”
“My logistics division is posting record profits,” Jax said, narrowing his eyes. “The only thing going bankrupt is your patience. You wanted me out of the way before the board meeting next Tuesday. If I drink that, or if I don't, either way, you control my shares through Lily’s trust.”
“You sound delusional, Jax,” Eleanor said, though her defensive posture faltered. “Think of your daughter. Do you really want her to watch her grandmother humiliated like this over baseless paranoia?”
“Lily already knows more than you think,” Jax said, stepping closer. “She heard you and Katherine plotting in the conservatory yesterday afternoon. Kids absorb everything, Mother. They are sponges for the truth.”
Eleanor froze, the decanter tipping slightly, spilling a thick, blood-like rivulet across the white linen tablecloth. Her composure finally fractured, revealing the desperate woman beneath the expensive jewelry.
“Fine!” Eleanor slammed the decanter down onto the table, splashing red wine across the crystal glassware. “We plotted! We wanted you out! But we didn't put poison in your glass—we didn't have to. You're destroying us all on your own.”
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Before Jax could process the sudden confession, the heavy oak front doors of the mansion were violently thrown open, and flashing red and blue lights began to paint the hallway walls in frantic crimson and azure.
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