Chapter 2 - The Echo of a Stolen Breath
Panic instantly rippled through the grand ballroom as Evelyn collapsed against the mahogany armrest of her chair, her fingers clawing desperately at her own throat. The smooth strains of the jazz quartet ground to a sudden, jarring halt, replaced by the sharp scrape of moving furniture and rising murmurs of concern. Clara stood up so abruptly her white tulle veil caught on the edge of the floral centerpiece, tearing a delicate seam. Her face drained of its bridal glow, replaced by a mask of sheer bewilderment.
“Evelyn! Oh my god, what is wrong?” Clara cried out, stepping forward to offer assistance, completely unaware that the woman writhing in pain had intended to end her life mere moments ago. “Julian, do something! Call an ambulance right now!”
Julian remained frozen in his seat for a fraction of a second, his black suit jacket feeling suffocated by the heavy, suffocating air of the reception hall. His mind raced back to the hospital lab access card he had found in Evelyn’s purse last week. He knew precisely what chemical compound was burning through her system, and he also knew that waiting for paramedics might already be too late.
“Stay back, Clara!” Julian commanded sharply, grabbing his wife’s wrist to pull her away from the convulsing woman. His voice carried an edge of absolute authority that brooked no argument. “Don't touch her or anything on the table. It’s... it’s a severe allergic reaction. She ingested something toxic.”
Evelyn’s crimson hair sprawled across the white tablecloth as she gasped for air, her lips turning a terrifying shade of blue. Her eyes locked onto Julian’s with a mixture of betrayal, agony, and silent begging. She wanted him to save her, the very man she had tried to widow before the night even reached its peak. Julian stared down at her, his jaw clenching as internal warfare tore him apart. Should he let karma take its course for the monster who tried to murder his bride, or would his own conscience trap him forever as an accomplice to murder?
May you like
“Julian, you have the antidote in your pocket, don't you?” Evelyn mouthed silently, a tear carving a clean path through her heavy makeup.
---
