Chapter 1: Don’t Drink It
“Daddy, don’t drink it!””
Ethan Cole froze with the porcelain cup less than an inch from his lips.
His six-year-old daughter came racing into the breakfast room barefoot, her pink pajamas twisted around one knee, her dark hair flying behind her.
Lily looked terrified.
Not frightened.
Terrified.
“Lily?”” Ethan lowered the cup.
“What happened?””
Nora moved first.
His wife crossed the room and caught Lily around the waist before the child could reach him.
“Stop this nonsense,” Nora snapped.
Lily screamed.
“Let me go!””
“Enough!””
Nora tightened her grip.
Ethan stood so quickly his chair scraped across the marble floor.
“Nora, release her.””
“She had another nightmare,” Nora said.
“She’s been acting strangely all morning.””
“I did not!””
Lily twisted desperately.
Then she bit Nora’s hand.
Nora cried out and released her.
Lily ran straight toward Ethan.
“Daddy!””
She struck the cup from his hand.
CRASH.
Porcelain shattered across the marble.
The amber-colored tea spread beneath the table.
For half a second, nobody moved.
Then came a faint sound.
Hissssss.
Ethan stared down.
Tiny bubbles appeared in the spilled tea.
They multiplied rapidly.
A thin layer of white foam formed along the edges, spreading through the liquid as a faint pale-green vapor curled upward.
Ethan’s stomach tightened.
“What the hell?””
Nora backed away.
Lily immediately stepped between Ethan and her mother.
She was shaking so badly Ethan could see her shoulders trembling.
But she lifted one small arm as though she could somehow protect him.
“Lily,” Ethan whispered, “come here.””
She didn’t move.
Instead, she pointed at Nora.
“She made it for you.””
Silence swallowed the room.
Ethan looked at his wife.
Ten minutes earlier, Nora had been smiling.
She had entered the breakfast room carrying a silver tray, kissed his cheek, and placed the tea beside his newspaper.
“Chamomile,” she had said.
“You barely slept.””
He had thought it was sweet.
Their marriage had been difficult lately. Nora complained that Ethan spent too much time running Cole Development and too little time at home. Ethan had promised to change.
This breakfast had felt like a peace offering.
Now Nora’s face had gone strangely blank.
“Nora,” Ethan said quietly, “what is in that tea?””
“Nothing.””
“It’s foaming.””
“Because it mixed with whatever cleaning chemicals the housekeeper used on the floor.””
“The floor was cleaned last night.””
Nora’s eyes flicked toward the doorway.
Only for a second.
But Ethan saw it.
So did Lily.
“Daddy,” Lily whispered, “she’s lying.””
Nora’s expression hardened.
“Lily, go upstairs.””
“No.””
“Now.””
“No!””
Ethan stepped in front of his daughter.
“She stays.””
Nora laughed once, but there was no humor in it.
“You’re seriously taking the word of a six-year-old over your wife?””
“I’m asking what was in my cup.””
“And I answered you.””
Ethan looked at the liquid again.
He wanted to believe her.
Nora had been his wife for three years. She had helped him through his father’s death. She had stood beside him when his company nearly collapsed. She had become Lily’s stepmother when Ethan had been terrified no woman would ever understand that his daughter came first.
But something about Lily’s fear was impossible to dismiss.
He crouched.
“Sweetheart, look at me.””
Lily turned.
Her cheeks were wet.
“What did you see?””
Nora stepped forward.
“Ethan, don’t encourage this.””
He raised one hand without looking at her.
“Nora. Stop.””
She stopped.
Ethan focused on Lily.
“Tell me exactly what happened.””
Lily swallowed.
“I woke up because I heard somebody downstairs.””
“When?””
“Before you came down.””
“What did you hear?””
“Nora talking.””
“To whom?””
Lily looked toward her stepmother.
“I don’t know.””
Nora folded her arms.
“This is ridiculous.””
Ethan ignored her.
“Then what happened, Lily?””
“I went downstairs.””
“Where was Nora?””
“In the kitchen.””
“What was she doing?””
Lily’s little fingers closed around Ethan’s sleeve.
“She had your blue cup.””
Ethan glanced toward the shattered porcelain.
His blue breakfast cup.
The one he used every morning.
“And?””
“She opened something.””
“What?””
“A little bottle.””
Nora’s face changed.
Barely.
But Ethan saw it.
Lily continued.
“She poured something into your tea.””
Nora stepped forward.
“That’s enough.””
Lily flinched.
Ethan rose.
“Don’t come closer.””
Nora stopped.
For the first time since Ethan had known her, something cold entered her eyes.
“You have no idea what you’re doing,” she said.
“Then explain it.””
“I was adding herbal drops.””
“What herbal drops?””
“The ones my doctor recommended.””
“Show me.””
Nora said nothing.
“Show me the bottle.””
“I threw it away.””
“Where?””
Her jaw tightened.
Ethan pulled his phone from his pocket.
Nora immediately said, “Who are you calling?””
“Emergency services.””
Her confidence vanished.
“Ethan, wait.””
He stared at her.
“Why?””
Nora looked at Lily.
And Ethan suddenly understood that his daughter hadn’t merely seen something.
She had seen something Nora desperately needed hidden.
Lily tugged his sleeve.
“Daddy?””
“Yes?””
“There’s more.””
Nora’s voice sharpened.
“Lily, don’t.””
Ethan looked down at his daughter.
“What else did you see?””
Lily hesitated, then whispered four words that made Nora go completely still.
“She tasted it first.””
Ethan frowned.
“Who did?””
May you like
Lily pointed toward the kitchen.
“Not Nora.””
