Chapter 5 - The Glass of Wine
On Wednesday evening, two days before the scheduled rehearsal dinner, Victoria returned to the mansion in an unusually triumphant mood.
She wore a striking emerald silk cocktail dress, her hair cascading in soft waves over her shoulders. She carried a bottle of rare 1982 Chateau Margaux wine—a vintage Daniel had spent years searching for.
“Darling!” she called out as she glided into the living room, her heels clicking rhythmically on the hardwood floor. “Look what I managed to secure through an auction house today! I thought we should celebrate our upcoming rehearsal dinner early.”
Daniel was sitting on the sofa, reading the Wall Street Journal, looking intentionally weak and pale. He coughed softly, holding his chest as if struggling for breath.
“Victoria... that’s incredible,” Daniel said, his voice raspy, playing the role of the failing victim to perfection. “You look radiant tonight.”
“You look so tired, my love,” Victoria said, her eyes gleaming with a strange, predatory intensity as she knelt beside him, placing a manicured hand over his knee. “Are you feeling alright? Your heart seems to be beating so fast lately.”
“Just... stress,” Daniel coughed again, leaning back against the cushions. “The doctors said my blood pressure is dangerously fluctuating. They want to run more tests next week.”
“Oh, don't worry about tests now,” Victoria soothingly purred, standing up and walking over to the marble bar cart. “Tonight, we just relax.”
Daniel watched her reflection in the dark, polished glass of the parlor window.
She uncorked the expensive wine with expert precision. Then, while her back was turned to him, she reached into her clutch purse, pulled out a small glass eye-dropper vial containing a clear liquid, and squeezed three drops directly into the glass designated for Daniel.
She swirled the dark red wine, dissolving the heavy metal toxin completely.
Daniel’s blood turned to liquid nitrogen. She wasn't even using butter anymore. She was accelerating the timeline, exactly as he had predicted after reading the fake codicil on her laptop.
Victoria turned around, holding two crystal wine glasses, her smile warm, innocent, and utterly terrifying.
“To our future,” she said softly, handing him the poisoned glass. “To a long, peaceful life together.”
Daniel looked at the glass of deep red wine in his hand. He looked up into the bright, beautiful blue eyes of the woman who had spent eighteen months pretending to love him while slowly poisoning his veins.
“To the truth, Victoria,” Daniel said calmly.
He raised the glass to his lips.
Victoria held her breath, her eyes widening slightly, her fingers twitching with manic anticipation as the crystal rim touched his mouth.
Daniel stopped.
He didn't drink.
He lowered the glass slowly, setting it down on the mahogany coffee table beside his untouched Wall Street Journal.
May you like
Victoria’s smile faltered, a sharp crack appearing in her immaculate composure. “Daniel? What’s wrong? Aren't you going to drink?”
“Actually, Victoria,” Daniel said smoothly, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, his eyes locking onto hers with terrifying clarity. “Why don't you have the first sip?”
