Chapter 2 - The Brunch of Deceit
The next morning, the sun rose over the city as if the world hadn't shattered. I sat at my kitchen island, nursing a black coffee. Chloe was asleep in the guest room, heavily sedated by the pain meds Marcus had provided. Marcus was in the den, his laptop glowing, tracking the Vargas family's digital footprint.
At exactly 10:00 AM, my cell phone buzzed. It was Mateo.
Marcus appeared in the doorway, giving me a silent nod. I answered, putting it on speaker.
“Sarah? Hi, it’s Mateo,” his voice dripped with fake, panicked concern. “Is Chloe with you? She wasn’t in the suite when I woke up. I’m terrified, Sarah. We were supposed to be at a brunch with my investors an hour ago.”
I gripped the edge of the counter, my knuckles turning white. I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell him I knew he stood in the hallway while his mother beat my daughter. But Marcus pointed a finger at me, mouthing the word: Calm.
“She’s here, Mateo,” I lied smoothly. “She had a terrible migraine last night. She took a taxi to my place so she wouldn't ruin your morning meeting. She's sleeping it off.”
I could practically hear his sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God. Let her rest. Tell her I love her and I’ll come by this evening to pick her up.”
May you like
“I’ll tell her,” I said, and hung up.
Marcus smiled, a chilling, humorless expression. “Good. They think they got away with it. Let them eat their brunch. It’s the last peaceful meal they’ll ever have.”
