Chapter 5 - The Cabin Invitation
I returned to the mansion just an hour before Julian usually arrived home from his fake corporate job.
I spent the afternoon acting completely normal, reading a baby book in the living room while a fire crackled in the hearth.
Julian walked through the front door carrying a massive bouquet of my favorite, incredibly expensive white roses.
He handed them to me with a brilliant, loving smile that made my stomach churn with absolute, violent disgust.
"I have a wonderful surprise for you, my darling," Julian announced, pouring himself a glass of expensive bourbon.
"I booked us a private, deeply secluded cabin in the snowy mountains for a romantic babymoon this weekend."
My blood ran completely cold, the terrifying warning from Clara echoing loudly in my panicked mind.
The mountains meant absolute isolation, completely zero cell service, and absolutely no witnesses to my impending murder.
I forced a massive, fake smile onto my face, pretending to be absolutely thrilled by his incredibly generous gesture.
"That sounds absolutely perfect, Julian, I desperately need to get away from the city," I lied flawlessly.
I knew that refusing to go would completely trigger his suspicion and force him to accelerate his deadly timeline.
If I went to the cabin, I would be walking directly into a carefully constructed, fatal trap.
But I also knew that Elena was already coordinating with the FBI, preparing a massive, inescapable sting operation.
We needed Julian to attempt his crime in a controlled environment where the federal agents could catch him red-handed.
I was officially volunteering to be the live bait in the most dangerous, terrifying hunt of my entire life.
That night, I secretly flushed another cup of poisoned tea down the drain and lay awake staring at the dark ceiling.
My baby girl kicked strongly against my ribs, a beautiful, physical reminder of exactly what I was fighting to protect.
I silently promised her that we were going to survive this nightmare and build a beautiful, completely safe life together.
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Julian snored softly beside me, completely unaware that his perfect, submissive victim had transformed into a lethal weapon.
The hunter had absolutely no idea that he was actively walking into a heavily armed, federal trap.
