Chapter 2 - The Hidden Safe
I waited until the digital clock on my nightstand read three in the morning.
The sprawling Sterling estate was completely silent, swallowed by the darkness of the New Jersey night.
Victoria was fast asleep beside me, her breathing steady and calm.
She looked completely at peace, undisturbed by the fact that an innocent woman was rotting in a jail cell because of her.
I slipped out from under the silk sheets, moving with absolute silence.
I didn't bother putting on my slippers.
I needed to be a ghost in my own home.
I crept down the hallway toward Victoria’s private dressing room, a massive sanctuary of designer gowns and diamond jewelry.
I knew every inch of this house because I had built it.
But I also knew my wife was paranoid.
I bypassed the obvious jewelry boxes and went straight for the custom velvet seating area in the corner.
I dropped to my knees and ran my fingers along the mahogany baseboard.
There.
A tiny, almost invisible seam in the wood.
I pressed firmly against it, and a small biometric scanner slid smoothly out of the panel.
She thought I didn't know about this hidden wall safe.
But I was the one who had reviewed the architect's blueprints five years ago.
I pulled a small strip of clear tape from my pocket.
Earlier that evening, when Victoria handed me a glass of water, I had carefully preserved her thumbprint.
I pressed the tape against the glowing green scanner.
The machine beeped softly, and the heavy metal door clicked open.
My heart hammered against my ribs as I reached inside the dark cavity.
The first thing I pulled out was a heavy velvet pouch.
I loosened the drawstrings and dumped the contents onto the pristine carpet.
Three vintage Patek Philippe watches gleamed in the dim light.
My grandfather's watches.
The exact same watches Victoria claimed she had found in Elena’s tote bag.
She had framed the nanny perfectly, using cheap replicas for the police while keeping the real ones hidden.
But it was the second item in the safe that made me stop breathing.
A small, unmarked glass vial filled with a fine white powder.
I picked it up with a trembling hand.
This was the weapon that was slowly shutting down my organs.
This was the poison she had been sprinkling into my morning coffee while kissing me goodbye.
I took out my phone and snapped several high-resolution photos of the safe, the watches, and the vial.
I didn't take the items.
If she noticed they were missing, she would immediately know I was onto her.
I carefully placed everything back exactly as I found it.
I closed the safe, wiped away any trace of my presence, and stood up in the dark.
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Victoria thought she was a master manipulator.
But she was about to learn what happened when you tried to murder a Sterling.
