Chapter 9 - The Poisoner's Trap
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I went rigid, my eyes darting to the polished glass cabinet in front of me.
In the reflection, I could see Dr. Julian standing behind me, holding a small, sleek black pistol fitted with a silencer, aimed directly at the back of my skull.
Behind him stood Mrs. Hargrove, her face twisted into a smug, cruel smile.
“She knows too much, Julian,” Mrs. Hargrove said coldly. “End it now. We can frame it as a tragic accident—a break-in by one of Dominic’s rival gangs.”
“A pity,” Julian sighed, stepping closer. “She was quite effective at keeping the boy quiet. But curiosity is a fatal disease in this house, Clara.”
My mind raced. My ribs still burned from the statue injury, but survival instincts kicked in with violent speed.
“Dominic already knows,” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady.
Julian paused, his finger tightening on the trigger. “What did you say?”
“The liquid,” I spat, slowly turning around to face him. “I sent a sample to Dominic’s private forensic team last night. He knows you’ve been drugging Noah. He knows what you did to Lydia. He’s on his way back from downtown right now with twenty armed men.”
Mrs. Hargrove’s face turned pale. “Julian... is she lying?”
“She’s bluffing!” Julian hissed, his eyes flaring with sudden panic.
Taking advantage of his split-second hesitation, I slammed my elbow directly into the wound on Julian’s wrist, knocking the gun sideways.
POP!
A muffled gunshot shattered the glass cabinet behind me.
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I grabbed a heavy stainless-steel tray from the counter and swung it with all my strength, cracking Julian across the side of his face. He staggered backward, bleeding from his nose, cursing loudly.
I sprinted past Mrs. Hargrove, shoving her hard into a row of medical carts, and dashed out into the hallway toward the heavy mahogany doors.
