Chapter 2 - THE NIGHT AT THE CLIFF
Three months earlier, Elena had known something was wrong before Victor stopped the car.
He had been too calm.
The road ran along a frozen forest preserve north of the city, climbing toward a scenic overlook closed to tourists during winter.
“Where are we going?”
“You said you wanted to talk privately.”
“I said I wanted a lawyer present.”
Victor looked through the windshield.
“That’s exactly why we need one conversation without lawyers.”
Elena’s hands rested over her stomach.
Nine months pregnant.
Exhausted.
Angry.
Their daughter moved beneath her coat.
Victor parked near a locked gate.
Snow blew sideways through the trees.
Elena stared.
“This is your idea of talking?”
“Walk with me.”
“No.”
Victor looked at her.
“Elena.”
She hated the way he said her name when he wanted obedience to sound like patience.
“What happens if I don’t?”
His jaw tightened.
“Then we sit here.”
She should have stayed.
Instead she opened the door.
The overlook path was icy.
Victor walked several feet ahead.
Elena moved slowly.
“What exactly do you want?”
“I want you to stop the trust challenge.”
“No.”
“You haven’t even heard me.”
“I heard your attorney.”
“The company cannot survive six months of litigation.”
“The company can survive without you controlling my shares.”
Victor turned.
“This is not about control.”
She laughed.
“It has always been about control.”
His face changed.
The wind carried the words away.
Elena continued.
“I know about Serena.”
Victor stopped.
There.
For the first time that night, he looked surprised.
“You went through my phone.”
“You left your hotel account open.”
“Elena—”
“How long?”
He looked away.
“How long?”
“Five months.”
She felt something inside her break even though she had already known.
“And the insurance policy?”
Victor looked back sharply.
That was worse.
Elena saw it.
“You didn’t think I found that.”
“It’s estate planning.”
“Fifty million dollars if I die before the baby is born.”
“Stop.”
“And temporary voting control over my trust.”
“You don’t understand the structure.”
“I understand enough.”
She stepped backward.
“I’m leaving.”
Victor caught her arm.
“Not yet.”
“Let go.”
“Elena, if you walk into court tomorrow, you trigger a lender review that could kill this company.”
“That is not my fault.”
“It becomes your responsibility when you do it knowingly.”
She yanked away.
Victor grabbed her again.
She shoved his chest.
“Get away from me!”
He pushed back.
Hard.
Elena’s boots lost traction.
Her body hit the icy edge.
One leg went over.
Then the other.
She caught Victor’s sleeve with both hands.
“VICTOR!”
His face went white.
“Please! Our baby!”
For one second, he held still.
Elena thought he was going to pull her up.
Then Victor looked down at her belly.
Then at her hands.
Something changed in his face.
He tore his arm backward.
The cuff button ripped free in Elena’s fist.
Her grip disappeared.
She fell.
As the cliff rushed past, Elena heard Victor shout her name once.
Then nothing.
She struck snow-covered branches.
A tree.
Rock.
Then stopped violently on a narrow ledge.
Above her, Victor appeared as a dark figure at the edge.
Elena tried to scream.
No sound came.
Victor stood there.
Watching.
Then he stepped away.
Minutes later, through fading consciousness, Elena heard his voice somewhere above.
On the phone.
“Serena.”
A pause.
“It’s done.”
May you like
Elena closed her fist around the torn black button.
Then everything went dark.
