Chapter 4

I knew she was speeding up the poisoning.

But I didn't stop her.

What I wanted was to catch her in the act.

Three days later, Jack's report landed in my inbox.

I opened the file — dozens of pages long — and with every page I turned, something cold settled deeper into my chest.

The five years Scarlett spent abroad had nothing to do with studying art.

She'd sunk into gambling. Racked up a mountain of debt to loan sharks. And gotten hooked on drugs.

She came back home to find herself a cash cow.

And Caleb was the target she'd chosen.

But the part that hit me hardest was the last section of the report.

Six months ago — the very night Scarlett came back — a hit-and-run had occurred.

The victim was a sanitation worker. He didn't survive.

Jack had managed to track down deleted security footage from a stretch of road near the scene through various channels.

The footage was blurry, but clear enough. The car that struck the man was Caleb's black Maybach.

And the person who stepped out of the driver's side was Scarlett.

She looked around in a panic. Then she walked to the passenger side, dragged an unconscious Caleb into the driver's seat.

After that, she called a cab and left.

When I reached that part, the blood in my veins went still.

What a setup.

No wonder Caleb did everything she said. No wonder he turned so cold toward me so suddenly.

Scarlett hadn't just been controlling his body with poison. She'd been holding this death over his head like a knife — using that night to keep him completely in her grip.

Caleb believed he'd killed someone drunk behind the wheel. And Scarlett had covered it up for him, made herself his only lifeline.

Caught between fear and guilt, he had no choice but to let her pull his strings like a dog on a leash.

I closed my laptop and leaned back in my chair, letting out a long, slow breath.

Caleb. You were sharp your whole life, and you let one woman bring you down.

You threw the wife who saved you under your feet for her.

Are you satisfied now?

Once I had the evidence, I didn't move immediately to expose Scarlett.

Because it still wasn't enough.

A hit-and-run charge would put her away for a few years at most. That was letting her off too easy.

I wanted her — and Caleb — to feel what it was like to fall from the top of the world straight into hell.

I began quietly selling off my shares in Frost Group, moving the funds into an offshore shell company I'd registered in advance.

At the same time, I had Jack keep watching Scarlett — especially any contact between her and the mystery person supplying the poison.

Sure enough, Jack soon confirmed that Scarlett had been meeting regularly with a black market doctor named Frank.

The Ghost Poppy extract. Frank was her source.

I went to see Frank myself.

In front of one million dollars in cash and a recording of Frank practicing medicine without a license, he didn't hesitate for a second. He sold Scarlett out without blinking.

"Victoria, what do you need me to do?" Frank stared at the cash on the table, eyes practically glowing.

"Keep supplying her," I said coldly. "But increase the dosage. I want Caleb's rejection response to hit early."

Since Caleb loved Scarlett's soup so much, I'd make sure he got his fill.

I wanted him to feel it firsthand — what it was like to be slowly poisoned, drop by drop, by the woman he loved most.

Frank swallowed hard and nodded repeatedly. "Understood. Understood."

When I got home, Caleb was sitting in the living room — which was rare.

His face was even paler than it had been a few days ago, his eyes shot through with red, his whole body radiating a restless, frantic energy.

The moment he saw me walk in, he shot to his feet.

"Victoria, what the hell are you trying to do? Why do you keep going after Scarlett at the company?"

I slipped on my house shoes and glanced at him without much interest.

"Going after her? Caleb, I think you've got it wrong. I'm just doing my job as a shareholder — cleaning out the dead weight."

"Bullshit!" Caleb roared. "You're jealous! You're jealous that I love her and not you!"

I looked at his face — twisted with rage and the early signs of the toxin working through him — and felt nothing.

"You're right. I am jealous." I stepped closer and looked him straight in the eyes. "I'm jealous that she got you to drink that poisoned soup without a second thought. I'm jealous that she has you so far gone you'd throw your own life away for her."

Caleb froze. His eyes shifted, just slightly.

"What are you talking about? What poison?"

"Deep down, you already know." I let out a cold laugh. "Caleb — lately, have you been feeling it? Aching in your lower back, lying awake at night, maybe even seeing things that aren't there?"

Caleb's pupils snapped tight. Sweat broke out across his forehead.

"You… how do you know that?"

"Because it's what you deserve." I leaned close to his ear and said it slowly, one word at a time. "Caleb, enjoy every bit of love Scarlett has to give. I promise — this is only the beginning."

Then I pushed past him and walked straight upstairs.

Behind me, I heard him smashing things.

I knew what that meant. The toxin had started to take hold.