Chapter 9 - Uncovering the Betrayal
Emma didn't hesitate. She turned on her heel and walked briskly away, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
Behind her, the library door swung open. Mrs. Gable stepped into the hallway, her sharp eyes scanning the corridor. She saw Emma turning the corner toward the pharmacy, moving with purposeful calm.
Emma ducked into the pharmacy room, locking the door behind her. Her hands were shaking violently. Richard Vance was working directly with Mrs. Gable. They were tampering with Isabella’s medication to deliberately induce confusion and cognitive failure, all to force a legal guardianship battle and seize control of the Moretti voting shares!
She pulled out her phone to call Vincent, but the estate’s thick limestone walls and reinforced security shielding often disrupted cell signals in the basement levels.
“No signal,” she whispered frantically.
She needed physical proof. If she simply accused a twelve-year veteran housekeeper without hard evidence, Mrs. Gable would deny it, and Richard Vance would cover his tracks.
Emma opened the medicine cabinet where Isabella’s evening tinctures were kept. There were seven amber glass vials labeled *Neuro-Cognitive Support — Daily Dose*. Emma took out her phone and carefully photographed the batch numbers and the clear liquid inside.
Then, using a sterile dropper from the medical kit, she extracted a small sample from the vial marked for tonight and transferred it into an empty eye-dropper bottle from her apron pocket. She replaced the original vial exactly as she had found it.
Just as she sealed her pocket, a sharp rap sounded against the pharmacy door.
“Miss Carter?” Mrs. Gable’s voice was sweet, yet dripping with venomous undertones. “Are you in there? It’s time for Mrs. Moretti’s four o’clock tea.”
Emma took a deep breath, forcing her face to settle into an expression of naive innocence. She unlocked the door and pulled it open with a polite smile.
“Sorry, Mrs. Gable! The latch was stuck,” Emma said brightly, holding up a fresh package of sterile bandages. “I was just grabbing some gauze for Leo’s physical therapy.”
Mrs. Gable’s eyes narrowed into slits, darting from Emma’s face down to her pockets, and then to the medication counter behind her. “You were in the hallway earlier, weren't you?”
“I just came straight down from the solarium,” Emma lied smoothly without flinching. “Isabella said she was craving peppermint tea. Should I prepare it, or would you like to?”
May you like
Mrs. Gable studied her for three agonizing seconds before her rigid lips stretched into a tight, fake smile. “I will prepare it, Miss Carter. After all, I know exactly how Mrs. Moretti likes her tea.”
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