Chapter 1 - One Second Before He DrankNora Blake tore the crystal glass from Richard Whitmore’s hand one second before it touched his lips.
“Don’t drink that!”
She threw it toward an empty section of marble. Crystal exploded safely across the floor, sending water beneath the banquet table.
Celeste Whitmore seized Nora’s shoulder, spun her around, and slapped her.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Nora steadied herself and raised her smartwatch. The recording showed Celeste glancing around before emptying an unmarked vial into Richard’s glass.
“Your wife prepared it herself.”
The ballroom fell silent.
Celeste turned toward the exit. Richard caught her briefly by the styled hair, stopping her without striking again.
“Who told you to poison me?”
Celeste’s terror answered before her voice could.
Security closed the ballroom doors. Richard released her immediately and ordered everyone away from the broken glass.
Nora looked down at the fragments.
“There may still be enough left to test.”
Richard stared at his wife.
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Celeste whispered only one sentence.
“You were never supposed to see me do it.”
