Chapter 235
No.1
Elisa followed the moving truck in her Maybach. She pulled into the exclusive, private underground garage of the Tribeca skyscraper.
She parked her car, grabbed the heavy blacksafe from the passenger seat, and walked toward the private elevator. She swiped her access card.
The doors opened directly into the Penthouse.
Elisa stepped out. The massive living room, with its floor-to-ceiling windows offering a 360-degree view of the Manhattan skyline, was exactly as she had left it. It was a beautiful, multi-million dollar prison.
Her cardboard boxes were dumped carelessly in the center of the expensive white rug.
Standing next to the boxes was Brenda Donovan, the head housekeeper. Brenda wore a crisp black uniform, her hands clasped in front of her. A smug,highly offensive smirk played on her lips.
No.2
"Ms. Wilder," Brenda said, her voice laced with a
deliberate, mocking pity. "Mrs. Chambers instructed me to ensure you settle back in properly. You must be so exhausted. After all, learning how to be a 'dutiful' wife again is such hard work." She emphasized the word 'dutiful', her eyes filled with the undisguised conempt of a co-conspirator who knew exactly how the trap had been sprung.
Elisa ignored her. She adjusted her grip on the heavy safe and started walking toward the hallway that led to the bedrooms. She needed to hide the documents immediately.
Brenda stepped sideways, physically blocking the entrance to the hallway.
"Excuse me," Brenda said, raising her chin arrogantly."I'm afraid I need to see what is in that box. We wouldn't want any more... unauthorized documents floating around, would we?"
Elisa stopped walking. She slowly lowered the safe to the floor. She looked at Brenda, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.
No.3
"Move," Elisa commanded softly.
Brenda didn't budge. She felt invincible with
Germaine's backing.
"You should have known your little tantrum wouldn't work," Brenda sneered, crossing her arms. "Mr.Chambers doesn't care about these cheap stunts.Moving out just to beg to come back? It's pathetic.You need to learn how to be a proper, obedient wife."
In Brenda's mind, Elisa was just a desperate gold-digger who had failed to manipulate her billionaire husband and was now crawling back in defeat.
Elisa stared at the housekeeper. The sheer audacity of the woman was almost comical.
No.4
Elisa didn't argue. She moved.
Her right hand shot out with terrifying speed. She grabbed a fistful of Brenda's crisp uniform collar.Elisa pivoted her hips and violently shoved the housekeeper backward.
Brenda let out a sharp gasp as her spine slammed brutally against the solid marble wall of the hallway.The impact knocked the wind completely out of her lungs.
Elisa stepped into Brenda's personal space, pinning
her against the cold stone. She tightened her grip on the collar, twisting the fabric until it cut off Brenda's air supply.
"Listen to me, and listen carefully. I amn going to give you a piece of advice," Elisa whispered, her face inches from Brenda's terrified eyes. "In the food chain of this house, you need to understand exactly where you belong. My patience is extremely limited,and your miserable little career is far more fragile than you think."
No.5
Brenda clawed at Elisa's hand, her face turning red,but Elisa's grip was like iron.
"If you ever speak to me like that again," Elisa continued, her voice dropping to a lethal, freezing register, "I will break your jaw. Do you understand?"
Brenda nodded frantically, tears of pain and terror welling in her eyes.
Elisa released her. Brenda slumped against the wall,coughing violently and rubbing her bruised neck.
Elisa looked down at her, a cold calculation in her eyes. "You report directly to Germaine, but Simon reports to August. Open your phone.Show me your
recent call log with Simon. I know he briefs the household staff on August's movements. Now."
No.6
Brenda didn't hesitate. She pulled her phone from her pocket with shaking hands and fumbled to open the call history, her thumb swiping past several calls to the Long Island estate before landing on the name 'Simon Vance'. She held the screen out for Elisa to see.
Elisa leaned in, memorizing,the private satellite number listed for the Gstaad location. She picked up the heavy safe from the floor and walked past the gasping housekeeper.
She didn't go to the massive master suite. She walked to the guest bedroom at the far end of the hall. She stepped inside, slammed the door shut,and engaged both heavy metal deadbolts.
She shoved the safe deep into the back of the walk-in closet, burying it under a pile of heavy winter sweaters.
She walked back into the room and sat on the edge of the mattress. She stared at the new phone number glowing on her screen. She had secured the
perimeter. Now, it was time to drop the bomb on Switzerland.