Chapter 5 - The Woman in the White Shirt
Serena Voss had spent fourteen years hating the Calder family.
But she hadn't expected to hate Audrey.
That part had surprised her.
Audrey was supposed to be spoiled.
Shallow.
A decorative wife who enjoyed Calder money while asking no questions about where it came from.
Instead Serena had watched her volunteer at children's hospitals, remember the names of security guards' wives, and bring Eleanor homemade soup after surgery.
Worse, Dominic loved her.
Truly loved her.
Serena had spent years believing Dominic Calder incapable of that emotion.
Then Audrey appeared and proved Serena wrong.
Which made what happened six weeks earlier unexpectedly easy.
Dominic had been drunk.
Furious.
Alone.
Serena had approached.
He had made his choice.
She had made hers.
Now, inside an abandoned industrial building near the Chicago River, Serena watched Adrian insert Dominic's stolen access key into a laptop.
“It's encrypted.”
“You said you could open it.”
“I can.”
“When?”
Adrian looked up.
His scar pulled when he smiled.
“Impatient?”
“Nervous.”
“You weren't nervous wearing his shirt.”
Serena's expression hardened.
“That wasn't necessary.”
“It ensured Audrey understood what she saw.”
“I said it wasn't necessary.”
Adrian stood.
“Don't develop a conscience now.”
Serena looked away.
He noticed.
“You like her.”
“No.”
“You pity her.”
Serena said nothing.
Adrian laughed.
“That's even worse.”
Across the city, Dominic's organization was being dismantled.
Not by police.
By Dominic himself.
He summoned every senior lieutenant to a private meeting and made an announcement none expected.
All illegal operations would cease.
Immediately.
There were objections.
Dominic silenced them with a look.
“For years, I told myself I kept this machine running because shutting it down would create chaos. That was convenient.”
Marcus watched quietly.
Dominic continued.
“The legitimate companies remain. Everything else ends.”
One lieutenant stood.
“You can't just walk away.”
Dominic looked at him.
“Watch me.”
The meeting lasted twenty-three minutes.
By the end, three men resigned.
Two threatened him.
One asked what had changed.
Dominic thought of Audrey.
“My priorities.”
At Eleanor's estate, Audrey stood before a mirror studying her stomach.
Nothing showed yet.
She wondered what their child would inherit from Dominic.
His dark eyes?
His stubbornness?
That infuriating way of becoming completely silent when emotions frightened him?
She heard a knock.
“Come in.”
Eleanor entered carrying tea.
“You should eat.”
“I know.”
“You haven't.”
Audrey smiled faintly.
“You sound like Dominic.”
“I raised him. Every irritating quality he possesses is partly my responsibility.”
Audrey laughed despite herself.
Eleanor set down the tray.
“That's better.”
Audrey's smile faded.
“Did he love Serena?”
“Once.”
The honesty hurt, but Audrey appreciated it.
“More than me?”
Eleanor gave her a stern look.
“Love isn't measured like flour.”
Audrey looked away.
“I keep replaying it.”
“Finding them?”
“Yes.”
“You'll replay it until one day you don't.”
“Did your husband ever betray you?”
Eleanor became quiet.
“Repeatedly.”
Audrey looked up.
“Why did you stay?”
“I shouldn't have.”
That answer surprised her.
Eleanor sat beside Audrey.
“Women are often told forgiveness is proof of strength. Sometimes it is. Sometimes leaving is. The important question isn't whether Dominic deserves another chance.”
“What is?”
“Whether the man he becomes afterward is someone you freely choose.”
Audrey absorbed that.
Her phone rang.
Unknown number.
She almost ignored it.
Then answered.
“Hello?”
Serena's voice came through.
“Audrey.”
Audrey stood.
Eleanor immediately noticed.
“What do you want?”
“To tell you something before Adrian realizes I've called.”
Audrey put the phone on speaker.
Eleanor's face hardened.
Serena continued.
“The night you found us, I knew you'd come home early.”
“I figured that out.”
“I wanted you to see me.”
Audrey's throat tightened.
“But Dominic didn't.”
Silence.
“He didn't invite me to the penthouse,” Serena said. “I used an old service access code. When he found me, he told me to leave.”
Audrey closed her eyes.
“Then why was his hand on you?”
“Because I kissed him.”
Audrey hated how much those words hurt.
“And he let you.”
“For about three seconds.”
“Three seconds too many.”
“Yes.”
Serena's answer contained no argument.
Audrey swallowed.
“What about six weeks ago?”
“That happened exactly the way he told you.”
No rescue.
No absolution.
Dominic had betrayed her.
But the scene in the bedroom had been engineered.
“Why are you telling me?”
A long pause.
“Because Adrian isn't planning to steal money anymore.”
Audrey's blood cooled.
“What is he planning?”
“He found out you're pregnant.”
Eleanor stood.
Serena's breathing became uneven.
“He thinks the baby destroyed his claim. He's coming for you.”
“Where?”
“I don't know. He's—”
A violent sound interrupted.
Serena gasped.
Then Adrian's voice came faintly through the line.
“Who are you calling?”
The connection died.
Audrey stared at the phone.
Outside the bedroom window, movement flickered beyond the trees.
A security light shattered.
Then another.
Eleanor grabbed Audrey's arm.
May you like
The estate went dark.
And somewhere downstairs, the first gunshot echoed through the house.
