had been quietly cracking for weeks. It started with a photograph.
A small one tucked in Daniel’s desk drawer.
Maria laughing in the small kitchen of the penthouse. And Daniel beside her laughing, too.
A photo taken by his assistant months ago after they had successfully thrown together an anniversary surprise for his late mother’s memory.
Innocent. Completely innocent.
But Victoria didn’t see innocent.
She saw a threat wearing an apron. She said nothing about it.
Not to Daniel, not to anyone.
She simply watched and waited and let the poison sit in her chest until the night of the party when the champagne loosened everyone’s tongues and the balcony doors were left open to the cold Chicago air.
Maria had just stepped outside to check on the flower arrangements when Victoria followed her out. The music from inside sounded far away all of a sudden.
The city stretched out
