Chapter 5 - The Web of Deceit
Through the lens of her camera, Julia watched as Victoria slipped into Luna’s room. Julia quietly stepped out of the closet and glided to the edge of the bedroom door, peering through the gap.
Inside, the only light came from the occasional flash of lightning outside the window. Victoria approached the bed where Luna lay sleeping, her tiny form looking incredibly fragile under the heavy blankets.
Victoria drew the clear liquid from the amber vial into the syringe. Her face, usually so perfectly composed, carried a terrifying, cold indifference. She reached out and grabbed Luna’s small, pale arm.
Luna stirred, her eyes fluttering open. When she saw the figure in white bending over her, terror instantly seized her features.
“No... Mommy, no...” Luna whimpered, her voice cracking. She tried to pull her arm back, but she was too weak from weeks of being poisoned.
“Hush, little bird,” Victoria hissed, her voice a sharp, venomous whisper. “Be quiet, or it will hurt worse. Just a little vitamin to make you go away. Just like your mother.”
Julia’s blood boiled. Just like your mother. Victoria had murdered Eleanor too.
As Victoria raised the needle, aiming for the IV port in Luna’s arm, Julia knew she couldn't just film anymore. If that liquid entered Luna’s bloodstream, it could be the lethal dose.
Julia shoved the bedroom door open. It banged loudly against the wall.
“Stop!” Julia shouted, stepping into the room, her phone still recording, capturing Victoria’s face frozen in absolute shock and guilt.
Victoria instantly hid the syringe behind her back, her expression morphing from shock to venomous rage in a split second. “Julia! What do you think you are doing bursting into a private room at this hour? Have you lost your mind?”
“I know what’s in the syringe, Victoria,” Julia said, her voice ringing out with terrifying clarity, completely devoid of the submissive housekeeper persona. “It’s a synthetic neurotoxin. You’ve been poisoning Luna, just like you killed Eleanor.”
Victoria’s eyes darted to the phone in Julia’s hand. Realizing she had been caught on camera, the elegant façade completely dropped. A hideous, desperate snarl twisted her face.
“You think anyone will believe a crazy, grieving maid over me?” Victoria spat, taking a step forward. “You’re unhinged, Julia. You lost your own child, and now you’re projecting your delusions onto this family.”
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“I don’t need them to believe my word,” Julia said, holding up the phone. “I have it all on video. The vials in your vanity, your confession just now, the syringe in your hand. It’s over.”
With a feral cry, Victoria lunged across the room, her manicured hands clawing desperately for Julia’s phone.
