CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 3 — THE REAL TARGET
Claire couldn't stop crying.
"I didn't poison William."
No one answered.
Because no one believed her anymore.
William slowly turned toward his eldest son, Michael.
The untouched glass of red wine was still in Michael's hand.
Unlike everyone else...
He had never lowered it.
Never taken a sip.
Never even looked surprised.
William narrowed his eyes.
"Come here."
Michael obeyed.
His expression remained calm.
Almost too calm.
William pointed at the wine.
"Give it to Ethan."
Without hesitation, Michael handed the glass to the head of security.
Ethan carefully sealed it inside an evidence bag.
"I'll have it tested immediately."
"No."
William stopped him.
"Test every glass."
Every guest looked confused.
William continued.
"If someone wanted to poison me..."
He looked around the ballroom.
"...they only needed one glass."
His gaze settled on the silver trays where dozens of untouched glasses had already been collected.
"But if someone wanted confusion..."
He smiled faintly.
"...they would poison several."
Silence.
Marcus suddenly looked up.
William noticed.
"You've figured it out."
Marcus slowly nodded.
"My God..."
"It was never about knowing which glass contained the drug."
William looked toward the guests.
"It was about making sure nobody knew."
A chill spread across the ballroom.
Ethan immediately ordered the staff to separate every single glass.
Minutes later...
The first laboratory technician arrived from William's private medical team.
Each glass was tested one by one.
Everyone watched in silence.
The first result came back.
Negative.
The second.
Negative.
The third.
Negative.
Then...
The fourth.
Positive.
Another technician examined the fifth.
Positive.
Then the sixth.
Positive.
A murmur swept through the room.
Ethan looked stunned.
"There are six contaminated glasses."
William nodded.
"Exactly."
"No assassin would poison six different glasses."
William slowly looked around the ballroom.
"This wasn't an assassination."
"It was a trap."
Claire looked up through her tears.
"A trap?"
William nodded.
"If I collapsed..."
He pointed toward the contaminated glasses.
"...everyone holding one of these would immediately become a suspect."
The room fell silent.
Six glasses.
Six suspects.
Six ruined lives.
William looked at Ethan.
"Whose glasses?"
Ethan checked the labels placed beneath each tray.
His face slowly changed.
"No..."
William frowned.
"What is it?"
Ethan swallowed.
"The poisoned glasses belonged to..."
He looked around the room.
"...Claire."
"...Marcus."
"...Michael."
"...your youngest daughter, Olivia."
"...your personal physician."
"...and..."
He stopped speaking.
William took the list from his hand.
His expression slowly hardened.
The sixth name belonged to...
William Harrison himself.
No one had been singled out.
Someone had carefully chosen the six people who would inherit, protect, or control the Harrison fortune after William's death.
Claire whispered,
"This wasn't about killing you..."
William nodded.
"No."
He looked toward Charlie.
"It was about destroying everyone who stood to gain from my death."
At that exact moment...
Charlie suddenly flapped his wings.
He looked toward the ballroom entrance.
Not toward Claire.
Not toward Marcus.
Not toward Michael.
Toward someone...
Who hadn't spoken a single word all night.
William slowly turned.
Standing beside the enormous birthday cake...
Still smiling politely...
Was the family's longtime butler.
Henry Collins.
Charlie opened his beak.
Then shouted one final sentence.
"Henry... the cameras are off."
The smile disappeared from Henry's face.
👇 Chapter 4 (Final)
