Chapter 6 - The Poison
Marianne survived.
Barely.
The bullet had missed her heart by inches.
But her revelation destroyed Roman's sense of reality.
The triplets weren't suffering from an ordinary formula intolerance.
Their bottles had been contaminated.
Someone had been poisoning them slowly.
The question was who.
Victor tested every bottle.
One contained traces of a substance that could cause severe gastrointestinal distress in infants.
Roman stared at the laboratory report.
"Who had access?"
Victor hesitated.
"Everyone."
Roman looked up.
"Everyone?"
"Doctors. Nurses. Staff. Drivers. Elise. Kitchen employees."
Roman's expression became terrifyingly calm.
"And family."
Victor nodded.
"There is one more problem."
"What?"
"The substance wasn't purchased recently."
Roman frowned.
"Meaning?"
"It came from an old medical supply company."
"How old?"
"Twenty-nine years."
Roman looked at Naomi.
The room went silent.
The poison had existed before the triplets were born.
Before Roman became a billionaire.
Before Naomi knew his name.
Before Marianne disappeared.
This wasn't a new attack.
It was an old plan.
One that had finally reached its final stage.
Then Jude began crying.
Naomi picked him up.
She hummed the same lullaby.
Jude immediately quieted.
Roman watched her.
"Why does that song work?"
Naomi looked down.
"My mother used to sing it."
Marianne opened her eyes from the hospital bed.
"No."
Everyone turned.
Marianne whispered:
"She didn't."
Naomi froze.
"What?"
Marianne's voice shook.
"I did."
Roman stepped closer.
"Why?"
Marianne looked at him.
"Because your mother taught it to me."
Roman stared.
"And why did she teach you?"
Marianne's eyes filled with tears.
"Because she knew one day you would need it."
Roman's expression changed.
"What did she know?"
May you like
Marianne whispered:
"That your sons would inherit the curse."
