Chapter 2 - The Bitter Taste of Betrayal
"Dessert has arrived," Alexander said, his voice terrifyingly calm, his heart hammering against his ribs.
"One of your favorites," Celeste replied smoothly, taking her seat. "I made sure the chef prepared it specially for us tonight."
With practiced ceremony, they lifted the silver covers together. Two identical, flawless chocolate soufflés sat before them.
"It looks divine," Celeste purred, picking up her silver spoon. She looked at Alexander, her eyes gleaming with an emotion he couldn't quite read. "Shall we?"
Alexander raised his spoon, pretending to scoop a small piece, but at the last second, he set it down to reach for his champagne flute. "I want to savor the wine first. You go ahead, my love."
Celeste’s smile tightened for a fraction of a second, but she nodded. She took a generous scoop of her soufflé and placed it into her mouth.
Alexander watched her throat swallow. He watched her smile and wipe the corner of her mouth with a linen napkin. For a horrifying five minutes, they just sat there. Alexander moved his fork around his plate, never letting a single crumb touch his lips, while Celeste happily finished half of hers.
Maybe the girl was lying, Alexander thought. Maybe I’m paranoid.
But then, as the waiter cleared the plates, Celeste reached up and rubbed her temple.
"Headache?" Alexander asked, his voice carefully neutral.
"Just a slight one," Celeste whispered, her fingers pressing harder against her skull. "Probably too much champagne."
Ten minutes later, the illusion of her elegance began to violently shatter. Her manicured hands began to tremble uncontrollably as she reached for her water glass. The crystal slipped from her fingers, shattering on the table. A thick sheen of cold sweat broke out across her forehead.
She wasn't faking. She was dying.
May you like
Suddenly, her designer clutch buzzed. Her phone lit up on the table. Alexander’s sharp eyes darted to the glowing screen, reading the incoming text message before she could hide it.
👉 Who just texted Celeste, and what horrific message did they send?
