Chapter 1 - THE GLASS SHE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO SEE
Three months after marrying Elio Vieira, Janevra finally saw fear in her husband's eyes.
It lasted less than a second.
They were standing beneath the gold chandeliers of the Chicago Heritage Gala, surrounded by politicians, businessmen, old-money families, and men whose names never appeared on official company documents.
Elio had barely spoken to her all evening.
Then a waiter approached with two champagne glasses.
Janevra noticed him because he was nervous.
Not dramatically nervous.
Just wrong.
His tray tilted slightly whenever he looked at Elio. His left glove was clean, but the right one carried a faint green stain near the thumb.
Janevra's eyes moved to the glass he offered her husband.
A cloudy residue clung beneath the rim.
"Don't drink that."
Elio looked at her.
The waiter froze.
Janevra slapped the glass from Elio's hand.
It shattered against the marble.
For one breath, the ballroom went silent.
Then the waiter reached beneath his jacket.
Elio moved first, shoving Janevra behind him as Bruno tackled the man into a table.
Guests screamed.
Security flooded the room.
But Janevra barely noticed any of it.
Elio had gone strangely still.
His hand pressed against his side.
Blood darkened his white shirt where something sharp had cut him during the struggle.
"Elio?"
He looked at her.
Then his knees buckled.
Janevra caught him before he hit the floor.
The attacker had coated the blade with something.
Within minutes, Elio's pulse became erratic.
The event physician reached for an injection.
Janevra stopped him.
"No."
The doctor stared at her.
She pointed toward the man's medical case.
The seal was already broken.
Someone had gotten to it first.
Janevra demanded a second emergency kit from the hotel security office and refused to let anyone touch Elio until paramedics arrived.
Twenty minutes later, a toxicology specialist confirmed what the first doctor hadn't known.
The medication in his case would have made Elio's condition worse.
Janevra had saved his life twice in the same night.
As paramedics carried him toward the ambulance, Elio caught her wrist.
His voice was barely audible.
"Don't trust anyone who knew we were coming tonight."
Then his eyes closed.
Janevra reached inside her clutch for her phone.
Her fingers touched paper instead.
Someone had placed a folded note inside.
She opened it.
May you like
There were only nine words:
ASK YOUR FATHER WHY YOUR MOTHER REALLY DIED.
