Chapter 6 - The Pawn and the MastermindMarta stepped forward, her dark eyes filled with determination. “Whatever you need, Ricardo. I won't let them hurt you again.”
Ricardo smiled faintly. “Elena will notice you’re missing if you don't call in. She expects you to clean the house today.”
“What do I tell her?”
“Call her right now on a burner phone,” Ricardo instructed. “Tell her your mother had a sudden medical emergency in Chicago and you had to catch an emergency night flight. Apologize profusely. Make it sound believable.”
Marta took the phone, dialed Elena’s private number, and put it on speaker.
After three rings, Elena answered, her voice dripping with irritation. “Marta? Where are you? The living room is a mess from last night!”
Marta took a deep breath, her acting completely flawless. “Mrs. Santoro, I am so sorry! My sister called me late last night—my mother had a stroke. I caught the 2:00 AM flight to Chicago. I didn't want to wake you.”
There was a brief pause on the other end. Elena sneered softly into the receiver. “Fine. Take three days off. But make sure you’re back before Don Ricardo returns on Friday. I need the house spotless for his homecoming.”
“Yes, Mrs. Santoro. Thank you,” Marta said, hanging up the phone.
The room breathed a collective sigh of relief.
“She bought it,” Thomas noted. “They think the coast is completely clear.”
“Good,” Ricardo said, turning back to his security chief. “Now, Thomas, I want you to secure the original chemical analysis of that tea blend. Get a team into the mansion quietly tonight while they’re out, take samples from the vial in her vanity, and swap it with harmless sugar water.”
“And what about the annual Santoro Charity Gala on Friday night?” Thomas asked.
May you like
Ricardo stood up, walking toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.
“Friday night is when Marcus plans to announce my ‘sudden illness’ and assume control of the company,” Ricardo said coldly. “Instead, it will be the night I host the greatest unveiling of their lives.”
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