The Woman They Underestimated

nger' s. A dull, persistent ache radiated from my lower abdomen, a cons

t know was che

" I asked, my v

tached. "He took Ms. Vance to a specialist center in Switzerland for her

with her. He hadn' t eve

the nightstand. It was a message, but not from

it. It wa

ently peeling a grape for her with a small knife. He' d always refused to do that for me, calling it a frivolous, ridiculous

o caption. It d

ely. The same unknown number.

was weak but laced with venom. "He'

ng. There we

onor," she continued, her voice a cruel whisper. "Your family owed us. Your father destr

ove. It was a transaction. I was just a means to an

I said, the words

id a good thing. By the way, I stopped by to see your mother before we left. I had t

od ran

didn

tood. She got so agitated, her eyes were wide open. She even started

ne wen

my vein, but I ignored it. I fumbled for my phone, my fingers clu

nd ran out of the house, hailing a cab, my

the nursing home, the head nurs

een trying to reach you. And your

I gasped. "W

nswer I needed. "I' m so sorry, Chlo

The same night t

ered. "No, I n

"We need authorization from the legal guardian to release the body. Accord

to black, the last thing I heard was a man' s voic

Chloe, is