The Pregnant Woman Tumbled Down the Stairs. But the Attacker Was the One Who Cried.
The grand staircase fell silent the instant Elena's body struck the hardwood landing.
Vanessa froze halfway down the staircase before collapsing into Mrs. Howard's arms, trembling uncontrollably.
“She attacked me first,” Vanessa sobbed. “I only pushed her away because I was scared.”
Mrs. Howard looked from Vanessa to Elena lying motionless below. Shock rooted her to the spot for a heartbeat before she called for someone to dial 911, her eyes never leaving the young woman on the floor.
Elena lay crumpled at the foot of the staircase, one hand protectively pressed against her swollen belly. Each shallow breath seemed harder than the last. Her face had lost nearly all its color.
To everyone watching, she looked completely helpless.
No one noticed her right hand slip quietly into the pocket of her cardigan.
Vanessa's sobs grew louder, echoing through the foyer.
“She has been trying to destroy this family since the day she came here,” Vanessa said. “She wants the money. She wants the house. She wants everything.”
Hidden beneath the folds of her sweater, Elena wrapped her fingers around her phone.
She pressed the screen once.
Then again.
A prearranged call connected.
The fear that had filled her face only moments earlier disappeared.
In its place came something calm.
Measured.
Ready.
Shielding her mouth so no one would hear, she whispered, “Detective Ruiz… it’s already happened. Send everyone here immediately.”
The call lasted only a moment.
She slipped the phone back into her pocket, let her arm fall to the floor, and remained perfectly still, as though she had lost consciousness.
Because the fall was real.
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But so was the trap.
And Vanessa had just stepped into it perfectly.
