Chapter 3
Chapter 3: The Price of Power
The question hung in the air like a death sentence.
Daniel stared down at her.
Slowly, the frantic, worried husband vanished. The panic in his eyes died, replaced by a cold, dead emptiness.
He didn't deny it. He didn't even look guilty.
He stood up slowly, dusting off his tailored suit. The guests instinctively took a step back from him.
"You don't understand, Valeria," he said, his voice terrifyingly calm.
Tears spilled over her cheeks. "Then explain it to me!"
Daniel let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "That baby was going to ruin everything."
"It's your child!" she sobbed.
"Exactly," he replied coldly.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Daniel looked around at the crowd of his peers, no longer caring that his cover was blown.
"If that kid is born, my father's will changes. He was going to put a massive chunk of the company's shares into a trust for a direct heir. I would lose the restructuring deal I’ve spent years setting up. Everything I built would crumble because of this pregnancy."
Valeria felt a wave of nausea hit her. The air in her lungs turned to ice.
"All of this... for money?"
Daniel looked down at her, devoid of any human warmth. "You have no idea what's at stake."
Elena stepped between them, shielding Valeria with her own body. "That's enough, sir. The police are already on their way."
Across the room, a guest was already whispering urgently into his phone.
Daniel saw it.
The last of his restraint snapped. His face went completely dark.
He slowly reached his hand inside his suit jacket.
Valeria’s eyes widened. "Daniel... no..."
But it was too late.
He pulled out a compact, matte-black semi-automatic pistol.
Screams shattered the mansion.
The elegant crowd dissolved into absolute chaos. Guests scrambled, knocking over heavy dining chairs, throwing themselves behind marble columns, and shattering crystal glasses as they fled for cover.
Daniel pointed the gun directly at Valeria’s head.
"If it all burns down anyway... then I’m ending this right now."
Valeria dragged herself backward on the floor, using her body to shield her stomach.
Elena didn't hesitate. She threw herself in front of the gun. "No! Don't shoot her!"
Daniel raised the barrel, his finger tightening on the trigger.
But in that split second, the heavy oak front doors flew open.
Two estate security guards, alerted by the screaming, burst into the foyer.
"Sir! Put the weapon down now!" the lead guard yelled, drawing his own gun.
Daniel’s eyes flickered toward the door for a fraction of a second.
That fraction was all Elena needed.
She grabbed a heavy brass candelabra from a nearby console table and swung it with all her might, slamming it into Daniel's forearm.
The pistol clattered to the marble floor.
One of the guards kicked it away while the other tackled Daniel to the ground. They struggled violently against the stairs before the guards finally pinned him, locking his arms behind his back.
Valeria collapsed into a sob, her entire body shaking.
Elena rushed to her side, pulling her into a tight embrace. "It's over, ma'am... it's over..."
A doctor who had been among the dinner guests rushed over, immediately checking Valeria's pulse. "We need an ambulance immediately. She's bruised, but we need to check on the baby."
Valeria kept her eyes locked on Daniel as the guards dragged him up.
He wasn't screaming. He wasn't begging for mercy.
He just stared at her with hollow, unbothered eyes—as if killing his own child was simply a business transaction that had fallen through.
In the distance, the wail of police sirens began to echo through the night.
Elena squeezed Valeria’s hand tightly. "I'm so sorry I had to throw you down, ma'am."
Valeria looked at her, her eyes filled with tears, and shook her head.
"You saved my life."
As the flashing red and blue lights illuminated the grand windows of the mansion, Valeria realized the most painful truth of all:
The monster who had tried to kill her baby wasn't a shadow in the dark. It was the man who had promised to protect her.
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But she also realized something else.
Sometimes, the person who looks like they are pushing you down... is the only one trying to save your life.
