Chapter 2 - Breakfast With a Stranger
At seven the next morning, Lucas entered the kitchen wearing a pressed navy shirt and the same relaxed smile he had worn during the call.
“Coffee?” Margot asked.
“Please.”
Her hand remained steady as she poured it.
Lucas kissed her cheek, opened the financial section of the newspaper, and complained about interest rates.
Everything looked normal.
That was what terrified her most.
For years, he had managed their accounts because he had once worked in corporate finance. Margot had written historical novels, raised their daughter, and trusted him to handle the machinery of their wealth.
Whenever papers appeared, Lucas placed colored tabs beside the signature lines.
“Just routine.”
Margot always signed.
That morning, he slid a cream envelope across the island.
“Our estate attorney updated a few things.”
Margot stared at the yellow tab attached to the bottom page.
Lucas sipped his coffee.
“Sign it before lunch.”
Her pulse pounded.
“What is it?”
“A tax adjustment.”
He answered without looking up.
Margot picked up the envelope and smiled faintly.
“I’ll read it after my shower.”
Lucas’s newspaper slowly lowered.
“You never read those.”
The kitchen fell silent.
Margot met his eyes.
“Maybe I should start.”
For one sharp second, his pleasant expression vanished.
Then the smile returned.
“Of course.”
He folded the newspaper with precise, angry movements.
“I’ll be home early.”
May you like
After he left, Margot locked the front door and carried the unsigned envelope into the study.
👉 But the first page proved Lucas had already lied to her before breakfast.
