Chapter 6 - The Poison in the Tea
Arthur leaned over the island, his hands flat against the white marble on either side of the dented mahogany candlestick. His shadow completely engulfed Chloe’s trembling frame.
"You thought I was blind, didn't you?" Arthur whispered, his tone dropping from explosive rage into an icy, razor-sharp cadence that cut deeper than any shout. "You thought because I loved you, because I brought you into this house after my father died, that I would close my eyes to the horror you were building in the dark?"
Chloe lowered her hands from her mouth by a fraction of an inch, her lower lip quivering violently. "Arthur... please... you're confusing everything... Sarah is lying to you, she's been trying to get me fired—"
"Sarah didn't say a word to me today, Chloe," Arthur interrupted, reaching into his leather messenger bag without breaking eye contact.
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He pulled out a heavy, clear glass vial filled with a dark, amber liquid and slammed it onto the counter beside the candlestick. The glass clinked sharply against the stone.
"I took the tea samples from Mother's nightstand to the university toxicology lab three days ago," Arthur continued, his voice trembling with suppressed fury. "Digitalis. High-dose cardiovascular glycosides. You weren't just 'scaring' her, Chloe. You were slowly shutting her heart down, day by day, pill by pill, while you searched for the combination to the family safe."
