Chapter 3 - The Purple Drink on the Silver Tray

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At 6:45 AM, the pale winter sunrise broke through the mist over the Long Island Sound, casting long, cold shadows across the Duca estate.
The estate staff began their morning routines. In the grand kitchen, Clara Carter—Emma’s mother—was quietly preparing the breakfast trays, keeping her three-year-old daughter securely in the staff dining nook.
At precisely 7:15 AM, the side door of the kitchen clicked open.
Vivian Chen walked in. She was twenty-nine years old, strikingly beautiful, dressed in an immaculate cashmere knit sweater and tailored trousers. Her long dark hair was styled in soft waves, her demeanor projecting the serene, gentle grace of a woman devoted to family.
“Good morning, Clara,” Vivian greeted warmly, setting down her designer leather bag. “How is little Emma today?”
“She is well, Miss Vivian,” Clara answered quietly, keeping her head lowered as instructed.
Vivian walked over to the marble island, pulled a small silver blender from the cabinet, and emptied a bowl of fresh organic blackberries and acai purée into the container. She reached into her pocket, turned her back slightly toward Clara, and slipped the contents of a small glass dropper into the mixture before blending it into a rich, deep purple smoothie.
She poured the drink into Lucas’s personalized crystal tumbler, placed it on a silver tray with a single white rose, and smiled.
“I’ll take Lucas his breakfast now,” Vivian said softly. “He was looking so weak yesterday... we must keep his vitamins up.”
She carried the silver tray out of the kitchen, gliding gracefully up the grand marble staircase toward the third-floor master wing.
She turned the corner into Lucas’s corridor, humming a gentle melody.
She pushed open the heavy mahogany doors of Lucas’s bedroom, expecting to find the child lying unresponsive beneath the blankets.
Instead, the room was bathed in bright, cold daylight.
Sitting in the high-backed armchair beside the bed was Lorenzo Duca, fully dressed in a black tailored suit, his dark eyes locked onto her face like two iron sights.
Standing beside him was Dr. Mara Quinn, holding a digital evidence case, flanked by Daniel and two armed tactical operators.
Vivian froze in the doorway, her smile faltering by a fraction of a millimeter.
“Lorenzo... darling?” Vivian said, her voice lilting with artificial concern. “Why are all the curtains open? The bright light hurts Lucas’s eyes.”
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“Set the tray down, Vivian,” Lorenzo commanded in a voice as smooth and deadly as an open blade.
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