Locked Out in the Blizzard

I had brought my mother-in-law, Eleanor, to our secluded mountain estate so she could recover from heart surgery. She needed quiet and warmth. The plan was simple: light the stone fireplace, make broth, and let her rest while the snow came down. A stranger was already standing in front of my fireplace. She wore my white fox coat, a one-of-a-kind piece from a private Parisian atelier. Julian had given it to me for our third anniversary. “The heating in the guest wing is broken.” She kept her back to me. “Have someone fix it. Now.” Two security guards I didn't recognize waited behind her. Neither belonged to the staff I knew. I stopped in the doorway with Eleanor leaning hard on my arm. Eleanor spoke first. “Who in God’s name are you, giving orders in this house?” The surgery had left her short of breath, but her stare didn't waver. The woman turned. She looked over Eleanor's frail frame, then my cashmere sweater and jeans, and smirked. “I'm Serena Vance. Julian's fiancée. And you are?” *Fiancée.* My mouth went dry. “I'm Chloe. Julian's wife.” Serena laughed. “Wife? Oh, honey, that's an outdated title. Julian's arranging a corporate merger. He needed to get rid of the failing assets.” She stroked the sleeve of my coat. Julian had given her access to this house, my clothes, and, judging by the card peeking from the pocket, my money. Serena pulled out the black card and tapped it with a long red nail. “And this should answer your other question. This is who I am.” It was the supplementary card from my account. It had unlimited access to the Sterling family trust, the same trust I had used to build Julian's entire empire without telling him. Eleanor tightened her grip on my arm. “That card belongs to my daughter-in-law. So does the coat on your back and the roof over your head. You're a cheap little thief.” Serena's smirk vanished. She pointed at us, her finger shaking. “Security! Get these two trespassing old hags out of my house!” The guards moved before I could get Eleanor behind me. One caught my arm. The other grabbed her. “Let go of her! She just had surgery. You'll kill her!” They dragged us toward the oak doors. Our boots scraped over the slate, and Eleanor gasped when the guard twisted her shoulder. “This is my property! Julian gave me the deed himself!” Serena laughed behind us. “Deeds can be transferred, sweetheart. Just like husbands.” The guards shoved us outside. The wind knocked the breath out of me. Snow whipped across the terrace, sharp enough to sting any bare skin. It was -20°C, and Eleanor and I had only thin wool sweaters. The heavy door slammed behind us. A second later, the magnetic lock clicked. I pulled at the handle. It didn't move. “Eleanor?” She swayed beside me. Her face had gone gray. “My pills.” She clutched her chest. “In my bag.” Her bag was inside, near the fire, and she couldn't reach it. I dug out my phone with stiff fingers. The screen flickered once and died; the cold had killed the battery. The estate's satellite phone was mounted inside beside the door. Eleanor's knees folded. She dropped into the snow collecting against the steps, breathing in short, rough pulls. She was having a heart attack. I dropped beside her and bent over her to block the wind. “Stay with me, Eleanor. Please!” I pounded on the bulletproof glass panel until I couldn't feel my fists. “Let us in! She's having a heart attack! Open the door!” Through the snow, I saw Serena by the fire with a wine glass in her hand. She watched Eleanor convulse and took another sip. I hit the glass again. Serena walked to the control panel beside the door and reached for a switch. The green light for the terrace's underfloor heating went dark.