The heiress they tried to kill

The morning sun shines through the tall windows of the Walker building, casting golden lights across the neat marble floors. Eight year old Emma ran down the staircase with a smile on her face, her shoes squeaking against the steps. “I’ll be the first to get to the car!” she shouted. “Emma!” her mother shouted from the lobby. “No more running on the stairs!”. Emma stopped immediately, though her smile still remained. “I’m sorry, Mom.” Grace Walker looked at her, shook her head trying to hide her amusement. “You say that all the time.” Emma giggled and hugged her mother. The scent of her mother’s perfume always makes Emma feel safe. If happiness had a smell, she thought it would smell exactly like that. Richard Walker stepped out of his study carrying a brown leather bag. “Is everyone ready?” he asked. “Ready!” Emma shouted. “Almost!” came another voice. Ethan Walker appeared at the top of the staircase. He carried a backpack dangling over one shoulder and looked really unimpressed by Emma’s excitement. “You’re moving too slow,” Emma teased. “I’m moving like a normal person.” “You mean an old person,” Emma giggled. “Mom, make her stop!” Ethan said, frowning. Grace laughed. Richard shook his head. “My children start fighting before we’ve even left the house.” “We’re not fighting,” Emma said. “We’re having a discussion.” Ethan grunted. “A discussion where you insult me every two seconds.” Emma stuck out her tongue. The family gathered near the entrance while staff loaded the last of their luggage into the car waiting outside. Emma jumped on her toes. She had been anticipating this trip for weeks. No school. No homework. Just a long weekend at a lakeside resort several hours away from the city. To Emma, it sounded perfect. Richard glanced at his watch. “We should leave soon.” As he spoke, a SUV rolled into the driveway. Emma recognized it instantly. “Aunt Victoria!” The SUV stopped. Victoria Hart stepped out wearing oversized sunglasses and a beautiful white and black dress. Beside her came her husband, Marcus. “Look who decided to visit,” Richard said. His smile looked genuine enough, but something unreadable flickered in his eyes. Victoria walked toward them with open arms. “I couldn’t let you leave without saying goodbye.” Grace hugged her sister. Emma noticed something strange. The hug felt stiff. Not like the warm embraces she usually saw between them. Maybe she imagined it. Adults act strange sometimes. Victoria stooped down in front of Emma. “Are you excited about your trip?” Emma nodded eagerly. “We’re staying by the lake.” “That sounds wonderful.” Victoria smiled. The smile reached her lips. Not her eyes. Emma wasn’t sure why that bothered her. Marcus ruffled Emma’s hair. “Bring me back a souvenir.” “I will.” The adults exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes. Then Richard checked his watch again. “We really have to go.” Victoria’s gaze shifted briefly toward the car. For a moment, her expression hardened. It disappeared so quickly Emma wondered if she’d imagined it. “Drive safely,” Victoria said. “We will,” Grace replied. The family climbed into the vehicle. Richard took the driver’s seat. Grace sat beside him. Emma and Ethan settled into the back. Emma waved through the window as the car rolled down the driveway. Victoria stood perfectly still. Watching. Watching until they disappeared through the gates. The journey began with laughter. Music played softly through the speakers. Emma spent the first hour talking about everything. About school. About her friends. Ethan eventually groaned. “Do you ever run out of things to say?” “No.” “I believe that.” Grace laughed. Richard glanced at them through the rearview mirror. “Be nice.” “I’m always nice.” “You hid my headphones last week.” Emma smiled innocently. “You found them.” “Inside the freezer.” The car erupted in laughter. For a while, everything felt perfect. The roads were clear. The future seemed bright. None of them knew this would be their final trip together. As the afternoon wore on, dark clouds gathered overhead. Rain began falling. First lightly. Then steadily. Wind rattled against the vehicle. Richard tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “Looks like we’re driving into a storm.” Grace glanced outside. “We should be fine.” Lightning flashed across the horizon. Emma pressed her forehead against the window. The rain distorted the world outside. Trees blurred past like shadows. The atmosphere inside the vehicle slowly changed. The laughter faded. Conversation became quieter. Even Ethan stopped scrolling through his phone and looked outside. The storm seemed to arrive unnaturally fast. A strange feeling settled in Emma’s stomach. The kind she couldn’t explain. The kind that made her wish they were already at the resort. Another flash of lightning lighted the road. And for a split second, Emma thought she saw something. A dark vehicle following them. Far behind. Hidden by the rain. She blinked. The vehicle vanished. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was just the storm. Then Richard frowned. A deep wrinkle appeared between his brows. Grace noticed immediately. “What is it?” Richard didn’t answer right away. His eyes remained fixed on the dashboard. “Richard?” His voice came out lower than before. “Something’s wrong.” Emma sat upright. “What do you mean?” Richard pressed the brake pedal. Nothing happened. His face was drained of color. The car continued forward. Faster. Faster. The rain hammered against the windshield. “Richard?” Grace whispered. He pressed harder. Still nothing. A terrible silence filled the vehicle. Then Richard looked at his wife. And for the first time, Emma saw fear in her father’s eyes. “The brakes aren’t working.”