After He Tried To Kill Me, I Exposed Him

Chapter 5

Celeste's POV:

I turned stiffly around. Corwin was standing unsteadily, one hand pressed over his still-streaming eyes, the other braced against the wall.

The skin on his face was bright red and blistered from the pepper spray.

"Run, then. Why have you stopped?" he rasped, taking one slow step closer. "Did you really think that little toy could stop me?"

I stared at the heavy padlock, and my heart sank further with every breath.

"Corwin, why are you doing this? Aaron is your own brother! I am your brother's wife!"

I tried to stall for time, my mind racing for any possible way out.

"Own brother?" Corwin laughed so hard he doubled over.

"When has he ever treated me like a real brother? Growing up, everything good went to him! Our parents' love, the spot at the top university, and now even a wife as beautiful as you!"

His voice rose higher and higher, his entire face twisting with rage.

"Why should he have it all? What did I ever lack compared to him?"

"And so you decided to kill me? Do you think murdering me will give you any of that?!"

"Kill you, and I won't get any of it, no."

Corwin's smile turned sharp and cruel.

"But he will lose everything. He will be branded a wife-killer, disgraced, left with nothing. And I? I'll take his place and enjoy every bit of the life that should have been mine."

I understood then. This was never just revenge. He wanted to take over. He meant to destroy Aaron and then live the rest of his life as him.

"You are completely insane!"

"Am I? You'll be joining me soon enough!"

He lunged at me without warning.

I screamed and darted aside, weaving around the living room sofas to keep as much distance between us as I could. But I was nine months pregnant and had no strength left to match him.

Before long, I was backed into a corner by the glass patio doors, with nowhere left to run. He drew closer once again, the familiar fruit knife glinting in his hand. The very same knife.

"Don't struggle, Celeste. Make this easy for both of us."

I stared him straight in the eyes, and at that moment of utter hopelessness, my mind became strangely clear.

I would not die. Not like this. Not for nothing.

"Wait!" I shouted.

"Do you really think you can kill me and simply step into his life? Aaron's company is falling apart. Its funding has collapsed, and it will go under any day now! If you take his place now, all you'll inherit is a sinking ship and millions in debt!"

It was a gamble. I was betting he knew nothing about Aaron's business troubles.

For a second, he stopped. He studied me, suspicion written all over his face.

"You're lying."

"Check it yourself if you don't believe me. Haven't you noticed how stressed he's been? The late-night phone calls from his study, what do you think those have been about?" I spoke calmly, trying to plant that seed of doubt deep in his mind.

Corwin's expression shifted into hesitation. I knew I had guessed right.

Just as I thought I had bought myself a little more time, his phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket, glanced at the screen, and answered on speaker.

A voice I knew all too well came through loud and clear.

"Corwin, how's it going? Is she dead yet?"

Everything inside my head went blank.