Sarah paced her bedroom, her mind spinning. Duke should have been weaker. The sedative was strong enough to slow him down, yet he had fought back with a force she hadn't anticipated. Worse, Moris had looked at her differently tonight—not with admiration, not even with curiosity, but with suspicion.
She was losing her grip on him.
And she knew why.
Isabel.
That insufferable woman had waltzed into Moris' life, effortlessly winning Duke's trust and, in turn, Moris' affection. Sarah had spent months carefully placing herself in his world, yet Isabel had undone all her efforts in mere weeks.
Sarah clenched her fists.
If Duke was too difficult to eliminate, then maybe it was time to remove the real problem—Isabel.
Moris' Growing Doubts
Moris sat in his private study, a glass of scotch in his hand. The events of the evening replayed in his mind—Duke's uncharacteristic aggression, Sarah's frantic explanations, and most of all, the eerie feeling that he had just dodged something dangerous.
Duke had always been a good judge of character. Had Sarah done something to him?
He didn't want to believe it, but doubt crept into his mind like an unwelcome guest.
A soft knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Come in," he said.
Isabel stepped inside, her expression unreadable. "I need to talk to you about Sarah."
Moris exhaled. "I thought you might."
Isabel hesitated before speaking. "I don't want to sound paranoid, but I've seen the way she looks at Duke. And tonight, something wasn't right. I don't think she was just trying to take him for a walk."
Moris studied her. "You think she was trying to get rid of him?"
Isabel met his gaze. "I think she's capable of a lot more than you realize."
Moris remained silent. He had known Sarah for a long time, but he couldn't deny that something about her behavior lately had unsettled him.
"I'll keep an eye on her," he finally said.
Isabel nodded. "Be careful, Moris."
As she left the study, Moris turned to look at Duke, who lay by the fireplace.
The dog's dark eyes stared back at him, unblinking.
And for the first time, Moris understood exactly what Duke had been trying to tell him all along.
Sarah was dangerous.
Sarah's Next Move
The next morning, Sarah knew she had to act fast. If Moris was starting to doubt her, she needed to shift the focus onto someone else before he started questioning her too deeply.
And she knew exactly how to do it.
She walked into the kitchen, her heels clicking against the marble floor. The head chef, Pierre, was busy overseeing the breakfast preparations when she approached him with a sweet smile.
"I need a favor," she said smoothly.
Pierre looked up, slightly wary. "Of course, Miss Whitmore. What can I do for you?"
She leaned in, lowering her voice. "I want to do something special for Moris. A private dinner—just the two of us. I'd like to handle the dessert myself."
Pierre blinked in surprise. "You cook?"
Sarah laughed lightly. "I have a few talents."
She had no intention of cooking, of course. But she needed access to the kitchen. And more importantly, she needed access to Isabel's food.
Pierre hesitated but eventually nodded. "Alright, Miss Whitmore. I'll have everything set up for you this evening."
Sarah's smile widened.
Perfect.
By the time tonight was over, Isabel would be out of the picture.
The Dinner That Changed Everything
That evening, the Lancaster estate was quieter than usual. Moris had agreed to a private dinner with Sarah, though his mind was elsewhere. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was brewing beneath the surface.
Duke, as always, sat at his feet, refusing to leave his side.
Sarah arrived, dressed in a deep red gown that hugged her figure perfectly. She had done everything to make herself look irresistible tonight. If Moris was beginning to pull away, she had to remind him why he had been interested in her in the first place.
"I thought we could have a quiet night," she said, pouring him a glass of wine.
Moris accepted it but didn't drink. "You've been acting strange lately, Sarah."
Sarah's heart pounded. "Strange how?"
Moris leaned forward, his gaze sharp. "Duke doesn't trust you. And that tells me something."
Sarah's smile faltered. This wasn't going the way she had planned.
Before she could respond, a sudden commotion erupted from the other side of the house. A loud crash. Shouting. Then—
A scream.
Moris was on his feet in an instant, Duke barking wildly.
Sarah felt ice flood her veins.
What just happened?
They rushed toward the noise, only to find Isabel collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath.
Pierre and another staff member hovered over her in panic.
"She was poisoned!" Pierre exclaimed. "Something was in her food!"
Moris turned to Sarah, his expression dark. "You were in the kitchen today, weren't you?"
Sarah's breath hitched.
This was not how it was supposed to go.