CHAPTER 416
JOHNS BIRTHDAY PARTY.
The party was in full swing, the sound of music filling the grand ballroom, with guests laughing, glasses clinking, and bodies swaying in sync with the rhythm. But Harmony couldn’t hear any of it. Her focus was on one thing—and one thing only.
Arianna.
She watched her from the bar, where the faint clink of the wine glass against the counter barely registered in her mind.
Xander was off talking to Alex and John, but Harmony knew his eyes were always lingering, just a little too long, on Arianna.
The way he smiled at her. The way he touched her. It made Harmony’s stomach twist with jealousy, and more than that, it made her furious.
She had a plan, a foolproof plan, and she was going to make sure it worked.
Her fingers curled around the edge of her glass as she leaned in to speak with the bartender, subtly sliding a small vial from her purse.
It had been easy enough.
The liquid was tasteless, colourless—utterly undetectable. Just a few drops stirred into the champagne flute, and the job was done. A slow-acting drug, subtle in its onset, but devastating in its design.
It would start with dizziness.
A little weakness.
Then a sudden shortness of breath. Her heart would begin to stutter, falter, and eventually give out.
Silent.
Undeniable.
By the time anyone realized something was wrong, it would be too late. Arianna—and the child growing inside her—would be gone.
And Harmony?
She would be right there.
Ready to comfort a shattered, grieving Xander.
To play the role of the devoted friend, the one who would never leave his side.
It would be so easy.
All she had to do was wait.
Harmony’s heart pounded in her chest. This was it.
The moment she had been waiting for.
She cast a quick glance over her shoulder, eyes narrowing as she watched Arianna laugh softly with a group of friends, her smile radiant, eyes sparkling with blissful ignorance.
Unaware that these would be her last moments alive.
Harmony’s fingers tightened around the small vial hidden in her clutch. Her gaze swept the room—left, then right—ensuring no one was watching.
The chatter, the music, the clinking of glasses all masked her quiet movements.
The bartender slid a fruit cocktail across the polished counter—the one Arianna always ordered.
Perfect.
With the ease of someone brushing lint from a sleeve, Harmony tilted the vial and let a few clear drops slip into the drink.
Tasteless. Odorless. Deadly.
She gave the glass a gentle swirl, then stepped back, watching with a calm smile as the poison dissolved into the fruit juice like it had never been there.
Soon, it would all be over.
But then, she felt a presence beside her.
“You sure this will work?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he leaned against the bar, eyes scanning the room for any wandering eyes.
“You said it was clean, undetectable. But if it backfires…”
Harmony didn’t even look at him. Her gaze was locked on the swirling liquid in the glass, her manicured fingers clenched tight around the stem.
“Don’t doubt me,” she hissed, her voice sharp and cold.
“This will work. It has to.”
The man’s jaw tightened, his expression darkening.
“It's better. I got you that vial—exactly what you asked for. That wasn’t easy, or cheap. If this doesn’t work… and you don’t become Mrs. King soon…” He leaned in, his voice dropping into a quiet threat.
“Then you’ll have a very big problem on your hands. One I won’t fix for free.”
Harmony finally turned to him, her lips curling into a slow, venomous smile.
“I will become Mrs. King. He’ll be mine before the end of this month. And you?” Her eyes glittered with malice.
“You’ll get every cent I owe you. Just be patient. You’ll get your payday.”
He gave a curt nod, but his eyes stayed on the glass in her hand, like he was watching a loaded gun ticking down.
“Now go. You’ve done your part—get out of here before someone sees us together.”
“Clock’s ticking,” he muttered before disappearing.
Harmony didn’t spare him another glance.
Harmony turned back to the party, holding the poisoned drink like a trophy. Her target was laughing, glowing in the crowd, oblivious.
“Laugh all you want,” she whispered under her breath.
“Soak it all in, princess. These are your last few moments in the spotlight.”
But in her head, she was unable to quell the gnawing feeling that something could go wrong. She had done everything right—everything. There was no room for error.
Arianna made her way across the room , she paused for a moment, standing alone amid the soft hum of conversation.
A wave of fatigue washed over her, and her hand instinctively came to rest on her belly. When she finally looked up, her eyes met Xander’s across the room—his gaze warm, unwavering.
A slow smile touched his lips. But before she could return it, Zach said something beside him, pulling his attention away.
From across the room, Harmony caught the exchange—the way Xander looked at Arianna like she was the only person in the world, the softness in Arianna’s eyes when she met his gaze.
Something twisted violently inside her.
Die already, she screamed in her head, her jaw clenching so tightly it hurt.
Harmony spotted a young waiter weaving his way through the crowd, a tray of empty glasses balanced in one hand. She stepped into his path, stopping him with a polite but firm smile.
“Would you do me a quick favour?” she asked sweetly, holding out the glass with the doctored drink.
“Could you take this to Mrs Arianna King over there?” She nodded subtly toward the dance floor, where Arianna was now standing alone.
“She asked for this earlier, and I don’t want it to get warm.”
The waiter nodding.
“Of course, ma’am.”
“Thank you,” Harmony purred, her voice syrupy.
As he turned and began to cross the room, Harmony took a few steps to the side, positioning herself with a perfect view of the unfolding scene.
Arianna stood alone near the edge of the dance floor, her posture relaxed but alert, the soft hum of music wrapping around her like silk.
She wasn’t speaking to anyone, simply observing the crowd with that serene, unreadable expression she wore so well.
Then, her phone buzzed in her hand. She glanced down, and for the briefest moment, the calm on her face shifted—just slightly—as her eyes scanned the screen....
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