Chapter 5 - THE COUSIN WHO NEEDED DAMIAN TO DIE
Konstantin arrived the next morning at nine.
He came smiling.
That made me dislike him immediately.
Not because smiling was suspicious.
Because Grayhaven was locked down, Dr. Holt had disappeared, Damian’s medication had tested positive for deliberate contamination, and a former nurse had returned with evidence.
Nobody with half a brain should have walked into that house smiling.
Konstantin did.
He was handsome in the polished way expensive men often were.
Thirty-four.
Tall.
Dark hair brushed neatly back.
Gray suit.
Silver watch.
No visible tension.
He kissed Mrs. Doyle’s cheek.
Shook Lev’s hand.
Then saw me.
“Elena Reyes.”
I froze.
We had never met.
He smiled.
“I know the staff.”
Same thing Damian once said.
Different feeling.
“How?”
“Payroll.”
Of course.
Then Lila came around the breakfast-room doorway carrying June.
Konstantin’s smile widened.
“And this must be the little visitor.”
Lila stopped.
She looked at him.
Then at me.
She did not smile.
Interesting.
Konstantin crouched.
“Hello.”
Lila watched his mouth.
Did not answer.
I signed:
Say hello.
She shook her head.
Konstantin laughed.
“Shy?”
“No.”
Lila signed:
Don’t like.
I closed my eyes.
Wonderful.
“What did she say?” Konstantin asked.
“She said she’s tired.”
Lila glared at me.
Apparently lying about sign language was becoming a bad maternal habit.
Konstantin extended one hand.
Lila stepped backward.
His expression changed.
Tiny.
Then he stood.
“No offense taken.”
He walked toward Damian’s study.
Lila immediately grabbed my sleeve.
She signed quickly.
Medicine man.
My stomach tightened.
“What?”
She repeated.
Medicine. Same.
I crouched.
“Same what?”
She pointed toward Konstantin.
Then touched her nose.
Smell.
I stared.
Konstantin wore cologne.
Strong.
Woodsy.
My mind moved back.
The morning Lila entered Damian’s room, medication tray on table.
Had she smelled something?
Impossible to know.
Children connected odd things.
Maybe the bag smelled like the same cologne because Konstantin had handled it.
Maybe one of dozens of men wore the scent.
Not proof.
Still—
I had promised Damian to say when something felt wrong.
I told Lev.
He immediately asked security to pull images from the medical hallway.
Meanwhile, Konstantin sat across from Damian.
I was not invited.
Then Damian opened the door himself.
“Elena.”
Konstantin looked surprised.
I entered.
“Stay.”
His cousin smiled faintly.
“New advisor?”
“Cleaner.”
I stared at Damian.
He almost smiled.
Konstantin laughed.
“Good.”
Then his eyes moved toward me.
“Perhaps she can bring coffee.”
Damian’s expression changed.
“No.”
One word.
Konstantin blinked.
Damian continued.
“She’s here because she notices what men in suits ignore.”
That was dangerously close to praise.
I decided not to react.
Konstantin crossed one leg.
“I heard there was a medication issue.”
“From who?”
“Samuel.”
Damian’s face hardened.
“Samuel was told not to discuss it.”
Konstantin shrugged.
“He’s worried.”
“Are you?”
“Of course.”
He sounded perfect.
“I’ve spent eight months preparing businesses around your condition.”
“There.”
Konstantin frowned.
“What?”
“My condition.”
Damian leaned back.
“You prepared around it.”
“Yes.”
“I may have been poisoned continuously.”
Konstantin stared.
Then:
“That’s insane.”
Not shock.
Rejection.
Maybe subtle.
Damian asked:
“Why did you intercept Dr. Feld’s messages?”
Konstantin’s smile disappeared.
“I didn’t.”
“We have records.”
“He contacted the office.”
“My office.”
“The executive office.”
“You acknowledged them.”
“I acknowledge hundreds of communications.”
“He said my prognosis was uncertain.”
Konstantin leaned forward.
“Damian.”
His voice softened.
“Do not let one second opinion erase what happened.”
“You nearly died.”
“You still can.”
I felt cold.
Not you’re improving.
Not let’s verify.
You still can.
Damian heard it too.
“What happened Monday night?”
Konstantin’s face changed.
“What?”
“Your car was here.”
“No.”
“We have camera.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Then who drove?”
Silence.
Konstantin laughed.
“My driver.”
“Name?”
“Peter.”
“Last name?”
“Now you’re interrogating me?”
“Yes.”
Konstantin’s eyes hardened.
“There he is.”
“What?”
“The man everyone was waiting to come back.”
Damian looked almost amused.
“Were you disappointed?”
Konstantin stood.
“This is ridiculous.”
“My cousin is dying.”
“A nurse disappears.”
“A doctor panics.”
“And somehow I become suspect because I tried to keep the company alive?”
Damian’s expression cooled.
“You tried to keep it yours.”
Konstantin stared.
“Temporary authority.”
“Which expanded every time I became worse after medication.”
Silence.
There.
A beat too long.
I saw it.
Damian did too.
Konstantin recovered.
“You think I poisoned you before board meetings?”
“I think patterns deserve questions.”
“This maid has filled your head with—”
Damian stood.
Faster than yesterday.
Still painful.
Still weak.
But anger carried him.
“Say maid like an insult again.”
Konstantin stopped.
So did I.
Damian leaned one hand against the desk.
“You will regret how creative I become.”
Old Damian.
Dangerous.
I should have been frightened.
Instead, I was mostly irritated.
“Sit down,” I said.
Both men looked at me.
“You’re shaking.”
Damian glared.
“Not now.”
“Yes, now.”
Konstantin laughed.
Wrong choice.
Damian turned.
“You find disability entertaining?”
The laughter died.
I stepped closer.
“Damian.”
His eyes found mine.
I signed unconsciously:
Breathe.
He stared.
Then something extraordinary happened.
He obeyed.
One breath.
Then another.
He sat.
Konstantin watched the entire exchange.
And I saw something in his face.
Not amusement.
Fear.
Because a man who had built his strategy around Damian being isolated was watching him trust somebody.
That was dangerous to Konstantin.
Lev entered.
“Boss.”
Damian looked up.
“What?”
“We identified the driver.”
“Peter?”
“No.”
Konstantin went still.
Lev placed a photograph on the desk.
The person driving Konstantin’s car Monday night was Dr. Miriam Holt.
Silence.
My skin went cold.
Konstantin stared.
“That’s impossible.”
“You want to try again?” Damian asked.
Konstantin looked genuinely shocked now.
Maybe.
“Why would Miriam use my car?”
Damian’s expression hardened.
“Excellent question.”
Konstantin said:
“I wasn’t here.”
“Where were you?”
“Washington.”
“Proof?”
“Hotel.”
“Meetings.”
“Security.”
“Good.”
Damian nodded.
“We’ll confirm.”
Konstantin looked offended.
“You’re investigating me.”
“Yes.”
“Your own family.”
“Yes.”
Konstantin stared.
Then:
“If you die while doing this, what happens?”
There it was.
Damian smiled.
“Concerned?”
“The board needs certainty.”
“No.”
Damian’s voice became quiet.
“You need certainty.”
Konstantin’s eyes hardened.
“What are you implying?”
Damian looked directly at him.
“If I die without children, family voting control shifts.”
Silence.
“To you.”
Konstantin’s face went blank.
I felt my stomach drop.
There was the motive.
Not just temporary authority.
Inheritance.
Damian continued.
“You become chairman.”
“Control the Volkov trust.”
“Own the largest voting block.”
Konstantin stood.
“You think I want you dead for shares?”
“I think people have killed for parking spaces.”
Fair.
Konstantin walked toward the door.
“I won’t sit here and be accused.”
Damian said:
“Then leave your phone.”
He stopped.
“No.”
“Interesting.”
“Personal property.”
“Samuel handed his over.”
“I’m not Samuel.”
“No.”
Damian looked at him.
“You’re not.”
Konstantin’s jaw tightened.
He left with the phone.
Lev immediately turned.
“I want surveillance.”
Damian shook his head.
“Legal.”
Lev blinked.
“What?”
“Get warrants through the investigators.”
I looked at him.
He noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Lie.”
“You didn’t send men after him.”
“Disappointed?”
“No.”
A faint smile.
“Growth.”
He looked annoyed.
Good.
Then Lila wandered into the room.
She saw Konstantin through the window getting into his car.
She pointed.
“Bad medicine.”
Damian looked at me.
“What?”
I translated.
Then explained the smell.
Konstantin’s cologne.
Lila believed the medication packaging carried the same scent.
Damian’s expression sharpened.
Lev immediately checked the sealed evidence notes.
One technician had written:
Packaging has noticeable woody fragrance inconsistent with storage environment.
Not proof.
But enough.
Then Damian’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
Dr. Holt.
Her voice was frantic.
“Damian.”
Everyone froze.
“Where are you?”
“I can’t tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because Konstantin will find me.”
The room went silent.
Konstantin had just left Grayhaven claiming he barely understood the investigation.
Damian’s face became stone.
“Miriam.”
“Yes?”
“Tell me why my medication was poisoned.”
Silence.
Then she began crying.
“I didn’t start it.”
Not denial.
Damian closed his eyes.
“Who did?”
Her next words changed everything.
“Your cousin.”
Then:
May you like
“But Damian, you need to understand.”
“He wasn’t trying to kill you at first.”
