The sun was setting as Ellery drove her car through the massive iron gates of the Sutton estate.
She parked her car near the stone fountain. She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves, and pushed the heavy oak front doors open.
The main living room was brightly lit. Goldia sat on the center of the French antique sofa. Her eyes locked onto Ellery the second she walked in.
A maid stood rigidly next to Goldia. The maid held a silver tray in her hands.
On the tray sat a delicate porcelain bowl. It was filled with a thick, ink-black liquid.
Ellery walked closer. A foul, pungent smell of rotting herbs and raw fish hit her nose. Her stomach immediately churned.
Goldia pointed a sharp fingernail at the bowl. "This is a top-tier fertility supplement prescribed by our private doctor. Drink it."
Ellery stared at the black sludge. Bile rose in the back of her throat. "Goldia, I don't think I can stomach that."
Goldia let out a cold, sharp laugh. "You will drink it. It is the rule of this family. If you refuse, it means you are actively trying to end the Sutton bloodline."
Ellery thought of Hayward's threat. She thought of her mother lying in the hospital bed in Switzerland. She had to keep Goldia happy to keep Holland's money flowing.
Ellery reached out with a trembling hand. She picked up the warm porcelain bowl.
She held her breath, closed her eyes, and tipped the bowl back. She forced the thick liquid down her throat.
The taste was metallic and overwhelmingly bitter.
The second the liquid hit her stomach, her body violently rejected it.
Ellery dropped the bowl back onto the tray. She slapped her hand over her mouth. She shoved past the coffee table, her knees knocking against the wood, and sprinted toward the first-floor powder room.
She crashed into the bathroom, gripped the edges of the marble sink, and violently threw up. The black liquid and stomach acid burned her throat.
Tears streamed down her face from the physical strain. She turned on the gold faucet, splashing cold water into her mouth.
"Pathetic!" Goldia's angry voice echoed from the hallway. "You can can't even handle a little bitterness!"
Ellery heard Goldia snap her fingers. "Go to the kitchen. Pour another bowl. Stand there and watch her swallow every last drop."
Ellery leaned her forehead against the cold mirror. Her legs were shaking. A wave of pure terror washed over her.
Footsteps approached the bathroom door. The maid appeared, holding a fresh bowl of the black liquid.
Before the maid could step inside, the heavy front doors of the estate slammed open.
Holland strode into the living room. The cold night air clung to his dark wool coat.
He stopped. He looked at Ellery, who was pale and shaking in the bathroom doorway. He looked at the maid holding the black potion.
A dark, dangerous shadow crossed Holland's eyes.
He walked straight to the maid. He snatched the silver tray out of her hands.
With a flick of his wrist, Holland hurled the tray toward the floor.
Crash!
The porcelain bowl shattered into a hundred pieces. The black liquid splattered across the priceless Persian rug.
Goldia jumped up from the sofa, her eyes wide with shock. "Holland! Have you lost your mind?"
"I have an important business dinner tonight," Holland said. His voice was dangerously calm. "I need my wife to attend with me."
He didn't wait for Goldia to argue. He grabbed Ellery's wrist and pulled her away from the bathroom.
He dragged her toward the front door.
"Holland!" Goldia screamed from the living room. "You bring her back here! You have a midnight curfew!"
Holland ignored his mother. He shoved Ellery into the passenger seat of his Maybach and slammed the door.
The engine roared to life. The car tore out of the driveway, leaving the estate far behind.
