Chapter 143: Victory and The Pitch Black Terror

The clicking sound of leather shoes against the marble floor halted the warm family conversation in the mansion lounge. The head butler stepped inside the spacious room carrying a gleaming silver tray in his hands. A thick cream colored envelope decorated with an official red wax seal rested neatly on top of the velvet lining.

"Reporting Madam Shireen," the head butler said bowing respectfully while presenting the tray forward. "A letter just arrived via special courier from the organizing committee of the global jewelry exhibition in Paris. The committee states that your jewelry design won first place in this year's international competition. You are formally invited to attend the grand award ceremony next week."

Shireen stood up from her velvet seat immediately. Her hands trembled slightly as she reached out to receive the thick envelope. She broke the red wax seal with careful fingers and read the bold letters printed on the luxurious paper confirming her absolute victory.

A feeling of immense happiness suddenly filled her entire chest pushing away all the fatigue she had been feeling. All the hard work the stressful revisions and the sleepless nights she spent locked inside her design studio finally paid off completely.

This prestigious win was not only a proud personal achievement but also a massive leap forward for her family business. Her father's company would become widely known and respected in the highly competitive global market thanks to this magnificent accomplishment.

"You really are that amazing Sweetheart," Damon praised looking extremely proud of his wife.

The tall man stood up and walked closer wrapping his strong arm around Shireen's waist with an adoring gaze. Damon pressed a warm kiss to her temple.

"I never doubted your abilities for a single second Anna," Damon whispered softly making sure only she could hear his words. "Your work is always the best in my eyes and in the eyes of the entire world. You deserve this crown."

El who was busy building a giant toy block tower on the soft carpet jumped up cheerfully upon hearing the good news. The five year old boy ran over and tugged at the edge of his father's dark shirt with bright shining grey eyes.

"Let us go find the most beautiful dress for Mommy," El invited enthusiastically looking up at his father's handsome face. "Mommy must look the absolute best at the celebration party. Let us go shopping right now Old Man. You have to buy her the most expensive gown in the city."

Damon laughed out loud hearing his son's bossy demand. The Lexton ruler ruffled El's neat black hair affectionately and agreed to the impromptu plan without thinking twice. He would buy the entire shopping district if it meant keeping the bright smile on his wife's face.

They spent the rest of the afternoon filled with laughter and warmth. Damon ordered his men to close down an exclusive boutique in the city center just for his family. Damon and El sat on the velvet couch acting as personal judges while Shireen tried on various elegant dresses completing the woman's happiness. For a few hours Shireen truly forgot about all the dark threats lurking outside their walls.

When night finally fell the atmosphere inside the massive mansion felt very quiet and peaceful.

Heavy rain began to pour outside washing over the large glass window of Shireen's private study room. The rhythmic sound of the raindrops hitting the glass created a very calming melody. The woman sat comfortably behind her wooden desk checking a few final design files before taking a long break to focus entirely on her pregnancy.

Damon was currently in the child's bedroom helping El assemble a complicated new robot model giving Shireen some alone time to finish her pending work.

A soft knock on the door broke the peaceful silence of the room.

"Come in," Shireen called out softly without taking her eyes off the sketch paper scattered on the table.

Safia stepped inside with her head bowed deeply. The neatly uniformed maid carried a small silver tray containing a glass of warm white milk. Hot steam billowed from the surface of the glass bringing a very appetizing sweet aroma that filled the room.

"I apologize for interrupting your work Madam," Safia greeted using a tone deliberately made to sound very polite and humble. "I brought the special maternity milk for you. The kitchen staff just finished preparing it."

Shireen put down her drawing pen and looked at the maid with a friendly smile. She leaned back against her chair feeling a slight soreness in her lower back.

"Thank you Safia," Shireen replied sincerely rubbing her tired eyes. "But my stomach still feels a bit full after our large dinner earlier. I do not feel like drinking milk tonight. Just leave it on the table."

Hearing the rejection made Valeria's heart beat much faster. She hid her sudden panic perfectly behind those thick ugly glasses. She absolutely could not fail tonight. She had to make sure the lethal abortion drug from Xavier went straight down Shireen's throat before Damon returned to the room.

"Master Damon specifically asked me to make this milk Madam," Safia coaxed crafting a very smooth and logical lie to manipulate her target. The maid placed the glass right near Shireen's right hand. "The Master ordered that you must drink it all while it is warm so your pregnancy remains strong and healthy. He is extremely worried about your health and the fetus inside."

Hearing her husband's name mentioned instantly melted the defense in Shireen's heart. A small gesture of attention from Damon always managed to break down her stubbornness. The man apparently still remembered her daily nutrition schedule amidst the busyness of playing with El in another room.

"Damon is always overprotective when it comes to my health," Shireen muttered with her cheeks flushing happily. She pulled the glass closer to her.

Safia held back a victorious smile that almost erupted on her red lips. Her plan was running perfectly without any suspicion. The beautiful woman in front of her was truly easy to manipulate using her husband's name as a weapon. Safia stared at the glass with eyes full of deadly anticipation.

As soon as Shireen swallowed that drink her womb would be destroyed tonight. Incredible agonizing pain would torture the woman and Damon Lexton's second child would die before even seeing the world. The Lexton family happiness that disgusted Valeria so much would shatter into pieces right in front of her very eyes.

Shireen lifted the milk glass slowly. The warm temperature spread across her cold palms giving a comfortable sensation. The woman lowered her head ready to drink the white liquid to please her husband.

Safia's eyes widened behind her glasses. Her hands clenched tightly beside her apron hiding her overflowing excitement.

Drink it all and feel the death of your child Valeria screamed fiercely inside her dark mind.

Right when the rim of the glass touched Shireen's lower lip an unexpected event stopped everything.

Click.

The main crystal chandelier in the study room went out instantly.

Not only in that specific room but the entire electricity flow in the massive Lexton mansion died completely in a single blink of an eye. Pitch black darkness immediately enveloped every single corner of the giant house leaving only the sound of heavy raindrops from outside the window. The air conditioning machines stopped humming abruptly halting the air circulation inside the room.

Shireen gasped in pure surprise. She reflexively pulled the milk glass away from her face and placed it back onto the wooden table with a soft clinking sound. The poisoned drink completely failed to enter her body thanks to the sudden blackout.

"What is going on," Shireen asked confusedly. She stood up from her chair and groped the edge of the table in the pitch dark. "Why did the electricity go out completely."

Safia gritted her teeth very hard holding back the massive anger exploding in her chest. This sudden darkness ruined her execution moment which was only a millimeter away from absolute success. She cursed whoever turned off the mansion's electricity tonight and foiled her perfect murder plan.

"Maybe there is a disruption at the main substation due to the heavy rain Madam," Safia answered covering her annoyance with a forced calm tone. Her hands formed fists in the dark.

"Let us go out Safia," Shireen invited walking carefully feeling the wall towards the door. Her maternal instinct immediately kicked in. "I have to find Damon and El. They must be confused in the dark room. El hates the dark."

Safia had no choice but to follow her employer's steps out of the study. Both women stepped into the extremely dark second floor hallway.

Shireen looked around and realized something very terrifying. Not a single emergency light turned on along the walls. A house as luxurious and sophisticated as the Lexton Mansion should have backup generators running automatically within three seconds of a power outage. The fact that the emergency lights were dead indicated that the security system had been intentionally cut off by force from the outside.

Suspicion began to creep into Safia's mind as well. This was definitely no ordinary power outage due to the bad weather. Xavier must be launching his main attack tonight without giving her any prior warning. The man probably brought his mercenaries to raid the estate.

"Head butler," Safia called out with a loud voice breaking the terrifying silence of the hallway. She tried to find out the situation downstairs while pretending to be a scared maid. "Please bring a flashlight to the second floor right now."

No one answered her call. The mansion was deadly silent as if all the guards and servants had vanished into thin air.

"Damon," Shireen shouted raising her voice. Panic started to grip her chest. "El where are you."

Still no answer.

Shireen's breathing became heavier. She turned around to face the maid who was standing stiffly behind her in the dark.

"Something is very wrong Safia," Shireen whispered with a trembling voice. She grabbed the maid's arm firmly. "We need to get to the children's room right now. I have to make sure my son is safe."

Valeria let Shireen pull her along the dark corridor. A new sinister plan quickly formed in Valeria's cunning brain. If Xavier's men were already inside the mansion breaching the defenses then she did not need the poison anymore. She could just grab the boy directly and hand him over to the mercenaries during the chaos.

The two women walked cautiously through the pitch black hallway relying only on the faint moonlight seeping through the large windows. The shadows cast by the antique statues lining the corridor looked like monsters ready to pounce on them.

Shireen's heart hammered against her ribs. She tightened her grip on the maid's arm praying silently that Damon had already secured their son. She did not know that the woman she was holding onto for support was actually the most dangerous predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike her down in the dark.