Chapter 1: The Test No One Expected
The ballroom remained frozen.
No one spoke.
The elderly man slowly placed the glass back on the table.
His calm expression unsettled everyone even more.
The little girl couldn't stop shaking.
"I saw someone touch your drink," she whispered.
The young woman immediately knelt beside her.
"Who?"
The child looked around the crowded ballroom, terrified.
"I... I don't know his name."
"He was wearing blue."
Every eye turned toward the man in the blue dress shirt.
For a split second, panic flashed across his face.
Then he forced a smile.
"She's just a scared child."
No one answered.
The elderly man raised a hand.
"I want that glass sealed."
Within minutes, hotel security closed every exit.
No guest was allowed to leave.
The orange juice was carefully placed inside an evidence container.
The man in blue watched every movement.
His forehead glistened with sweat.
Two hours later...
Inside the city's forensic laboratory, toxicologist Dr. Ethan Carter carefully examined the sample.
The young woman waited outside the testing room, unable to sit still.
The elderly man remained surprisingly calm.
Finally, Ethan walked out carrying a report.
His face had turned pale.
"There was something in the juice."
Everyone held their breath.
"It wasn't ordinary poison."
"It was an experimental biological compound."
Silence.
"It has no approved medical use."
The young woman covered her mouth.
"Someone wanted him dead."
The elderly man slowly closed his eyes.
May you like
"No."
"They wanted to send me a message."
