Chapter 71: The Plan
Marienne froze, clearly caught off guard by Anna’s sudden appearance. She instinctively took a large step back—right to the spot where Susanne’s body lay sprawled and motionless on the ground. It was as if she were trying to shield it from view, her wide eyes still dazed with shock.
"Chloe, I—" she stammered, her gaze flicking frantically from side to side, searching for an escape, for a lie that might sound like the truth. "This is... this is not what it looks like..."
But Anna could barely hear her. Her attention was riveted to Susanne’s lifeless body, slumped beneath the row of wine kegs like a discarded puppet. The silence around them was deafening.
How did this happen? Anna’s mind raced. Did Marienne really hit her that hard? Could she have struck her head on one of the barrels? What if... what if she’s—
"No..." Anna finally whispered, her voice so faint it was almost carried off by the wind. "This can’t be..."
Her body moved before her mind could catch up, feet shuffling forward on instinct, hands trembling from the rush of dread. She stopped just inches from Marienne, who stood rigidly in place, refusing to move.
"Chloe, I can explain. I told you... my fiancé’s sister, she is—"
"Why isn’t she moving?" Anna interrupted, her voice hoarse with panic, eyes wide with disbelief. "Is she... is she dead?"
And then it happened—just for the briefest second, Anna could have sworn Marienne’s lips twitched. Not in sorrow or shock... but something disturbingly close to a smile.