Chapter 1 - The Coffin That Moved
Daniel stood beside the closed coffin, trying to say goodbye to his mother, Eleanor Mercer, when the lid trembled beneath his hand.
“No,” he whispered. “That moved.”
A second thump came from inside.
Before anyone reacted, Atlas, the family’s massive Tibetan Mastiff, burst through the chapel doors and slammed into the coffin stand.
The lid opened.
Eleanor lay inside, alive, gagged and weak, her wrists bound but uninjured.
Daniel tore the cloth from her mouth.
“Mom! Who did this to you?”
She gripped his sleeve and pointed toward his uncle.
“Do not let Victor near me. He tried to bury me alive.”
Every guest turned.
Victor Mercer stepped backward in his tailored black suit.
“She is confused. Grief medication can cause hallucinations.”
Eleanor’s voice was hoarse but vicious.
“You drugged me, forged my death and invited half of Boston to watch you inherit my company.”
Victor sneered.
“You were a hotel maid before my brother married you. Do not pretend a borrowed last name made you fit to control a dynasty.”
Daniel moved between them.
“My mother built more of that company than you ever did.”
The funeral director then approached with a sealed authorization.
It ordered the coffin locked and buried without another viewing.
The signature at the bottom belonged to Daniel.
May you like
Victor smiled.
“Ask your grieving son why he approved it.”
Related Stories
