The Perfect Wife's Perfect Revenge

Chapter 19

Langford Mansion

In the study, the tea sitting on the desk had long since gone cold.

The old man paced back and forth, hands clasped behind his back, wearing a path into the slate floor.

Finally, McNeil arrived. Normally striking, his face was drawn with exhaustion, deep shadows pooling beneath his eyes.

He hadn't slept properly in days.

A porcelain teacup clattered to the floor near McNeil's feet, spilling tea everywhere.

"Where is she? The news is all over the place-saying Victoria's dead. Is that really her in the morgue?"

The old man's reaction to the news wasn't shock or grief, but barely contained rage.

McNeil looked as tired as he felt, but there was no sadness in his expression. "No," he answered flatly.

He'd gone straight to the police to identify the body. Of course, it wasn't Victoria.

Victoria he knew would never be so foolish-stranded in a snowstorm, car out of gas

she? I don't care what it takes, you find her. Do you realize Victoria holds fifty percent of our family's shares? If she vanishes and decides to

his life navigating the cutthroat world of business, priding himself on reading people. But

again, a woman who'd lost the person she

heard the news, all he'd been able to think about was

of the family's shares

soon as possible. The Langford family's done more than enough for her. I've played along for your sake, helped save her life, put on a show for long enough. She's alive now, and that's

tell you, we'll all

said nothing, quietly slipping out of

stepped into the hallway than his

Gwyneth, calling from her

find Mommy? Is it true-did Mommy

That morning, she'd woken up cheerful, eaten breakfast, and gone looking for Violet to chat. Instead, she'd found

had thought maybe Mommy had dragged Daddy away again, and that was why Violet was upset. She'd been about to stand up for Violet when Violet told her the police had

She'd burst into tears right then and there, and nothing Violet did could

past few days, Gwyneth's heart was heavy with worry,

McNeil, the first thing out of her mouth-punctuated