How to Plan to Deceive
A month had blurred past in a whirlwind of construction dust, drone footage, and late-night strategy sessions. The warehouse—once a hollow, echoing shell—was being transformed into a neon-lit labyrinth of high-octane adrenaline. Today Amber was walking from area to area talking to the techs, the architects and revisiting her own research notes.
She had always been a perfectionist – it had been encoded into her DNA – and she wanted everything to be perfect. She was listening to a tech explain some of the VR and AR equipment when her hand flew to her forehead and she swayed. The tech moved to catch her but she said she was okay – even though she braced herself against him..
Similar incidents happened twice more, with one of her assistants actually bringing her a chair after a third. She continued to deny a need for help, though she did drink offered water, and she continued to work hard.
Dan arrived with a bright smile – ready to take her out to lunch, Mark walked quietly over to him and leaned into his ear. "Something odd is going on with Amber today. Maybe you should hint to her that she needs a bit of rest after lunch today."
Dan looked at the man with a frown. "Odd as in what? Amber knows her limitations." But before Mark could respond Dan saw what the man meant.
Amber swooned and he was at her side in an instant to catch her. He looked down at his wife as her eyes fluttered - as she tried to open them – "Amber are you okay?"
"I am… fine." Her voice was tired and hollow and she turned her head as if looking for someone. "Just get me a glass of water."
An assistant moved to hand her water and Dan shook his head. "No love. We are going to the hospital. Now."
An hour later, in the private wing of Carson City General, the adrenaline had faded into a heavy, expectant silence. Dan sat on the edge of the exam bed, holding Amber's hand so tightly both his knuckles and her finger tips were white. Neither of them noticed – Dan too anxious with worry, and Amber's mind too consumed with business matters.
The doctor walked in, looking over a digital chart with a small, knowing smile.
"Well, Mrs. Lance-Trace, your blood work explains the 'swoon.' Your blood sugar was low, but that's to be expected given the metabolic demands your body is currently facing."
Dan stood up, his brow furrowed. "Metabolic demands? She's been working hard, but—"
"Mr. Trace," the doctor interrupted gently. "Your wife isn't just exhausted. She's approximately six weeks pregnant."
The silence that followed was absolute. Amber's jaw dropped, her hand flying to her stomach—the very spot where, just two weeks ago, a new life had been sparked in the quiet of their shared study.
Dan felt the air leave his lungs. Not the panicked breathlessness of the warehouse, but a profound, staggering sense of awe. "A baby?" he breathed. "Am... we're..."
Amber looked at him, tears finally brimming in her eyes, a smile breaking through her shock. "A baby," she whispered, forgotten memories crashed into her mind like a destructive avalanche.
Dan leaned in, burying his face in the crook of her neck, his shoulders shaking with a sob of pure, terrified joy.
While Amber and Dan were trying to navigate emotions they thought long subdued and conquered, Jessica was in her luxurious garden home doing what she did best – scheme.
Jessica sat in her sun-drenched living room, her laptop balanced on her protruding stomach. She was scrolling through a specialty herbology site, her eyes narrow and predatory. She had watched the live stream—she had seen Dan leap off that balcony for Amber. She had seen the feed cut to black.
She didn't know about the pregnancy yet, but she knew they were closer than ever. And that was a problem that required a very specific solution.
"There it is," she hissed, clicking a button.
Order Confirmed: 10 Boxes Sea Buckthorn Loose Leaf Tea (Premium Grade).
She knew from Dan's Himalayan vlogs that he had become obsessed with the tart, orange berry. It was his new "signature" flavor. It was perfect. The strong, acidic profile of sea buckthorn was the ideal mask for the slightly bitter chemical tang of Anthony's "Capsule of Retribution."
She picked up her phone and dialed a boutique tea blender in the heart of Carson City—a place that specialized in "bespoke gifts" for the elite.
"Hello? Yes, this is Jessica Lance. I'm looking to commission a private 'Signature Blend' for a homecoming gift. I've already sourced the base— rare sea buckthorn. I'll have it couriered to your shop within two days. I want it blended with something soothing... perhaps a bit of valerian root and honey-essence?"
She listened to the shop owner's fawning response, her smile widening. "Perfect. I want it packaged in a royal blue tin with gold embossing. It needs to look... official. Like a gift from the city's commerce board."
As she hung up, her phone buzzed with a call from her mother.
"Jessica, darling," her mother's voice chirped. "I've spoken to your sisters and your aunt. We are long overdue for a girls' day. I've booked a private suite at the downtown mall for a shopping spree—we need to start looking at clothes for the babies – remember you said I can be involved in their lives - and I want to get you into some of those maternity silks we saw."
Jessica leaned back, her fingers tracing the safe where the capsules were hidden. "That sounds lovely, Mother. Actually, I was hoping we could talk about the things we discussed, and shouldn't we welcome Amber Ann and Dan back properly?"
"Of course, dear. Of course dear. What a good idea. We'll make sure you look spectacular. Dan won't be able to take his eyes off you. I will talk to Amber Ann about her duty to the family and tell her how horrible you feel about reacting hormonally. Your sister will understand."
Jessica's smile turned into something truly sinister. "Oh, I'm counting on it, Mother. I'm counting on every single minute of his attention and Amber understanding that I never meant her any harm."
"Of course you didn't dear. You are our eldest daughter and you are to marry well first. Amber Ann will understand. I love you dear. Take care, see you tomorrow."
Jessica looked out the window toward the silhouette of the mountains. The pieces were moving. The tea was ordered. Her mother was neutralized. And soon, Dan Trace would wake up in a world where Amber Ann was nothing but a faded, forgotten memory, and Jessica was the only thing he had left.