Elena's POV

The orderlies wheeled Marcus' body down the corridor, and I followed behind them like the grieving widow I was supposed to be. Inside, my heart was racing with excitement, but on the outside, I maintained the perfect mask of sorrow that everyone expected.

"Ma'am, are you sure you want to come with us?" one of the orderlies asked with a gentle voice. "Most families prefer to say their goodbyes in the room."

"I need to see where he'll be," I whispered, dabbing at my eyes with a tissue. "I need to know he's... comfortable."

The man nodded sympathetically. "Of course, Mrs. Martinez. We understand."

They wheeled Marcus into one of the refrigerated compartments, and I watched as they slid his body inside like he was nothing more than a piece of meat.

"He'll be safe here," the other orderly assured me. I could only imagine the panic Marcus would be going through if he could hear and feel everything that was happening around him and I laughed inwardly.

As the first orderly walked out the door, I lightly tapped the second one to wait a minute. "Actually, I change my mind. I have a proposition for you."

He looked obviously confused as he wondered what I was talking about.

"You see, I have a secret. He is not dead. He is just pretending, and I want to teach him a lesson about that.

I reached into my bag and brought out the drug that Dr. Parker used to make him appear dead and gave it to the orderly. I swiped the drug from Dr. Parker's office before leaving for the crematorium. "Inject this into him every 12 hours to prevent him from waking up. I want to see how his fake death plans unfold while he's still in this condition."

"But Ma'am...I could get fired...I could loose my job..."

I then got out a huge envelope and gave it to him. "For your cooperation and your troubles. Keep him somewhere warm so he remains comfortable. I'll come by to bring more supplies so he doesn't die of starvation in his comatose state."

He stared at the envelope with widened eyes for a few moments and then he smiled. "Consider it done Ma'am."

I smiled a wicked smile and turned to look at Marcus' body again. I took slow deliberate steps towards him and I saw his forehead twitch slightly.

"Are you okay Ma'am? Do you need something?"

"No, I'll be fine," I said, taking one last look at Marcus's peaceful face. "I just needed this moment with him."

I leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead, whispering just loud enough for the orderly to hear, "Sleep well, my love. I'll see you soon."

Then I pulled the sheet back over his face.

"Goodnight, Marcus," I whispered, my hand lingering on the edge of the stretcher. "Sweet dreams."

I immediately returned to the grieving wife character before we left the room to prevent any suspicions and called Dr Parker. I needed to be sure the next phase of my plans were set in perfect motion.

He picked up on the first ring and I could hear the tension in his voice. "Mrs. Martinez! Oh thank goodness. Where are you? Isabella has been so worried."

Worried? Of course.

She must be scared I may have gone to burn Marcus privately without their knowledge. I made sure to loose them in traffic on the way to the morgue to make sure they didn't follow me.

"Hi Dr. Parker," my voice was very calm and collected. "I just put him in the morgue now. I told Isabella we would have a funeral instead. Why on earth is she worried? He is dead anyway."

"Why didn't you just bring him back to the hospital? We have an amazing morgue here! His voice was raised.

He obviously wanted me to bring Marcus back so they would complete their original plans.

NEVER!

"Well, he's safe and sound where he is."

"What morgue is that!?" I heard Isabella scream from the other end of the phone.

My guess was right they would be together trying to figure out how to save their plan.

"Relax Izzy, He's well taken care of. I have given strict instructions on how they should care for him, while we arrange for the funeral. But you can definitely see him if you want to. I'll text you the address immediately."

"Don't you dare harm my brother!" She screamed again on the other end.

"There you go again Isabella!" I raised my voice back at her. "How can I harm someone who is already dead? Unless you're saying there is foul play here and Marcus is alive.

"Is Marcus alive Dr. Parker?"

"Oh no no no, I can assure you that Marcus is very dead. Don't mind Isabella. She is still in shock and denial. I'll make sure she gets the help she needs to process what has happened."

"That's alright doctor. I really appreciate it. Isabella, if you don't mind coming by the house tomorrow so we can begin the arrangements for the funeral. I will prefer it happens as soon as possible."

"Oh I agree with you. I'll definitely be there Elena." Isabella replied.

I hung up the phone and smiled a very wicked smile. Everything was going exactly according to plan.

Isabella's POV

I couldn't sleep all through the night and I kept tossing and turning on my bed. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Elena's face at the crematorium and I heard my own voice stupidly blurting out that she was trying to burn Marcus alive. What the hell was wrong with me? I almost blew everything because I panicked like some amateur.

According to our plans, Marcus was supposed to be cremated and gone by now. Instead, he was lying in some morgue freezer while Elena planned a whole funeral. The longer his body stayed around, the more chances there were for something to go wrong. What if someone noticed he was still breathing? What if that drug wore off at the wrong time?

"I need to keep an eye on Elena, make sure she doesn't make any more rash decisions." I said to myself. The woman was clearly unstable with grief, and unstable people made unpredictable decisions. I grabbed my purse and car keys as soon as it was daylight enough to go out and headed straight for Elena's apartment.

Their building was one of those fancy high-rises with a doorman and marble floors in the lobby. Marcus always did like to show off, even if he couldn't actually afford the lifestyle he was living.

"Good morning, Ms. Martinez," the doorman greeted me as I entered. "Here to see Mrs. Martinez?"

"Yes, just checking on her," I said, putting on my most concerned expression. "Such a difficult time for the family."

He nodded sympathetically and waved me toward the elevators. "She's lucky to have family looking out for her."

If only he knew.

I knocked softly on the apartment door, and Elena answered after a few moments. She looked exactly like someone who just lost her husband. Her eyes were red, her hair was messy and she was wearing an old sweater that had probably belonged to Marcus.

"Isabella," she said, seeming a bit surprised to see me. "What are you doing here so early?"

"I know it's very early, but I wanted to be sure you were fine after yesterday's... incidents," I said, stepping into the apartment without waiting for an invitation. "I've been worried sick about how you're handling all this."

"That's... that's very sweet of you," Elena said, closing the door behind me. "I'm managing, I suppose."

It was a while since I visited Marcus' home but the apartment looked the same as always. Expensive furniture, artwork on the walls, and that ridiculous wine collection Marcus was so proud of. I walked straight to the wine cabinet, running my fingers along the bottles.

"You don't mind if I...?" I asked, already pulling out a bottle of what looked like a very expensive brand.

"Of course not," Elena said quietly. "Help yourself to whatever you want."

I found the wine opener and poured myself a generous glass. The wine was smooth and rich, probably worth more than most people made in a week. Marcus always did have expensive taste, even when he couldn't afford it.

"So how are you really doing?" I asked, settling onto the leather couch with my wine. "And please don't say 'fine' because we both know that's not true."

Elena sat down across from me, curling her legs under herself like a lost child. "I keep expecting him to walk through that door," she said. "I keep thinking I hear his keys in the lock, or his voice calling my name."

"That's normal," I said, taking another sip of wine. "Grief does strange things to the mind."

"Why did you really come here, Isabella?" Elena asked suddenly, her eyes meeting mine. "I mean, I asked you to come so we could talk about the funeral, but certainly not this early."

I felt a flicker of annoyance at her directness, but I kept my expression soft and caring. "Because I was worried about you," I said. "Marcus would want me to take care of you, especially now."

Elena's eyes filled with tears at the mention of Marcus's love. If only she knew the truth about what her precious husband really thought of her.

"I'm going to get something to eat," I announced, standing up with my wine glass. "Have you eaten anything since yesterday? You look like you've lost weight."

"I'm not really hungry," Elena said, but I was already heading toward the kitchen.

Their kitchen was just as fancy as the rest of the apartment. Granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a refrigerator that was so big I wondered how it fit through the door. I started pulling out ingredients for sandwiches, mostly just to have something to do with my hands.

That's when I heard Elena's voice from the living room. She was on the phone with someone.

My curiosity immediately kicked in. Who was she calling? I crept closer to the kitchen doorway, staying hidden in the hallway where I could listen without being seen.

"Yes, this is Elena Martinez," she was saying. "Thank you so much for your condolences, Mr. Chadwick. This has been the most difficult time of my life."

Chadwick? I didn't recognize the name. I pressed myself against the wall, straining to hear more.

"Yes, I have all the necessary documentation," Elena continued. "The death certificate, marriage certificate, everything you requested to process the life insurance... Ten million? Are you certain that's the correct amount?"

Ten million? My heart nearly stopped. What the hell was she talking about?

"I see," Elena said, her voice getting stronger. "And when can I expect the payout to be processed? ... Within the week? That's wonderful, Mr. Chadwick. I look forward to it."

I gripped my wine glass so tightly I was surprised it didn't shatter. Ten million dollars. Elena was getting ten million dollars off Marcus' death?

I heard the phone click off and quickly hurried back into the kitchen, my mind racing. Ten million dollars from a life insurance policy! I didn't even know about it. Marcus had never mentioned having that kind of insurance, but then again, Marcus kept a lot of secrets.

I tried to calm my breathing and focus on making sandwiches, but my hands were shaking with a mixture of shock and rage. Ten million dollars. Elena was about to become a very wealthy widow, while I was stuck with whatever peanut Marcus was going to give me after executing his plans.

"Isabella?" Elena called from the living room. "Are you alright in there?"

"Fine!" I called back, forcing my voice to sound normal. "Just making us some food."