The dusk came, and the villa located at Azure Hill Estate was cozier than before. The sound of China wares and champagne glasses clicking, coupled with the harmony of soft laughter and the warm glow casting on them added to the delightful vibes. Well, the sound of laughter was mostly coming from old man Roy and Ivy; as for Zack, a small smile would once in a while tug up his lips but would immediately disappear after. But truly he was enjoying the wonderful moment with his wife and father; this feeling was something that hadn’t felt in a long time. He had left the grand mansion in his early twenties after the issue with his brother Albert; since then he hardly called them, not to mention visits. He only attended the family dinner at that time just because he wanted to teach Dave a lesson and give Ivy the satisfaction of seeing her ex regret.
“Belle, haven’t you ever wondered what Zack’s childhood was like?” Roy brought up another conversation that didn’t go well with Zack.
A scowl settled on his face as he dropped his cutlery on his plate. “Old man, don’t start…”
“I’d love to hear all about it,” Ivy replied, Roy’s question already aroused her curiosity.
Roy’s smile widened; he began narrating all of Zack’s childhood, especially the awkward moments, sending Ivy into a state of laughter again.
“Oh, there was one time he…”
“Cut it out, old man,” Zack interrupted instantly, as he knew what he was about to tell Ivy. “Do you really have to tell her that?”
“Isn’t she your wife? She has to know.” He then whispered to Ivy. “Belle, I’ll tell you in detail when we’re having dessert.” Zack sighed, knowing fully well that nothing was stopping the old man from completing his story.
After dinner, just as Roy said, he kick-started the conversation from where he had left off.
“He ran around the house in his ‘birthday suit’ just because his nanny refused to wear him matching pants.” Roy held his stomach, laughing, while Ivy chuckled, glancing at Zack. What was amusing her more was Zack’s reaction to the old man teasing.
He crossed his arms, avoiding eye contact with her; a hint of embarrassment flickered in his eyes. “Yeah, laugh all you want. I was only four back then.” His response only made Roy’s story more humorous. Roy continued chatting with Ivy; Zack, on the other hand, couldn’t bear the embarrassment, so he left both of them alone in the living room.
Ivy learned a few of Zack’s childhood stories from Roy, and also about Zack’s mother, Claudia. She learnt she was a French woman, she died of cancer a few years later, after giving birth to Zack. That aspect of the story made her reflect on her own back story but she quickly brushed it off when Roy started talking about Zack’s brothers. The old man happily shared his stories until 8 pm. Only then did Zack return to the living room.
“Old man, it’s time to go; I won’t let you stay here till midnight.”
“I’m waiting for my driver; he will arrive soon,” Roy replied, glancing at his wristwatch.
A few minutes later, his driver notified him he was around the premises. While the couple escorted him to the exit, he whispered to Ivy. “Belle, make sure he attends the company’s anniversary ceremony; I’m counting on you.” He winked, waving the couple goodbye.
Zack noticed Ivy still had a smile on her face.
“The old man did entertain you.” Ivy’s smile widened. “Yeah, he told another awkward moment when you were ten.”
Zack’s expression darkened. “What exactly did he tell you?” Ivy chuckled and left him standing in the doorway.
The old man’s visit had made her forget about the ordeal earlier on their way home. When she got to her room, she saw several missed calls from Anna. She did tell her she got more news for her. She dialed her number and was welcomed with Anna’s boisterous voice. They exchanged pleasantries before Anne drifted to the main topic of the discussion.
“Two days ago, after the night shoot, when I was hanging around the set, some police men arrived; they seem to be investigating something not entirely clear to me, but I overheard them requesting some footage…” Ivy listened attentively, well aware of the reasons behind the police visit to the set.
“I suspect a crime happened on set; I’m not sure what it is exactly, but I saw them take one of the workers for questioning that night. I have a feeling it is a very serious issue. I’m quite surprised the media and the rest of the crew had no idea what went on that night.”
Ivy remained silent, torn on whether to tell Anna of her abduction; it seemed Bryan did a good job of keeping the news under wraps. “Can you guess why the police were on set that night?” Ivy asked just to confirm the depth of Anna’s suspicion.
“I have no idea, but since that day I haven’t seen that worker anywhere; I don’t know if he was arrested.”
Ivy decided not to tell her and bury the news of her abduction under the ditch. It was an experience she didn’t want to recall nor dwell on.
“And also, the media are on your tails; they have been inquiring about you, approaching every single member of the crew, including the cast, seeking their remarks on your current scandal,” Anna explained and added. “The netizens think you are being unprofessional.”
Ivy sighed, “the same scandal, it’s still the hot topic…”
“Did you offend some big shot or something? This isn’t supposed to be a serious issue; the public is already concluding you intentionally stopped filming. Director Tim gave his statement explaining the reasons for your absence, yet it didn’t suppress the scandal.” Anna went on and on, explaining, while Ivy absentmindedly listened, with her intuition pointing towards one particular individual that could be the mastermind behind the scandal.
‘So, you don’t want to stop messing with me, Irene.’