Ivy’s mind reeled as she entered the living room, the warm glow of the chandelier a stark contrast to the turmoil within her. She collapsed onto the sofa, her eyes scanning the room as if searching for answers.
Her thoughts turned to Stella’s betrayal and Emelia’s near-death experience. Why was Emelia targeted? Was it to silence her, like Isabelle? Ivy’s fingers drummed against her legs as she tried to piece together the events.
She remembered Xavier mentioning Emelia wasting the first meal, prompting them to make another one. Emelia had saved her twice today. Ivy’s gaze drifted to the dining room, where she recalled a maid peeking from the corner, looking exasperated while Emelia was being scolded.
Could that girl be Stella? If so, she was the one causing chaos in the villa. Ivy’s intuition screamed that Stella was behind the poisoning and the messed-up electric socket. It all pointed to Stella’s doing.
With newfound determination, Ivy shot up from the sofa, her eyes blazing with fierce resolve.
Her eyes met some of the staff still lined up; she had been completely oblivious to their presence when she walked into the living room. Immediately, her expression turned serious, her gaze shifting from one individual to another; it was as if her eyes were trying to see through them.
She walked toward them, moving from one person to another; each step reverberated with suspicion. Her gaze never faltered, checking them out for any hostility masked by a facade. When she got to
Xavier, she halted and exhaled deeply, her sharp breath speaking volumes of both frustration and subtle anger.
Her gaze lingered on him, her lip slowly twitching. “The rest of you can go,” she said, waving dismissively without breaking eye contact with Xavier. “And Xavier, you and I have to talk.” Xavier’s chest heaved, inwardly questioning the reason for her summons. “Ma’am, I apologize for Stella’s behavior; I didn’t watch them.” Ivy raised her hand to silence him, her expression softening.
“No, it’s not your fault. I just want to ask, when was this Stella employed to work here?” Xavier’s eyes darted, noting in particular, trying to recall the exact time. “She has been here for a long time, two years, I think.” Ivy’s brow furrowed, totally not expecting that span of time; she initially thought it was only a few months ago. Two years?
Then how did she turn out to become a betrayer before she moved into the villa? “You can go,” she dismissed him and sank back onto the sofa. Just then, Zack walked in, his feet plunking on the ground as it echoed with suppressed anger. “From one catastrophe to another. When is this going to end?” he said, his face scrunched as he sat beside Ivy. It weighed heavily on the sofa with exasperation. Ivy remained silent, her gaze fixed on nothing in particular. Deep down, she was seething with anger, her face slowly diminishing and replaced by unshakable determination for the next step toward resolution.
When Zack suppressed his emotions, he then remembered summoning the staff a while ago.
“Where are the rest of the staff lined up here?” he asked, staring at Ivy, who was drowning in her own thoughts. “Ivy…” he called, snapping her back to the present.
“I dismissed them; there is no need to investigate who poisoned the meal. It was Stella’s doing.”
“So she is the betrayer…” Zack responded, not quite surprised; the incident at the pool was enough to hint at it. “I thought you would be safe if I ensured enough security, but…”
“Have you called the detective?” Ivy asked, changing the subject as she shifted to a more calm and collected expression.
“He’ll be here any minute…” Zack replied, and then a loud thud echoed throughout the room, snapping their focus to the door.
A group of guards stormed in, dragging in a young lady who struggled to break free from their grip, including trying to sink her teeth into her captors’ flesh.
She was released; her body collided with the marble floor. She quickly climbed to her feet, wanting to run toward the door, but was caught before she could take a step.
“So you are Stella.” Ivy’s face turned sour, calling the lady’s attention in her direction.
“Yes, I am,” Stella responded, a bogus smile spreading across her lips.
With her arms crossed, she stared straight into Ivy’s eyes. “Don’t ask me the obvious question because I won’t answer.”
Zack’s face darkened, his fingers digging into the flaccid sofa. “We won’t be the ones asking…”
Stella shifted her gaze to Zack, her smile widening as her brow arched in a facade. “Okay, better…”
Ivy’s hands formed into a tight fist, suppressing the urge to slap her across the face as her behavior was exasperating. She took a deep breath to calm down. “So what did you gain by all of this?”
Stella snickered, her voice dripping with malice. “You know it’s obvious I’m not the sadistic one here…” Her lips spread into a thin line, while she crossed her fingers in a zipping motion. “Don’t ask me who it is… oh, I’m talking too much…”
That was the tip of the iceberg; Ivy shot out of the sofa, her hand flinging through the air and landing across Stella’s face with a whoosh. “Don’t test my patience. I won’t force you to speak, but don’t run your mouth,” she said, her gaze fierce and piercing.
Stella stepped backwards, her hand on her throbbing cheek as the smile on her face faded into insignificance. “You are one hell of a bitch,” she responded to Ivy’s unexpected reaction. Who would have thought the woman standing in front of her could be so mean?
Ivy sat back down without breaking eye contact, her jaw slightly tensed.
Stella’s eyes wandered over Ivy, trying to comprehend the underlying emotion yet to be unleashed. She was calm a moment ago; now she was like a fiery goddess blazing with indignation.
The next moment, the rhythmic sound of footsteps approached them; Detective Finn and Bryan arrived with a handful of officers. But a man stood out among the other unfamiliar faces. A conspicuous scar, like claw marks, was stretched across his face. His body was refined with thick muscles, giving him a well-built physique.
With a serious expression, he walked up to Ivy and Zack, extending his hand towards Zack for a shake. “It’s an honor to meet Mr. and Mrs. Anderson. I’m Detective Callus, Detective Finn’s new partner.”
Zack took his hand without a word of pleasantry. His eyes darted between Finn and Bryan.
Bryan nodded, with an unspoken explanation. “I have briefed him on everything,” he told Zack before glancing at Stella, who was silently watching the scene unfold. A chuckle escaped her lips, rolling her eyes in disgust. “You all won’t get anything from me…”
Callus immediately turned to face her, a smirk tugging up the corner of his lips. “Is that so? Let’s see about that…”
Ivy’s chortle broke them from their intense stare. Leaning back on the sofa, a glint of respite flashed through her eyes. “If you like, shut your mouth. I don’t give a damn about it. All I know is that you and your boss are going down. It won’t take long…”
Stella’s lips twitched, a frown etching her face. “Whatever…”
Callus wasted no time; he stretched out his hand to Stella, a mischievous smirk spreading on his face. “Let’s go talk… Shall we?”