In the corner where Clara couldnât see, Giselleâs fists clenched tight.
Then, with a sudden burst, she erupted into laughter.
Giselle sidled up to Clara with a smile plastered on her face that made people feel unpleasant.
âOh, sweetie, youâre so naive. Do you really think anyone would dare to leak your little story if I didnât want it out there? You, on the other hand, with the mess youâre in, you really should think twice.â
She crossed her arms and looked down at Clara from her perch of superiority.
Giselle hadnât planned on burning bridges; after all, Clara might still be of some value and perhaps could be used as a pawn against Ivy.
But Claraâs audacity had caught her off guard; her lofty ambitions were laughable as she tried to use her insignificant leverage against Giselle.
Since Clara had presented herself so unwittingly, how could Giselle simply let her off the hook?
âWhat do you want!? My family is innocent. Arenât you afraid Iâll spill the beans if you do this?â
Claraâs eyes widened suddenly. She cared little for family ties, relying on them now only out of necessity.
If even her father and Tessa fell victim to Giselleâs schemes, sheâd truly be left with nothing.
Sheâd be alone and defenseless.
And there Ivy was, with a man by her side who was everything Clara had never met.
Damn Ivy, living so carefree and easy!
Giselle raised an eyebrow, somewhat amused to discover Claraâs unexpected familial loyalty.
âIf you donât want me to go all out, play nice. Donât breathe a word of my name and donât let anyone know weâve met. In that case, your dear parents can wait for you, safe and sound, to get out of this place. But dare to speak one word against me, and believe me, you will regret it.â
Claraâs jaw clenched, but eventually, she nodded in humiliation, âFine⦠You better keep your word and never touch my family! And figure out a way to get me out early!â
Giselle smirked triumphantly, then she muddled along just to soothe Claraâs fears.
âYouâre being so cooperative. I canât disappoint you!â
After taking care of the nuisance, Giselle strutted out of the police station and restored her buoyant demeanor.
What she failed to notice was Ivy, who had stealthily followed her to the stationâs entrance.
Ivyâs suspicions had been aroused that morning when she saw Giselleâs guilty demeanor, as if she wanted to bury her head in the sand.
Usually, Giselle was as proud as a peacock around her, always trying to outshine Ivy.
But today, she was oddly cautious, and that made lvy curious.
Ivy had always been willing to play along with their sisterly charade, but this morning was different, unusually quiet.
Giselle had left in a hurry after barely speaking a few words.
She had even taken the morning off from her scenes, claiming she needed to step out for a bit.
Giselleâs agent was nowhere to be seen, but Ivy had spotted a look of confusion on the face of her personal assistant.
If something big was going on, why was the assistant clueless? And why was Giselle, an actress, running around personally? All signs pointed to Giselleâs irregularity.
With no scenes to shoot that morning, Ivy excused herself to the director and followed Giselle in her familyâs car.