âDonât tailgate too closely, just keep a tight follow on the car ahead,â
Ivy mumbled to herself as she sat in her nondescript sedan, her gaze fixed on the police station that Giselle had just sauntered into.
Initially, Ivy had doubted herself, wondering if the toughs from the other day had rattled her nerves enough to make her jumpy at shadows.
Maybe Giselle just woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
But all those suspicions evaporated the moment Ivy saw Giselle turn into the same precinct sheâd visited yesterday.
What on earth did Giselle need at the police station that she was so hell-bent on going there? That woman was indeed scheming something fierce.
And when did she cozy up to Clara?
That simpleton Clara could be swayed with a few smooth words to turn against her own flesh and blood.
Ivy sat in her car, quietly piecing her thoughts together. She had mentioned going to the bookstore yesterday. Other than Balfour, only the crew knew about it.
She couldnât fathom how those thugs managed to be in just the right place at the right time on her route back from the bookstore. She couldnât believe there was no involvement from someone in the crew.
Who leaked her movements?
Now, the answer seemed painfully obvious-it had to be Giselle.
The idle probing words she had tossed out this morning had turned out to be true. It seemed Giselle had been coveting the role Ivy was playing all along.
Ivy kept her eyes on the police station. Now that she knew Giselle had instigated Clara to act against her, she was determined to seek justice for herself.
The revelation that Clara was the one who had harmed her hit Ivy particularly hard. Theyâd never been close. Clara clearly despised her, and the feeling was mutual. But Ivy had never imagined Clara would be so ruthless as to land such a blow-hiring thugs to tarnish her reputation, to ruin her life!
The irony and sorrow churned inside Ivy. She had naively hoped that Clara might show a little sisterly affection towards her. But Clara was heartless, emboldened by the blatant favoritism of their mother Tessa, who had always indulged Claraâs bullying.
Had their mother not been so biased, Ivy might not suffer so much. And Clara wouldnât have grown up so spoiled, thinking everything Ivy had should be hers.
Tessa also seemed to believe that since Ivy wasnât a son, Ivy owed her a lifetime of servitude, that Ivy deserved to suffer for displeasing Clara.
Why should that be?
If she could, Ivy wished she had never been born Tessaâs child, even if that meant sheâd never existed at all.
They chose to bring her into this world, yet they resented her for not being a son. They didnât love her but neglected her and hurt her.
She had done nothing wrong, yet in their eyes, her very existence was a mistake!
After breaking ties with the Dunhill family, Ivy had thought she could finally live for herself. But the Dunhills couldnât let go, always scheming to exploit her further.
Thatâs why Clara could be so easily manipulated by Giselle, leading to such an egregious act!
Just then, Giselle emerged from the visiting room with light steps. Seeing Claraâs cowed demeanor, Giselle knew her purpose for todayâs visit had been achieved.
Now, with a sense of ease, she reveled in the thought of how effortlessly sheâd played Clara. Ivy would inevitably meet the same fate. The Dunhill sisters were destined to be trampled underfoot by Giselle.
Ivy would be next!
Ah! You Giselle gasped the next second, not expecting to bump into Ivy, who was standing right outside the police station entrance.