Daniel's eyes narrowed as he watched Ivy's uneasy demeanor, his intuition whispering that something was off. He knew she was worried about her sister, but it looks there was more to it given her expressions and tensed movements. Her behavior is giving a hidden fear that seemed to be gnawing at her. He sat down beside her on the couch, his presence calm and reassuring. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked gently, keeping his voice low with a hint of concern.
Ivy's mask slipped for a moment before she regained composure, letting out a forced smile. "I'm fine, just stressed," she said, sounding tensed. "I'm sorry about the engagement party. It was supposed to be a celebration, but it turned into a mess."
Daniel's expression softened as he listened to her explanation. He reached out and took her hand, offering what little comfort he could. "It's not your fault, Ivy. These things happen. What matters is we are engaged now." He said smiling.
As they sat there, Ivy's anxiety seemed to seep away, replaced by a sense of gratitude towards Daniel. He stood up, his eyes locked onto hers. "I should get going. My dad texted me and said they're heading home. Why don't I walk you to your room? You look like you could use some rest."
Ivy nodded, feeling a wave of relief wash over her as Daniel helped her up from the couch. His arm wrapped around her waist, offering support as they walked to her room. As they stood outside her door, Daniel leaned in, his voice low. "Get some rest, okay? I'm here." He said hugging her tightly while patting her back gently trying to get her to relax.
Ivy smiled weakly as she hugged him back. She nodded, and Daniel kissed her forehead before turning to leave. As the door closed behind him, Ivy let out a sigh, her facade crumbling.
Her feet sank into the plush carpet as she paced back and forth in her room, her mind racing with the events of the evening. The dim glow of her bedside lamp cast eerie shadows on the walls, an opposite of the turmoil brewing inside her. She couldn't shake off the feeling of being trapped in a web of her own making. The sound of her phone buzzing on the bedside table broke the silence, but she ignored it, knowing it was probably just another message from Olivia. Now that the guests are all gone, she knew that now is the time to act.
She slipped out of her room, her heart racing with a mix of fear and determination. She knew she had to act fast, before anyone else had a chance to review the footage. Her destination was the control room, where the security feeds were monitored.
As she entered the room, she spotted the security guard sitting at his station. "Excuse me," she said with a friendly smile. "I'm looking for the security team lead. There's an issue with the cameras in the east wing that I need to discuss with them."
The guard nodded, standing up. "Let me go find him for you. I'll be right back."
Ivy waited until the guard had left the room before she quickly got to work. She navigated through the footage, as her fingers flew across the keyboard searching for the specific clips she needed to delete. She found the ones she was looking for and deleted them, her heart sinking with each deletion. She knew she was covering her tracks, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was digging herself deeper into trouble. The police might want to check the footage soon and they'll find out that some clips had been deleted, but she still had to do it. It's better for them to have suspicions that to catch her in the act. She knew her father will definitely get her jailed and Sebastian of course will not spare her for trying to hurt his wife.
With the incriminating footage gone, Ivy felt a temporary sense of relief. But she knew she couldn't let her guard down yet. She had to keep up the charade, at least until she was sure she was in the clear.
She has to find a way to shut Victor up next. There's no way he'll not mention her name now that he had been caught.
Although, he already had an history with Jasmine since high school. He'd been her secret admirer and had once confessed to her about how he felt but Jasmine wasn't interested in him back then. He didn't back down and tried all he could to get her to be with him but it was all futile. This continued until college and he kept following around that it got creepy and Jasmine got him arrested for stalking her. All of these were also known to Ivy which was why she had contacted him when she thought of implicating Jasmine. He was also happy as he thought of it as payback time.
With a deep breath, Ivy made her way to Olivia's room, her heart pounding in her chest like a drum. She knocked on the door and the sound echoed through the hallway. Olivia's voice called out, "Come in," and Ivy pushed open the door, as her eyes scanned the room for any sign of her mother's mood.
Olivia was sitting on the bed, crossing her legs and her eyes fixed intently on Ivy's face. "What's wrong, baby? You look like you've seen a ghost," Olivia said, concern etched on her face like a gentle crease. Her voice was soft, but Ivy detected a hint of wariness beneath the surface.
Ivy's eyes darted around the room, her gaze lingering on the lavish furnishings before settling on Olivia's face. "I need to talk to you about Victor," Ivy said, her voice barely above a whisper. She felt like a small animal trapped in a cage, desperate to find a way out.
Olivia's expression changed, her eyes narrowing like a cat's as she nodded for Ivy to continue. "What about him?" Her voice was laced with a subtle tension, like the quiet hum of a wire about to snap.
Ivy's hands trembled as she clutched the doorframe, her knuckles white with tension. "I think we need to make sure he doesn't talk," she said, her eyes pleading with Olivia to understand the gravity of the situation.
Olivia's face remained impassive, but her eyes sparkled with calculation. She leaned back against the headboard, her fingers steepled together in a gesture of contemplation. "Don't worry, I've already made some calls. We'll take care of him," she said confidently.
Ivy's eyes locked onto Olivia's, searching for reassurance. "How?" she asked with desperation.
Olivia's smile was like a slow-burning flame, warm and menacing. "Easy. Since the boy has an history with Jasmine, it wouldn't be difficult to get him to keep quiet and frame him with the whole thing."
Ivy's eyes widened as she processed the information. She knew that this mother of hers was ruthless, but she's still surprised as to how fast that she could think of these things.
'It wasn't really a bad idea' she thought and she felt relief instantly. At least she would be able to keep her reputation intact without anyone finding out that she was plotting against her own sister. But she still had doubts, "Mum, what if it doesn't go as planned?"
Olivia's expression turned calculating, her eyes glinting like ice in the dim light. "Well, Victor's got a lot of baggage. We'll use that to our advantage. I'll make sure he's silenced, one way or another." Her voice was devoid of emotion, like a machine programmed to eliminate threats. Ivy couldn't help but shiver at Olivia's words. She was surprised that she could be this heartless.
But she relaxed at the same time. She's certain that her mother could really protect her no matter what happens. As she turned to leave, Olivia's voice stopped her. "Ivy, one more thing."
"What's that?" Ivy asked, turning back to face her mother, her heart skipping a bit.
Olivia's eyes were cold and hard, like polished marble. "Make sure you keep your cool around Sebastian. We can't afford to arouse his suspicion." She warned.
Ivy nodded, her mind racing with the potential consequences of being discovered. She knew Olivia was right. She had to keep her secret hidden, no matter what. As she turned to leave, Olivia's eyes lingered on her face, like a hawk watching its prey.