Chapter 10

Arden closed the wardrobe and turned around as another sharp knock sounded at the door.

“Come in,” she called out, and a maid stepped into the room.

“Good evening, Ma'am. Dinner is ready.”

“Okay, lead the way,” Arden replied, following the maid downstairs.

At the sprawling dining table, Arden took a seat. “Where's Ethan?” she asked, looking around the empty room.

“Master said you should go ahead and eat; he will dine later,” the steward replied politely as a maid began serving her.

Arden looked down at her plate, and froze. “Pot roast and apple juice?” she said aloud.

The steward hesitated, his brow twitching. “Is there a problem, Ma'am? If you don't care for it, we can have something else prepared immediately.”

“No... I like it,” Arden replied quietly.

This is odd. Is it just a massive coincidence? she wondered. She remembered mentioning her cravings to Kate, but she had never told Ethan. Still, she was far too hungry to overanalyze it. She dug in, eating until she was entirely satisfied, and finished off with a slice of apple pie served for dessert.

“Can you pack the pie and take it to my room? I'll save it for later,” she instructed. Thanking the steward, she headed back upstairs.

After taking a long, hot shower and changing into comfortable sleepwear, Arden settled into bed and pulled out her phone to call Kate.

“Hey, Kate. I thought you'd be asleep by now,” Arden said as the line connected.

“How could I possibly sleep when I haven't heard how your first night went?” Kate replied immediately.

“I'm so sorry—I got a little carried away. Remember how I told you I wanted pot roast and apple juice for dinner?”

“Yeah...?” Kate answered.

“Well, when I got here, that's exactly what they served me.”

“Mmm, sounds like your pregnancy cravings are getting top-tier service,” Kate joked.

“Don't you think it's strange?”

“Not necessarily. Maybe it's just a massive coincidence. Anyway, food shouldn't be your biggest worry right now. Have you talked to Ethan about the plan yet?”

“No, I haven't even seen him since we arrived. Besides, I'm completely exhausted and really need to sleep.”

“Okay, fair enough. Good night, sweetie.”

“Good night,” Arden whispered, ending the call. She switched off the bedside lamp and drifted quickly into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The next morning, Arden woke up refreshed, showered, and headed downstairs. Breakfast was already laid out, and the domestic staff greeted her warmly as she took her seat.

“Where is Ethan?” she asked halfway through her meal.

“He left early, Ma'am,” the steward replied.

“Already?” Arden muttered under her breath.

“He left something for you,” the steward added.

“Oh? What is it?”

“I'm not entirely sure, Ma'am, but he said you would understand once you see it. It's with the driver. Rest assured, the driver is a highly trained martial artist who will accompany you wherever you go—you don't need to worry about your safety.”

“Alright. Anything else?”

“That is all, Ma'am.”

“Tell the driver to have the car ready. We leave in thirty minutes.” Arden finished her coffee, hurried back to her room to grab her things, and set off for her company headquarters.

Upon arrival, her secretary greeted her at the door. “Good morning, Miss Johnson.”

"Have the investors replied yet?”

“Yes, Ma'am. I forwarded their response to your email yesterday,” the secretary answered.

“Thank you, I'll review it later. But listen closely, because I need you to understand something vital.” Arden motioned her closer. “Starting tomorrow, I might be away for a long period. Furthermore, I am temporarily transferring executive oversight of this company to Mr. Ethan Whitmore. No one else is to know about this—sister inclusive. I will email you official documentation to file away. For now, pause all active projects until further notice. I'll issue a formal statement to the board shortly so they don't panic.”

She fixed her secretary with a stern gaze. “Trust no one, and do not leak any information to anyone—not even my fiancé or my sister. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Ma'am,” the secretary replied, wide-eyed.

“Good. Schedule an emergency board meeting for thirty minutes from now.”

“Right away, Ma'am.”

Once alone in her office, Arden opened her laptop and began typing. Suddenly, her phone buzzed loudly inside her designer purse. Without checking the caller ID, she answered.

“Mmh,” she murmured into the receiver.

“Good morning. I hope you slept well?”

Ethan’s deep, cold voice startled her, pulling her out of her focus.

“Good morning... yes, I did. What about you?” Arden replied.

“The same,” he answered tersely. A heavy silence stretched over the line.

“Okay... good to know,” Arden said after a moment.

“Remember to install the cameras in your company building, especially your office,” Ethan instructed flatly.

“Do you really think that's necessary?”

“You can never be too careful.” The line went dead.

Sighing, Arden reached into her bag and pulled out a miniature security camera. Her eyes scanned the office before settling on a decorative glass vase sitting on the windowsill. Walking over, she tucked the tiny device neatly behind the base, using the foliage to completely conceal it.

Before she could even return to her desk, her secretary knocked and opened the door. “Everyone is waiting in the boardroom, Ma'am.”

“I'll be right there,” Arden responded curtly.

By noon, Arden had wrapped up the grueling meetings. With a calm, hardened determination etched across her face, she strode out to the parking lot.

“Let's go,” she ordered the driver as she slid into the back seat.

En route, they made a quick detour to pick up Kate. Together, they headed toward Arden's personal residence, where Arden finally decided to place a call to Luke.

“Hey, babe,” she said smoothly into the receiver.

“How are you holding up?” Luke's voice came through, smooth and practiced.

“I'm alright. I'm actually heading back to the house to grab a few things. Can you make sure you aren't there when I arrive?” she asked, injecting a soft, gentle tone into her voice.

“Oh—sure, if that's what you want. Is there anything else you need me to handle?”

“No, I'll let you know if anything comes up.” She hung up without waiting for a reply.

When they arrived at the grand gates, the head housekeeper met them at the front entrance.

“Welcome back, Ma'am.”

“Tell me,” Arden asked, narrowing her eyes slightly, “when did my fiancé leave the house?”

The housekeeper blinked, looking confused. “Mr. Parker? But... he didn't return last night, Ma'am. I haven't seen him at all this morning. I assumed you two were together, because the last time I saw him yesterday, he said he was heading out to bring you home, but—”

“It's fine. I'll call him later,” Arden cut her off sharply, a bitter taste rising in her mouth. She already knew precisely where—and with whom—he had spent the night.

Without another word, Arden turned and marched up the stairs toward her bedroom, Kate right behind her. Once the heavy oak doors were sealed shut, locking away the prying eyes of the staff, Arden let out a ragged breath.

“I knew it. They were together all night,” Arden whispered, her voice trembling. “Probably plotting my murder right now, or laughing behind my back while they live it up.”

“The absolute shamelessness of them makes my skin crawl,” Kate muttered, stepping forward to wrap a comforting arm around her friend.

Even though Arden already knew the monsters she was dealing with, a sharp, agonizing ache still stabbed at her heart whenever she thought about Luke and Stephanie's betrayal.