Maison bowed discreetly before putting away his phone.
“I'll take care of Vanessa, don't worry.”As he was leaving, he turned back, hesitant.“Mrs. Carson... Mr. Carson will be traveling for two days with people from the public relations department. Perhaps... it would be good to have someone trustworthy accompany him. I'm afraid Vivian might try something dishonest.”Victoria thought for a few seconds. He was right.“Yes. I'll take care of it. Thank you, Maison.”Meanwhile, at the Carson mansion...Soraya Carson woke up early. Since the scandal that had tarnished the family name—the malicious rumors about Jackson having a “baby sugar”—the matriarch had not had a single day of peace. She knew the truth was in her control, but the poisonous tongues of high society ladies were unforgiving.And that day, Soraya made a decision: she would take Carly Porsel to the ladies' meetinIn the parking lot, Victoria didn't get into the car. Instead, she crouched down beside the door, her body shaking with sobs that were partly a brilliant performance and partly the release of unbearable tension. He reached her, breathing slightly ragged. Seeing her there, so broken, made his heart twist with a sick, possessive pleasure. He crouched beside her, his voice a poisonous balm. "Don't cry, Victoria. He's not worth your tears.Victoria. No longer Mrs. Carson. The barrier had fallen. She continued to cry, allowing him to come closer, to enter her space.“You should feel lucky you saw his true colors,” he continued. “He doesn't deserve you. He's a playboy!”“Please stop, Mr. Daniels. I... I'm very sad,” she whispered, her voice muffled.“I know. But you need to see the truth,” he said, taking a linen handkerchief from his pocket. “Victoria, you deserve a better man. Someone who truly lo
Twenty minutes later, under the cold, impersonal lights of the police station parking lot, the play began.When Victoria got out of the car, clutching her suitcase like an anchor, a figure emerged from the shadows. Elijah.They stared at each other across the damp asphalt.He spoke first, his soft voice cutting through the night.“Mrs. Carson. What an unexpected surprise to find you in a place like this.”She gripped the handle of her bag, her heart pounding a warlike rhythm. It's part of the show. Ethan's voice echoed in her mind. She forced herself to channel her fear, to turn it into a performance.“My husband... he's here. I came to bring him some clothes.”Ellijah's eyes flashed with predatory interest. So it's true. The lion has been caged. But caution was second nature to him. It was... too easy.He approached, his face a mask of feigned concern.“What happened to Mr. Carson? Why is he here?”
The news spread quickly, like wildfire across a dry field. As soon as Matthew heard, he showed up, his eyes filled with the same concern that haunted Victoria. The company was welcome; loneliness was becoming too heavy a burden.They chose a quiet table at a restaurant near Carson Tower. The noise of the outside world seemed distant, muffled by the bubble of tension between them.Matthew poured her a glass of lemonade, a simple gesture that failed to mask the urgency on his face.“I heard Ethan got himself into trouble. Again. Is it true?”“Yes. News travels fast,” she sighed, the ice clinking in the glass.“What's going on?” he insisted. The versions that reached him were a kaleidoscope of disasters: Ethan had committed a crime. Ethan was about to be arrested. Ethan had fallen into a trap. The confusion led him to her.“It's all my fault,” the confession came out like poison, bitter and painful. Her ambit
“Do you know Sophia Carson?” Elijah offered the bait, his voice carefully calibrated to sound like a painful clue.The name hit her like a bolt of lightning. Camila knew Sophia, and very well.“Sophia... Ethan Carson is her son?”Elijah nodded, his face a mask of grief.“Yes. He is.”The floor seemed to disappear beneath Camila's feet. Impossible. She and Sophia had a history, a mutual respect. Sophia had worn one of her dresses the year she was crowned queen of the cinema. Why would her friend's son kidnap her?“But... why, Ellijah?”“I don't know either, Mrs. Ayres,” he lied, his voice low and slow. “However, Mr. Carson is powerful. If he wants you, he will find you. For now, you are safe here. When the time comes, we will testify against him.”But Camila's mind, now free from the fog of the drug, began to work. A memory, a spark in the darkness, ignited. The phone call.
The responsibility. The burden. The guilt. Everything would be transferred to Ethan.The plan solidified in his mind, cold and perfect. Ellijah stood up, his movements precise, and went up to his room. Disposable gloves. A pre-written suicide note. Her personal seal. The tools of his final masterpiece.But in the basement, the darkness was receding.Camila Ayres emerged from the fog, her head throbbing. The strange environment, the humidity, the cold... and then, something that didn't fit. The door. It was ajar. A glimmer of hope in the darkness.An illusion, she thought, her mind still clouded by the drug.She blinked, forcing her eyes to focus. No. The door was really open.With a monumental effort, she dragged herself along, using the wall for support, her body trembling, fear a metallic taste in her mouth. Each step was a victory.That's when his footsteps sounded on the stairs.Ellijah came down, the tools of death hidden in his pocket. A
He dropped the cup, the soft sound of porcelain against wood the only warning before his arms wrapped around her and pulled her onto his lap, nestling her against him.“Are you worried about me?”She didn't deny it. Her hands found his shoulders, her gaze downcast, her voice a whisper laden with fear.“I can't stop worrying.” You don't tell me everything. You only told me about Camila Ayres and the police... I'm so worried.Ethan's heart warmed. He pinched the tip of her nose gently.“Don't worry. If something were really wrong, I wouldn't be here, calmly taking care of business. Besides, give me a little more credit. Little things like this don't scare me.”He laughed, a low, amused sound.Does she think I'm some ordinary man? Without any skills? he thought. This is nothing. The adventure in Canada was infinitely more dangerous. The only thing I need to worry about here is the poison Ellijah will d