Ivy’s scream reverberated through the air, “No! There’s no turning back for me, Josie! It’s too late!”
With those words, she forcefully yanked Josie off the ground and flung her beside Summer. “Now, let’s see who Dexter chooses!”
Just then, the guard stationed by the door. notified Ivy, ‘Ms. Miller, Mr. Russell has arrived.”
Ivy lifted her head, her eyes brimming with anticipation, “Did he bring anyone with him?” The guard surveyed the surroundings before responding, ‘No, he came alone.”
Josie summoned every ounce of strength to move her aching body and strained to look outside. The glaring sunlight made her squint and feel uneasy.
As the iron gate swung open, a man stepped in, bathed in a radiant halo of sunlight. But his presence exuded a dark and solemn aura.
Each of his footsteps bore down on Josie’s heart, making it difficult to catch her breath.
Ivy’s gaze locked onto Dexter, her expression. bordering on madness, and she choked back. tears, “Mr. Russell… you came.” Dexter halted his steps at a distance, eyes. scanning over Josie before briefly lingering.
“Weren’t you the one who asked me to come?” He reached out to unbutton his cuff, his eyes filled with menacing intent.
“But did you come for me?” Ivy cautiously inquired, fully aware that it wasn’t the case, yet clinging to a foolish glimmer of hope.
Dexter remained silent, nonchalantly removing his coat and tossing it onto a nearby stack of wood. He then slipped the ring off his finger and stashed it in his pants pocket.
Ivy’s smile faded, and her attention turned to the two women beside her, “So, Mr. Russell, which of them did you come for?”
Josie recoiled, a tinge of anxiety creeping in. She knew better than to place high expectations on Dexter, as she wouldn’t be the one he chose. Dexter locked eyes with Ivy with a poker face, “What do you want?”
“I’m curious; when did you start suspecting I was behind all this?” Ivy asked with a gentle tone.
“Quite some time ago. I noticed you deleted the incoming call on my personal phone.” Though he didn’t mention explicitly whose call it was, they both knew.
Ivy shook her head in disbelief. ‘After all these years of serving you, you doubt me over one small mistake?”
“Not only that,’ Dexter continued, “only a few people knew about the incident at the construction site, and even the company’s senior executives were kept in the dark. Yet, you quickly blamed Josie when you knew we had a strained relationship. Doesn’t that seem suspicious?”
Dexter was always vigilant and had a keen eye for deception. He had a knack for seeing through facades and uncovering what appeared flawless and random.
“Ivy, I wish it didn’t have to come to this,’ Dexter said, his gaze unwavering. “you were someone I mentored and considered a confidante.”
The weight of Dexter’s words made it clear that Ivy held significance in his life. Tears filled Ivy’s eyes. ‘But just because I threatened Josie, you sidelined me! Dexter, I’ve always been loyal to you!”
“Really? Dexter’s tone turned firm. “What about the photos of Arnold and Josie? Can you explain that? Who is your accomplice? You tell me!”
As it turned out, Dexter had been fully aware of everything all along. Avoiding eye contact, Ivy’s quilt weighed heavily on her, “No! It wasn’t me!”
“What is it that you want?’ Dexter’s patience wore thin, unable to tolerate the seemingly endless confrontation. Wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, Ivy stealthily signaled a cryptic glance at the guard.
The guard wasted no time, dragging Summer towards the suspended area. He fastened her hands with a hemp rope to the steel bars, leaving her fragile form teetering by the edge, a mere step away from a fatal plunge from the second floor.
A single misstep would result in either her untimely demise or a life plagued by crippling injuries.
