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Chapter_20
Jaylan stood frozen for a moment, the phone still pressed to his ear, processing the barrage of anger from Herman. He had thought his actions were justified—after all, Vivienne was accused of theft, and his sister Coral had insisted. But now, hearing the fury in Herman’s voice, Jaylan realized he might have acted too hastily.
His hand tightened around the phone, and his expression darkened as the full weight of the situation sank in. He had made an impulsive decision, assuming Vivienne’s guilt based on Coral’s claims, but now it seemed like he had stepped into a mess far bigger than he could handle.
He quickly dialed his superior back, hoping to rectify the situation before it spiraled out of control.
In the meantime, at the police station, Vivienne was still sitting calmly in the interrogation room, her eyes flashing with an unsettling calmness as she watched the law enforcement officers scurry to find a solution. She had remained silent through the initial investigation, deliberately playing the waiting game while the phone continued to ring incessantly. The tension in the room grew palpable.
When the officer finally came to inform her that the investigation had concluded and there was no evidence against her, Vivienne raised a brow. “Are you sure? I might have missed a few details when I looked through the evidence. Why don’t you double-check?”
The officer, clearly flustered, exchanged uncertain glances with his partner. They were both caught between their duty to follow procedure and the realization that they were entangled in a situation that had rapidly become more than they could handle. They couldn’t understand why Vivienne would voluntarily stay behind despite being cleared, but her composure unnerved them. They knew she wasn’t just any suspect—she was a Hawthorn.
“Ms. Hawthorn, please. We’ve done everything we can. You’re free to go,” the officer said, his voice shaky.
Vivienne’s lips curled into a half-smile. “I’ll go when I feel like it,” she replied, her voice sharp and filled with underlying menace. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do when you’ve wronged someone?”
Before the officers could respond, Jaylan stormed into the station. His face was set in a tight frown, and the tension in the air intensified as he made his way toward Vivienne. The law enforcement officers quickly stepped aside, not wanting to provoke the captain of the Havenwood police.
Jaylan looked at Vivienne, his anger barely contained. “Vivienne, we need to talk.”
Vivienne met his gaze with a defiant expression. “You’ve been talking for me long enough, don’t you think? What’s the real reason I’m still here, Jaylan? Did you really think I’d be so easy to lock away based on some petty accusations?”
Jaylan’s jaw clenched, and for a moment, he seemed to struggle with his thoughts. He had acted rashly, believing Coral’s accusations, but now he was second-guessing everything.
“I had no choice,” Jaylan muttered under his breath. “The evidence seemed clear… but I see now, things aren’t as they seem.”
Vivienne stood up from the chair, still holding a steely composure. “You’ve done a lot more than just arrest me, Jaylan. You’ve made me your pawn in a game I never asked to play.”
Jaylan stepped forward, his expression softening just slightly. “I know. I’m sorry. This whole thing was a mess from the start. Let’s get you out of here.”
As Vivienne walked toward the door, she glanced back at the officers, who were standing by nervously. “Make sure you double-check your facts next time,” she said coolly.
Jaylan followed her out, silently cursing himself for his involvement in this debacle. But the storm was far from over.
Meanwhile, Beatrice was sitting calmly in her study, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the table as she processed the latest developments. She wasn’t worried. She never was. The pieces of the game were falling into place just as she had predicted. And soon, the Hawthorn family would emerge stronger than ever—at least in her eyes.
Arabella, however, was less certain. She stood by the window, watching the rain fall in sheets outside. She had helped orchestrate this chaos, but now the weight of her actions was starting to feel heavier. Coral had promised to clear Vivienne’s name once the bracelet was “found,” but Arabella couldn’t shake the feeling that things were slipping out of her control.
“What happens if Vivienne doesn’t fall into the trap we’ve set?” Arabella whispered to herself, a faint unease creeping into her thoughts.
But Beatrice, ever the strategist, had already prepared for every possible outcome. “Then we deal with it,” she said, her voice smooth as she entered the room. “If Vivienne becomes a problem, we’ll simply find a way to remove her from the equation for good.”
Arabella turned to face her grandmother, the expression on her face a mixture of admiration and doubt. “You always have a plan.”
Beatrice smiled, a calculating glint in her eyes. “Always.”
