Chapter 183
“Is she breathing?” Ivy asked, her voice so small she wasn’t sure Theresa even heard her.
“It takes a moment to know,” Theresa replied, expressionless.
The poker face made Ivy’s stomach churn as she waited for a sign. Anything at all.
It would be awful if something terrible happened to Beatrice in her office. She was Aria’s blackmailer, and the media would milk the hell out of any false narrative they create.
“The ambulance is here, ma’am,” Jade said, her voice shaking.
Ivy heard the sirens wailing downstairs, but they did
to
ease her nerves.
Then Beatrice coughed. It was dry and small, but it was enough to make Ivy breathe again.
“You’re okay now,” Theresa said gently, helping her sit upright.
“Pea… peanuts…” Beatrice rasped.
The door opened, and two paramedics entered. They got to work quickly with Theresa briefing them in medical terms Ivy didn’t understand..
Aria joined Ivy, her face damp with sweat but the relief was there in her eyes. “That was insane.”
“It was,” Ivy admitted.
“We should go with them,” Aria suggested. “I really want to know more about her involvement with Rosie.”
“I totally agree,” Ivy said.
They informed Theresa, and she agreed. Along with Ivy and Theresa’s security, they followed the ambulance.
Panic still hung in the air as the journey began, but Ivy forced herself to stay calm.
She needed Beatrice to be fully okay, but part of her mind kept drifting to the foreign news she had just learned.
When they got to the hospital, the doctors attended to Beatrice immediately, and with Theresa’s help, she was soon assigned a room.
They all waited quietly in the corridor until Theresa broke the silence. “I’m disgusted.”
Ivy sighed. She knew exactly what Theresa meant.
“It’s going to be so hard defending you.”
Aria said nothing. She just sat down on the bench outside the room.
Theresa paced the hallway, her forehead creased with frustration. “It’s disturbing and I can’t believe you. I really don’t know what to do if this gets out,
and Dad is… still unconscious.”
The statement made Ivy’s stomach knotted, but she hid it.
No way.
She didn’t want to believe she had married into a typical wealthy family, ones who used money to cover their dirty secrets.
And Aria in a threesome? It was an image she didn’t want to imagine.
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Thankfully, her phone rang, providing the perfect distraction,
“Excuse me,” she said, stepping away. Cole
on the line and she answered. “Hey.”
“Hey, Ivy. How are you?” Cole’s voice was warm.
“Good. How are you?” she asked, guilt rippling through her. “Sorry I still haven’t come to see you.”
“It’s okay,” Cole said softly. “I just wanted you to know I’ve officially taken over the restaurants.”
“Congratulations, Cole,” she said, trying to find happiness from the abyss of panic in her chest. “That’s a good decision.
“Thank you,” he said. “But with everything that happened… about Geo, I still think it’s a good thing if you come take those photographs.
“Shoot!”
“What?”
“Nothing,” she sighed. “I just remembered something.”
She had completely forgotten about Aaliyah’s photoshoot, and she felt terrible.
“Is it something you can still do?” Cole asked gently. “I know you have a lot going on.”
She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can do it, but I don’t know when. There’s a lot-”
“I understand perfectly,” Cole said, still cheerful. “I’m just glad you agreed. Thank you.”
“Yeah,” she said. Her eyes drifted to Theresa and Aria, who were now arguing.
“Just so you know, your father is in Madrid vacationing with a twenty–year–old girl.”
The statement snapped Ivy back to the call. “What?” Then she remembered Patrick’s
message. “That’s awful. How could he just leave like that?”
Cole sighed. “I’m making peace with the fact that he’s an awful parent, and I’m taking charge of everything now.”
Ivy’s heart sank at the emotion in his voice. “I’m sorry, Cole.”
“It’s not your fault,” he said gently. “And I’m sorry, too. I should’ve done this a long time ago.”
Ivy’s mind drifted to everything that had happened. Then, unexpectedly, peace washed over her, and it felt great. “It’s okay, Cole. This is a new beginning. Embrace it.”
“Definitely, Vee Vee. I love you.”
Her heart fluttered. “I love you too, Cole.”
He cleared his throat and she laughed. “I’ll call you later. Hope to see you soon.”
“You will,” she promised. “Bye,” she said before ending the call.
Ivy counted to ten before walking back to Theresa and Aria. “Hey, wh
up?” she asked, forcing a smile.
“Beatrice is conscious,” Theresa said. “We’re waiting for you before we go in.”
“Okay,” Ivy replied, suddenly uneasy. And it wasn’t just because she had to see Beatrice. She widened her fake smile. “Let’s go in then.”
“Are you okay?” Theresa asked, her tone laced with concern.
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Chapter 183
A pang of guilt hit ivy, but she hid it. “Yes, yes.”
Theresa observed her for a moment, before nodding. “Alright.” She led the way, and Ivy and Aria followed.
Inside, Beatrice sat upright on the hospital bed. She lifted her head slowly, and her eyes narrowed. “What now?”
“Don’t be an ungrateful bitch,” Aria snapped, folding her arms. “You’re supposed to say thanks.”
“I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t throw peanut tarts on my face!” Beatrice shot back.
“They were chocolate tarts, and I didn’t ask you to eat them!” Aria shouted.
“That’s enough!” Theresa barked. “Both of you! We’re not here for… this.”
“Are you here to pay me my ten million?” Beatrice asked, her eyes gleaming with
tlement.
em
Ivy rolled her eyes, repulsed by the greed in Beatrice’s voice.
“Hell no,” Theresa snapped. “Nobody is paying you shit.”
“You’re lucky you’re not in jail right now,” Aria scoffed.
“You’re lucky I haven’t sued your ass yet,” Beatrice countered.
“Enough!” Ivy said firmly, annoyed by the
Beatrice scoffed. “Yeah, right.”
pointless banters. She walked closer to Beatrice’s bed. “I want to know how Rosie contacted you.
“This isn’t a game, Beatrice,” Ivy snapped. “I can have you thrown in prison for working with a wanted criminal.”
The color drained from Beatrice’s face. “A wanted criminal?”
“The police are looking for Rosie, and you’ve been working with her,” Aria said smugly. “I thought blogging is your thing, how come you don’t know this?”
“Entertainment news,” Beatrice spat. “And I wasn’t aware. I’m not working with Rosie. It was a one–time thing.”
“When did she first contact you?” Theresa asked.
“About a month ago. She didn’t come herself, she sent someone.”
Ivy and Theresa exchanged glances. If Beatrice was telling the truth, then it meant Rosie had planned this even before she was arrested.
The realization made Ivy’s skin crawl.
Theresa stepped closer. “What did she want you to do?”
Beatrice hesitated.
“It’s not the time to play saint,” Theresa hissed. “A dangerous woman is on the loose, and you can spend the rest of your life behind bars if you don’t
talk.”
“Fine, fine,” Beatrice exhaled, giving in. “She wanted dirt on Aria. She knew about our fight, so she came to me. I told her about the new sex tape and paid for it.”
Theresa and Ivy both shot Aria a look.
“I got the tape from one of the guys, then told Aria about it,” Beatrice continued.
“But you decided to blackmail Aria, get money from her and still give Rosie the tape,” Ivy said, not hiding her disgust. “A win–win for you, right?”
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The plan was to scare her, not destroy her,” Beatrice said, but Ivy didn’t believe her.
“How the hell did you even find out?” Aria demanded. “It happened in Miami.”
Beatrice huffed. “You’re not as private as you think.”
“Aria!” Theresa snapped, before turning to Beatrice. “Did you communicate after? Did Rosie tell you how to reach her once you got the tape?®
Beatrice nodded. “Yes, she gave me a phone number.”
Theresa sighed. “Thank you.” Then she turned to Ivy. “I think you should call Silas.”
“Wait,” Beatrice said, panic entering her voice. “Am I going to jail?”
Ivy left the room, leaving Theresa to answer the question. As she dialed Silas’s number, her stomach tightened.
For the first time since this nightmare began, they were finally one step closer to Rosie.
