Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Kerena's POV

Matilda was holding a book when I burst in without warning. She flinched, startled, and the book tumbled onto the blanket.

"Kerena? What's wrong? What happened?" she asked in surprise.

Looking at her innocent, bewildered expression, fury instantly ignited in my chest. She was still playing dumb! It had to be her! She must have said something to Wellington, hinted at something! Otherwise, why would Wellington ask me all those strange questions out of nowhere?

"Matilda!" I rushed to the bedside in a few quick steps and grabbed her hand hard. "What exactly did you say to Mr. Learmond tonight?! Did you tell him something you shouldn't have?"

"I don't understand—" Matilda was completely thrown by my barrage of questions. She shook her head blankly and tried to pull her hand from my grip. "Kerena, that hurts... calm down. What happened?"

"You're still pretending? Tell me! What did you do with Mr. Learmond today? What did you say? Tell me! Now!"

Matilda froze, then looked even more confused. "I... I didn't say anything... Mr. Learmond just needed a date last minute, so he took me to a business reception, and then... the elevator malfunctioned, and after that, you saw everything." She explained incoherently.

But her reaction only looked more like guilt to me!

"Are you sure it was just the reception?" I didn't believe her at all. "Then why did he suddenly ask me what perfume I use? And specifically mention a brand I've never even heard of! Dew Whisper, Lily of the Valley! Was it you?! Did you say something to him that made him suspect the woman that night wasn't me?"

"Perfume?" Matilda looked even more puzzled. She frowned, thinking hard, and finally seemed to remember something. "Mr. Learmond did ask a lady at the reception what perfume she was wearing today. I think it was the one you mentioned. But what does that have to do with that night? There's no connection at all. Maybe he just wanted to know about the brand? Or wanted to buy it as a gift?"

She looked up at me, her eyes full of confusion. "These two things aren't related at all."

"Stop playing innocent!" I was so angry that I pulled at my hair. "There has to be a connection! You must have hinted at something! Otherwise, why would he randomly ask me about perfume? And after I said I don't use that brand, his expression changed immediately! He left right away! Matilda, my instincts are never wrong! He's suspicious! He definitely suspects the woman that night wasn't me!"

"I didn't!" Matilda raised her voice too. "You told me not to expose anything in front of Mr. Learmond! Why would I voluntarily say anything to him?"

I didn't want to hear her useless explanations! Without evidence, her words meant nothing!

I grabbed her shoulders hard, staring at her intently. "Go find it now! Find every single perfume you own! Don't miss a single bottle!"

"Kerena, what do you want me to do to prove I didn't say anything to Mr. Learmond?" Matilda sat up straight, her voice urgent. "I've never used the brand you mentioned! That's an expensive boutique fragrance guest at the reception was wearing. How could I possibly afford it?"

"But now he might suspect me because of the perfume!" I shouted. "I don't believe you! Go find it! Right now!"

I didn't want to hear any more explanations. I just wanted evidence to confirm whether she'd used that perfume, whether she'd been scheming behind my back!

I stepped forward and reached out to push her shoulder, wanting to pull her off the bed to search. Matilda was caught off guard. With my forceful shove, she lost her balance. She cried out as her whole body rolled off the bed and hit the floor hard.

Her injured right ankle landed first. Her face instantly went deathly pale, cold sweat beading on her forehead, tears spilling uncontrollably from her eyes.

"It hurts!" She curled up on the floor, clutching her injured ankle, her whole body trembling with pain. She looked up at me through tear-filled eyes. "Kerena! What are you doing? Yes, you're right—on my first day at work, Mr. Learmond did ask what perfume I was wearing! But precisely because I was afraid of being exposed, I haven't worn any perfume since then! How could he possibly connect the dots to that night through perfume?"

She raised her voice, shouting at me. "And my only bottle of perfume was something I bought randomly at a boutique shop when I was shopping with classmates in college—a cheap no-name brand. I barely used it. It's definitely not Dew Whisper! That bottle is still at my old rental apartment. I didn't bring it here at all! Where do you expect me to find it now?"

Still at the old apartment?

"The key!" I immediately held out my hand to her. "Give me the key to your rental!"

"What?" Matilda gasped in pain. Hearing my words, she froze completely. She looked at me with confusion and wariness. "Why do you want my apartment key?"

"What do you think? To find that perfume and destroy it! We can't leave any evidence that might make Mr. Learmond suspicious!" I yelled. "If he finds out something and discovers the woman that night was you and not me, do you think he'll let me off? He'll definitely retaliate against me! I can't let him know! Absolutely not!"

I didn't dare imagine how Wellington would treat me if he learned the truth. He'd definitely kick me out of here! He'd fire me from the firm, and from then on, I'd never be able to work in this industry again. It would destroy me!

Matilda, curled up on the floor, slowly braced herself, trying to sit up. But after hearing my words, she suddenly stopped. Our eyes met, and I could clearly see something in her gaze shatter with my interrogation, doubt gradually surfacing—a look that made my heart race with panic.

She was silent for a few seconds before finally speaking. "Kerena, is Mr. Learmond really the kind of person who would retaliate ruthlessly over something like this?"

Her question made me panic. "And is that really the only reason you're afraid?"

"Of course!" I could only raise my voice to cover my guilt. "He'll do anything for his reputation and pride! You think his care for me is just simple compensation? No! It's a form of imprisonment in disguise! If I don't obey, he won't be this accommodating anymore!"

Matilda suddenly smiled. "But when he wanted to compensate me after sleeping with me, he wasn't like what you're describing at all."