Chapter 107 A Calculated Risk
BELLA
"You shouldn’t have said much, Bella," Elowen teased, her voice carrying a hint of exasperation as she swiveled in her chair to face me. "Now he won’t stop talking. Thank God others are around. If not, you’d be stuck listening to him all day." She sighed dramatically, glancing at Emmanuelle, who had just sauntered back to her desk.
I chuckled, shaking my head as I watched Emmanuelle settle in. Sitting across from Elowen, I couldn’t help but notice how oblivious Emmanuelle seemed. She was always chatty, spilling secrets like water from a broken faucet. And Vivian? She had Emmanuelle wrapped around her little finger.
Poor girl. She thinks Vivian is her friend. If only she knew the truth. Vivian’s web of lies had fooled many, but I wasn’t one of them. Claiming to be connected to the Copperfield family when her mother was just a servant? And now, she was getting closer to Denise, weaving him into her schemes. My stomach twisted at the thought. If they were planning what I suspected, we had a problem.
I picked up my phone, my fingers flying across the screen.
I got the information you needed. Just as I predicted, Vivian and Denise are close.
The reply came almost instantly.
Hope you’re in a safe place so I can call you.
Yes. Give me two minutes.
Sliding my chair back, I stood and made my way to the storeroom. My heels clicked softly against the tiled floor as I glanced over my shoulder, ensuring no one was watching. Once inside, I closed the door firmly behind me and dialed David’s number.
The line barely rang before he picked up.
"Just as you predicted," I said, keeping my voice low. "Vivian and Denise are working together. Emmanuelle, her so-called best friend, just gave it all away without even realizing it. Denise is targeting Janet."
There was a beat of silence. Then, "Why would he do that?" David’s tone was sharp, calculated.
I took a deep breath. "Emmanuelle saw a text on Vivian’s phone. It said, ‘I’ll soon get her, and when I do, I’ll make sure her brother pays a ransom that will make us rich.’”
A crash echoed through the phone, and I flinched. Glass breaking? My gut twisted as I imagined David’s reaction.
"Does she know where he lives?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous now.
"She said he’s staying in the slums near Org Orphanage Baby Home. His house is the run-down one in the corner."
"Good," he said curtly. "Thank you, Bella. Be careful."
"I will," I assured him, hesitating before adding, "This morning, as I was leaving the house, I saw Denise standing near the gate."
David’s sharp inhale was audible. "Thanks for telling me. Stay alert at work. I’ll handle this."
The line went dead, leaving a heavy silence in its wake.
I leaned against the door, the tension still coiled tight in my chest. As I stepped out, Elowen was suddenly in front of me, crouched down as if searching for something on the floor.
"Hi," she said, straightening awkwardly and brushing imaginary dust off her skirt.
"Looking for something?" I asked, my brow arching.
"Uh, yeah. Found it," she mumbled, turning quickly and heading back to her desk.
Shaking my head, I let out a small laugh. Elowen wasn’t fooling anyone. But for all her quirks, she was a good friend—just a little nosy.
DAVID
The glass shattered before I realized I’d thrown it. Pieces scattered across the floor, glinting like jagged stars in the sunlight. Blood trickled from my hand, but the sting was distant, almost irrelevant compared to the fire coursing through me.
How dare he. How dare Denise. Targeting my sister? My Janet?
"David!" Janet’s voice cut through my haze, and I turned to see her standing in the doorway, eyes wide as she took in the mess.
"I’m fine," I said, but the words came out harsher than I intended.
"No, you’re not," she said firmly, stepping closer. Her gaze fell to my bleeding hand, and she frowned. "Sit. I’ll get the first aid kit."
I obeyed, sinking onto the couch as she disappeared down the hall. Moments later, she was back, kneeling in front of me. Her hands were gentle but efficient as she cleaned the wound and wrapped it with a bandage.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice softer now. "Why are you so angry?"
I hesitated, watching her nimble fingers work. "Denise and Vivian are working together. They’re planning to kidnap you for ransom."
Her hands froze, and she looked up at me, her eyes wide with fear. "Which Vivian?"
"The servant girl," I said, my tone hard.
Janet’s face fell. I knew she wouldn’t want to believe it. She and Vivian had been inseparable as children. That bond was why I’d given Vivian a job in the first place.
"She’s not who you think she is anymore," I continued. "She’s dangerous."
Janet swallowed hard, her hands trembling slightly as she finished tying the bandage. "What are we going to do?"
I took her hands in mine, squeezing them gently. "Here’s the plan. Tomorrow morning, I want you to go out for a jog. Denise will follow you he’s been tracking your movements. Pretend you don’t notice. My team and I will be watching. When he tries to kidnap you, we’ll step in. I want to catch him and Vivian together."
Her lip quivered, but she nodded. "Okay."
"You deserve justice, Janet," I said, brushing a stray tear from her cheek. "And I’ll make sure you get it.”
Janet nodded, but the fear in her eyes lingered. I held her hand firmly, trying to reassure her, but a gnawing sense of unease crept into my chest.
"Don’t worry," I said. "I’ll be there every step of the way."
But as I watched her retreat down the hallway, the thought struck me what if this time, I wasn’t fast enough?