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Ivy sipped her freshly brewed coffee, gazing out the window of the cozy French bistro. She felt disconnected from the warmth and comfort as her mind was a thousand miles away.

This was it, one of the final straws to pull herself from the clutches of danger... that's if the conversation with her sister went as she planned...

She adjusted her posture in her seat as the sound of high heels clinked on the terracotta tiles. Irene approached her with a strut, her eyes gleaming with superciliousness as she pulled out the chair, cutting off pleasantries.

Ivy overlooked her behavior; at least she showed up looking like herself without a guise to mimic her face.

She exhaled softly with a bogus smile spreading on her face, her eyes squinting with feigned delight.

"Thanks for honoring my invite..."

"Oh please, cut the formality and bullshit..." Irene replied abruptly, settling into the exquisite chair. "And what's up with the choice of restaurant, huh? What are you trying to do?" Irene's face scrunched up in disgust as her eyes locked onto Ivy, who just chuckled in response.

She had chosen the particular bistro for a reason; it would help evoke the kind of vibe that would heat up the conversation they were about to have. "You know Mum has always wanted to eat at this restaurant when we were kids..."

Irene's chuckle interrupted her. Her lips twitched as her eyes darted around the whole place. "When did you ever care about her wishes, Ivy?"

Ivy's gaze fell beneath the table, her smile never faltering... "I have always cared about her wishes... it's just you who thought otherwise..."

Irene huffed, exasperated, her fingers clinging relentlessly to the table.

Ivy's smile widened, pleased by the reaction she was getting out of her. "Let's put that aside now, shall we? So as you can see, I booked the entire restaurant so we won't be disturbed..."

"What are you saying?" Irene's eyes narrowed, her piercing gaze lingering on Ivy as if trying to rip her apart with her eyes. "Why are you putting the conversation concerning Mother aside? Are you feeling guilty...?"

"No," Ivy cut her off, her lips curling up in a self-satisfied smile. "We didn't come here to talk about Mother..."

Irene's lips pursed, concealing the anger brewing within her. "I don't like the way you continually disregard her..."

"And I don't like you repeating those same words over and over again," Ivy responded fairly quickly, staring straight into her eyes, her gaze piercing as she awaited a response. Irene's eyes darted away, her jaw clenched in anger. The tension between them was palpable, the silence thick with unspoken emotions.

After what seemed like forever, Irene broke the silence. "What do you want exactly? Or perhaps you want to solve our differences..."

A forced laugh tore from Ivy's throat, making Irene confused for a split second.

Ivy stopped laughing, but a slight smile still etched on her face. "Solve our differences? Irene, you are the one to take the initiative... not me..."

"You are talking in circles, Ivy. Spill it..." Irene said, her eyes fierce, seemingly losing her patience.

"No, I'm not talking in circles. We are certainly getting somewhere..." Ivy said with a hidden meaning behind her words.

With a gentle smile, she pointed to the mug. "Should I order you coffee?"

"Stop playing nice; it doesn't suit you..." Irene spat, her face contorting in annoyance. "And get straight to the point of this conversation. I don't have time to waste on you..."

Ivy placed her mug down on the table without breaking eye contact. "Why do you hate me so much, Irene?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she keenly studied Irene's expression. "Why do you keep making attempts to destroy me, even when your plans end up futile?"

Irene frowned, obviously not expecting Ivy to ask her that. She had taken it upon herself to continually frustrate her till she come begging for mercy. Despite mimicking her face for the purpose of taking her place in the industry, Ivy never fought back in aggression, nor did she attempt to expose her. So her question came as a surprise to her.

Irene's lips curled up in a smirk, her nails clinking on the table, each sound heightening the tension. "You already know the answer to that question."

Ivy's carefree expression disappeared, her jaw tensing slightly. "I don't really understand the answer you're speaking of; make me understand..."

She replied, her face coming closer to hers, concealing her emotions, but inwardly her heart raced as she weighed the possibility of a fight breaking out or perhaps a more heated argument.

"You are so much like him in the sense of selfishness, self-satisfaction, and, of course, disregard for the woman who sacrificed so much for you, me, and that man who..." Irene paused, seething in anger. Letting out a sharp exhale, she suppressed her emotions and relaxed in the chair, averting her eyes away from Ivy. "You are both scum."

Ivy, upon hearing her slur, protested immediately. Her anger slowly rising to the surface. "We are not scum! How many times do I have to tell you that it was an accident? Father is innocent..."

"Will you just shut up!" Irene hollered, her breathing ragged as she lost the will to control her emotions. Ivy had ignited the old flames burning within her, one that had fueled her over the years to go to extra lengths in making Ivy accept what she believed. "Father is a murderer, and you're guilty for siding with him..." she said, her voice firm and laced with steel.

Ivy inhaled, taking a very deep breath to control her emotions. "I was never guilty; neither was he; just accept the fact..."

Irene hissed, fiddling with her fingers to calm the turmoil brewing inside her. She was riled up with Ivy's constant denial, and she just couldn't bring herself to forget the incident of nine years ago that placed both of them in trauma... But what annoyed her most was Ivy's unshakable trust in her father... it made her boil uncontrollably.

"I hate you just as much as I hate him..." she spat, her voice dripping with malice.

A bitter smile plastered on Ivy's face when she heard her hostile declaration. Though Irene had stated this before more than once, she hadn't weighed the intensity of her hostile undertone...

Now she was starting to understand how deep Irene's hatred ran.

Her eyes locked onto hers as she moved on to the purpose of inviting her to come over in the first place. "Is that why you drugged me for the second time? Has your hatred gotten to the point where you want me dead at all costs?"