A GAME OF TWO

BLAKELY BARELY TOOK A SECOND to turn off the ignition before she was already pulling the car key out and stepping out when she arrived home. She slammed the car door shut, not bothering to lock it, and hurried inside.

The house was quiet, apart from the distant sounds of maids going about their duties. No one paid her much attention as she strode through the halls with a quick pace.

Up the stairs. Two at a time.

She reached her room door, pushed it open, and walked straight into her walk-in closet.

Her suitcases weren’t there. Not the way she had left them or expected them to really be. It looked perfect. Too perfect for her not like at the moment. Every single piece of clothing had already been put away, hanging in their rightful sections as if she had never even packed them in the first place.

Her brows furrowed. Her heart started to beat a little faster out of growing frustration. She turned in a slow circle, scanning the space, pulling open a few drawers, checking the shelves.

Nothing.

Everything was in its place.

Her patience ran out. She stormed out and to her room door and yanked it open.

“Tiffany!” she yelled, her voice carrying down the hallway and stairs.

The sound of quick footsteps followed, and soon, one of the housemaids appeared at the bottom of the staircase, looking up at her with wide eyes. A few others paused their work, curious and cautious. What ruled the young Miss up.

The girl hesitated before carefully climbing the stairs toward her.

Blakely didn’t wait for her to reach the top before asking, “Where’s Tiffany?”

The maid clasped her hands together nervously. “She stepped out, Miss Blakely.”

Blakely exhaled sharply through her nose. She didn’t have time for this. “Fine. Who arranged my closet when I got back from the trip?”

The girl’s expression turned uncertain. “I—I’m not sure, Miss. But I can ask the others.”

“Then go, be fast about it.” She said, waving her off as tapped her fingers against her thigh impatiently, her foot bouncing slightly as she waited.

The maid quickly spun on her heels and hurried back down the stairs. It didn’t take long before two more maids appeared at the top of the stairs. They walked toward her, looking slightly nervous, their hands clasped in front of them.

She opened the door wider and gestured inside. “You two arranged by stuff?”

They nodded.

“Good, I want you to go into the closet and bring out all the jewelry you found in the suitcases I took on the trip,” she instructed.

They exchanged a glance before walking inside.

She waited by the door for some seconds before moving to her nightstand, where she reached into the small drawer and pulled out a pack of cigarette. She took out one and held it between her fingers, about to light it—only to realize her lighter wasn’t there.

She exhaled heavily, frowning.

Screw it.

She tossed the cigarette onto the nightstand and tossed her hair back, waiting.

After a moment, the two maids walked out from the closet, each holding a couple of small jewelry boxes. And one that particularly caught her attention.

It was the one piece that wasn’t in a box.

Dangling from one of the maid’s wrists was a deep gold chain with a ruby teardrop pendant. It looked old. Antique. Certainly was something straight out of a different century.

She pointed at it. “Where did you find that?”

The maid hesitated, confused by the question. “In your suitcase, Miss. The one with your clothes.”

Her eyes darkened. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Miss. I found it when we were folding your clothes to put them away and I put in a separate drawer because it has no box.”

Blakely extended her hand, and the maid carefully placed the necklace in her palm.

The ruby gleamed under the sift bedroom room, the deep crimson hue catching her attention more.

She turned it over between her fingers, running her thumb along the intricate gold detailing.

This was not hers.

She didn’t own anything like this. She doesn't hate art but if this was sold for a dollar at an art center she still wouldn't get it. Totally not her kind of jewelry.

She inhaled slowly. “Put the rest back.”

The maids nodded and retreated into the closet, putting the boxes back where they took it from.

Once they left, Blakely sat on the edge of her bed, still staring at the pendant.

How the hell did this get into her suitcase?

Her mind started running through every moment, every detail of that trip, she might have collected it from someone. Was that even possible, she talks to no one.

Then she paused.

Her fingers stopped rubbing the ruby, the necklace still dangling loosely in her hand.

During the fire…she remembered Evangeline had helped her pack up.

Her jaw clenched.

That rusty bitch!

A dry laugh left her lips. Oh, she should have known.

She did know. She’d suspected Evangeline was up to something. But this? This was next-level bullshit.

And it made her wonder why a grown ass women would pull a trick like this.

Blakely clenched her jaw, her grip tightening around the pendant for a moment before she shoved it into her purse. She wasn’t going to sit here and wonder..

Pushing herself off the bed, she grabbed her car keys from the nightstand and strode toward the door quickly, urgently, her mind already set on where she was going.

Eden.

Her heart pounded with frustration as she reached the front entrance, stepping outside into the midday sun. The warmth of the pavement seeped through her shoes, warming her tired toes.

Her car sat in the driveway where she had left it, the engine still slightly warm from earlier. She yanked the door open, slid into the driver’s seat, and tossed her bag onto the passenger side.

The necklace.

That damn necklace. She wasn’t stupid. Evangeline had slipped it into her bag on purpose. With a quick turn of the key, the engine roared to life and pulled out of the driveway, speeding out of the gate.