Chapter 528: Malicious Heart

Victoria had no patience for Orla's theatrics and cut straight to the point, "Ms. Wallace, you got something to say? If so, just spit it out. No need to waste time here. Isn't Alice feeling unwell? She probably needs you to take care of her."

Orla's eyes flashed with barely concealed disdain as she looked at Victoria, but she quickly masked it with a friendly smile. "Actually, Ms. Garcia sent me. She heard about what happened yesterday and insisted I come to apologize. It was my fault, Daisy, Ms. Carter, please don't hold it against me."

"An apology, huh? Fine, I accept. If there's nothing else, please leave."

Daisy didn't bother hiding her irritation as she dismissed Orla.

Orla's face showed a hint of panic, and she quickly forced a smile. "I just sat down, Daisy. Isn't it a bit rude to kick me out so soon? After all, we're family."

Daisy was really fed up with dealing with Orla.

Before she could explode, Victoria stood up calmly and said, "Ms. Wallace, let me show you out."

"Victoria! What do you mean by this? Are you trying to kick me out? I am..."

"Does it matter who you are?" Victoria's expression was cold, her impatience even more evident than Daisy's.

At this moment, she didn't want to waste another minute on this irrelevant person.

"Ms. Scott just had surgery and is still very weak. Since you've already visited, please leave and let her rest."

"How can you treat me like this? I came with good intentions, I..."

"Good intentions? Orla, are you too old to understand plain words? You know exactly why you're here! We have no interest in your motives, but please act your age and stop embarrassing yourself in front of the younger generation! You may not care about your reputation, but William does!"

Daisy felt a wave of satisfaction listening to Victoria's words and couldn't help but give her an approving look. Victoria was truly impressive."You little..."

"Oh, and please stop going around claiming to be William's great-aunt. William doesn't have a great-aunt who can't tell right from wrong! Dragging him to the hospital in the middle of the night, disregarding his need for rest, just to show loyalty to your employer—does that sound like something a loving elder would do?"

"Don't talk nonsense! I..."

"Some things William is too polite to say, so I'll say them! From now on, if you dare to bother him again, don't blame me for being rude!"

Orla was so furious she could hardly breathe, clutching her chest and shouting, "How dare you threaten me? I'll call the police! I'll have you arrested!"

Victoria sneered, "Talking about the law? I know it better than you! Rest assured, I won't do anything illegal!"

"You..."

Orla remembered her last encounter with the police. If it hadn't been for her sudden illness and William's intervention, she might have been detained.

"No matter what Alice has planned, tell her that if she behaves, we won't interfere!"

Orla's eyes turned cold, her earlier warmth vanishing without a trace.

She stood up abruptly, glared at Victoria, and stormed out.

"What a nightmare!"

Pippa was so angry that she was practically grinding her teeth, wishing she could write Orla's name on a piece of paper and stomp on it.

"She's just looking for trouble!" Pippa fumed, "She knows Ms. Scott just had a baby and needs rest. She's a woman, too. How could she not understand? She's doing it on purpose! She's rotten to the core!"

Daisy couldn't help but laugh at Pippa's outburst, "Pippa, I didn't know you had such a way with words!"

"This is nothing compared to when I was younger." Pippa waved her hand, "As you get older, you let go of a lot of things and don't sweat the small stuff. Unlike Orla! If she shows up in front of Ms. Scott again, I'll..."

Daisy laughed even harder, feeling a sense of relief and lightness.

Meanwhile, Orla returned to Alice's hospital room, still fuming.

Alice's fever had subsided, and she was looking much better, set to be discharged in a couple of days.

Even though she knew Orla had gone to see Daisy, Alice feigned curiosity, "Ms. Wallace, who got you so worked up?"

"Who else! That little brat Victoria!"

Orla launched into a tirade, while Alice listened quietly.

Orla finally spat out, "How can someone like her be good enough for our William? She even told me not to claim to be William's great-aunt! Who does she think she is? Does she even deserve it?"

Alice looked at her and suddenly asked, "So, Ms. Wallace, why did you go over there?"

"I..." Orla hesitated, her eyes darting around.

"Ms. Wallace?" Alice's expression turned serious. "Tell me, what did you go there for?"

"I was just upset and wanted to stand up for you, Ms. Garcia, so I..."

"So what? Tell me!" Alice was getting anxious, a sense of foreboding creeping in.

"I have a friend who recently got tuberculosis, and I thought I'd make Victoria quiet for a while, so I, I..."

Alice felt her mind go blank, her voice trembling, "You spread the virus?"

"Ms. Garcia, don't make it sound so bad. I didn't do it on purpose! Besides, this is a hospital, and people come here to get treated. It's normal to catch something! How is it my fault?"

Orla said, sitting down and peeling a banana.

"Ms. Wallace! That's a crime!"

Alice was furious.

She wasn't a saint, having faced life and death herself, her moral standards weren't high.

But that didn't mean she condoned such reckless behavior!

Orla was her associate, and if things went south, she'd be the first suspect!

Alice was so angry that she started coughing violently, "You... you really are..."

"Ms. Garcia, don't be mad. I did it for you!"

Alice couldn't speak through her coughing, but she was cursing Orla in her mind.

'For my benefit? If Orla really cared, she wouldn't have done something so reckless!'

"Victoria has been causing us trouble repeatedly. Did you see how arrogant she was last night, acting like she had William wrapped around her finger? And William, listening to her every word! I can't just watch him walk into a trap! So I thought I'd make Victoria shut up for a while!"

"And what about Daisy? What if something happens to her? She's William's aunt and someone Alvin cares about!"

Alice rubbed her temples, "Alvin isn't someone to mess with! If he finds out Daisy was harmed by you, he won't let you off!"

"How can you say I harmed her?"

Orla put on an innocent face.

"I went to apologize on your behalf, Ms. Garcia. Why would they suspect me?"

"What did you say?"

Alice looked at her in disbelief, "You said you went because I told you to?"

"Yes." Orla smiled, "And they believed it."

At that moment, Alice felt a wave of unfamiliarity towards Orla.

She had always seen Orla as a typical small-town woman, willing to fight tooth and nail for trivial benefits, even resorting to physical altercations.

So, manipulating her had always been easy for Alice.

To achieve her goals, she only needed to give Orla a slight hint, and Orla would become a tool in her hands, acting according to her wishes without complaint.

Alice had always been satisfied with Orla's obedience.

But now, she realized Orla wasn't as brainless as she seemed.

She claimed to be standing up for Alice, but in reality, she was venting her own frustrations!

This was something they both tacitly understood.

But Orla cleverly shifted the blame to Alice. No matter what happened to Daisy, people wouldn't trouble a mere housekeeper, right?

Especially since Orla was William's great-aunt.

Whether William acknowledged the relationship or not, it served as Orla's protection.

Alice, on the other hand, had a long-standing grudge with Victoria. If it came out that she was behind this, no one would even question it; they'd just assume it was her.

Alice's face turned grim. She turned away, lying on her side, and said coldly, "I'm tired. I want to sleep."

"Alright, you rest." Orla continued to smile, her concern seemingly genuine.

Alice lay there, eyes wide open, filled with anxiety. She needed to come up with a plan, and fast.