Chapter 39 Let the Best Player Win
BELLA
My fingers trembled as I picked up my phone. Enough was enough. I couldn't let Lizzy keep playing games with my life. She might think she was untouchable, but she was about to learn otherwise.
The phone barely rang before her cold, clipped voice came through.
"Well, well. I didn’t think you had the nerve to call."
"Why wouldn’t I?" My voice cracked with anger. "You’ve been pushing and pushing, and I’ve had it!"
A low, chilling laugh came through the line. "That was your first mistake, Bella. You shouldn’t have called."
I gritted my teeth. "What do you want from me?"
She didn’t hesitate. "Simple. Divorce David. Get out of his life."
My breath caught, but I refused to let her hear the doubt creeping into my mind. Did David even love me as much as I loved him? I shoved the thought aside and forced a sharp edge into my voice.
"Are you joking? You had your chance with him and threw it away. He’s mine now."
"Yours?" Her voice was pure venom. "You really don’t know who you’re dealing with."
"Maybe not," I said, my pulse quickening. "But I don’t need to. I’ll use my so-called failures to beat you, Lizzy."
The call ended with a decisive click, but her mocking laughter lingered in my mind.
I sank into the chair beside my father’s bed, my fists clenched. Lizzy thought she could scare me, but she had no idea what I was capable of. My father’s soft, rhythmic breathing grounded me, and I vowed not to let him or myself be a victim.
The door creaked open, and Julie stepped in, her expression careful but curious.
"Ma’am, I was asked to keep you company." She perched on the edge of the chair opposite me.
I studied her, my mind racing. Julie had worked for the Copperfield family for years long enough to know more about Lizzy than she let on.
"Julie," I said, leaning forward, "how long have you worked with the Copperfields?"
Her brows knit together, and she hesitated before answering. "Since I was fifteen."
I nodded, piecing together the puzzle. "Then you must know about David and Lizzy... and their connection to Eden."
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "I know enough."
"Good. Tell me, what kind of games does Lizzy like to play?"
Julie shifted in her seat, her gaze darting to the floor. "She’s... she’s into hide-and-seek," she said carefully.
I smirked, the pieces falling into place. "Hide-and-seek. Of course. That’s why she made herself known to me first. But don’t worry, Lizzy," I murmured to myself, "I’ll find you."
Julie’s hand brushed my arm, pulling me back to the moment. "Are you okay, ma’am?"
"Perfectly fine," I said, my resolve hardening. "By the way, do you play chess, Julie?"
She blinked, caught off guard. "Yes, ma’am. Why?"
I smiled, a plan forming in my mind. "Because it’s time to protect the king."
A knock at the door interrupted us. I opened it to find a delivery man holding a sleek bag.
"Ma’am, this is from Mr. Copperfield," he said.
I signed the receipt and took the bag, my pulse racing. Inside was an elegant bottle of wine, its label shimmering under the light.
"David is full of surprises," I said, pouring two glasses and handing one to Julie.
"Thank you, ma’am." She raised her glass, and we clinked them together. The wine was smooth, rich, and laced with something bitter I couldn’t quite place.
A strange heaviness settled over me. My vision blurred, and the glass slipped from my hand, shattering on the floor.
"Julie... are you okay?" I slurred, my body refusing to obey me.
"No, ma’am. I think... someone..." She collapsed before she could finish, her body crumpling onto the carpet.
Panic clawed at me as the room spun. A shadow loomed in the doorway, and relief flooded me as a nurse stepped in. I waved weakly, desperate for help.
But when she pulled down her mask, my blood ran cold. Lizzy’s wicked grin cut through the haze.
"I warned you not to mess with me," she said, crouching to my level. "Now, your father’s life is the price you’ll pay."
Her laughter echoed in the room, a sinister melody that sliced through my fading consciousness. My limbs felt like lead, my vision swimming in and out of focus.
I tried to speak, to fight, but all I could do was watch as Lizzy leaned closer, her grin widening.
"You should’ve stayed in your lane, Bella," she whispered, her voice a dagger to my chest. "Now, it’s game over for you and your father."
The last thing I saw was her shadow retreating, leaving me trapped in the suffocating void of silence and fear.