Chapter 95 An Eye for an Eye
Rachel let out a laugh.
So it had already begun.
Benjamin looked at the commotion ahead and asked casually, "Did you arrange this?"
"No, Heather arranged it."
He hesitated for two seconds, as if something occurred to him. "The reason you chose the restaurant at Scenic Bay Estates was to watch this show?"
Rachel admitted it frankly, her tone light and amused. "Yeah, such an exciting show—of course I couldn't miss it."
With that, she tilted her head to look at him, her expression showing a rare hint of playfulness. "If you have time, you can stay and watch this good show."
Benjamin turned his head, and his gaze unexpectedly collided with hers. Her beautiful, delicate face reflected in his eyes.
It was an overcast day, but the gloomy gray sky seemed to brighten because of the smile blooming on her face.
Everything around them seemed to quiet down. He clearly caught that strange flutter in his chest.
Like petals falling into a cool lake, creating rippling waves of light.
His cold, indifferent eyes froze, and his fingers in his pocket stiffened slightly.
Rachel didn't notice his reaction and walked to the far right edge of the crowd.
The building where Nancy lived was near the community entrance, but separated by a large green belt.
From her current position, she could only roughly make out the upper exterior of the villa.
But she could clearly see the woman Heather had called to act—around thirty years old, about five foot seven, not exactly beautiful, but with an aggressive presence.
Perhaps to make sure more people could see, she stood in a clever spot—right in front of Nancy's villa, but not blocked by the greenery, so even people outside the community could see clearly.
Besides two people holding a banner, there was another holding up a megaphone.
She was describing how Nancy seduced her husband, how shameless she was, how she destroyed her family, and finally that her husband was keeping Nancy as a mistress.
Every word sincere, every word sharp.
It didn't look fake at all.
Rachel scanned the area but didn't see Nancy.
Was she not home?
That didn't make sense. If Heather had people come to Scenic Bay Estates, she must have tracked Nancy's movements.
Otherwise, if the plan fell through, it wouldn't be worth it.
So she must be hiding inside.
But with such a big commotion, within an hour she'd be famous throughout Scenic Bay Estates and the surrounding commercial streets.
Hiding wouldn't help.
A few minutes later, Nancy still hadn't come out, and the woman seemed to lose patience.
She grabbed the megaphone, turned off the recording, turned the volume to maximum, and shouted, "Nancy, I came here personally to greet you—I've shown you enough respect. Don't be too shy to come out!"
"Or do you think I'm not sincere enough? Do you need me to share the photos of you and my husband with your neighbors? Then I'll do you that favor. Release those photos."
Before she finished speaking, the villa's door opened and Nancy walked out with an angry expression.
The scratches on her face hadn't fully healed—there were still several scabbed-over scars.
Nancy was truly going crazy with anger.
Last night at Sunbeam Hotel, she hadn't been able to meet Steven and couldn't reach him either. She'd been anxious all along, with a sense of foreboding.
She hadn't slept well all night. At noon, she returned to Scenic Bay Estates, ate lunch, and then tried to catch up on sleep. But after less than two hours, she was woken by the noise outside.
She stared hard at the woman in front of her, dressed in designer brands and radiating aggression.
She guessed that the photos sent to Stargaze Gallery were most likely from this woman.
But who was directing her?
Who was behind this?
She gritted her teeth and demanded, "Who are you? I don't even know you."
Before Nancy's furious words had fully fallen, a loud, crisp slap cut through the cold winter wind.
The woman threw the photos in her hand hard at Nancy's face. "Of course you don't know me, but as long as I and these photos know you, that's enough."
Nancy touched her cheek in shock, staring blankly at the intimate photos scattered on the ground, instantly thunderstruck.
The strange looks around her and the whispered discussions became like boulders pressing on her chest, making it hard to breathe.
All her anger instantly turned to despair, and tears fell from her eyes uncontrollably.
"It's not me. The person in the photos isn't me. They're fake, they're all fake!"
She desperately tried to prove herself, to explain her innocence. "How did I offend you? Why are you framing me like this?"
The woman laughed coldly and grabbed her hair. "Framing? You shameless woman did such disgusting things, and I need to frame you? Since your parents didn't teach you properly, today I'll teach you a lesson for them!"
As the two were fighting fiercely, two police cars suddenly stopped at the community entrance, and four police officers got out.
The onlookers immediately dispersed.
"Let go, stop fighting!"
The four officers struggled to pull them apart and gave them a stern verbal warning.
Nancy covered her reddened face and sniffled, looking pitiful. "Officer, I called the police. I don't know her at all, but she put up this banner and photos to ruin my reputation, and beat me up like this."
Rachel, outside the barrier, looked at the officers, a hint of regret in her eyes.
She was just getting into it!
But it was enough.
Watching Nancy's disheveled state, her clothes nearly torn off, she felt no sympathy—instead, she felt incredibly satisfied.
That heart covered in gloom seemed to see a ray of light again.
Benjamin's voice suddenly sounded by her ear. "Looks like Nancy isn't stupid either. She called the police before coming out."
"Are those photos real or fake?"
Rachel immediately understood and frowned. "Probably fake. You mean..."
Benjamin looked down at her and raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.
So sharp?
He analyzed in a low voice, "If Nancy has the police open a case, they'll examine those photos, and these rumors will fall apart on their own."
"As long as she doesn't drop the case, that woman will most likely be charged with spreading rumors, public fighting, defamation, and damaging someone's reputation. Multiple offenses combined could mean up to three years in prison and a fine. This round, you could say Heather's losses are quite significant."
Rachel lowered her eyes.
This Nancy was indeed somewhat clever.
Not only was she skilled at using others as weapons, but she also knew how to fight back effectively.
She laughed softly. "When bad people fight, of course there has to be back and forth to make it interesting. Heather isn't the type to just sit and wait for defeat."
Inside, the banner had been taken down. After the officers got a general understanding of the situation, they prepared to take everyone back to the station for questioning.
When Rachel looked at Nancy again, she suddenly noticed the woman was about to look their way. Feeling uneasy, she instinctively pulled Benjamin in front of her and ducked into his embrace.
She said softly, "Walk forward. The woman Heather hired is looking at us. I don't know if she recognizes me!"
Benjamin's spine stiffened. A cool breeze gently brushed past, and the scent of camellia flowers lingered at his nose.
It made his heartbeat inexplicably lose its rhythm.
He held his breath, hesitated for two seconds, then loosely wrapped his arm around her waist and moved forward, taking her with him.
From the woman's angle, they looked like a couple who had finished watching the excitement and were leaving while chatting.
She withdrew her gaze and stepped into the police car.