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Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Kayla raised her eyebrows as she slowly walked up to Ariel. There was a hint of irony in her voice as she said, “Ariel, that’s al pretty scary wound.”
Ariel didn’t catch the sarcasm. He smiled, though his face still wore a look of feigned fear.
“Miss, it’s nothing. As long as you’re safe, a little pain’s no big deal,” Ariel replied.
Kayla let out a chuckle and stepped even closer. Without warning, she raised her hand, aiming a slap at Ariel’s face.
Her movement wasn’t fast, and it gave Ariel plenty of time to react.
Sure enough, Ariel instinctively caught Kayla’s wrist and asked, “Miss, what are you trying to do?”
Kayla smiled, withdrawing her hand. “Nothing. Just feeling a bit heartbroken seeing you hurt this bad.”
Ariel scoffed, “You caused this, Miss. Why pretend to care now?”
He thought to himself, “Trying to cozy up to me now, Kayla? Too late for that.‘
But before Ariel could enjoy his moment of triumph, Kayla’s voice took a sharp turn. “But you know, for someone supposedly so badly hurt, you sure moved fast. That’s kinda odd, don’t you think?”
Hearing that, Bailee and Jackson both tensed, exchanging a glance. There was curiosity and suspicion in their eyes as they turned to Ariel.
Ariel thought, his heart skipping a beat, ‘Crap. Totally forgot about that.’
Still, he recovered, clutched his injured shoulder, and winced dramatically. “Miss, you’re joking, right? Of course it hurts. I’m just pushing through it. Look, my wound’s split open again. It’s bleeding.”
Kayla had to admit that Ariel was indeed a seasoned player.
Kayla said with a tilt of her head, “Really? I guess that’s really my bad…”
Before she even finished the sentence, her hand shot out again to grab Ariel’s injured shoulder.
Ariel didn’t dodge this time. He saw Kayla’s fingers dig deep into the supposedly rotting flesh on his shoulder with a smirk.
Ariel let out a deafening shriek. The pain felt real this time. Instinctively, she shoved Kayla away and snapped, “Bitch, what the hell are you doing?”
Ariel’s outburst made Bailee’s brows crease slightly. Her tone cooled with disapproval. “Ariel, how dare you speak to Kayla like that?”
Bailee thought, ‘Maybe Kayla went a bit far, but Ariel’s just a servant. Talking to Kayla like that right in front of us? He’s bolder than I thought.
Realizing she’d gone too far, Ariel immediately put on his best pitiful look, and tears welled up. “Madam, I apologize for that. But Kayla knew how bad my injury was and still went for it. I just lost control for a second.”
Then, turning to Kayla, Ariel let out a shaky sigh, his eyes full of hurt. “Miss. I’ve worked for the Sextons for years. Maybe I don’t have much to show for it, but I’ve always been loyal. Did I really deserve that?”
Kayla didn’t even blink her eyes as she heard Ariel’s shameless words. She lifted a finger, now smeared with red, and brought
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it to her nose with exaggerated curiosity. “Ariel, I get it. You feel wronged, but hang on.”
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She held up her hand for all to see–her fingertips were stained with a fresh red liquid and some kind of powder.
She added, “If you’re gonna fake it, at least try to make it believable. Formalin mixed with lard? That’s a wild choice for fake blood.”
Ariel’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth, ready to argue, but Kayla cut her off again. “And that super deep wound on your shoulder? Looks like it still has foundation smudged on it. That’s just lazy.”
“Foundation?” Bailee stood up almost instantly. She walked briskly to Kayla, grabbed her hand, and took a closer look. Then she lifted it to her nose and sniffed. Her face turned grim immediately.
Without a word, Bailee pressed two perfectly manicured fingers into Ariel’s shoulder.
The next second, Ariel’s scream echoed through the room, making the crystal chandelier above tremble.
Bailee recoiled in disgust. Her fingertips were now smudged with a reddish–brown paste, caked–on makeup blending with the fake wound. Her expression darkened like a storm cloud.
She demanded, “Ariel, explain this. You said you were injured. You call this an injury?”
Ariel’s legs started to shake when he realized he’d been exposed. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Still, he stammered, trying to keep up the act, “Ma’am, I… I… This isn’t—”
Bailee’s patience snapped, and she cut him off. “Shut up. You really had the nerve to pull a stunt like this right in front of us? Playing the victim just to frame Kayla? We trusted you so much.
“We let you escort her, treated you like family, and even housed your whole family. This is how you pay us back? Who gave you the guts to slander my daughter?”
Ariel panicked, his eyes darting instinctively toward Tristian. But Tristian turned his head away in disgust, his face cold and unreadable.
Tristian cursed inwardly, ‘Idiot. I told him to make the wound look real and deeper, so Kayla would take the fall, get blamed, and maybe even get punished. How the hell did he screw this up with a cheap fake? Useless!
Realizing Tristian had just washed his hands of him, Ariel was flustered. Desperate, he tried to defend himself. “Please, Madam, don’t be mad. The injury isn’t that bad, but Kayla did hurt me. She indeed stayed out until just now. That part is
true.
Kayla had enough of the back–and–forth. She retorted, “Ariel, how dare you tell lies? I told you I had something important to take care of. Why do you keep trying to smear my name?”
Ariel snorted, “Important? You? What kind of important business would a spoiled brat like you possibly have? Don’t make me laugh. You were out messing around with some guy, weren’t you? You’re really a disgrace to your family.”
Before he could get another word out, Kayla’s hand whipped across his face. The slap rang out sharp and loud. Ariel staggered back, nearly falling.
Kayla shook out her tingling right hand. Her crimson nails gleamed like blades slick with blood. She snapped, “Watch your damn mouth. This isn’t a place where you get to run wild.”
Ariel’s cheek was already swelling, a deep flush spreading across it. His eyes burned with hatred as he glared at Kayla, his expression twisted with fury.
Ariel barked, “You bitch, how dare you? What, mad I outed you and your filthy secret? You say you’re innocent? Fine. Show
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us the evidence. Otherwise, don’t expect us to believe anything. You’re just another slut with-”
Before he could finish, Bailee exploded. She raised her foot and kicked Ariel straight in the side. “Enough.”
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Her voice trembled with fury. “Ariel, I let a lot slide because you and Diana have been with us for a long time. We’ve treated you more than fairly. You dare to humiliate my daughter now? You really let me down.”
Still seething, Bailee kicked him again.
Tristian quickly stepped in, trying to calm Bailee down. “Mom, Ariel shouldn’t have faked the injury, but he’s not wrong about everything.
“Kayla was out late. If she’s got nothing to hide, let her prove it. If she can’t, how do we know she wasn’t off sneaking around with someone?”
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