Chapter 90: A Snake
Eliana sat perched elegantly on the edge of the marble kitchen stool, legs crossed at the ankles, her sharp brown eyes studying Ivy with a silence that didn’t quite feel comforting after Ivy had told her everything that happened.
Ivy had just finished wiping her tears, her face blotchy and tired despite the layers of foundation still clinging to her skin. Her breathing had evened out, but the tension around her shoulders remained coiled like a spring.
Eliana tilted her head. "So... what’s your plan now? Stefan asked you to leave. Are you just going to stay here and risk him throwing you out for real?"
Ivy looked up, startled at how blunt her friend sounded. But then again, Eliana had always been that way—direct, fearless, and sometimes a little too sharp. Still, Ivy needed that sharpness now. She needed someone with fire beside her, not another whisper of doubt.
"I don’t know," Ivy admitted, dragging her palms down the sides of her dress, still fidgeting. "He told me to be gone before he returned, and if he comes home and sees me, I honestly don’t know what he’ll do. He’s... furious, Eliana. Not annoyed, not irritated—he’s completely done. I saw it in his eyes. He was cold."
"But you’re not leaving," Eliana stated rather than asked, her gaze never breaking.
"No," Ivy said firmly, lifting her chin. "I can’t leave, not yet. Not like this. I have a plan."
Eliana arched a brow. "A plan?"
"Yes," Ivy whispered, stepping closer like she was afraid the walls might hear her. "I’m going to make something for him. A meal. Something that’ll help him... loosen up. Let his guard down. I’ll get his secretary to deliver it tomorrow and pretend it’s from a new catering business or something. I will give her enough money so she won’t spill the truth. He won’t suspect it came from me. And then... if things go right, I’ll appear. Coincidentally. And maybe..." Her voice trailed off, but the implication hung in the air like a thick fog.
Eliana’s lips parted, but she didn’t speak for a moment. Then she leaned back slowly, her head slightly tilted. "That’s bold," she said with a tiny smirk. "But will it work?"
Ivy hesitated. "I don’t know. I honestly don’t. But I’m not just going to sit around while my marriage falls apart. If there’s even a sliver of a chance I can fix this... then I have to try."
Eliana stared at her for a beat too long, then finally sighed and pushed off the stool. "Alright then. How about I help you?"