hapter 143 Something Fishy
It was a long drive, and once they left, there was no way they’d be back in time for lunch.
That worked out perfectly for her plan.
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Caroline didn’t question it–after all, a company as busy as theirs probably had one issue after another to handle.
But she wasn’t here for lunch. Her real reason for coming was to get the bracelet from Edwin. Now that he was gone, how was she supposed to get it?
She paused for a moment, then turned to Alaina. “Before Edwin left, did he mention anything to you? Or maybe he gave you something to pass on to me?”
Alaina knew exactly what she meant–Caroline was asking about the bracelet–but she played dumb. “Nope! He left in a hurry. He just told us you’d be coming over for lunch and said we should go ahead and eat without waiting for him. He didn’t say anything else, and he definitely didn’t leave me anything.”
Caroline felt a wave of irritation rise inside her.
They had agreed just yesterday that he’d hand over the bracelet.
Even if something urgent came up at work, he should’ve at least left a message about it with someone at home.
“I’m calling him now,” she said, pulling out her phone and scrolling to Edwin’s number.
But before she could hit dial, Alaina quickly snatched the phone out of her hand. “He’s in a meeting with a client. Calling now might interrupt something important.”
The excuse sounded reasonable, but the guilty flicker in Alaina’s eyes gave her away.
Caroline caught it. It was all too clear now–something fishy was going on, and Alaina definitely knew about the bracelet.
Fine. If Alaina knew where it was, that was good enough. She didn’t care about anything else—she came here for the bracelet, and she was going to get it.
Just then, a voice came from the dining room. “Mrs. Somerton, lunch is ready.”
Both women instinctively turned toward the dining table.
The chef was carefully placing dish after dish on the table.
“Alright, thank you,” Alaina said, then turned to Helen, who was lounging on the couch peeling an orange. “Helen, open that bottle of wine you bought earlier. Pour everyone a glass.”
She even winked at Helen as she spoke.
Helen caught the signal instantly. She tossed the half–eaten orange on the coffee table and bounced up with a grin. “Sure, Mom.”
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་་་་་་་་ 145 Something Fishy
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“If you’ve got anything to say to Edwin, you can tell him when he gets back. Your brothers have been talking about you nonstop. They’ve missed you. They’ll be glad to have a proper chat with you.”
The whole situation was starting to feel off. Caroline had a nagging feeling that Alaina had wanted her here today for a reason.
Things were far more complicated than she thought.
She glanced toward the sliding glass door leading to the living room and froze. Reflected in the glass, like in a mirror, she saw Helen pouring something into one of the wine glasses.
The way Helen fidgeted nervously made it all too obvious–whatever she was doing, it wasn’t innocent. That glass of wine was meant for her.
Thank goodness the sky was overcast today and the lights inside were on–otherwise she might not have seen it at all.
Now that she knew, she didn’t even have to guess what this was about. Caroline’s gaze shifted slightly to Jamie, who was chatting nearby. Of course. These two–Alaina and Helen–wanted to drug her and push her into Jamie’s arms.
They were wicked!
But Alaina had no idea her plan had been exposed.
Seeing Caroline’s increasingly dark gaze, she kept chattering on, trying to sound comforting. “Even if you did call Edwin right now, he probably wouldn’t pick up. You don’t want to bother him when he’s in a meeting, right? Just wait, what’s the rush?”
Right then, Helen called out from behind, “Mom, dinner’s ready!”
Alaina reached to pull Caroline back inside, but Caroline stuck out her hand.
“How long are you planning to hold onto my phone?”
Alaina blinked, caught off guard. She quickly handed it over. “I was worried you’d distract Edwin at the wrong time. It was in the heat of the moment, that’s all.”
Caroline gave a casual grunt and fiddled with her phone as if nothing had happened.
“The food’s on the table. Let’s go eat,” Alaina said as she tried to peek at Caroline’s screen.
Caroline tilted her head toward her. “Don’t worry, Alaina. You said Edwin’s with a client. Why would I want to bother him?”
She wasn’t here to chat with Edwin. She came for the bracelet. And since Alaina clearly knew where it was, she didn’t need him..
Even if she told him what Alaina and Helen were up to, he probably wouldn’t believe her anyway.
Alaina nodded, playing along. “Right, no need to stand around. Let’s eat.”
“Hang on,” Caroline said. “I need to make a quick call to my friend who helps me with deliveries. Just letting her know I’m off for the afternoon.” She held her phone low, where Alaina could clearly see the screen, and
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Chapter 143 Something Fishy
It was Maia’s, but she hadn’t saved it in her contact list yet.
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