Chapter 74: For Better Or Worse.
“Tomorrow?” Ivy asked hearing the shock in her voice. “But how? It’s too soon.
“We don’t have a choice,” Silas replied, refiling his glass. “It’s either we leave for Fiji as soon as possible, or stay here and allow Mason control the narrative.”
A surge of anger raced through her, tightening her chest. She couldn’t believe Mason was so quick to distribute that news.
Damn it! She cussed inwardly. She shouldn’t have reacted when he asked her that question. Her hesitation had tipped him off, and now he was using it against her.
Silas clicked his glass loudly as he sipped his drink. “Your ex–husband is working really hard,” he chuckled. “How the hell did he find that out?”
Ivy bit her lip and cowered back. “I… kinda hinted at it.”
Silas straightened, his gaze sharpening. “What?”
Her cheeks burned. “Mason showed up at the new building, he-”
Silas sprang to his feet. “How did he find the building….and you?” His tone was laced with disbelief.
“I don’t know,” she replied quickly, her heart skipping under his gaze. “I… he just showed up, but I asked him to leave.”
Silas dropped his glass on the table beside the couch. “Mason came to see you, and you told him about the contract?”
“It was a mistake. I didn’t directly say it,” Ivy blurted out, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
Silas began pacing round the room, staring quietly into space. After a moment, he finally stopped and sat down. “I don’t know what to say.”
Ivy bit her lip, clamping her fingers together.
“How did he find you?” Silas muffled. “It’s… strange.”
“I have no idea either,” she admitted.
Silas rubbed his temples, his frustration evident. “I’ll have to figure out who gave your location. Only a handful of people knew where you’d be.”
him
The thought hit Ivy hard. Someone close to her had betrayed her. She felt so exposed, so unsafe.
“You think somebody told him?” she asked, even though she knew it was a dreadful question to begin with.
Successfully unlocked!
“I don’t know,” Silas admitted grimly. “And it scares me to imagine we have a leak reporting to Mason.”
Ivy gasped, placing her hand on her chest. “That can’t be. It’s impossible. No one
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74 For Fetters Of Wire
would…”
“We don’t know for sure.” Silas interrupted gently. “Don’t start assuming just yet.”
“Alright,” she nodded, though her chest was still pounding. She tapped her temple gently, trying to calm her nerves. “It’s… just terrifying.”
“I know,” Silas said with a smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll fix it.”
“Okay,” she nodded.
“Just go get some rest,” Silas said. “We leave at dawn.”
Ivy knew she should be excited about traveling, about exploring foreign waters, yet she couldn’t bury the anger and fear that surfaced below.
“Alright,” she murmured, heading for the stairs. “Goodnight, Silas.”
“Good night,” he said, returning to his drink.
Ivy tightened her grip on her bag as she climbed the stairs. When she reached her bedroom corridor, she noticed three big boxes there, and saw they were empty. Monica must have dropped off, she thought. Her heart plummeted as the realization settled–this was all in the preparation for her honeymoon.
Inside her room, she slowly removed her shoes, and sat on the bed. It was such a delight to see Mason’s shocked face earlier, but now it was seeming like a dangerous game. He had an insider and that scared her. Knowing that he could easily find her any time terrified her.
“Bastard,” she muttered. As angry and scared as she was, she still wanted to find out what he said about her, how he said it.
She reached for her phone, but before‘ she could check the news, she stopped herself.
“No,” she said, shaking her head.
There was no point reading the horrific things Mason would have said, especially since he was still bitter about Sonia and Eric.
She dropped the phone by her side and sighed. She was going to Fiji tomorrow, and she knew Silas was going to take care of everything.
Her phone buzzed, startling her. She grabbed it and saw Eric’s name on the screen.
“Hello, Eric,” Ivy said, picking up the phone.
“Hi, ma’am,” Eric said, his voice trembling.
She was alarmed. “What happened? Are you good? You don’t sound good.”
Eric sighed before he spoke. “Mason called me,” he said slowly. “It had been a series of emotions.”
“Of course,” she said. Mason never let things go. “What did he want?”
“He begged me to come back. He offered to triple my previous pay.”
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Chapter 74, For Better Or Worse
She sat upright, her stomach twisting with dread. “That’s generous of him. Are you…? Did you give him an answer yet?”
Ivy held her breath in anticipation, dreading Eric’s response.
“Yes, ma’am. I told him to shove it,” Eric said, and Ivy heaved a breath of relief. “Mr Stone made me a mouthwatering offer already, and a very good position where I could actually show my potential. I couldn’t possibly throw that away.”
“Oh, Eric. I’m so happy for you. Congratulations,” Ivy cheered, but she was more happy for herself. At least she still had one over Mason.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Eric said, but he wasn’t sounding excited.
Her heart sank. “There’s more, right?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Eric admitted. “After I rejected his offer, he started threatening me. My safety, my family’s safety…”
“He’s all bark and no bite, Eric. You have nothing to worry about,” Ivy said assuringly. “But… you don’t understand. He’s threatening to sue me, to harm me, and my family,” Eric said.
Ivy could hear the fright in his voice as it quavered. “Does he have anything to actually sue you for?”
Eric went silent for a moment, then he spoke. “No.”
“Then you’re good, Eric,” Ivy said. “You have nothing to be worried about.”
“But he’s-”
“Mason is a sour loser,” Ivy interrupted him, her voice low. “He hates that you’ve left him. Of course he will threaten you, and make you feel like you’ve made the worst mistakes of your life.”
As she spoke, she remembered how he had offered to give her a million dollars like he was actually helping her life, when he was the one who put her in the situation in the first place.
“There’s only two things to do,” she said, “you either go back to work for him—”
“Absolutely not,” Eric chimed in.
“–or you threaten him as well.”
“What?” She heard the confusion in Eric’s tone. “I can’t do that, ma’am.”
“Oh, you can,” Ivy said firmly. “It’s time for you to stand up for yourself, Eric. Mason had done enough damage to your soul, your ego, and your reputation. It’s time to fight
back; take it all back,” she said in a sharp voice.
“You have to threaten him too. If he calls you back, tell him you’ll go public, and announced his threats to the whole world. One thing Mason hates more than an unironed shirt is a tainted reputation.”
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Eric didn’t respond immediately, and she knew he was digesting her statement When he finally spoke, his voice was firm. “I will do just that, ma’am. Thank you”
Ivy smiled even though Eric couldn’t see her face. “You’re welcome and
congratulations once again. My regards to Wanda.”
“Alright ma’am, goodnight,” Eric said.
“Good night,” she replied before ending the call.
Ivy sighed deeply as she glanced round her room, her thoughts swirling. She was glad
Eric was going to stand up for himself, but her excitement evaporated as she
remembered she was going to Fiji.
She sank into the bed, staring at the white ceiling.
“It’s happening,” she muttered.
And for better or worse, it was.
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