Chapter 178 - Nothing To Fear
The moon hung high in the night sky, casting soft light into Ivy's bedroom. But sleep was far from her mind.
She paced the length of her room, arms wrapped around herself, her mind replaying every word Hunter had said earlier at the station. The hurt, the apologies, the truths she hadn't expected—each one added weight to her already exhausted heart.
Could she believe him? Ivy paused by the window, staring out at the quiet street. Her fingers brushed against the cold glass, but her mind was far away. Hunter had lied to her before, and yet there was something raw in his eyes when he said he was sorry. It wasn't just guilt—it was pain. Pain that Ivy recognized all too well.
"He never meant for it to go this far," she whispered to herself. But did that mean he was innocent?
Her thoughts shifted to the girl she saw at Hunter's place—Chloe. It couldn't be a coincidence.
What had she been doing there when she wasn't even close to Hunter? What could be her motive? What had she been up to?
She narrowed her eyes, realizing that the smirk she had seen on Chloe's face couldn't have been there if she had truly been morning. There was no way she wouldn't have learned about her father's death after two hours had past so why wasn't she crying or sad then?
Ivy clenched her fists, frustration bubbling inside her. "Something's not right," she muttered.
After another few moments of pacing, she made her decision. Whether or not she trusted Hunter, she couldn't sit on this information any longer. She had to do whatever she could to help him.
Chloe was the only one directly connected to the case and she was the only one that would benefit the most if Hunter were to be convicted.
Determined, she crossed the room to her handbag, which was sitting on a chair near her closet. She rummaged through its contents until she found the small card Matthew Lewis had given her earlier. She stared at the number for a moment before picking up her phone.
Her thumb hovered over the call button. Doubts creeping in again. Was she making a mistake? What if she was jumping to conclusions? What if...
"No," she said firmly. "I have to do this."
Even if Chloe was innocent, the murderer was out there. Maybe raising an alarm could trigger evidences that could help get the real killer in police custody.
She decided as she went ahead to press the button, and the phone began to ring. Each second felt like an eternity. Finally, Matthew answered, his tone alert despite the late hour.
Matthew didn't say anything as he waited for the person on the other end to speak first since he didn't know if it was a call from the hospital or from the people who had attempted killing Mr. Sherlock.
Perhaps, they had realized he was saved by him. The last thing he wanted was to recieve anything that would put his life in jeopardy especially when he was yet to solve this Hunter's case.
"Matthew Lewis? It's me, Ivy Anderson," Ivy said when Matthew kept quiet for too long and she had realized he was probably trying to know who was calling first since the time was really late into the night.
"Ivy? Is everything okay?" he asked in a worried tone, thinking probably the assassin's were probably after her life too.
"Yes, everything's fine but I... I have something to tell you," Ivy said, her voice a little shaky. "It's about Hunter's case."
Matthew's tone shifted, becoming sharper. "I'm listening."
Ivy took a deep breath. "I think I know who's behind everything."
"Who?" Matthew asked as a frown etched his brows.
Who could she be suspecting? What could've triggered it? Had something happened to her after he left? Why was she even calling him at past eleven in the night? Was she save? Matthew couldn't help asking himself as he waited to hear her reply.
Ivy cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "I think it's Chloe," Ivy said, her throat tightening around the name.
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line as Matthew tried to process what he had heard.
Then Matthew said, "I suspected her too. But why do you think so? What triggered that thought?"
"Because..." Ivy hesitated, the memory of that day flashing in her mind. "I saw her leaving Hunter's house just a few hours after he was arrested. At the time, I didn't know who she was. But now..."
Matthew sighed. "Why didn't you mention this earlier?"
"Because I wasn't sure," Ivy admitted. "I didn't want to accuse someone without knowing who she was for certain. But now, after everything that's happened and after hearing from Hunter, I can't ignore it."
"I understand," Matthew said. "And you're not wrong to be suspicious. Chloe has too many connections to this case. Even I suspect her too. I went to see her today and from her reactions, I can tell she had been hiding something. But we need more than suspicion, Ivy. We need hard evidence."
"Do you think we'll find it?" Ivy asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
"I believe we will," Matthew said, though there was a hint of weariness behind his words. "I have someone who can help prove what's going on. But it's not the right time to bring them in just yet. We need to wait a little longer."
Though he knew she was trustworthy, he couldn't bring himself to tell her about Sherlock since he didn't want to risk a third party hearing it only for Mr. Sherlock to wind up dead.
He had gone to his office straight from Chloe's office, just Incase Chloe had ordered people to have him followed and after staying there till two hours past closing hours, he had driven carefully to the hospital to check on Mr. Sherlock where he had been told Mr. Sherlock was fine but was asleep because of the anesthesia he had been administered.
After his confirmation, he had called someone else he trusted and had moved Mr. Sherlock out of the hospital so that no harm would come to him.
Hearing what Matthew had said, Ivy's heart sank. She didn't like the idea of waiting. Every passing moment felt like a chance for things to get worse. But she trusted Matthew's judgment. After all, he had been the first person to believe in Hunter.
"Okay," she said softly. "I just hope we're not wrong."
"So do I," Matthew said. "But we'll get to the bottom of this. I promise."
The call ended, and Ivy set her phone down on the nightstand. She stood there for a moment, staring at the screen. A mixture of hope and fear churned in her chest.
If Chloe really was behind all of this, what was her motive? And how far would she go to keep the truth hidden?
Ivy climbed into bed, but sleep still didn't come. Her mind remained restless, replaying everything over and over again.
One thing was clear—this wasn't just about Hunter anymore. The danger was far from over. And Ivy was determined to see it through, no matter what it took.
Away from there, the only sounds in Alex's dimly lit bedroom was coming from the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall.
The soft glow from the bedside lamp cast long shadows, but despite the peaceful ambiance, Alex could sense something was off. Not with him but with his wife.
Emma lay beside him, her back turned, her breathing deliberately even. But he knew her too well. She wasn't asleep.
And he couldn't help wondering why she was pretending to be asleep. He couldn't tell why but Emma had been quite distant from him and it tore at his insides.
He shifted slightly, pressing his palm against her back, feeling the subtle tension in her body. "My love," he murmured, his voice low and gentle. "What's going on with you?"
He had asked her what it was the moment he entered the house that evening but she had said she was fine. Seeing how she was unable to sleep, he couldn't help but press on. He couldn't leave her like this.
He exhaled quietly, his fingers tracing slow circles against her back in an attempt to soothe her. "You've been restless all night," he continued, his tone patient. "Talk to me, please."
For a moment, Emma considered keeping her thoughts to herself. It was probably nothing. Maybe she had imagined it, or maybe it was just someone who happened to look like Vanessa. She didn't want to worry Alex over something she wasn't even sure of.
But then again... she couldn't shake the uneasiness in her chest and she knew he wouldn't buy whatever brush off she'd give him.
With a small sigh, she turned onto her back, staring at the ceiling. Alex immediately propped himself up on one elbow, his sharp gray eyes studying her face. "Emma?"
She hesitated before speaking, her voice quieter than usual. "I saw someone today."
Alex frowned. "Someone? Who?"
Emma nodded slowly, then licked her lips before whispering, "Someone that looked like... Vanessa."
The room felt like it dropped a few degrees at the mention of the name.
Alex's body went rigid, his heart skipping a beat before pounding in his chest. He shot up, fully awake now, his expression shifting from concern to sheer alertness.
"Where?" His voice was firm, almost demanding, but there was an unmistakable trace of fear beneath it. "Where did you see her? What was she doing? Did she see you? What happened? Did you talk to her...."
"Alex, calm down, okay? I—I didn't even get a good look. It was just for a moment, I saw her across the road on my way to Ivy's office and before we could stop the car so I could get a good look, she was gone."
Alex's jaw tightened, his mind racing. "Do you think it was really her? Do you think she was possibly watching you or following you?" he asked again and Emma sighed.
She shook her head and took in deep breath. "I don't know... it all happened so fast. And I—I wasn't sure if it was really her. I'm so scared Alex. Even though I know it might not be her, I can't help it."
Alex quickly gathered her into his arms and started patting her back.
He exhaled sharply, rubbing his face as he processed the information. His hands trembled slightly, though he masked it well as he continued patting her back. A cold sense of dread settled in his gut.
Vanessa. It couldn't be. She was supposed to be gone. Out of their lives. Forever but then she had just had to escape.
If Emma had seen her—or someone who looked like her—it meant something.
His mind immediately switched into protective mode. He needed to tighten security. He needed to make sure Emma was never alone, not even for a second. The last time Vanessa had been around, Emma had almost lost her life. That was never going to happen again.
Sensing his distress, Emma sat up and reached for his hand, her fingers lacing with his. "Alex," she whispered. "I don't know if it was really her. Maybe I imagined it. You don't have to worry."
He turned to face her, his expression serious but filled with warmth. "Even if there's a one percent chance that it was her, I'm not taking any risks, Em. I can't let her do what she did to you the other time."
Emma swallowed. "But this time... we're together. Unlike before, we're not on different sides anymore," she said, wanting to get him to relax but somehow, she was assuring herself with the words.
Now that Alex was with her, no harm could come to her. He was her protector and lover.
Her words, though meant to comfort him, only made his resolve stronger.
He cupped her face gently, his thumb brushing against her cheek. "Exactly. And that's why she'll never hurt you again. No matter what, I won't let her."
Emma held his gaze for a moment before nodding. She believed him.
With a deep breath, Alex slowly lay back down, pulling Emma into his arms. His grip was firm, protective, as if he was silently reassuring himself that she was safe.
And for the first time since seeing that familiar face, Emma allowed herself to relax.
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Because as long as Alex was by her side, she knew she had nothing to fear.