Chapter 62: Time’s up!

Ivy’s pov

The next day, I walked into the living room of the Knight’s residence with my chin held high. My head was still throbbing from Kai’s tranquilizer dart, and the nasty thing had triggered my migraines. I had used my pills, but for some reason, the headache remained like a dull, persistent ache behind my eyes.

The last person I wanted to see was seated with Gideon on one of the sofas, deep in conversation, their heads bent together. Milo raised his head, smiling warmly at me when he saw me.

"Hi Ivy, good morning. How are you doing? I heard about the little...accident yesterday. Are you okay?"

What a pretender! Jesus, he made my skin crawl. How could anyone even suspect that someone like him was a blackmailer and a backstabber?!

"Miss Harpley." I ignored him, my eyes finding Gideon’s. He raised a single, skeptical brow at my appearance, his expression as unreadable as ever.

"Mr. Knight,"

"I expected to see your resignation letter on my desk this morning."

I gave a tight, humorless smile. "It’s going to take more than a few pints of blood and a dead man to make me quit, Mr. Knight."

Milo chuckled, shaking his head. "See, Gid? She’s a fighter. Some of us aren’t born with silver spoons in our mouth. We actually need the paycheck."

He was looking at me, probably expecting me to laugh. He could go fuck himself. A sharp pain spiked behind my eye.

"If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do." I turned around and dragged my flat shoes out of the room, my head pounding. I needed air.

I found myself in the sun-drenched courtyard, arranging the outdoor cushions on the patio furniture.

The fresh air helped with the headache a bit, and just when I was starting to feel better, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. I looked up, and sure enough, Gideon was standing a few meters away, his tall, imposing figure against the bright green lawn.

His hands were in his pockets, his suit jacket pulled taut across his broad shoulders.

"Can I help you, Mr. Knight?" I bit out tightly.

He frowned, his sapphire-blue eyes narrowed on me. "I don’t understand you, Miss Harpley."

"I’m not sure I follow."

"Just yesterday, you were pale and shaking. You looked like you wanted nothing more than to be as far from this house as possible. And yet today, you’re back. As if nothing happened."

I huffed, slapping the cushion before me a little too hard. "Were you hoping I wouldn’t show up again?"

When he didn’t answer, I glanced up to see the slight tightening of his jaw. A slow, dawning realization washed over me. "You want me to resign."

He straightened, adjusting his already perfect suit jacket, thick fingers brushing against the black fabric. "You are becoming more than a distraction for my brothers. You know too much. It would be in your best interest to leave."

"Would it not be in your brothers’ best interest that I stay, De-Mr Knight?" I dropped the cushion, turning to face him fully.

"If I leave, you’ll hire another housekeeper. And what happens when she stumbles upon your secret torture room? Or your secret sister? The cycle just repeats itself. Isn’t it better to keep an eye on the one who already knows your secrets...sir?"

He took a step closer, the scent of oud and smoked leather washing over me. "That is the thing," he rasped, blue eyes piercing holes into me.

"If I didn’t know better, I would think you were determined to stay in our house. A normal housekeeper would have run screaming. So why, Miss Harpley, are you trying so hard to stay?"

I swallowed hard, my mind racing. He was getting too close to the truth. I shrugged, trying to force myself to look nonchalant. "Milo’s right. I need the money, and the pay is good."

His brows furrowed in thought. "Is this about the orphanage?"

Oh lord, take me now. How did we get to this?

He moved even closer until I could reach just a few inches forward and could touch his chest. Flashes of that night at Extasim, his words, his touch, the taste of him filled my head.

Keep your eyes on me.

"...sending your entire salary there is... detrimental to your own well-being."

I blinked rapidly, trying to get out of my lusty brain and focus on what he was saying.

"You don’t have to shoulder that burden anymore. I will take care of the orphanage’s funding. You should use your salary for yourself, seeing as you need it. There is no need for such pointless sacrifices."

My eyes widened. Pointless sacrifice? Burden? Anger burned like wildfire in my veins, spreading rapidly.

"What I do with my money is none of your damn business," I snapped, my voice rising.

"You don’t own me! You don’t get to tell me what to do when you’re not paying me for it! I love those kids at that orphanage, and no one, not even some pompous billionaire, gets to tell me how much or how little I should care for them! How dare you!"

I was breathing heavily, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. Gideon was staring at me, his eyes widening slightly with surprise. I had never seen him look so...human.

"No offense," I muttered, my cheeks burning, embarrassed as hell. "If you’ll excuse me."

I tried to step past him, but his hand shot out, his fingers wrapping around my wrist like a steel band. He yanked me back, leaning down until we were eye to eye.

"Do not ever raise your voice at me, Miss Harpley," he commanded, his voice a low, chilling whisper. "I am not a child."

"I do not yell at children," I countered, struggling to pull my wrist from his grip.

He let go so suddenly I stumbled back a few steps. I was fuming. I spun around and stalked back into the house, my head throbbing in time with my angry heartbeat. As I passed Gideon’s study, I noticed the door was slightly ajar. Someone was in there.

I just left Gideon outside on the patio, so that could only mean-

"Milo," I hissed through my teeth, moving closer quietly to peek in.

Milo was there, standing behind Gideon’s massive mahogany desk. His phone was in his hand, and he was casually taking pictures of documents spread out on the polished surface.

Pure, boiling rage surged through me. I pushed the door open, letting it slam against the wall.

Milo froze, his head whipping up. A flash of panic crossed his face before he smoothed it over with a sickeningly sweet smile. "Oh, Ivy, it’s you. Do you want to clean in here?"

"Were you afraid it would be Gideon?" I hissed, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind me.

He laughed, brows furrowing in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Don’t play dumb with me," I scoffed, folding my arms. "The jig is up. I know it’s you blackmailing me, Milo."

His brows shot up, and I expected him to cower or at least deny it. Instead, the smile on his face slowly, chillingly, vanished. His eyes went cold, all trace of the friendly Milo disappearing.

"And what are you going to do about it?" he demanded, taking a step towards me, then another, backing me up until my shoulders hit the hard wall of the study.

He caged me in, his hands on the wall on either side of my head, his face inches from mine. "You’re in this just as deep as I am. So tell me, Ivy... or should I say, Miss Kingsley... whom do you think they’re going to believe?"