Chapter 99: Checkmate

Ivy’s pov

Check mate Milo.

Well, at least I hoped it was. This had better work or I had just dug an even deeper hole for myself.

My triumphant grin died on my lips as Milo’s fingers clamped around my throat, cutting off my air, trying to send me to meet my mother apparently.

"What the fuck did you do?!" he hissed, his face was contorted in a mask of fury, spit hitting my face as he gripped tighter.

Stars exploded behind my eyes. I clawed at his hand, my nails scraping uselessly against his skin. I tried to scream, but only a choked, pathetic gasp escaped. He tried to clamp his other hand over my mouth, but I lunged forward, sinking my teeth into his palm until I tasted blood.

Screw you asshole!

"Bitch!" He yelped, loosening his grip just enough for me to drag in a ragged, painful breath.

"HELP!" I screamed with every inch of that breath, before the asshole smacked my face hard, sending me against the wall.

"Is that Vivi?" Roman’s voice, sharp with alarm, cut through the haze from outside.

A bitter laugh left my lips while Milo grabbed my neck, choking harder. "You stupid bitch, hat did you fucking do, huh? You think you’ll get away with this?"

"You... shouldn’t... have messed... with me," I wheezed, kicking and struggling against him.

The next second, the door was thrown open and I could pretty much hear the angels singing my salvation. ℯℯ𝘭.

Roman’s eyes took in the scene, his hazel pools moving from Milo’s hand around my throat, to me struggling and writhing trying to get the hell away from the murderer choking me.

In a flash, he tore across the room, a furious violent shadow crossing his face. He ripped Milo away from me as if he were nothing more than a piece of paper and slammed him against the wall so hard the framed paintings in the room rattled against the wall.

"Explain yourself now!" he roared, slamming Milo against the wall over and over.

"Shit, it’s like the fucking twilight zone in here,"

Kai was at my side in an instant, helping me up just before I collapsed to the ground. My whole body was trembling uncontrollably, the buzz and adrenaline from almost getting strangled to death had every cell in my body in overdrive.

I panted, clutching my throat, each breath I took in was like swallowing nails. It was a painful struggle.

"Hey hey, breathe Ivy, breathe,"

"He... he threatened me," I wheezed, leaning into Kai’s arms, inhaling his scent greedily. "He was going to..."

My words were like gasoline on a fire. Roman’s grip on Milo’s throat tightened, his face a terrifying mask of rage. Milo fought against him, his eyes bulging, his pleas for help coming out as choked gurgles.

"He fucking what?" Kai asked, his voice dangerously low, narrowing his eyes on Milo.

I swallowed and even though it was agonizing, I tried so hard to ignore the pain. I had to keep on speaking before Milo tried to turn the tides on me. All I had to do was plant the suspicion and the Knights would do what they did best.

Be the Devils of Wisteria that they were famously known as.

"Guys what on earth- oh my gosh," Irene rushed into the room along with Duke who immediately grabbed her and held her back against himself, his eyes narrowing into slits as he took in the scene.

"What’s going on? Ivy oh my gosh, are you okay?" She gasped, trying to come forward but Duke wouldn’t let go.

"He threatened me," I repeated, my voice growing stronger now, fueled by adrenaline. "And on Saturday... he tried to rape me."

"Liar!" Milo screamed, but the word was strangled and weak against Roman’s grip.

Roman went absolutely berserk. "How dare you?!" he bellowed, and then he started beating the shit out of him.

Fists flew, connecting with sickening thuds against Milo’s body.

"No way. He did what?! Let go of me right now!" Irene snapped at Duke, snapping at him. He grudgingly let go and she immediately rushed forward, her eyes wide with horror, calling Milo every foul name she could think of while hugging me tightly. "You stupid asshole. Show him hell, Ro! How dare he even dream of that?"

"Not helping, Irene. Ro, chill!" Kai yelled, rushing to his twin brother and trying to pull him off Milo. "Roman, stop! You’re going to kill him!"

"He never should have touched Vivi!" Ro snarled, shrugging Kai off. "He fucking touched her! How could you hurt her? How could you?!" The raw, protective fury in his voice made my heart ache and swell all at once.

Kai finally managed to get a hold on him, wrapping his arms around his chest and holding him back. Milo was almost a crumpled, bloody mess on the floor, coughing harshly.

"You don’t get it," he rasped, glaring at me with pure hatred. "This bitch is fooling you all!"

I had to end it. Now. "He’s the mole," I announced quickly. "I caught him snooping in Gideon’s study, stealing things from his laptop. Ever since then, he’s been threatening and blackmailing me to keep quiet. He even... he’s the one who sent the man to shoot Kai."

The room went silent for like ten seconds before Irene gasped in disbelief. Kai and Ro stared at Milo, their chests heaving, their expressions a mixture of shock and dawning horror.

Milo laughed, a wet, broken sound. "You’re all crazy if you believe her," he spat, looking from one brother to the next. "It’s a lie! It’s all a lie!"

Then a shadow fell across the doorway. A sharp, cracking sound echoed through the room as someone’s knuckles popped. Everyone turned to look.

Gideon stood there, his face a dark, thunderous mask of cold fury. In his hand, he held a plain, brown cardboard box.

"Explain this then, Milo," his voice was so quiet, so freaking quiet it sent chills down my spine.