Chapter 64

"Why?" Confusion was visible in Arabella's voice.

"Living in someone else's house feels strange,"Daisy murmured, her lips forming a tight line. "I can't shake this feeling that we're intruding."

"I understand your concern," Arabella said,reaching out to ruffle her sister's hair with tender fingers. "But Asher isn't just anyone to us.You're completely safe here, and nothing unexpected will happen."

Daisy caught her lower lip between her teeth,her thoughts swirling behind unreadable eyes.

"Perhaps once we resolve everything with Joyce and her friends, we can find our own place," Arabella suggested, her tone hopeful."By then, I'll have enough energy to search for somewhere perfect for us."

Daisy's head bobbed in agreement. "Alright, I trust your judgment completely."

Their corner of the world radiated warmth and

peaceful comfort.

Meanwhile, tension crackled through the air at Joyce's home like electricity before a storm.

Nathan gripped photographs between his fingers, his knuckles white as he confronted his daughter. "Is this how you've been spending your time at school?"

Joyce's heart hammered against her ribs. She wondered how these images had found their way to her father's phone. "Dad, who sent these to you?"

"The message came from this number."Nathan's voice barely contained his simmering rage. "I investigated, but it traces back to a foreign number-completely untraceable. Who have you managed to anger?"

"L... I know exactly who did this! It's Arabella Stanley! She's that girl's sister!" Joyce's words tumbled out as realization struck her like lightning. "Arabella had the audacity to send you threatening messages! Dad, don't worry-I'll handle her myself."

"I suspect she's far more complicated than you realize," Nathan said, his voice dropping to an

icy whisper. "Did Kenny and Elissa also target her?"

"How did you discover that?" Joyce asked,surprise coloring her features.

"Mr. Hyde and Mr. Tucker looked deeply troubled. I could sense something significant had occurred," Nathan replied, his mind already working through the implications.

The Lamberts had always stood as the most prosperous among the three families. Nathan's thoughts raced with calculated precision. "For her to obtain all three of our private numbers,she must have prepared extensively."

Joyce began to grasp that this situation ran much deeper than her initial assumptions.

"Tell mne, did anything unusual happen the day your mom suffered her accident?" Nathan pressed.

Joyce's memory flickered back to that moment."We had cornered Arabella when suddenly a group of men in black suits burst through the doors..."

"It appears she has powerful allies watching her

back," Nathan said, his gaze growing darker with each passing second.

Joyce worried her lip between her teeth. "Dad,maybe it was just coincidence? Elissa mentioned that Arabella ran away from home when she was twelve. What could someone like her possibly accomplish? She probably either worked grueling jobs or became someone's kept woman."

"Your thinking lacks any depth!" Nathan's voice cracked like a whip. "Our family has enjoyed peace for years, but after you brought Arabella home,your mom fell into a coma. Do you still believe in coincidences? I conduct business with extreme caution-| would never cross any powerful family. The only logical explanation is that those men in black came specifically to protect Arabella!"

Joyce's face drained of all color.

Could this really be the truth?

"You need to find Arabella and resolve this mess immediately!" Nathan's words carried the weight of an ultimatum before he stormed from the living room.

Joyce remained frozen on the couch,her mind reeling, before she frantically called Elissa and Kenny to share what had transpired.

Kenny finally learned that Daisy possessed a twin sister-Arabella.

No wonder he had always sensed that Daisy seemed different after returning home. It hadn't been her at all!

"My dad received a message from Arabella too.I just endured a brutal lecture. Elissa, who exactly stands behind Arabella?" Kenny said,bewilderment evident in his voice.

Elissa's tone carried false confidence. "Who could she possibly have? She probably just paid some hacker to dig up our fathers' phone numbers. Don't worry-she can't maintain this charade much longer!"

"Do you have a strategy, Elissa?" Joyce asked urgently.

Even though Elissa had humiliated herself in the school's equipment room, making Joyce feel annoyed with her, their primary concern remained focused on Arabella.

"Don't worry, Joyce. I refuse to let you become collateral damage in this situation," Elissa declared, her voice blending determination with calculated gentleness. "I feel terrible that my actions got you scolded at school. This time,I'll confront Arabella directly."

Kenny's voice carried reassurance as he added,"Don't worry, Elissa. Joyce isn't someone who forgets loyalty easily. You two have shared years of friendship, and I've witnessed firsthand how devoted you've been to her. There's absolutely no way Joyce would harbor resentment against you."

Joyce felt her emotions churning like turbulent waters, caught between uncomfortable awareness and genuine gratitude as she reflected on Elissa's countless acts of kindness over the years.

Uncertainty clouded her thoughts like morning fog.

Should she really continue this friendship with Elissa?

The three friends reached an agreement that Elissa would handle the Arabella situation alone.

After they ended their call, Elissa sent Joyce a carefully crafted message. "I bought you something special. It should arrive soon. I hope you're not angry with me anymore. Even if our friendship doesn't survive this, I just want you to find happiness."

Within minutes of Joyce reading the message,a servant appeared at her door carrying an elegant package. "Joyce, your delivery has arrived."

Joyce accepted the box with trembling fingers,opened it, and gasped at the sight of the limited -edition handbag she had coveted for months.

The price tag read three hundred thousand dollars.

Astonishment washed over Joyce, followed immediately by a crushing wave of guilt.

Even though Elissa had consistently targeted Daisy with her cruel behavior, she had always treated her with unwavering generosity and care.

Besides, Elissa had every reason for her dislike of Daisy.

Allowing this conflict to destroy her friendship

with Elissa felt fundamentally wrong,almost like betraying someone who had stood by her through everything.

Joyce's fingers flew across her phone screen as she typed her response. "We'll remain friends for life. Don't ever say things like that again. If you ever need my help with anything, just tell me."

Elissa read the message, but instead of feeling any warmth, her lips curved into a satisfied smirk as she mentally labeled Joyce a complete fool. Manipulating someone as naive as Joyce proved almost embarrassingly simple.

In the days that followed, the weather grew increasingly oppressive with summer heat.

Arabella spent time practicing dance and enjoying quiet moments with Daisy at home.

On Friday, the sweltering atmosphere suddenly shifted ominously. After practice ended, thick clouds gathered overhead like gathering storm clouds, and rain began hammering the earth as Arabella raised her hand to hail a taxi home.

Once she settled into the vehicle's interior,Arabella felt the air conditioning provide blessed

relief from the heat. "Please take me to Gracebourne," she instructed the driver.

"Certainly, miss," the driver replied, pulling away from the curb.

Arabella gazed out the window, watching the rain intensify into a torrential downpour.Lightning carved jagged white scars across the darkening sky. Exhaustion from her long day settled into her bones, and she allowed her head to fall back against the seat as her eyelids grew heavy.

The driver's eyes kept drifting to the rearview mirror as he studied her reflection with unsettling intensity.

The car continued its journey along increasingly deserted roads, the familiar cityscape giving way to isolated stretches of countryside.

After what felt like an eternity, the vehicle lurched to an abrupt stop.

The driver stepped out into the pounding rain,yanked open Arabella's door, and suddenly clamped a chloroform-soaked cloth over her mouth and nose while dragging her from the car with brutal efficiency. In that terrifying

moment, Arabella's consciousness snapped back to full alertness, and she began fighting with desperate strength against her ccaptor's iron grip.