Eleven
Aria’s jaw clenched as she listened to Justina’s continued tirade, her elegant composure beginning to crack under the assault of insults.
The older woman’s shrill voice echoed through the villa’s marble foyer like nails on a chalkboard.
“Let’s leave now,” Pervis said quietly, placing a gentle hand on Aria’s arm. He could see the storth brewing in her eyes and knew it was better to retreat before things escalated further.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Justina shrieked, stepping directly into their path. “You’re not going anywhere until! search both of you!”
“Excuse me?” Pervis asked, his voice dangerously calm
“You heard me,” Justina snarled, her face twisted with malicious glee “You must have stolen som from the Morrison family. I know your type–always taking what doesn’t belong to you. I’m not letting you leave until I check your pockets and bags”
“Mrs. Morrison,” Aria said with icy politeness, “I suggest you step aside.”
“Don’t you dare tell me what to do in my own daughter’s house!” Justina screamed. “You’re just another gold–digger who thinks she can waltz in here and-”
The sharp crack of Aria’s palm against Justina’s cheek cut through the air like thunder. The older woman stumbled backward, her hand flying to her reddening face in shock
“How dare you!” Justina gasped, tears of rage and humiliation springing to her eyes.
“I warned you,” Aria said coldly, adjusting her designer purse on her shoulder. “Come on, Pervis. We’re
done here.”
They walked toward the front door with measured steps, leaving Justina clutching her cheek and
trembling with fury.
“This isn’t over!” Justina shrieked after them. Tll make you both pay for this! The Morrison family
doesn’t forget!”
But her threats fell on deaf ears as the heavy front door closed behind them with a final, decisive click
The moment their car pulled away from the villa, Justina scrambled for her phone with shaking fingers She dialed Anna’s number, her face still burning from the slap.
“Anna!” she wailed the moment the call connected. “You need to come home right now!”
“Mother? What’s wrong?” Anna’s voice came through the speaker, sharp with concern
“It’s Pervis!” Justina sobbed dramatically. “He came here with that woman of his, and they attacked mer
Anna’s face darkened as she stood in the hospital corridor, her free hand clenching into a fist “What do
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Chapter Eleven
you mean, attacked?”
“He brought his mistress into our home!” Justina continued hysterically “They were stealing from us and when I tried to stop them, she hit me! She actually hit me, Anna!”
Nearby, Noah pretended to be engrossed in a magazine while secretly listening to every word. His injured hand rested in a sling, but his eyes gleamed with satisfaction as Justina’s story unfolded exactly as he’d hoped.
“Is everything alright?” Noah asked with feigned concern, looking up from his magazine “Did something happen with Pervis again?”
“It’s nothing.” Anna replied coldly, though her knuckles were white as she gripped the phone
“Are you sure?” Noah pressed gently. “You look upset.”
Anna ignored his question, focusing entirely on her mother’s continued sobbing.
“I’m coming home right away,” Anna told Justina. “Don’t touch anything until I get there.”
She ended the call and immediately tried to dial Pervis’s number, her fingers stabbing at the screen with
unusual force.
The phone didn’t even ring–it went straight to a message indicating the number was blocked
“He blocked me,” Anna whispered in disbelief.
Noah had to bite his lip to keep from smiling. Everything was falling into place perfectly
“Maybe his phone died?” Noah suggested innocently, though internally he was celebrating.
“No,” Anna said through gritted teeth. “He blocked my number.”
The drive back to the villa was tense and silent, Anna’s hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles had turned white. Noah sat quietly beside her, occasionally wincing dramatically when the car hit a bump, reminding her of his “injury.”
When they arrived at the villa, they found Justina still in the foyer, now holding an ice pack to her cheek while pacing back and forth like a caged animal.
“Anna!” Justina rushed toward her daughter the moment they walked through the door. “Thank God you’re here!”
“Tell me exactly what happened,” Anna demanded, her voice sharp and controlled.
“That husband of yours brought his little girlfriend here to rob us blind Justina declared dramatically. They were going through your things, stealing whatever they could carry!”
“Did you actually see them take anything?” Anna asked.
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“They were acting suspicious! Justina insisted. “And when I tried to sing them from lexing that man struck me across the face!”
Anna’s expression grew even darker. “Show me where they wen
“In your bedroom,” Justina said, leading the way upstairs. They were going through your safe jewelry box, everything!”
Noah followed behind them, his mind racing with his next move This was the perfect opportunity to
frame Pervis once and for all.
“I should check the safe immediately.” Anna said, her voice tight with barely controlled
“Yes!” Justina agreed enthusiastically. Im sure they stole something!
While Anna and her mother were distracted, Noah quietly slipped away from the group Red seen in the house long enough to observe Anna’s habits, including watching her open the safe on several socasions The password was her birth date–predictable and easy to remember
Moving quickly, Noah made his way to the hidden safe behind the painting in Anna’s study is fingers trembled slightly as he entered the code, praying he’d remembered correctly.
The safe clicked open with a soft mechanical sound
Inside were stacks of cash, several pieces of expensive jewelry, and some important documents Seat quickly grabbed a diamond bracelet and a handful of bills, stuffing them into his jacket pocket
“Anna!” he called out loudly, his voice carrying through the house “You need to see this The safe is spent
Footsteps thundered down the hallway as Anna and Justina rushed toward the mudy
“What did you say?” Anna demanded, appearing in the doorway with her face flushed
“The safe,” Noah said, pointing with his good hand. “It’s been opened. You should check if anything
missing”
Anna rushed to the safe, her eyes scanning its contents with the precision of someone intimately familiar with every item
“My diamond bracelet,” she whispered, her voice deadly quiet. “It’s gone”
“I knew it!” Justina shrieked triumphantly. “I told you that worthless husband of yours was a tite” Anna’s hands shook as she counted the cash. “Five thousand dollars is missing too.”
Noah watched from the corner, his expression perfectly crafted to show shock and concern while internally celebrating his success
“How could he do this?” Anna whispered, more to herself than to anyone else. “How could Pervis steal from me?
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
