"You! How could you just leave your cousin all alone overseas?! Are you trying to worry me to death?" Clara Zimmers rattled on over the phone.
The smile on Ivy Holden's lips deepened, but her eyes grew colder. "Don't worry, Auntie. My cousin isn't alone. Wasn't she the one who dragged me along to chase after a celebrity? We're staying in the same hotel as that star, James Zimmers. I'm sure they'll take good care of her."
"You… You book a flight for your cousin right now!" Clara Zimmers shouted frantically.
"Huh? What— Oh, I'm coming, I'm coming!" Ivy Holden feigned a flustered reply, then lowered her voice and said into her phone, "Auntie, something urgent has come up. Let's talk later." Without waiting for Clara Zimmers to respond, she hung up.
"You left your cousin all alone in Mikaris?" June Grant asked in surprise.
"Shhh—" Ivy Holden gave June Grant a pinch, gesturing for her to look at Ezekiel Aldrin outside.
Ezekiel Aldrin was dropping a small, white pill into Ivy Holden's soda water and giving the glass a hurried swirl.
"That bastard…" June Grant immediately started to rush out.
Ivy Holden grabbed her and shot her a glare, signaling for her to keep quiet.
"I can't believe he's such a bastard!" June Grant kicked the wall in anger.
"You go over first and keep him occupied. I'll be right there," Ivy Holden whispered.
"What are you going to do?" June Grant asked, puzzled.
"Take care of him, of course." Ivy Holden winked at June Grant, a charming smile playing on her lips.
June Grant nodded firmly and walked toward Ezekiel Aldrin in her high heels.
Ivy Holden, meanwhile, turned and entered the small bar's control room, placing a hand on the shoulder of a handsome guy who was hiding inside, eating.
"Whoa, Ivy? What brings you back here yourself? I'm just helping you keep an eye on someone, relax. I'll make sure it's handled perfectly." The handsome man looked at Ivy Holden, his charming eyes shimmering with pleasant surprise.
"Bro, do me a favor," Ivy Holden said with a grin, her eyes fixed on Ezekiel Aldrin and June Grant on the monitor screen.
It wasn't that Ivy Holden was being flirtatious; the young man in the control room was, in fact, her cousin, Nathan Rowan.
Nathan Rowan took a sip of water to wash down the food in his mouth, then asked, "Grandpa was just telling me this morning… It's his seventieth birthday tomorrow. Will you be able to make it?"
"Of course. Why else do you think I rushed back in such a hurry?"
"Good. So, tell me, what can I do for you?"
"This guy—" Ivy Holden pointed at Ezekiel Aldrin on the monitor. "He just put a pill in that girl's glass. I suspect he's dealing drugs. Can you clip the security footage from a few minutes ago? I'll need it as evidence." As soon as she finished speaking, Ivy Holden dialed the police to come and take care of this public menace.
"Holy shit! He dares pull this crap in my bar? Watch me fucking end him." The young bar owner, Nathan Rowan, tossed his food container aside and started searching for the video footage.
After hanging up her call with the police, Ivy Holden walked over to June Grant. She sat down, picked up the very glass Ezekiel Aldrin had drugged, and took a sip.
June Grant's face went pale with fright as she snatched the glass away from her.
"I'm so thirsty. Heh." Ivy Holden looked at Ezekiel Aldrin and gave him an embarrassed smile.
"It's fine, it's fine." There was an irrepressible excitement in Ezekiel Aldrin's eyes, mixed with a hint of regret. 'I wasn't prepared for this. Just one sip… I'm afraid it won't be enough for the pill to have any effect.' So he eagerly offered a bottle of beer. "How about some beer?" 'The effect of this drug doubles with alcohol.'
"I'm a little hungry, and the desserts here are pretty good," Ivy Holden said, snapping her fingers to call a waiter over.
The police arrived after Ivy Holden had finished a slice of mango mousse.
Ezekiel Aldrin stared at the police, completely dumbfounded. He had no idea how he had been exposed.
"Go to jail, Ezekiel Aldrin," Ivy Holden said with a placid smile, handing a slice of strawberry cake to June Grant. "Eat this, get something in your stomach. We'll have to go with the officers to give a statement soon."
The police found hallucinogenic drugs on Ezekiel Aldrin's person and subsequently discovered more narcotics at his residence. After giving their statements at the police station, Ivy Holden and June Grant signed the report and left. As for what happened later—how the police used Ezekiel Aldrin to find the imprisoned May Sutton, adding another serious charge during sentencing—that is a story for another time.
·
It was the peak of rush hour. Cars of all kinds were lined up neatly on the street, standing perfectly still as if awaiting a formal inspection.
June Grant looked around helplessly, muttering, "Oh, please, gods and spirits, send a handsome pilot to come fly me home."
Ivy Holden paid June no mind. She glanced back and saw a taxi with its "for hire" light on slowly approaching. She quickly waved it down, but the car didn't even slow down, driving right past them.
Defeated, the two continued to walk slowly along the curb, dragging their suitcases behind them. Suddenly, June Grant grabbed Ivy Holden's arm and complained, "Seriously, you scared me to death today! You clearly saw him put that pill in your glass, how could you still drink it?"
Ivy Holden let out a cold laugh. "If I hadn't drunk it, it would have just been an attempt. Only by drinking it did he actually commit the crime."
"Are you okay? You're not dizzy?" June Grant asked with concern.
"I'm fine. They already gave me a shot at the station," Ivy Holden said as she tried to hail a ride on her phone. Suddenly, the roar of an engine sounded beside them. Ivy looked over and saw a white Porsche Cayenne swerve and accelerate straight toward them. Her heart jumped, and she instinctively took a few steps back, pulling her suitcase in front of her as a shield. The car screeched to a halt less than two inches from her luggage. June was too frightened to speak.
Ivy Holden's lips formed a thin line, her gaze fierce and silent as she watched the man get out of the car.
"I'm so sorry, so sorry! I was taking a call, my hand slipped, and the car just veered off. You're not hurt, are you?"
"Your hand slipped? Your hand slips, and someone else almost dies! I strongly suspect you're driving drunk. June, call the police."
"Ma'am, it's a misunderstanding. I swear I haven't been drinking, it was just an accident. We can talk this through, no need to call the police, right?" The man, who had rushed out of his car, now offered his business card with both hands. "I'm a lawyer. We can definitely discuss this."
"Ha! No wonder you're so self-righteous. A lawyer, huh?" Ivy Holden was furious. "You know the law, right? So you think you can use it to bully ordinary people, is that it?!"
"No, no, no! What I mean is, you're a celebrity. Can we please just talk this over calmly?"
Ivy Holden frowned and asked the Cayenne driver, "Do we know each other?"
"To be precise, I know you, but you don't know me." Justin Jacobs flashed a smile as ostentatious as a peacock's tail. "I'm Justin Jacobs, a partner at Apex Law Firm. I'm also… the family member of one of your readers—ah, no, a fan. Lady Eden."
The moment Ivy Holden heard him call her "Lady Eden," it all clicked. With a cold smirk, she asked, "So, are you that opposed to your family member liking my books? Is that why you thought you'd just run me over and solve the problem once and for all?"