CHAPTER 121: BEGINNING OF HER END

Stefan sat on the small balcony of his room in Ethan’s house, the warm coastal breeze brushing against his skin as the soft sound of ocean waves echoed in the distance. He had barely touched his breakfast. The eggs had gone cold, and the toast felt like cardboard in his mouth.

He wasn’t sure why, but something felt...off. His heart felt heavy. He naturally would’ve thought it was what happened with Ruby the previous day but he could swear it wasn’t.

It was a strange kind of restlessness stirred in his chest. He had spent the last two days thinking solely about Ruby, trying to keep his mind away from Zeden, from Ivy and from the memories that refused to leave him alone.

He rubbed his temple, trying to focus, but a nagging feeling kept tugging at him. What could it be? Or was Ruby in trouble? Should he go and check in with her even if she might likely throw him away again?

He was still contemplating on that when his phone vibrated.

One glance at the screen made his brows draw together.

News Update: Socialite and Business Tycoon’s Wife, Ivy Winters Suspected in Friend’s Accident – ’Sweet Dreams, Darling,’ Witness Claims

Stefan’s hand stilled. He stared at the notification without moving. His heartbeat began to pick up. His thumb hovered over the screen before he tapped it, the article loading faster than he thought possible.

His chest tightened as he read the words. Again. And then again.

It felt surreal. Like a scene from a bad drama. What was this? Just a few days away from Zeden and this was already happening?

Ivy hurt Eliana? This has to be a joke. Perhaps, a joke of the century.

"What the hell..." he whispered under his breath, already reaching for his phone.

"Ethan!" he called out toward the house hallway.

A moment later, Ethan walked in, still buttoning his shirt. "Yeah? What’s up?"

"Have you seen the news?" Stefan asked, his voice low but urgent.

Ethan blinked. "What news?"

How could he know about the news when he had been thinking of Rayna all night, unable to sleep while wondering how hurt she must be or if he should disregard all he’d told Stefan and actively pursue her to apologize?

Stefan’s eyes remained locked on the screen. "About Ivy. Check the headlines. Now," he said, bringing Ethan’s attention back to himself.

Ethan reached for his phone, curious. It didn’t take long for him to find what Stefan was talking about. Within seconds, his jaw dropped.

"Whoa... this is..." he began, then looked up at Stefan. "That’s scary. I mean... I know Ivy’s a little, well—crazy. But this? I don’t know, man. She wouldn’t do something this extreme. Would she? This could’ve ended in Eliana’s death."

Stefan didn’t answer right away. His face had gone unreadable. Cold. If it were before, perhaps, he would’ve vouched for her and swear with his life but not anymore.

If she could leave him at the altar, someone she claimed to love and could also betray someone that shared the same womb with her, someone that loved her enough to clean up after her, then..... there was nothing that she couldn’t or wouldn’t do.

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Ethan watched him closely and seeing the coldness in his eyes, he asked, "You think she could actually...?"

"I’m not sure anymore," Stefan finally said, his voice quiet. "The Ivy I thought I knew would never do something like this. But the Ivy I’ve come to know these past few days since I regained my sight....." He let out a breath, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "She’s unpredictable. Manipulative. Maybe even dangerous. That’s why I need to have Ruby forgive me because Ivy even knows of her pregnancy."

Ethan looked troubled. "So, you really believe she’s capable of hurting Eliana?"

"I don’t want to believe it," Stefan said slowly. "But I can’t ignore the signs anymore. I should be more worried for Ruby now."

His thoughts drifted to the divorce papers. Had she signed them? He hadn’t heard anything yet. No confirmation. No rejection. Nothing. Not even from his mother or the lawyer.

The silence had stretched too long. What was going on in Zeden? His mother had called him severally the previous day and he’d called back but she hadn’t taken his call too. Was she okay?

His chest ached at the thought that if Ivy had something to do with Eliana’s accident... if she was as dangerous as these articles claimed... then his mother might be in trouble. Perhaps he should find reliable and strong men to guide her until he came back?

"I should call my mom," Stefan muttered, already reaching for his phone.

Ethan frowned. "You think she knows what’s going on?"

"If anyone does, it’s her," Stefan replied as he pressed the call button.

The phone rang only once before it was answered.

"Stefan!" Elizabeth’s voice burst through, rushed and breathless. "Thank God, I’ve been trying to reach you!"

"I tried to call you back last night but you wouldn’t pick up either," Stefan said, rubbing his forehead. "I saw the headlines. Is it true? Do you know what’s going on?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line before Elizabeth finally spoke again, her voice quieter.

"It’s part of the reason I tried calling yesterday," she said. "I didn’t know how to tell you. I wasn’t sure how much you could handle right now, but yes. It’s true. I heard everything, Stefan. Ivy... she hurt Eliana."

Stefan’s stomach dropped. "What do you mean, you heard everything?"

"I was at the hospital," Elizabeth said, her tone tense. "I didn’t know Ivy was going to be there. I went to check on Eliana... and then I saw Ivy and decided to follow her. Never thought she’d sau any of what she said when she walked into the room."

Her voice cracked slightly. "She didn’t know I was there. I was just outside. The door was open a little. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. But then... I heard her talking. To Eliana. She said things like ’this is what you get’ and... and she told her ’sweet dreams, darling’ like some kind of threat. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing."

Stefan closed his eyes. A bitter taste filled his mouth. "Why didn’t you call security? Or report her immediately?"

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"She’s manipulative. She might change the whole story so I did something else," Elizabeth said after a beat. "I told the media. It would be hard to lie her way out with so many outlets writing about it now."

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"What?!" Stefan’s voice rose. "Mom, are you out of your mind? Ivy is dangerous! What if she finds out it was you? What if she comes after you next?"

"I’m not scared of her," Elizabeth said firmly. "And you shouldn’t be either. I did this for you. I want her out of your life once and for all. I figured if the media got involved, she’d be forced to leave. Or at least, you’d have enough proof to finalize the divorce. With what she did, if you bring the divorce public, she’d be left with no choice but to sign the papers."

Stefan gritted his teeth. "So, she hasn’t signed them?"

"No," Elizabeth replied. "She disappeared for three days. No one knew where she was. I thought maybe she knew about it and was hiding to stall for time. But then I saw her at the hospital. That’s when I realized she was still lurking around—still trying to control everything."

Stefan leaned back in his chair, the tension settling deep into his bones.

"You shouldn’t have risked yourself like that," he said quietly. "If she could do that to her best friend then you don’t know what she’s capable of."

"She won’t hurt me," Elizabeth insisted. "She’s desperate, Stefan. She’s losing control. And people like her? They always make mistakes when they’re desperate."

There was a long silence between them.

Stefan turned toward the horizon, the sea stretching endlessly before him.

"She was supposed to be my wife," he murmured. "How did we get here?"

"She never loved you the way you deserved," Elizabeth said gently. "You tried, Stefan. You gave her your loyalty, your patience, your love... and she betrayed all of it."

"She was a woman I loved," he said quietly. "I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with her."

"I know," Elizabeth whispered. "But now it’s time to let her go."

Stefan said nothing, his thoughts racing.

He didn’t know what was worse—the fact that Ivy might have harmed someone out of jealousy or the fact that he hadn’t seen it coming. He’d been so blinded by guilt over his blindness, so wrapped up in trying to make things work, that he hadn’t realized the danger that had been sleeping beside him.

"I’ll have to return to Zeden," he finally said. "This... this can’t be fixed from here."

Elizabeth hesitated. "I agree. But please, be careful, Stefan. Don’t let her pull you into her mess again and don’t come back with Ruby."

"I won’t," he promised. "I need to protect what’s left. I need to protect her and my unborn child."

"It’s just a pity that I didn’t see through her early enough," Stefan said softly. "Ruby didn’t deserve any of this."

A soft silence fell between them again before Elizabeth spoke.

"I’ll do everything I can on this end. You focus on staying safe. And Stefan..."

"Yes?"

"I think this might be the beginning of her end."

He didn’t answer. He ended the call, staring down at the phone in his hand.

Was this really the end for Ivy? Somehow, he doubted it. Because Ivy Winters wasn’t the kind of woman to go down without a fight.

And something told him... the real storm hadn’t even started yet.