CHAPTER 14: BLACKMAIL

Ruby stood in the middle of the room, her phone still in her hand, fingers clenched tightly around it. Her palms were slick with sweat, but her body felt cold all over. That last message wasn’t just a threat — it was a promise.

Someone out there wasn’t just aware of her secret — they were planning to exploit it.

She turned and began pacing, her mind racing.

What are you willing to do to keep your secret?

She hated the question because deep down, she didn’t know the answer. How far was she willing to go?

Lie? She already had.

Manipulate Stefan? Done.

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Betray a woman who had once called her family? Every day she pretended to be Ivy, she was doing exactly that.

The line she swore she’d never cross was starting to blur — and whoever this person was, they knew it.

What was she going to do now? Allow herself be blackmailed? Who could she call to ask about this? What if neither her mom or Elizabeth said something to anyone? Was that even a question? Of course they didn’t say anything so who could it be that was blackmailing her?

Ruby stopped pacing, her bare feet rooted to the cool floor as another wave of panic pulsed through her chest.

What if it wasn’t Elizabeth? What if it wasn’t Mom?

She had gone along with their plan because they said it would be clean, controlled. That no one else would ever know until after that one year. And yet... someone did. But how? Who? Why was the person reaching out to her and not Elizabeth or her mom?

She grabbed her phone again and, after a brief hesitation, scrolled down to her mom’s contact. Her thumb hovered for a moment before she pressed "Call." The dial tone buzzed in her ear, her heartbeat growing louder with each ring.

"Ruby?" her mother’s voice answered, warm but wary. "Everything okay?"

Ruby licked her dry lips and tried to sound casual. "Yeah, Mom. I just... I wanted to ask something."

There was a pause on the line before her mother spoke again. "Okay... what is it?"

Ruby sat on the edge of the bed, her body tense. "Has Ivy contacted you? Like... in any way? A message, a call, maybe someone else saying they saw her?"

Her mother sounded confused. "No... why? Why are you asking that, Ruby?"

Ruby hesitated. She could hear the concern threading through her mother’s tone. But she couldn’t say it. Not over the phone. Not yet.

"I don’t know. I just wanted to be sure. I had a weird dream, that’s all."

"A weird dream?" her mother repeated, clearly not buying it. "Ruby... did something happen?"

"No," Ruby replied a little too quickly. "I’m fine. Really. I just needed to clear my head."

There was another pause, then her mother’s voice softened. "Well, Elizabeth called earlier."

Ruby blinked, surprised. When she’d called Elizabeth, she hadn’t thought she’d call her mom. "She did? Why?"

"Yes. She invited me for dinner at your house tonight. Said she wanted to catch up with us in front of Stefan. Is everything okay? Did something happen between you two?" her mother asked gently. "Is that why you’re asking about Ivy?"

"No, Mom. Everything’s fine," Ruby said quickly. "I just... didn’t know about the dinner, that’s all. She hasn’t told me yet. Maybe there’s something she wants to tell us," she said, not wanting to worry her mother over Stefan’s suspicions.

"Well, she sounded fine on the phone," her mom said with a trace of hesitation. "I thought it was a nice gesture. Maybe she just wants us to all be in the same space again. You’ve been so quiet lately, Ruby."

Quiet because she was constantly living on edge. Quiet because every day, she feared exposure more than anything else.

"Thanks for letting me know about the dinner," Ruby said, already feeling a fresh layer of stress coat her skin. "See you later, Mom."

"You sure you’re okay?"

"I’m okay," she lied. "Just tired."

"Alright. But call me if you need to talk. About anything."

"I will. Bye, Mom."

She ended the call and slowly set her phone down beside her, her thoughts spiraling.

So it wasn’t her mom. And from the sound of it, Elizabeth hadn’t said anything either — though with her, you could never be entirely sure.

But this message, this threat... it was real. And it was out there.

What if Elizabeth already knew about the message? Or worse... what if she was testing her to see if she’d fall?

Ruby stood again and crossed the room, heart pounding louder now, as she looked out the window into the growing dusk. The sky was darkening, the world outside falling silent.

But inside her — everything was unraveling.

Whoever was watching her... whoever was waiting in the shadows — they weren’t done yet.

And soon, they would come to collect but one thing she was certain was she wouldn’t give whatever they wanted.

Meanwhile, down the hall, Stefan sat in his private study. His fingers were interlaced, elbows resting on the armrest as he tilted his head slightly toward the open window. The wind rustled the curtains, carrying with it the faintest sounds of the night.

He had received a call just minutes ago. From his mother.

She had said all the right things — about Ivy’s growth, her new maturity, how proud she was of the way she’d been handling his condition.

It sounded too... orchestrated.

Stefan’s lips pressed into a thin line. His mother rarely praised anyone. And now she was going out of her way to call and soothe his doubts? Had Ivy called her? Why was his mom coming to have dinner with them?

Something about it didn’t sit right with him.

He rose to his feet, letting his fingers trail lightly across the edge of the desk as he walked slowly to the window.

The air was cool. Sharp.

"She changed," Elizabeth had said. "Because she loves you."

But he wasn’t so sure anymore.

His gut told him there was something more. Something deeper.

And he’d trusted his gut for years — it had never failed him.

"Ivy..." he murmured to himself. "What are you hiding from me?"