Chapter 92

"Mom, will you regret this later?" Thea wondered silently. Ivy paused, noticing Thea's distress, and felt a pang of unease. Thea's temper had been erratic lately, and Ivy decided to try to calm her.

With a forced smile, Ivy turned to Emmalie. "Go back to filming. I'll handle this."

Emmalie blinked, concerned. "Mom, Thea doesn't seem herself. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

From an outsider's perspective, Thea seemed menacing.

Ivy patted Emmalie's hand reassuringly. Thea raised a hand. "No need to rush. I have someone you and Emmalie should meet. After they clear some things up, you can take me away. But why the rush to silence me? Afraid I'll say something you don't want heard?" The livestream exploded with angry comments:

[Thea's seriously lost it. Her family's still defending her! I'm touched.] [If I had a family like that, I'd be happy too!] [She's hiding a man in her room!] [She's embarrassed and pinning it on Emmalie.]

The show's producers, noticing the increased viewership, kept the cameras trained on Thea. Seeing Thea continue to escalate the situation, Ivy's guilt vanished. Her eyes grew cold. "Is this really what you want?"

Thea arched an eyebrow. "Interesting. All I want is fairness, but you call me the troublemaker? Even if I am, would I be acting this way if you hadn't pushed me first?"

Ivy was livid. "Fine! Bring whoever you want. Let's see what game you're playing."

Ivy didn't notice the brief flicker of unease on Emmalie's face. Emmalie clenched her hands, feeling anxious. The man she'd arranged to meet the previous night had vanished. At first, she thought he'd fled, but seeing Thea, she wondered if Thea had found him. How could she? She was locked up all day yesterday, Emmalie thought. Trying to reassure herself, Emmalie tugged on Ivy's sleeve. "Mom, this is getting out of hand." At that moment, a man bound in a burlap sack was brought into the room, dramatically shifting the situation.

What had begun as a scandal about a daughter's infidelity had become something far more sinister—an orchestrated...

(The text cuts off here. The remaining sections appear to be a continuation of the same chapter, but they are disjointed and need to be integrated.)

...situation. The livestream comments demanded police involvement.

"Mom!" Emmalie cried, panicked. Ivy's brow furrowed. Regardless of the truth, this wasn't appropriate for public viewing. Ignoring Emmalie, Ivy signaled for the camera crew to leave. The producers were reluctant, but it was the Rowlands' home, so they complied. Emmalie breathed a sigh of relief, though her anxiety remained. Fortunately, Emmalie hadn't handled anything directly, so even if Thea suspected, there was no proof. Without evidence, Thea's accusations would be meaningless. Emmalie straightened.

Watching the crew leave, Thea's fingers curled. Without an audience, this confrontation meant nothing. The family would circle the wagons around Emmalie, minimizing the damage.

Then, synchronized footsteps echoed from outside. "I didn't expect the Rowland family to be so lively," a familiar male voice called. Everyone's expressions changed. Emmalie's eyes lit up with excitement. She ran to Nicolas. "Nicolas, what brings you here?"

The comments flooded in:

[I knew they were together! Emmalie's standards are sky-high.] [A perfect match! Both from good families and talented.] [Their future children will be beautiful.]

Ivy's stern expression softened. "Good morning, Mr. Hendrix." She was puzzled. What's Nicolas doing here? she wondered. Seeing Emmalie's bashfulness, it all clicked. Ivy felt satisfied. Her efforts in raising Emmalie seemed to have paid off.

Nicolas ignored them, his gaze sweeping to Thea. Though Thea couldn't recall the previous night, the morning's events were vivid. After the initial shock, she felt anxious and embarrassed. Why is he here? I haven't figured out how to face him yet, she thought.

Nicolas entered, his tone neutral. "I'm here for Jake. I heard about the incident and thought I should check in. I hope my visit isn't a bother. I've learned what happened. If it's as Emmalie said, it's serious. Don't worry. I'm just here to listen. If my father asks, I'll have an answer."

His words silenced Ivy. She hesitated. "Of course, it's not a bother. I just thought it might be inappropriate for you to witness this, Mr. Hendrix."

The director seized the opportunity. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we need more footage. Could Emmalie give us an interview?" This was a test; they weren't willing to leave. Nicolas had arrived, and Emmalie didn't want to film. Before she could refuse, Nicolas said, "Not enough footage? Then stay. If something serious happens, you can report it and clear the Rowlands' name."

Ivy felt uncomfortable, but with Nicolas's statement, she couldn't dismiss the crew. They looked at Nicolas as their savior. The burlap sack was removed from the man's head.