Ralph would have been dead had he not dodged the arrows in time.

"This is too much!" He rose, enraged by the row of arrows, and shouted, "Heather Riggs, I know you can hear me! What's the meaning of this?! We need to talk—today!"

Despite coveting her properties and desiring an alliance with the Riggs family against Alexander, he could bear it no longer. He feared this capricious woman might end his life before he could act against Alexander.

"I might tolerate her temper, but this is beyond the pale! Is she trying to kill her husband?" Her behavior was a dramatic reversal from yesterday, when she shyly accepted his marriage proposal. Such a change was inexplicable; no woman in her right mind would act so erratically. "Yes, she has a screw loose. Heather must be a nutcase!" His anger intensified. He stood arms akimbo, shouting at the surveillance camera, "Come out, Heather, you crazy woman! Just speak your mind and stop playing games! No man can tolerate such erratic behavior. Do you think it's fun shooting me with arrows just because I've been good to you? You have no respect for people! Come out and tell me what the hell that was all about! Stop hiding like a coward! Aren't you tough? Why are you hiding? Get your ass out here now!"

Heather watched from the surveillance screen; he looked ridiculous, jumping and yelling, covered in dirt. She couldn't understand what Hannah saw in him, or why that girl would defy her for his sake. "Well, perhaps a loser matches another loser. Heather and that idiot do make a great pair," she mused.

Sipping her water, she narrowed her eyes as Ralph railed, a hint of amusement in her expression.

Chump, observing her gaze, approached. "Miss, do you want me to take care of him?" He refrained, awaiting her order; otherwise, Ralph would have long since been tossed in the river. Instead, Heather shook her head. "Open the gate and let him in."

She was still angry about his actions from yesterday, yet seeing him outside calmed her. A smile played on her lips. "If this man hasn't realized the wretched girl and I are two different people, does it mean Hannah has successfully impersonated me?"

"Miss?" Chump, surprised by her leniency, heard Ralph's insults.

"What?" Heather raised an eyebrow, glaring.

"Nothing. Right away, Miss!" He pressed his Bluetooth earpiece. "Open the gate!"

As Ralph, breathless from his tirade, bent over, he heard the dull clang of the gate opening.