Her first instinct was to think of her own place. But besides that, there was the teacher’s apartment near the university, and Jamison’s place–which, in a way, she could also call home. So she needed to clarify exactly which one they were talking about.

The officer replied, “It’s the house in Verdant Estates. The neighbors say no one’s living there now, right? We’re not sure how the fire started, but it’s a big one. The fire department’s still working on it.”

Verdant Estates–that was Windsor Mansion. After Ivy bought it back, it had been registered under her name. Although Adkins Windsor and the rest of the Windsor family still lived there, they weren’t the owners anymore. They were, essentially, just guests under someone else’s roof. So after the fire broke out, the police checked the property records and called Ivy, the legal owner, to inform her. When Ivy heard it was Windsor Mansion that had caught fire, her shock deepened.

How could a perfectly fine house suddenly go up in flames? And the Windsor family had already moved out? When did that happen? A cascade of questions raced through her mind, but she didn’t have time to figure them out. She quickly told the officer, “Alright, I understand. I’ll head over right now.”

She hung up, and before she could say a word, Jamison looked over, his brows drawn. “Windsor Mansion’s on fire?”

“Yes. The officer said no one’s living there now, but how could a vacant house catch fire…” Ivy’s uneasiness grew. The whole thing felt off.

Jamison was surprised, too. “The Windsors moved out?”

“I think so. Katrina Lester mentioned to me that the wealthy woman bought Baillie Windsor a car and a new house. Looks like after their wedding, the Windsor family moved out with them.”

Jamison turned the steering wheel, changing course toward Windsor Mansion. After listening to Ivy, he frowned and speculated, “Could it be they were so upset about moving out that they set the place on fire out of spite?”

Ivy turned and stared at him. Could that really be it? Had the Windsor family become so crude and childish in their revenge? Burning down a house–sure, it was a loss, but not enough to truly wound her. It seemed like an unnecessary act of vengeance.

Jamison, realizing he was making baseless assumptions, quickly amended, “Of course, it could just be faulty wiring. The weather’s been dry lately, makes fires more likely.”

Ivy nodded. “Either way, we’ll know soon enough. The police will investigate.”

“Right. I’ll call the old place and let them know we won’t be back tonight.”

“Okay.”

Half an hour later, they arrived at Windsor Mansion. The firefighters had just finished putting out the blaze, packing up hoses and equipment, and heading back inside to check for anyone trapped. Ivy stepped out of the car, staring at the charred, blackened remains of the house, her brow furrowing tighter and tighter.

A police officer spotted her and came over immediately. “Are you Ivy?”

“Yes, I’m the owner.” Ivy asked, “Have you figured out what caused the fire?”

“The flames are only just out–we haven’t started investigating yet,” the officer replied, then asked, “How long has the house been vacant?”

Ivy answered, “I moved out a while ago, so I’m not sure. I’ll have to call and ask.”

“Alright.”

Ivy turned to her husband, lowering her voice. “Looks like we really do need to get in touch with them.” The Windsors had lived there for years without incident. Now, the moment they moved out, the house was burned beyond recognition. The timing seemed just a little too coincidental.

Jamison nodded. “Call Baillie and see what he says.”

“Yeah.”

It had been ages since Ivy had reached out to the Windsors of her own accord. As she dialed Baillie’s number, she felt a wave of complicated emotions. It rang for a long time before Baillie finally picked up. His voice, when it came, was edged with surprise. “Ivy?” He said her name in full, his tone cold and distant.

There had been a time when Baillie had tried to mend things with his little sister, even apologized sincerely, admitted his faults. But Ivy hadn’t accepted, and after Emma’s death, all those efforts vanished–Baillie’s attitude toward his sister had curdled into resentment once again.