754 Chapter 753
âCome on, just say it! Weâre all hanging here waiting for you.â
Erin prodded impatiently when no one spoke up.
Ryan stayed silent.
Erin turned her attention to Ellie instead. âOh, for crying out loud, if he wonât talk, you spill the beans! Whatâs the deal? Did you run into some jerk? Are there any messy love triangles going on? Weâre all friends here, nothing to hide, right?â
Ryan and Lewis exchanged confused glances, clearly ignored.
Oddly enough, Erinâs directness made Ellie feel a bit lighter. She realized, why was she the one feeling bad? She wasnât the one who messed up.
She began, âI had a boyfriend⊠well, not really a boyfriend. More like someone I was interested in. He paid off my housekeeper to try and kill me because Iâve got a life insurance policy, and heâs the beneficiary.â
Erin bit into a pistachio. âWait, hold on. This guy youâre just into⊠and you made him the beneficiary of your life insurance? Girl, youâre acting like a total simp.â
Ellie blinked, taken aback. That word stung more than she expected.
She wanted to argue, but the words didnât come. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized Erin was right.
She looked down at her hands.
âNo, seriously, whatâs going on with you? Youâre young and gorgeous, and you come from a great family. Why are you throwing yourself at some guy like this?â
Erin pressed on.
Ellieâs voice dropped. âBecause⊠he saved my life once.â
âOh, I get it. A classic trauma bond. PTSD, right? Someone saves you, and now heâs your hero, and youâre head over heels.â
Erin turned to Keira. âShe saved your life yesterday. Youâre not about to fall in love with her, are you? I mean, love knows no bounds, right?â
Keira shot her an exasperated look. âWould you stop talking nonsense?â
âIâm not talking nonsense! I actually feel bad for Lewis over here. Heâs got to watch out for both you Cobb siblings. Not only the brother but the sister, too? Wow, Lewis, youâve got your hands full!â
Lewis smirked. âSeems like the person I need to worry about⊠is you.â
Erin grinned, cradling her face with her hands. âOh no, no need! Iâm into clean-cut boys like Charles, not girls.â
Ellie cleared her throat. âI donât like girls either.â
âOh, well, thatâs a shame. If you did, maybe youâd finally give up on that jerk. But alright, letâs get back to the story.â
Erin turned back to Ellie. âSo youâve been simping for this guy, and he turned around and paid your housekeeper to kill you for insurance money?â
Ellie nodded.
Keira quickly asked, âDid your car break down yesterday?â
Erin nodded. âYeah, itâs the one I drive every day.â
Keira kept pressing, âWhat time did you leave the house?â
Ellie paused. âI was supposed to leave around 9:30, but someone told me the gate was blocked. I ended up leaving a little later, around 9:55, to check what was going on.â
âWho told you the gate was blocked?â
âThe butler.â
Keira looked over at Ryan.
Ryan caught her meaning and quickly said, âThe butlerâs clean.â
Keiraâs expression darkened.
If this accident was planned, it had to happen right at 10:00. If Ellie had gone downstairs even a minute earlier or later, Ryan wouldnât have gotten into that car, and the crash wouldnât have happened.
The timing was too perfect to be a coincidence.
Keira asked, âWhen you went downstairs, did someone prompt you?â
âNo,â Ellie said quietly. âI was supposed to meet a friend. I was running late, and they called, so I got impatient and went downstairs.â
âWhich friend?â
Ellie hesitated, then answered, âDarien Britt.â
Keira stood up immediately. âWhere is he now?â
Ellieâs expression hardened, her fists clenched. âI havenât seen him yet.â
âI need to talk to him,â Keira said. âEither heâs being controlled, or thereâs something seriously wrong. Why did he call exactly at 9:55? And why was your car tampered with? If you ask me, Ryanâs crash at 10:00? Thatâs on him.â
Ellieâs face tightened with a mix of anger and despair.
Keira looked at Ryan, who added, âI wanted to call the cops yesterday and deal with him, but Ellie⊠she couldnât let go.â
Erin stared at Ellie in disbelief. âAre you serious? Youâre still hung up on this guy? What do you even see in him? That he doesnât love you? Wake up!â
Ellie bit her lip, hating how much Erinâs words stung. But the truth of it hit hard.
Taking a deep breath, Ellie said, âAlright. Iâll take you to him. Letâs find out why he did this to me.â