âDo you think if I tell them the truth about what happened back then, theyâll be so grateful that theyâll treat me the same as you? But would they still treat you like the savior after that? I really canât say,â
Olivia said with a smirk as she paced around Mara, her stride confident and self-assured. It was a rare moment of triumph for her, after years of playing second fiddle to Maraâs lead.
For so long, Olivia had been under Maraâs thumb, but now she had her moment in the sun, her chance to call the shots.
Alyssa was listening from the sidelines, utterly confused by the young womenâs conversation. Hadnât Mara died trying to save Balfour all those years ago?
âWhat do you want from me?â Mara asked, her voice low, fists clenched. She didnât know how much Olivia had gleaned from her sleep talk, or what sort of âevidenceâ Olivia thought she had. Despite being certain she had destroyed every last photograph before she left, it was possible she had missed something. If there was any trace left from those days that Olivia could hold over her, then everything Mara had carefully built over the years could come crashing down.
No, Mara couldnât let that happen. She had plans with Balfour, a life to lead!
Now, Ivy stood like a mountain in Maraâs path, and her old friend Olivia had turned into an adversary.
People could be so unpredictable.
âMe? I havenât decided yet. But you might want to start treating me better, donât you think, Mara? For years Iâve been like your lapdog, always at your beck and call. When you were in a good mood, youâd throw me a bone. When you werenât, youâd treat me like I was the enemy. Iâm a living, breathing person, not your servant, get it? But I guess you wouldnât understand how I feel, since youâre the one who started this whole mess. I should thank my lucky stars I decided to open that door when I heard the noise from your room that night. Otherwise, Iâd still be in the dark, duped by a âfriendâ who was actually living a lie!â
Olivia laughed softly, almost as if she found the whole thing hilarious.
âItâs funny, isnât it, Mara? A woman kills her own sister just to win a manâs heart. If you were in my shoes, wouldnât you find this woman terrifying, cold-hearted, downright evil?â
Olivia whispered these words into Maraâs ear, and Mara, as if she couldnât take it anymore, shoved Olivia away violently. âWhat do you know? You donât understand anything, so stop making wild guesses!â
Alyssa tightened her grip on her handkerchief, shocked to her core. So Mara had been hiding this dark secret all along. It wasnât about Balfour at all!
âI really donât get it, Mara. Why donât you enlighten me? Why would you kill your own sister? Even if you loved Balfour that much, couldnât you have just competed fairly? She was your flesh and blood, for heavenâs sake! How could you be so cruel?â
Olivia frowned, and despite all the years claiming not to care about family ties, the weight of the revelation was heavy on her. But deep down, she knew she could never go through with something like that, not like Mara had with her own flesh and blood.