Isabelle Willow quickly recalled the dream she had and awkwardly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Nothing happened between your brother and ."
"Really?" Iris Crawford didn’t believe her, not because she doubted Isabelle, but because she didn’t trust her own brother. She knew all too well the kind of man he was. Another little rabbit had fallen into his trap, and he, the carnivorous beast, would never let go of the chance for a hearty feast.
"Isabelle Willow, I have no interest in what happened between you and my brother. Just hurry up and get the divorce papers processed with him and make a clean break. I don’t want my brother or the Crawford family to have any more accidents because of you. The farther away you are from us, the better!"
Isabelle Willow didn’t say anything. She hadn’t returned this ti with the intention of rekindling anything with Jude Crawford. There was no way back for them.
He did seem to be in good shape, stable and full of strength. It appeared his heart condition was indeed cured, which put her at ease.
Isabelle Willow looked up at Iris Crawford, "Iris, I will settle things with your brother, but I still want to explain the events back then. Dylan Gardner and I were not what you think. I can’t explain the surveillance footage from that ti. Even now, I can’t rember what I actually did. It felt like I was being controlled."
If it were the past, Iris Crawford might have lost her temper and beco hysterical, but this ti she was very calm.
She had actually called Isabelle Willow over because she wanted to hear what Isabelle had to say. Upon closer thought, everything seed like what Serena had told her a few days ago—there were too many improbabilities and doubts about the past events.
Iris Crawford frowned, "Controlled? What does that an, you’re saying... soone might have infiltrated the Crawford family back then?"
Isabelle Willow recalled so details. Over the years, she constantly searched through her few remaining mories for valuable information. "That night I really felt unwell. I rember the last person I saw was... a little girl..."
A little girl?
Could it be... Caroline Sloan?
Iris Crawford had been sponsoring impoverished children in mountainous areas from an early age, with Caroline Sloan being her favorite among them.
Caroline Sloan was smart and hardworking, and during that sumr holiday, Iris had brought her to explore the bustling city of Aethelgard.
That night was her birthday, and everyone in the Crawford family had gathered at the family mansion. She also brought Caroline Sloan along.
At that ti, Caroline Sloan was still very young, just a few years old, and didn’t have much presence. Later, with so many things happening in chaos, she had truly forgotten about Caroline Sloan.
Now, with Isabelle’s ntion, Iris’s mind suddenly flashed with many images. Isabelle and Dylan were in the room, and soone was the first to discover them, screaming and drawing everyone upstairs. She rembered... that it was Caroline Sloan.
Later, when she stumbled out of the room in a daze, heavily pregnant, she stood on the stairs and missed a step. At that mont, she also seed to have seen Caroline Sloan.
Caroline Sloan?
Caroline Sloan!
Could it be that this entire event was related to Caroline Sloan?
Iris Crawford felt shocked but quickly dismissed the idea. A re few-year-old girl—it might just be a coincidence.
However, it was too much of a coincidence, highly abnormal. Abnormalities often have sothing sinister behind them.
"Iris! Iris, what’s wrong?" ca Isabelle’s voice.
Iris Crawford snapped back to reality. She wanted to speak, but then the sound of a bell rang in her ears again, making her feel like her head would split open.
"Iris, you don’t look good. Let call you a doctor."
"No need." Iris stopped her, "Isabelle Willow, you should go now. I have so matters I need to verify myself. If there are any developnts, I’ll call you."
Seeing Iris’s reluctance to talk more, Isabelle could only nod, "Alright, I’ll leave then. I’ll wait for your call."
Isabelle Willow left.
...
With Iris Crawford left alone in the room, she pressed her head with her hands, trying to stay conscious.
There had to be sothing wrong with Caroline Sloan!
A few days ago, she had even witnessed Caroline Sloan appearing again, being carried in Hayden Crawford’s arms...
Iris Crawford’s pupils constricted, and she felt her heart drop continuously. She pondered a possibility—that Caroline Sloan had intentionally gotten close to her, stealthily infiltrating the Crawford family, and now appearing by Hayden’s side. Was her target... Isabelle Willow and Hayden Crawford’s mother?
And she was nothing more than a sacrificial pawn.
Oh my God!
It seed like Iris had uncovered an earth-shattering secret. She realized the Crawford family had been living under a great conspiracy all these years.
What should she do?
Iris quickly retrieved her phone, intending to make a call, wanting to call Serena Sterling.
At this mont, the only person she thought of was Serena Sterling. Serena was the person she relied on and trusted the most. With Serena’s sharp intellect, she could surely help break this spell that had plagued the Crawford family for years.
But just as she found Serena’s number and was about to call, a voice suddenly echoed in her ears, "Miss, who are you planning to call?"
Iris jumped, dropping the phone onto the carpet. She imdiately looked up to see Beryl’s old face growing larger in her view.
"Beryl, why did you co in without knocking? You scared to death!"
Beryl glanced down at the phone on the carpet. Illuminated on the screen were the words "Serena Sterling." She bent down, picked up the phone, and directly turned it off. Then, she took out two pills alongside a glass of water. "Miss, is your head aching again? It’s ti for your dication. Co, be a good girl and take these pills, and the pain will go away, bringing you relief."
Iris imdiately sensed sothing was off about Beryl. She had barged in without knocking, confiscated her phone, and now insisted on giving her dicine.
Warily, Iris retreated a few steps. Then she noticed a red bell tied to Beryl’s waist—the very source of the piercing bell sound that had been causing her headaches.
"You’re not Beryl. Who are you really?" Iris demanded, her voice cold and cautious.
Beryl chuckled, a sinister smile that sent chills down the spine. "Who I am doesn’t matter. You only need to know, Miss, that Serena can’t save you!"
At that mont, all of Iris’s suspicions seed confird. She cursed herself for being so foolish, realizing things too late.
She used her long nails to dig into her fingertip until it bled, then quietly placed her hand behind her. On the sofa, she wrote "Lian" with her blood—a last ssage ant for Serena!
She believed Serena would discover it upon returning!
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