Chapter 4 Overhearing a Call

Cressida's hands balled into fists. She suddenly remembered the way Natasha had looked at her at the door just now. It was as if Natasha had been certain she would never come home. Cressida held her breath and eased closer, straining to hear. Just then, Natasha turned while still on the phone, and their eyes met. Realizing Cressida might have overheard, Natasha ended the call in a hurry. Her voice trembled as she asked, "Cressie? W-What are you doing here?" That guilty look on Natasha's face only made Cressida more certain that something was seriously wrong. "Who were you on the phone with just now?" Cressida closed the distance, her eyes ice-cold. "Did you send the man who abducted me? And you trade a file for it?" All color drained from Natasha's face. A week earlier, a mysterious man had reached out and offered to take Cressida out of the picture. In return, Natasha had to lift a file from Luther's study. But now, not only had Cressida come back alive, but she had also overheard her call. What was Natasha supposed to do? Panic rose in Natasha's chest as footsteps drew closer. Cressida was too focused on grabbing Natasha's phone to notice. She'd thought the man killed her because he hadn't gotten his money. Now she realized that her death itself had been the bargaining chip in his deal with Natasha. No wonder he'd tortured her so cruelly. The memory of her final despair sent hatred boiling up in her. If she could prove Natasha had hired someone to abduct her, she could go to the police. They would find the killer, and Luther would finally see Natasha's true colors. Perhaps she could even survive this. As soon as Cressida gripped Natasha's wrist, Natasha staggered. Off balance, she pitched out the window. "Natasha, you…" Cressida froze. The study door sat ajar. It blew inward under a hard kick. Luther stood in the doorway, his voice icy. "Cressida! What the hell did you do?" From downstairs came Natasha's cry of pain, followed by the maids' screams. Luther's gaze went frigid. He stormed forward, shoving Cressida aside to look out the window. When he saw Natasha lying below in a pool of blood, he clenched his fists, and his eyes turned bloodshot. His shove sent Cressida crashing to the floor, her lower back striking the table's corner. A mug went off the table and shattered. When she threw out a hand to brace herself, porcelain shards bit into her palm, and the pain drained the color from her face. She was about to explain, despite the pain, but a hand clamped around her throat. "Cressida! How dare you do this to Natasha?" Luther didn't seem to see the pain on her face. His eyes held nothing but hate. "I can't believe you'd be this vicious! You tried to kill her just because I'll be celebrating her birthday at home?" The suffocating agony surged through Cressida and dragged her back to the terror and torment of her death. She scraped up a breath and forced out the words. "It wasn't me… I didn't… It was her…" Luther gave a harsh laugh. "You're still trying to lie your way out? If anything happens to Nat, I will bury you with her!" With that, he flung her aside and strode out of the study. Cressida lay sprawled on the floor, listening to the commotion outside and to Luther's anxious voice as the cold numbed her limbs. He hadn't even let her finish before deciding she had hurt Natasha. Wasn't Cressida always the one being targeted and hurt instead? Luther had once promised to protect her forever and believe her. When did that change? Struggling to her feet, Cressida looked out the window. The ambulance had already arrived. Luther was carrying Natasha into it, cradling her as if she were made of glass. Cressida opened her hand and stared at the porcelain shard sunk deep in her palm. The ache in her chest outweighed any pain in her body. She glanced toward the study's corner where the surveillance camera sat. Then, she brought up the footage on the computer. Since Luther refused to believe her, she'd have to depend on herself. Half an hour later, after tending to the wound on her hand, Cressida copied the clip to her phone and set out for the police station. She'd just started down the stairs when Luther's car came roaring back into the driveway.