Betty was still standing at the door long enough to see Scarlett sitting up on her bed and Jude beside her closely
Betty felt they were too close and too familiar to be saying they want to keep their distance
She tightened her fingers against the doorframe like she wanted to rip it off the hinges
Scarlett noticed but she didn't react. She just smiled faintly
"Are you smiling in this situation?", Jude asked Scarlett
Jude looked at her briefly before he turned his attention back to Betty
"I'll handle it", he said as he stood up instantly
Betty stepped back quickly but her expression was very cold
"I won't let her win", she whispered under her breath as she shut the door behind her
Scarlett exhaled slowly as her body was still weak but her mind was already racing above everything
"Open safe, missing files?", she murmured
Her eyes went toward the closet briefly and back to the door
She carefully pushed herself off the bed as the weakness hit instantly but she didn't let it weigh her down
"Madam Tracy, kindly come to my room", she called her through the intercom close to her bed
Madam Tracy came almost immediately
"My lady, you shouldn't be standing. You are still very weak", she said
"I don't have time to be lying down", Scarlett replied flatly
She didn't want to start an argument
"Help me pick a dress from the closet and get me dressed", she continued
Downstairs, there was tension everywhere as staff whispered
Everybody was moving up and down as if the world was about to come to an end
Jude stood in the middle of everything looking calm and controlled
"There was no evidence of force opening in the safe", Betty said beside him as she looked through her tablet
"You mean to say, it was opened properly?", Jude asked
"Yes, sir", she replied sharply
"Then it means it is internal"
There was a pause immediately as Jude tried to wrap his head around what was happening
"I want every detail. Log every movement in that office since yesterday", he continued
"Already on it, Mr Maguire", Betty replied instantly
But her mind wasn't really there, it was back upstairs as she remembered the way Jude held Scarlett's hand and she didn't let go
"This isn't over", she thought quietly
Scarlett didn't go near the chaos, nor did she go in search of Jude
Instead, she slipped out quietly through the side corridor that they hardly use in the mansion
She went past the service exit heading toward the back garden
She walked without holding back as she went beyond the main grounds toward the narrow path that led outside behind the mansion walls
There was a long bench there and she sat there thinking about the whole situation
She heard movements behind her as the footsteps were getting closer
"Stop standing behind like a coward and show yourself", she said calmly with the little strength she had
Michael Gerard came out of the shadows as he stood close to the bench like a man who understood limits
"You're very sharp", he said with a faint smile
"Shouldn't I be? Moreover, I am a Maguire", she replied quietly
Scarlett wasn't scared
"Why are you here?. You shouldn't be here", she said calmly
"I guess I should be asking why Mrs Maguire is seated on a bench behind her mansion at this time of the day", he replied lightly
There was a pause until
"You sent the envelope", she said without blinking
It was a direct accusation and not a question
"You think I would send you something?", he smirked
"I think you would do anything to sabotage your competition", Scarlett said without blinking
"Well, that took you so long to crack"
Her expression changed into something dark
"Why?"
He looked at her for a moment
"Because you are the only one in that house that doesn't belong in that house", he said
"What does that even mean? Are you saying I am the problem in the Maguire family?", she asked
"I am saying you're the weapon in the Maguire house and that depends on how smart you are", he corrected
Her fingers tightened around the edge of the bench
"You're playing a very dangerous game"
Michael smiled faintly
"I don't think so because this is business", he said
"You think if the board knows about the hidden accounts, code transfers, they won't think it's corruption and that gives Gerard industries control?", he continued quietly
Scarlett looked at him briefly
"And you thought the best way to go about it was to drop it in front of my door?"
"I thought you would like to see such details as well", he said calmly
"The safe in Jude's office wasn't random. It was internal", he added
"I already know that", Scarlett said
"Are you sure? The person is someone close", he said softly
Scarlett thought through what Michael just said
The envelope and the internal breach were too intentional
"One thing I am sure about is that you are definitely involved", she said coldly
"Hmmmn…. If I were to be involved, I wouldn't be having this conversation with you right now", he replied
"How did you even know I would be here?", Scarlett tried to change the conversation
"I didn't know. I just wanted to come see you at the mansion and I wanted to come from behind the mansion and fortunately, you saved me the stress", he replied sharply
Footsteps echoed faintly from inside the mansion
Scarlett didn't lose focus, nor did she turn
"What do you want now?", she asked
Michael stepped back slightly
"Well, for now I don't want anything", he said
He paused for a bit and then continued
"Just don't be the last person to notice what's happening around you especially in the Maguire mansion"
Her eyes snapped at him
"And what exactly is happening in the Maguire mansion that is your business?", she asked
Michael smiled brightly
"Hmmmn.... Maguire family is about to go down", he said quietly
"But not from the angle everyone is expecting", he continued with a soft laugh
Scarlett didn't blink "You're not exactly making sense right now", she said
"Don't worry. You are already part of it. It will make sense to you soon", he said lightly
He turned immediately and walked towards his car as he opened and within seconds he drove off
Scarlett stood still for a moment then exhaled slowly
When she stepped back into the mansion, everything felt wrong
Jude stood at the far end of the living area as he was speaking to someone over the phone
"Lock down external access for now. I thought I told Betty to inform you", he said calmly
He ended the call as soon as Scarlett approached
He looked at her briefly
"Why are you here? You shouldn't be walking around yet", he said
"I'm fine"
She paused then
"Is there any update concerning the missing files?", she asked
Jude looked at her for a second as he wondered why that would be the first question she would ask
"No update yet. We are still assessing every little detail", he replied
Scarlett nodded once
"Then I guess you and your team should assess faster", she said as he walked past him weakly
Jude watched her go as he felt something about her didn't feel right
But he looked away instantly
Scarlett climbed the stairs carefully as she entered her room and shut the door quietly
She walked straight to the closet and pulled out the leather case
She unlocked it and checked if all the documents were still intact
She looked at it for a moment and locked the case back
Then she heard a soft sound as she turned her head slowly
The door was slightly open
She was certain she shut the door properly but she guessed she didn't close it properly enough
"Who's there", she said calmly
There was no response
Then she saw a shadow shift across the narrow gap of the door
Scarlett didn't move immediately and she didn't panic either
She slid the leather case back under the closet as she turned toward the door slowly
She pulled the door quietly and looked through the hallway
It was very quiet and empty
Her eyes went straight down the corridor and caught something at the far end
A staff member was turning around the corner fast
Scarlett couldn't see the person's face fully
And she realised immediately that someone had been watching her
"But who was that?", she asked quietly