"Lyra Vaughn," Ivy said coldly, her voice like ice. "She was your grandmother too. The least you could do is show some respect."
Lyra stood a few feet away, her plain white dress pristine and fluttering lightly in the wind.
Her smile was beautiful, but it carried a cruel edge that made Ivy's skin crawl.
"Respect?" Lyra's tone was mocking, her expression turning smug. "Why should I respect someone who never saw me as her granddaughter? In her heart, there was only you, Ivy. Always you. Why? What makes you so special?"
Ivy stayed silent, her expression cold and distant.
Lyra chuckled lightly, her voice filled with mockery. "But I guess it doesn't matter now, does it? Grandma's gone." She paused, letting her words sink in before smirking. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you—Dad's made a decision. Because of you, Ivy. The news of you spending the night at a hotel with some man has caused such a scandal."
Lyra giggled cruelly, "It's all over town. You've humiliated the Delacroix family and dragged the company's name through the mud. The stock prices of the Delacroix Group have plummeted because of your recklessness. So, he's decided to send you abroad. Fend for yourself, he said. Your flight's already booked—for this afternoon."
Ivy's heart sank, but she didn't let her emotions show.
She kept her eyes locked on Lyra, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction.
"And," Lyra continued, her face lighting up with a smug smile, "Dominic and I will be engaged next week." She tilted her head as if savoring her victory.
Ivy's hands clenched tightly into fists, her nails digging into her palms.
Her face stiffened, but her voice remained calm. "So that's why Dominic Hale betrayed me."
Lyra raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt.
"It all makes sense now," Ivy continued bitterly. "Once your mother clawed her way into this family, you became the perfect little socialite, the famous daughter everyone adores. And me? I'm nothing but a leftover—the orphan with no one to protect her. Smart people always pick the winning side, right? But I didn't think you two would stoop so low."
Ivy bit her lower lip: "So that night, three days ago, it was you and Dominic that worked together to drug me."
Lyra let out a small laugh, clearly unfazed. "What can I say? Desperate times call for desperate measures. Although I didn't expect you to figure it out so quickly. That's impressive."
She put a finger to her lips in mock nervousness. "But shhh. Don't go shouting about it. Without evidence, no one's going to believe you anyway." Her smile grew sharper, her tone more mocking. "And you don't have any, do you?"
Ivy's fists tightened until her knuckles turned white.
Lyra took a step closer, her smile as poisonous as her words. "Oh, one more thing, Ivy. Thirteen years ago... your brother? Remember how he was waiting for you in the park? He was so excited, so eager to see you. But he never came back."
Ivy froze.
Her breath caught, and she felt her chest tighten as if a knife had been plunged into her heart.
Slowly, she turned to Lyra, her eyes blazing with fury. "It was you," she hissed.
Lyra took a cautious step back, but her smug expression didn't waver. "And what if it was?"
she said with a shrug. "You can't touch me, Ivy. You'll be gone by tonight, halfway across the world. You won't survive out there, and we both know it."
Hatred surged through Ivy's veins as Lyra's words settled in.
But before she could move, Lyra smirked again and stepped away.
"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but Mr. Hale's taking me to the movies tonight. I really need to get back and pick out the perfect dress."
She flipped her hair over her shoulder.
"Mom and Dad are waiting for me, so I'll be going now. Oh, and don't bother saying goodbye later, I won't be seeing you off."
With that, Lyra turned and walked away, her steps slow and deliberate, her figure swaying gracefully as if she were performing for an audience.
Ivy stood there, trembling with anger.
She wanted to scream, to lash out, but she forced herself to stay still.
As she watched Lyra's figure disappear into the distance, she clenched her fists and whispered to herself:
"I, Ivy Delacroix swear that everything you, Lyra Vaughn—have, I'll take it all away. Everything."