Back at the Sterling manor, the grand, opulent halls that had witnessed a morning of unexpected domestic turmoil now hummed with a thick, suffocating silence. The air was heavy, charged with unspoken accusations and simmering fury. Upstairs, Delilah was being attended to by the family doctor, her wails having finally subsided into whimpers, but the shock of the incident still resonated throughout the house.
In the opulent main hall, Alexander Sterling stood rigidly, his broad shoulders squared, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. His face was a mask of cold fury, his jaw clenched, his eyes distant and clouded with a dangerous mix of anger and concern for his sister. He had returned downstairs after ensuring Delilah was stable, and now he stood, a silent, imposing figure, radiating an icy displeasure that chilled the very air around him.
Opposite him, Eleanor and Katherine, both equally enraged, stood with their faces fused in a mask of indignation. Eleanor's usually composed features were contorted with a rare, undisguised fury, her eyes flashing with a mixture of shock and outrage at what had transpired. Katherine, her sister-in-law and Delilah's mother, mirrored her expression, her mouth a tight, thin line of anger. The idea that such a 'scandal' could occur within their impeccable home, and involving their own, was an affront they could barely tolerate.
A few housekeepers were gathered nearby, their heads hanging low, their eyes fixed on the polished marble floor. They dared not breathe loudly, let alone speak. Their earlier morning had been one of routine efficiency, some busy upstairs tidying rooms, others tending to the courtyard gardens. No one, absolutely no one, would have expected such a shocking, violent incident to erupt in the heart of the Sterling mansion, a place synonymous with order and tranquility.
According to the initial, frantic accounts, Claire had pushed Delilah. That was the narrative that had quickly solidified in their minds, fueled by Delilah's dramatic fall and Alexander's immediate, protective reaction.
However, Martha stood slightly apart, her expression troubled. She had been questioned, and while she hadn't seen the entire altercation, she had stated, albeit hesitantly, that Claire's legs were also severely burned. This conflicting detail, whispered amongst them, made the other housekeepers feel deeply uneasy, especially with Alexander's unnerving silence. He hadn't asked about Claire, hadn't acknowledged her presence, or her injuries, even when Martha had tried to interject. His unwavering focus on Delilah, while understandable, left a chilling void where concern for his wife should have been.
The silence stretched, thick and suffocating. Finally, Katherine, unable to contain her indignation any longer, rose from her seat with a sharp rustle of fabric. Her voice, usually soft, was now sharp with accusation.
"Maybe she did it herself to cover her mistakes!" Katherine declared, her eyes blazing as she looked from Alexander's rigid back to the other housekeepers, seeking agreement. "What a villain! To injure herself to try and make Delilah look guilty!" Her words hung in the air, a venomous suggestion that painted Claire as not just aggressive, but cunning and manipulative, twisting the narrative to suit their anger. The housekeepers shifted uncomfortably, but none dared to contradict.
"Oh, Lord! What did I ever do to deserve this?" Eleanor finally cried out, her voice a strained whisper, her hands clutching at her chest as if to physically contain her despair.
At that precise moment, the sound of hurried, heavy footsteps echoed from the grand staircase. Ethan Sterling, his face pale and etched with a new, profound concern, rushed into the hall. His eyes, usually bright and mischievous, were now wide with a desperate urgency as they scanned the grim faces of his mother, aunt, and brother.
He seemed oblivious to the charged atmosphere, his mind singularly focused. "Where is Delilah?" he demanded, his voice tight, cutting through the tense silence.
"What happened?" Katherine asked, her voice sharp, her eyes narrowing at Ethan's disheveled appearance and frantic demeanor, a stark contrast to his usual calm.
Ethan didn't say anything, his gaze fixed on the staircase. He moved with a determined stride, heading straight for Delilah's room, his long legs covering the distance in mere seconds. Alexander, Katherine, and Eleanor, surprised by his sudden appearance and his directness, exchanged bewildered glances before following him, their own anger momentarily forgotten in the face of this new, unfolding drama.
They entered Delilah's luxurious bedroom to find her propped up in bed, looking weak and pale, her bandaged arm resting on a pillow. Ethan ignored everyone else, his eyes fixed solely on his sister, a raw question in their depths.
"Is that true, Delilah?" Ethan asked, his voice low, almost a whisper, but filled with a chilling intensity that cut through the room. His gaze was unwavering, piercing. "You poured hot water on Claire?"
The maid who had been attending to Delilah quickly looked up, her eyes wide with alarm. Eleanor, seeing her, gave a sharp, imperious gesture towards the door, dismissing her without a word. The maid scurried out, leaving the family to their private, escalating drdrama"What are you saying, Ethan?" Delilah whimpered, her eyes wide and innocent, looking at Alexander with a feigned sympathy that was almost convincing, as if seeking his protection from this absurd accusation.
"Did she say that my daughter poured hot water on her?" Katherine quickly interjected, stepping forward in fierce defense of Delilah, her voice rising in a shrill protest, her face contorted with outrage.
Ethan ignored Katherine, his gaze still fixed on Delilah, his jaw tight. "Claire was severely burned and is now in the hospital," he stated, his voice gaining strength, his eyes blazing with a cold fury. "And moreover, why would she pour it on herself?" The question hung in the air, logical and damning, demanding an answer.
Delilah's eyes quickly welled up with tears, her lower lip trembling. She pressed a hand to her chest, as if in profound distress. "Because she hates me!" she sobbed, her voice cracking with apparent anguish. "Because I know that she had a secret affair with Zane Harrington!"
The accusation dropped like a bomb in the quiet room. Eleanor gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. Katherine's jaw dropped. Alexander, who had been standing rigidly by the door, took a sudden, swift step forward, his face turning to stone, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.
"Repeat that again," Alexander commanded, his voice dangerously low, each word etched with a terrifying precision that sent a shiver down everyone's spine.
Delilah, emboldened by the shock she had created and Alexander's undivided attention, pushed on, her tears flowing freely now. "Yes," she sniffled, her voice gaining a dramatic edge. "They were dating before she married you. And still now, they have feelings for each other. I saw them!"
Katherine, recovering from her initial shock, let out a triumphant sniff. "I knew it," she muttered, a grim satisfaction settling on her face. "I knew there was something off about her from the start."
Alexander ignored them all. His eyes, now burning with a cold, terrifying rage, fixed on Ethan, demanding information. "Where is she?" he demanded, his voice devoid of any emotion, yet vibrating with a barely contained violence.
Ethan, caught completely off guard by the sudden shift in focus and the explosive revelation, swallowed dryly. He had just seen Claire leave, but the full implications of Delilah's words were sinking in, painting a picture far more complex and dangerous than he had initially understood. "With... her friend," he stammered, confused by Alexander's sudden, intense demand for Claire's location.
"Her friend? Who?" Alexander pressed, his voice a low growl, his eyes narrowing, the bloodshed in their depths making Ethan flinch.
Ethan's mind raced, trying to recall the name. "I don't know her name is..." He trailed off, then snapped his fingers as it came to him. "Sasha. I think she works in GET Art Supplies."
Without another word, Alexander Sterling turned on his heel. He didn't wait for any further explanation, didn't acknowledge the shocked faces of his mother and aunt, or Delilah's triumphant tears. He strode out of the room, his footsteps heavy and purposeful, a man consumed by a silent, dangerous fury, the kind that promised swift, decisive action.
"Alex... Alex!" Eleanor cried, her voice filled with a mixture of alarm and concern, hurrying after her sons, leaving Delilah and Katherine alone in the tense silence of the bedroom, a silence now broken only by Delilah's soft, satisfied sniffles.