Chapter 149: Accused

Gabrielle lowers her head and her face is flushed with embarrassment. The rest of the women start sniggering.

"Of course she didn't," they laugh, "You can see it in the way she blushes. She's far too innocent."

Ruby lifts her foot. Gabrielle picks up the teapot and scurries toward the door. As she reaches the door, she hears Ruby sigh dramatically.

"I want to go shopping on the weekend, but Mr. Clifford hasn't called me in, so I can't ask him to leave," Ruby complains.

Gabrielle deliberately slows and turns to look at Ruby.

"Why don't you just leave on your own?" she asks.

"You're clearly new here," Ruby scoffs, "The forest here is like a maze. If you get trapped in it, you may never find your way. People get lost and starve to death all the time—they just wander in circles until their bodies collapse."

Gabrielle purses her lips. She suddenly understands why Andrew is so lax about her movements—he knows she doesn't have a chance to escape.

"That's horrible," Gabrielle says, widening her eyes and feigning innocence, "How does anyone leave?"

"The bodyguards are familiar with the terrain and they can escort you out," Ruby answers, "If there aren't any bodyguards available, you have to use a special map, but honestly, I prefer to wait for a bodyguard."

"Just take the map from Mr. Clifford," Gabrielle says, hoping to elicit more information, "He already spoils you."

"It's not so easy," Ruby replies, "The map is a treasure, and Andrew guards it carefully. I've only ever seen it once, and I'm pretty sure he keeps it locked in a safe."

Gabrielle carries the tray to the kitchen. Servants in the kitchen are preparing small, delicate cakes. Gabrielle puts the teapot in the sink for the servants to clean. Then she stops one of the servants carrying a tray.

"Mary, I'm just going to dress Mr. Clifford's wound," Gabrielle says, "You can give the tray to me and I'll take it."

Eager to give away the heavy tray, Mary passes it to Gabrielle without question. A cup of rose tea shakes and clunks as Gabrielle balances the tray on her thin arm.

"Be careful," Mary warns, "Don't spill it." There is also a cup of rose tea in the tray.

The smell of the tea entices Gabrielle as she walks and she takes a small sip. She toys with the idea of spitting into the cup but worries Andrew would notice. She knocks at the door to his study, but no one answers. Quickly, she presses her ear to the door to listen for voices within. Without warning, the door flies open and she stumbles into the study, almost dropping the tray.

"Are you eavesdropping?" Andrew asks.

"No," Gabrielle whispers, "I knocked on the door just now and didn't get an answer. I was checking to see if anyone was inside."

She looks around the study and sees that Andrew is alone in the room. Gabrielle doesn't know that Mary always opens the door directly when she brings Andrew his tea. Forgetting her lowly position in the house, Gabrielle foolishly waited for someone to open the door for her.

Andrew steps back and allows her into the room. She puts the tray on a table and examines the walls. She doesn't notice Andrew approaching her. He pauses close behind her and follows her line of sight.

"What are you looking for?" he whispers.

Gabrielle jumps to hear the voice right behind her. She turns around and sees his eyes are inches from face. As she tries to focus on his face, he notices her dark eyes cross slightly. He finds it charming.

"What are you looking at?" he repeats.

"Nothing," she murmurs.

"Are you hoping to steal something from me?" he asks cooly.

"No, I just can't help looking at the antiques here," Gabrielle lies, "They're so ornate."

She looks down from his face at the IPad in his hands. The screen displays a picture of Avery. It looks like it was taken right after she squeezed the head off the snake. Though her hands are bloody and her hair is messy, she looks startlingly beautiful—like a vengeful goddess.

"Does he like Avery?" Gabrielle wonders, "Fuck—how dare he! What a pervert!"

"Do you think your sister is beautiful?" Andrew asks, lifting the IPad for a better look at the screen.

"She is not yours," Gabrielle screams in her head, "You don't deserve her!"

As much as she wants to voice the words, she nods her head and feigns obedience. Andrew smiles, and then suddenly doubles over and clutches his chest.

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"What's wrong with him?" Gabrielle wonders, "Does looking at Avery make him too excited? I wish he'd just have a heart attack and go straight back down to hell!"

"My sister has been beautiful since she was a child," Gabrielle says, carefully observing Andrew's expression, "She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She's like a fairy."

She looks up and finds that Andrew is glaring at her accusingly.

"As a nurse, shouldn't you show some concern for my heart problems?" he snaps.

"Oh, are you having trouble with your heart?" Gabrielle asks with an innocent smirk, "Shall I go get a stethoscope to check your heartbeat?"

"Do you want your sister to come here to keep you company you?" Andrew asks coldly.

Gabrielle hurriedly shakes her head. She doesn't want her sister to come to such a strange place, and she's worried about what Andrew would do to her if she was here.

"Get out!" Andrew suddenly roars.

Gabrielle hurriedly leaves the study. As she goes, she takes another quick glance around the room, but she doesn't see anything resembling a safe.

"If it's not in his study, where is it?" she wonders, "His bedroom?"

The rays of the sun warm Avery's face. She stretches, opens her eyes and finds a row of servants standing by the bed. She immediately sits upright, clutching the sheet she was sleeping under.

"What are you doing here?" she asks.

The servants smile at her and nod at the trays they're holding.

"Mrs. Howel, before Mr. Howel went to the office, he said that we have to take your temperature when you get up," one servant explains.

"Take my temperature?" Avery asks.

"The body temperature before ovulation is generally just below 36.5 degrees centigrade first thing in the morning," a nurse says, "After ovulation, the body temperature increases by 0.3-0.5 degrees centigrade, and this increases lasts for 12-16 days. If the high-temperature curve exceeds 18 days, it indicates pregnancy."

"After taking your temperature, you should take this with you when you go to the bathroom," another servant says.

Avery looks at the servant and sees that she's holding a box of pregnancy tests on a tray. Avery presses her finger to her temples.

"Everyone gets out of here!" she orders.

The servants don't know why Mrs. Howel is so angry, and they leave as quickly as possible. Avery closes her eyes and tries to slow her breathing. She was startled by the sound of someone quietly clearing their throat nearby.

"Mrs. Howel, do I also need to get out?" asks the last remaining servant.

"Yes!" she snaps.

"But Mr. Howel said your previous mobile phone doesn't work because of the outdated system," the servant explains in an injured tone, "This is the phone you used before, and Mr. Howel asked me to give it to you."

Suddenly, Avery raises her head to look at the tray the servant is holding. The couple's phone Evan gave her sits atop the silver tray. Avery sighs and reaches for the phone. She's sick of being unable to communicate with the outside world and she's willing to compromise her privacy if it means she can finally have a phone again.

"You can leave now," she tells the servant.

The servant sighs with relief and walks out of the room, grateful that Mrs. Howel didn't lose her temper again. Avery sits on the bed and takes her old SIM card out. She frowns as she looks at the phone in her hand.

"Evan tampered with my last phone so it could only receive texts but never send them," she thinks, "He did it just so I'd use the couple's phone, and it seems he's getting his way."

Before she puts the SIM card in she hears a phone ringing. She looks at the phone in her hands in confusion and wonders where the ringing is coming from. Suddenly, she recalls Gabrielle's mobile phone. She opens the drawer on the bedside table and pulls out the phone. The caller ID displays the name: Amnesia.

"What a strange name!" Avery thinks.

She mutes the ringer but allows the call to ring through to Gabrielle's voicemail. She doesn't want to intrude on Gabrielle's life and she has no idea who the caller is. A few seconds later the screen lights up and the phone begins to buzz. The same person is calling again. Avery stares at the phone and weighs her options; finally, she answers it.

"Hello, is that Miss Peters?" a severe voice asks, "I'm with the local police department. Your man has been accused of disturbing residents, and we need you to come here immediately."

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