Chapter 15: Piece of Evidence 2

"I'm not upset that I've been unjustly blamed," Avery says calmly, "I just don't want to be the scapegoat for someone else's crimes."

She looks accusingly at Leonie.

"Evan, I'm telling the truth. You have to trust me," Leonie gnashes her teeth in frustration and anger.

She itches to drag Avery out of Evan's arms and wonders when Avery became so fearless. Evan turns a deaf ear to Leonie and stares at Avery with the utmost depth, amazed by her incredible intelligence and risky plan.

Robert hurriedly enters the room followed by two maids carrying silver trays. A white cardboard box sits on top of each tray; the boxes have finger-sized holes in the top and appear completely identical. The servants place the two boxes on the table as ordered.

Avery points to the boxes and speaks to Leonie, "If you're telling the truth, you'll be very familiar with the fragrance of the drugged purple candle. According to your story, you carried it to Evan's room. Each box contains a candle—one is the drugged, purple candle and the other is normal. I suggest you smell the two boxes and tell us which one contains the purple candle. I'll lose if you pick it accurately."

Leonie walks forward and smells the two boxes. After a brief pause, she points to one with certainty, "You're definitely going to lose. This one."

"Are you sure?"

Avery gestures to the maid and she opens the box. The candle inside has a plain, white wick. Leonie frowns and sniffs the candle again.

"No, that's impossible," she said confidently, "I have a very sensitive sense of smell. I can't be mistaken."

"You lose, Leonie," Avery says.

"No, that's impossible," Leonie sniffs again, "This candle contains ambergris, musk, cypress, and borrachero, which can all function as aphrodisiacs." In her eagerness to prove herself, Leonie doesn't realize that she's said too much.

Avery raises her eyebrows, "You know these ingredients inside and out, Leonie," she says, "Indeed, borrachero is one of the most dangerous hallucinogenic drugs in the world, and it's often used as a powerful aphrodisiac. Luckily, it's incredibly rare and you can only get it from South Africa. But you seem to be forgetting something: it's completely odorless. Your nose might be good, Leonie, but I have trouble believing it's that good."

Avery pauses and looks meaningfully around the room, "It's interesting that Leonie already knew which aphrodisiac is in the candle, isn't it?"

Leonie looks panicked, "I...I…You..."

Leonie can't believe that she's risen to Avery's bait and betrayed herself. She staggers backward. Her plan to disgrace Avery has completely failed and she has lost control of the situation. Unexpectedly, Avery has dominated. Worst of all, Evan continues to hold Avery in his arms.

Anxious and afraid, Leonie tries to backtrack "I just heard about the drug from—"

"Who did you possibly hear it from?" Avery asks, "Only Evan and David knew which drug was in the candle and they didn't tell anyone."

Leonie doesn't know how to answer the question. She never planned for things to go this way. She assumed Avery was an easy target; she never expected her to fight back or out-scheme her.

Leonie bursts into tears and kneels in front of Mrs. Florence Howel, "Mrs. Howel, I didn't know anything about borrachero. I only heard that people use it to ease the tension when it's their first time, and I was so nervous I—"

Mrs. Howel tenderly pats her back, "Don't cry. It's not a big deal. As you said, many couples use it only to ease their nerves or increase their pleasure. I know you couldn't possibly want to hurt Evan. Come on, sweet girl, stand up."

Avery can't believe that Mrs. Howel is forgiving Leonie so easily. The woman wanted to punish her harshly for drugging Evan but she's consoling Leonie for doing the same thing.

Avery untangles herself from Evan's grasp and stands up.

"I was just told that anyone who breaks the family rules must be punished," she says, "Leonie may be a distinguished guest, but surely that doesn't mean she's above the laws of the family and the country. Isn't that right, Mr. Howel?"

Evan frowns unpleasantly. Moments ago Avery was meek and affectionate in his lap, but suddenly she has resumed her distant and arrogant tone. Hearing her call him "Mr. Howel," so indifferently makes his heart pound. He will not let her go so easily again.

Leonie's eyes glint with anger, but she doesn't dare to say anything. She understands that she's powerless now; Avery has won Evan's support and the upper-hand. She grinds her teeth in hatred.

Avery walks toward Leonie, "As children, we were always taught to correct our mistakes immediately. Even a three-year-old child will apologize when he's wrong. Will you apologize to me, Leonie?"

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"I..."

Leonie bites her lower lip and stares at Evan piteously. Tears stream down her face and her delicate frame shakes with barely suppressed sobs. Evan gives her an emotionless, indifferent look, "Apologize to her!."

"I—I'm sorry."

Avery accepts the apology and graciously offers to help Leonie stand.

"Since you've been so sincere, I'll tell you a secret," she says.

Avery lifts the candle from the table and gives it a small shake. The white wick magically changes to purple.

"Indeed, you were right. You picked the purple candle. I asked Evan to dye it temporarily."

Leonie is beside herself, "How dare you trick me?"

Avery smiles, "I may have tricked you, but you betrayed yourself, Leonie."

Leonie wants to scream. She wants to slap the smug smile off Avery's face and rip the hair from her head. She takes a deep breath to steady herself; Evan and Mrs. Howel are watching and she can't afford to give in to her emotions. She still has to play the part of a well-mannered lady.

"You only have yourself to blame, Leonie," Avery looks at her, "I didn't interfere in your attempts to seduce Evan, but you got what you wanted from him all the same. Just try not to use drugs next time, okay?"

Leonie groans and crumples into a faint. Mrs. Howel catches her and eases her to the floor. Gently, she checks her pulse.

"Call the doctor," she orders.

Then she turns to Avery and points at her, "As for you, Avery…"

Avery gives her grandmother-in-law a brief, supercilious look. The old woman almost sputters with rage, "Evan, just look at her disrespectful attitude!"

Evan grabs Avery's wrist and forcefully turns her to face him. He glares at her and she stares back defiantly.

"I will drive your family crazy if you don't agree to get divorced. And this much stress can't be good for your grandmother's health," she threatens in a mock whisper, "You still have time to change your mind."

Evan knows she means what she says. A few days ago, he never would have believed she was capable of causing so much discord, but the new Avery is determined and resourceful. He wonders what else she may be planning.

He grabs her by the waist and says loudly, "You've been talking nonsense. Are you still half-asleep?"

Then he tightens his grasp and pulls her into a restraining embrace.

"What kind of punishment do you want?" he whispers.

His face is so pale with anger that Mrs. Howel almost pities Avery.

"In the past, Evan never intervened when I rebuked Avery. It seemed strange that he interfered today, but now I see he wants to punish her himself," she thinks, "It's about time, she's been allowed to run wild for too long."

Satisfied with Avery's fate, Mrs. Florence Howel turns her attention to reviving Leonie. Meanwhile, Evan glances at Lily who is still trembling on the floor.

"You know what to do with her," he says.

Robert nods and he and the maids drag Lily from the room. She begs for mercy, and her terrified screams echo down the long hall.

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