At the James Estate, tension hung heavily in the air.
Benny James sat stiffly, his brows drawn together as he spoke. "Start from the beginning. I want every detail of what happened today."
Eric dipped his head slightly. "Yes, sir. As instructed by Mrs. James, I invited Miss White to Moorland Villa so she could rest and recover. But she refused."
Benny leaned forward, his voice sharp. "What exactly did she say?"
Eric lifted his gaze just enough to answer. "She said that from this day on, she has no ties left with the James family." He paused briefly before continuing, "She also said that whatever Miss James owes her, she will collect it bit by bit."
Alan James, Benny's second son, pushed his chair back and rose to his feet. "She actually said that?"
At that moment, Rachael stepped out of the kitchen holding a tray of fruit juice.
The words hit her like a blow. The tray slipped from her hands, and the glasses shattered as juice spread across the floor.
Her eyes quickly turned red as she spoke, her voice trembling. "So she really blames me... I took her place in the family. If I leave now, maybe she'll come back."
Alan reached out and stopped her. "Don't say things like that. You've lived your whole life here. How could you just walk away from the family?"
Norah James, Alexia's birth mother, watched with red eyes. "It wasn't right to put the blame on her for Rachael, but we care about them the same. If she hadn't stepped in, were we supposed to send Rachael to jail?"
Standing nearby, Cayden James, Benny's first son, adjusted his glasses, his gaze turning cold as it landed on Eric. "What happened next? Where did she go?"
Keeping his head lowered, Eric answered clearly, making sure everyone heard him, "After saying that, she got into a car waiting by the road. It was a..."
He stopped again, letting the silence stretch.
Alan frowned, his patience running thin. "Stop dragging it out. What kind of car was it?"
Only then did Eric continue, his tone steady. "A Rolls-Royce. It was a newly customized model. The driver treated her with great respect. From what I could tell, he was there just to pick her up."
A strange stillness settled over the living room, no one speaking for a while.
Breaking the silence, Alan let out a cold laugh. "You must have mistaken it. A girl who grew up in the slums and just got out after five years in prison riding in a Rolls-Royce? That doesn't add up."
Eric shook his head without hesitation. "I'm certain of what I saw. There's no way I could be wrong about that car."
Years of service in the James household had exposed him to all kinds of luxury vehicles.
With that kind of experience, his words carried weight, and no one could easily dismiss them.
Rachael stepped closer to Norah and gently held her arm, her voice soft and concerned. "Do you think Alexia might have picked up some bad habits in prison? Maybe she got involved with the wrong kind of people?"
Alan's temper flared again. "That has to be it. Otherwise, where would she get the nerve to act like this toward our family? I'll go find her right now and drag her back!"
"Enough," Cayden said sharply. "Rushing to her without knowing the full situation will only create more problems."
Alan turned to him, frustration clear on his face. "Then tell me what we're supposed to do."
Cayden paused for a moment before shifting his gaze toward Benny. "Dad, we should hold off for now. Let's figure out what's really going on before we make any moves."
His eyes then moved to Alan and Rachael. "Until then, both of you stay here. Don't try to find her. If she's really connected to someone powerful, provoking her could backfire on us."
Rachael lowered her gaze, looking wronged, while anger burned even stronger in Alan's expression. "Cayden, how can you say that?"
"Cayden's right," Benny said, pressing his fingers against his temples as exhaustion showed on his face. "Alexia won't cause any major trouble. We'll look into it first."
Rachael nodded obediently, but the look in her eyes told a different story.
Deep down, she had hoped that woman would never make it out of prison. Yet somehow, she had returned.
It didn't matter. She still had plenty of ways to deal with her.
After all, she was the only daughter of her parents.
No one could ever take that away from her.
Over at Hillcrest Manor, the doors swung open, revealing two neat lines of servants standing in perfect formation.
Stepping inside, Dominic raised his voice so everyone could hear him. "This is Miss Alexia White, a guest personally invited by Mr. Campbell. She'll be staying here for some time, so make sure she's well looked after."
In unison, the servants bowed and greeted Alexia. "Welcome, Miss White."
Alexia slowed her steps, taking in the scene before her.
Noticing her reaction, Dominic spoke again. "Mr. Campbell knows you've just come out of prison. He wants you to focus on resting for now. Everything else can wait."
Alexia gave a small nod. "Please pass along my thanks to Mr. Campbell."
Even as she said it, her thoughts stayed sharp.
Her connection to the James family wouldn't stay hidden for long. Sooner or later, word would spread, and Ethan would piece everything together.
If she failed to show her worth soon, he could easily change his mind about working with her.
She couldn't afford to waste any time.
Once he made sure Alexia was settled, Dominic left the villa.
A middle-aged woman then stepped forward and introduced herself with a polite smile. "Miss White, my name is Lucy Miller. I manage the household here. If there's anything you need, you can come to me."
Alexia inclined her head slightly. "Thank you, Lucy."
Her calm and respectful attitude quickly put Lucy at ease.
Although she was there as Ethan's honored guest, Alexia spoke to the staff as equals, something few in her position ever did.
With a gentle tone, Lucy added, "I'll have a bath prepared for you right away."
