Ivy POV:
Alaric reached me, his large hand gently resting on my shoulder. His touch was a beacon of warmth and safety, instantly calming the tremor that had started deep within me. He didn't ask what happened. He just looked at my bruised face, his eyes narrowing with a ferocity that made the air crackle.
"Are you alright, sweetheart?" he asked, his voice low, a dangerous rumble that promised retribution. "Did someone lay a hand on you?"
Before I could answer, Arnulfo was there, a blur of controlled motion. His eyes, usually so calm and measured, were blazing with cold fury. He walked straight past Donnell and Dexter, past the stunned relatives, and stopped directly in front of Aunt Carol.
"This is Ivy Richardson," Arnulfo stated, his voice quiet but carrying to every corner of the silent lobby. "My sister. And Alaric Richardson's daughter. I suggest you remember that name." His gaze was like ice, sweeping over the terrified woman. Aunt Carol visibly trembled. The sheer force of his presence seemed to push the air out of her lungs.
Just then, Collin, still holding Leo, stepped forward. Leo, seeing my face, let out a small cry.
"Mommy! What happened to your face?" he whimpered, stretching his arms out to me.
My heart ached. I took him into my arms, burying my face in his soft hair, trying to shield him from the ugly scene, from the ugly truth of my past.
Donnell, regaining a sliver of his composure, finally found his voice. "Ivy? A child? You're... married? Why didn't you tell us? Who is this man?" He gestured wildly at Collin, his face a mosaic of confusion and indignation.
I didn't answer him. I just held Leo tighter, a protective instinct overriding everything else.
Alaric, his jaw tight, saw the faint red mark on my cheek, the slight swelling, the dried blood on my lip. His eyes, usually so kind, hardened into chips of granite. "I asked a question," he said, his voice dangerously soft. "Who touched my daughter?"
The silence that followed was suffocating. No one spoke. No one dared. The Dillards, who had so readily thrown accusations and insults, now cowered like mice.
"Speak now," Alaric continued, his voice rising slightly, "or I will assume it was all of you, and I will treat you accordingly."
Panic rippled through the relatives. I saw whispered interactions, elbows nudging, desperate glances. It was a pathetic display of cowardice.
Finally, Donnell, ever the one to avoid direct confrontation, stammered, "It was… Carol, Alaric. Just a misunderstanding."
Alaric's gaze impaled Aunt Carol. "Is that true?"
Aunt Carol, her face pale, tried to speak, but her words caught in her throat. "I… she… she was being disrespectful! I was just trying to… teach her a lesson!"
Arnulfo scoffed, a chilling sound. "Teach her a lesson? You think you have the right to 'teach a lesson' to my sister? You are not fit to polish her shoes, let alone lay a hand on her." He pulled out his phone, his fingers flying across the screen. "Hotel security to the main lobby. And prepare a formal complaint for assault. We will be pressing charges."
Aunt Carol shrieked. "Charges? You can't! This is family! Donnell! Tell them!"
"This is not family," Arnulfo said, his voice cold and precise. "This is a criminal offense."
"You manipulative little witch!" Aunt Carol spat, her fear turning to renewed rage. "Always causing trouble! Just like your mother! No wonder she died young, probably couldn't stand being associated with you!"
Before anyone could react, Arnulfo roared into his phone, "And make sure the police are on their way. She just slandered the deceased." His eyes burned with a fury I rarely saw.
Within moments, two burly hotel security guards appeared, followed closely by the hotel manager, who looked utterly terrified.
"Mr. Richardson! What seems to be the problem?" the manager stammered, his eyes wide.
Arnulfo pointed a finger at Aunt Carol. "This woman assaulted my sister, then slandered our deceased mother. Remove her from the premises immediately. And make sure she is held for the police."
"You can't do this!" Aunt Carol screamed, but her protests were cut short as the security guards, moving efficiently, took her by the arms. She struggled, cursing and spitting, as they dragged her unceremoniously out of the hotel. Her shrill cries echoed down the hallway until they faded into silence.
I still felt the sting on my cheek, a raw, throbbing pulse. Arnulfo gently touched my face, his eyes filled with concern. "Are you alright, Ivy? This is unacceptable. We'll handle everything. You won't have to worry about her again."
"No," I said, my voice hoarse. "This isn't over. I want her to face the full consequences."
Arnulfo nodded, a grim satisfaction in his eyes. "Consider it done. I'll have our legal team initiate proceedings first thing tomorrow."
Donnell and Dexter rushed forward, their faces a mixture of fear and desperation. "Arnulfo, please! This is ridiculous! She's family! Ivy, tell them! Please, don't press charges! It'll ruin us!" Donnell pleaded, grabbing my arm.
I flinched, pulling away sharply. "Family?" I scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "What family, Donnell? The one that left me for dead? The one that buried me alive?"
"Ivy, come on," Dexter interjected, his voice strained. "Give us a break. Just let it go. For old times' sake."
"Old times' sake?" I repeated, my voice rising. "You want to talk about old times? Do you remember the 'old times' when I was begging you to come to the hospital? When I was broken and alone, and you were all celebrating Ainsley's wedding to Clayton?"
Donnell's face crumpled. "That was… that was different, Ivy. We were worried about you, but Ainsley… she was so fragile. She needed us."
"Fragile?" I spat, the word a poison on my tongue. "So fragile that she could steal my fiancé, spread lies about me, and convince you all that I was the problem? And you, Donnell, you just let it happen. You enabled her. You chose her every single time."
"Ivy, don't say that!" Dexter tried to interrupt, but I cut him off, my voice gaining strength.
"Don't say what, Dexter?" I challenged him, my eyes blazing. "The truth? The truth that you all stood by and watched as I was systematically erased? The truth that you sacrificed me on the altar of Ainsley's convenience?"
Donnell tried to speak, "Your mother, Ivy, she wouldn't want this..."
"Don't you dare bring my mother into this!" I roared, my voice echoing through the lobby, silencing him completely. "She was the only one who ever truly loved me, and you all desecrated her memory by treating me, her daughter, like dirt." I squeezed Leo tighter, my gaze sweeping over their shocked faces. "Ivy Dillard is dead. She died the day you all turned your backs on her. My name is Ivy Richardson. And these people," I gestured to Alaric, Arnulfo, and Collin, "they are my real family."
Alaric stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Donnell, his voice calm, but with an steel edge that promised destruction. "She is my daughter, Donnell. And she is a Richardson. Let that be understood."
I felt a surge of power, a profound sense of vindication that settled deep in my bones. With my new family standing tall beside me, I was invincible.
