Chapter 81

The two maids and Alice all blanched at once.
Alice snapped, “Fiona, what nonsense are you spouting?! If you’re so sure, show us your proof!”
Fiona’s face paled with panic-she’d only caught a glimpse by chance; she had no real evidence.
She hurried to explain herself to Anastasia. “Madam, I swear I’m not lying
“Relax. I believe you,” Anastasia replied calmly.
Fiona let out a shaky breath, relief flooding her face.
But Mary was far from satisfied. “Madam, what’s that supposed to mean? You’d condemn Alice without a shred of evidence?”
The other two maids chimed in, “We didn’t see Alice touch the fuse box at all. Fiona’s making it up! If you punish us for this, it’s not fair!”
Anastasia smiled, but there was nothing warm in her eyes. “I gave you all a chance. You chose not to take it. You want evidence? Fine. I have some.”
Alice’s heart skipped a beat, but almost immediately she remembered-she’d already erased the security footage. What proof could Anastasia possibly have?
Her nerves settled. There was no way Anastasia could-
“You didn’t really think I’d only have one camera in my room, did you?” Anastasia’s voice cut through the tension.
She’d known someone would try to steal from her; there was no way she’d leave things unprepared. Yesterday, she’d installed a tiny hidden camera in her room— one that wasn’t affected when the power was cut.
Anastasia pulled out her phone, her pale fingers tapping lightly on the screen. A moment later, a video popped up-there was Alice, holding a key, furtively opening Anastasia’s drawer.
Alice went sheet white.
And in the next frame, the two maids appeared in the doorway, whispering, “Alice, did you find it? If you don’t flip the power back soon, people will notice!”
Now it was their turn to go pale.
Anastasia arched a perfectly shaped brow. She hadn’t even watched the video before this—she’d been too busy getting her marriage license, only confirming that it contained proof of Alice’s guilt. She hadn’t expected to catch the other two as well.
“So? Anything else you want to say?”
“It was all Alice! We only kept quiet because of Mary, Madam, please just give us another chance!” The two maids didn’t hesitate to throw Alice under the bus, scrambling to beg for mercy.
Alice looked furious, as if she could slap them both right there. She turned to Anastasia, her voice shaky with anger. “It’s not like I was going to steal from you! If it weren’t for you-”
She stopped herself just in time, reason reining her in.
Anastasia lifted her chin. “If it weren’t for me what? Go on, finish your thought.” Alice’s face turned an ugly shade of purple.
She wanted to say, If it weren’t for that recording you’re hiding, I’d never have needed to steal from you. But she didn’t dare-if she did, she’d have to explain what recording, and then Mr. Lancaster would never let her off the hook.
Earlier, she’d found those text messages, thinking she finally had something on Anastasia that would ruin her for good. She hadn’t been afraid of that recording coming to light-after all, once Mr. Lancaster cast out Anastasia, who would care what she’d done? He certainly wasn’t going to defend her anymore.
But who could have predicted that Anastasia, that conniving woman, would somehow manage to win Mr. Lancaster’s sympathy again?
When Alice failed to utter another word, Anastasia let out a cold laugh and turned to Mary.
“Breaking into the owner’s room to steal-Mary, how do you suggest we handle this?” ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by.net