CHAPTER 18: SPY FRIEND

After a while, Rayna sat on the edge of the hotel bed, her expression unreadable as she stared out at the skyline of Zeden through the tall windows.

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Her mind was reeling from everything Ruby had just told her. A wedding switch, a blind groom, a blackmailer lurking in the shadows — it sounded like something out of one of her blog’s most dramatic stories. But this wasn’t fiction. This was real. And her best friend was right at the center of it.

She glanced over at Ruby, who sat curled up in the armchair with a blanket draped over her lap. Her eyes looked heavier now — not from fatigue alone, but from the sheer weight of the secret she’d been carrying alone for the past three days.

Rayna had never seen her like this. Not even after her breakup with Jordan two years ago. This was a different kind of tired — the kind that comes from pretending every single moment.

Rayna’s heart twisted as she watched her friend. Ruby didn’t deserve any of this.

"I still can’t believe it," Rayna said finally, her voice low. "Three days pretending to be someone else. Pretending to be her. We all know how your sister is. That’s not just exhausting, Rub — that’s dangerous."

Ruby gave a weak nod. "I know. I keep asking myself when it’s all going to fall apart. I feel like I’m walking on a tightrope with no safety net."

Rayna pulled her knees up to the bed and hugged them. "And this blackmailer... have they said anything since the last message?"

Ruby shook her head. "Not yet. But I know they’re watching. It’s not just the messages — it’s the timing. They knew I was alone when they texted. It’s like they’re waiting for something... I don’t know what."

She had been thinking about it and she couldn’t shake off the feeling that the person knew exactly where she was staying. It couldn’t be Eliana since she’d most likely still be driving when she got the message.

It was just all a mess.

Rayna frowned, her fingers tightening around the edge of a pillow. "It’s like they want you to panic. Whoever this is, they’re enjoying the control. That’s dangerous, Rub. We need to take this seriously."

Ruby gave her a tired look. "I am taking it seriously. But what am I supposed to do? I can’t go to the police without exposing everything. And if Stefan finds out... about the deceit... if Elizabeth finds out... about the blackmail my mother and I—" Her voice cracked. "It would ruin everything."

Rayna’s protective instincts kicked in hard. She had always been the calm one in their friendship — the planner, the fixer. And now? Now she had to be the shield too.

"Okay," she said firmly, standing up. "We’re going to figure this out. First, you’re not going to respond to any more messages until we know who’s behind it. Even if he sends you something tempting, like he’s on his way to Stefan or anything. Second, I want to see those texts. I’ll check the metadata, see if anything stands out," she said going to stand in front of Ruby.

Ruby blinked, confused. "You know how to do that?"

Rayna shrugged, flashing a small grin. "I write true crime blogs for a living, remember? I’ve picked up a few tricks over the years," she said and then winked at her.

Despite everything, Ruby let out a soft laugh — the first real laugh Rayna had heard from her since she walked through the door.

"I’ve missed that," Rayna said, her voice softer now. "Your laugh. Your sarcasm. The way you always eat dessert before dinner."

Ruby chuckled again. "That hasn’t changed."

"I couldn’t have known seeing as you’re Ivy now which means you have to do everything as she does," Rayna said with a sigh.

"I know but I’m not doing all that. Stefan is blind, remember? He can’t actually see how I eat or laugh," she said with a sad smile.

Rayna sat beside her, gently nudging her shoulder. "I know you said you wanted to run away. But you’re not alone anymore, okay? You’ve got me. And I’m not going anywhere."

Ruby nodded, tears forming in her eyes again. "I honestly never wanted to pull you into this mess. That’s why I haven’t called you since — after the wedding."

"I know. But you’re my mess. And I’m yours," Rayna said with a wink, trying to lift the mood. "Besides, I’m staying in Zeden until we sort this out."

"I already told you, Ray. You don’t have to—"

"And I also made it clear that I want to. And I’ll do what I can. Maybe even pose as a guest at the mansion, see if I can dig up anything. If someone knows who you are... they must be close. Maybe a maid. A staff member. Someone who saw something they weren’t supposed to."

Ruby’s eyes widened. "Ray, that’s risky."

"So is living your sister’s life," she replied. "But you’re doing it anyway."

Silence stretched between them for a moment, both girls lost in thought. Then Rayna reached for Ruby’s hand.

"Let’s go through everything. Every detail you remember. Anything that felt off. We’re going to piece this together, Rub. One step at a time."

Ruby nodded, her heart a little lighter for the first time in days. For the first time since Ivy disappeared, she didn’t feel like she was drowning. She had Rayna. And somehow, that made all the difference.

Together, they would fight back. And maybe, just maybe, they’d find Ivy too. Ruby thought as she watched Rayna take out her laptop.

Rayna tapped away on her laptop, her brows knitted in focus as lines of code and search filters filled her screen. Her phone was beside her, open to the threatening text messages Ruby had received. It wasn’t much to go on — no number, just a string of unsettling words. Still, she was determined to pull at every thread.

"Whoever sent this is smart," she muttered. "Masked their IP, blocked metadata, no time stamps. But everyone makes a mistake eventually."

Ruby sat across from her at the small table in the hotel room, watching her work with a mix of awe and anxiety. "Are you sure it’s safe to poke around like that?"

"Relax," Rayna said, barely looking up. "I’m not doing anything illegal. Just running it through databases, cross-referencing location pings from the hotel Wi-Fi. If they were nearby when they texted you, I might catch a trail."

Ruby exhaled slowly. It felt strange — sitting here with Rayna, whispering about blackmail and sneaking into mansions, like they were in a spy movie. But this was her life now. Her reality. Her burden.

A knock on the door jolted them both.

Ruby rushed to check the peephole — housekeeping.

"Come back later, please!" she called through the door.

Rayna smirked. "Paranoid much? We’re in my hotel room, Rub."

"I don’t care, Ray. I’m sure you would be like this too, if you were pretending to be your twin while the real one vanished into thin air."

Rayna held up her hands. "Fair. Still, the only thing we know for sure is someone saw something — someone who knows you’re not Ivy."

Ruby nodded slowly. "That narrows it down to, like... every maid in the house. Not maids since they can’t exactly differentiate between me and Ivy. Maybe it’s a distant cousin or not. It has to be someone that knows Ivy enough to know the difference between us."

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Rayna’s eyes gleamed. "Then I need to get in. Could be Stefan, you know."

"What?" Ruby blinked. "Rayna—"

"I’m serious. It couldn’t be Stefan but honestly, I want to see the place. The layout, the staff, the energy. Maybe I’ll recognize someone by being neutral. I could watch everyone and see if there’s anything suspicious. If I stay hidden, it won’t raise any alarms."

"But we have dinner tonight with Elizabeth and my mother. I can’t smuggle you in—"

Rayna raised a brow. "Can’t or won’t?"

Ruby groaned. "Ray..."

"Look, Stefan is blind, right? And the maids will be busy preparing dinner. You said it yourself — the back door near the garden is barely watched. Just sneak me in before you change, and I’ll stay put in your room."

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Ruby hesitated. It was risky... but not impossible.

And the truth was, having Rayna nearby gave her a strange sense of courage.

"Fine," she muttered. "But you have to stay completely out of sight. If even one person sees you—"

"I’ll be a shadow. Promise." Rayna grinned, already packing her things.

Though she would say it out loud now, she was sure Stefan must have something to do with the blackmail. Maybe she wouldn’t say it now, but she’d definitely tell Ruby her mind after she’d pieced everything together.

She hoped it had nothing to do with Stefan because if it did, she definitely wouldn’t let it pass. She wouldn’t forgive him.

"What are you thinking about so seriously? C’mon, let’s go," Ruby said, snapping Rayna out of her reverie.

"Sure," she said, grabbing her bag and following her out.