CHAPTER 19: YOU ARE IVY

By the time they pulled into the circular driveway of the mansion, the sun was beginning to dip behind the trees, casting golden shadows across the lawn.

Ruby parked around the side, away from the usual staff line of sight. She quickly unlocked the trunk and pulled out a folded shawl, draping it over Rayna’s head.

"This is ridiculous," Rayna mumbled under the fabric.

"You’re the one who insisted on sneaking in."

"I didn’t realize I’d be smuggled like contraband," she said and Ruby giggled, unable to hold it in.

"You asked for it. Hurry up," Ruby whispered, peeking around the hedges. The staff entrance by the kitchen looked clear.

They made a dash for it.

Ruby’s heart pounded with every step, adrenaline tingling in her fingers. One wrong move, one unexpected housekeeper or butler taking out trash, and everything would unravel.

Though if it happened like that, she’d just have to lie that Rayna was the new maid. She thought and almost laughed when she imagined Rayna’s response if she were to tell her anything about what she was thinking.

But luck — or sheer desperation — was on their side. They made it through the door and down the service hallway without incident.

Ruby led Rayna up the back stairs, avoiding the main hallway where voices echoed faintly. Her mother’s voice was unmistakable — low, clipped, and likely scolding someone about cutlery arrangements.

"Your mom sounds fun," Rayna whispered sarcastically.

"Welcome to my world."

Once inside her bedroom, Ruby locked the door and exhaled. "Now I can breath!"

Rayna pulled off the shawl and collapsed onto the plush chair in the corner. "Well, that was thrilling. Do I get a snack or at least a bottle of water for surviving the infiltration?"

Ruby rolled her eyes but handed her a chilled bottle from the mini fridge. "Stay put. I’ll check if anyone is near the hallway before I go down. Also, you should know I’m always in Stefan’s room. No one agreed to having me keep my space."

"Noted. That means I have this room to myself then," she said with a grin.

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Rayna grabbed a notebook and pen from her bag, already drawing a rough sketch of the layout she’d seen — hallway lengths, entry points, staff routes.

"While you dine with the your mom and mother in-law," she said with a silly grin, "I’ll play detective."

"Really Ray? Mother in-law?" Ruby asked and Rayna giggled.

"You’re married, aren’t you? Wait, what about sex? Are you supposed to have sex too with him? Isn’t he like supposed to be your brother in-law?" Rayna asked with almost an ’eww’ face.

Ruby paused by the door and gave her a stern look. "How can you be asking me that right now? Gosh!"

"I’m just asking to know—"

"I’m leaving. Be careful and make nobody sees you," Ruby said, cutting Rayna off and she laughed.

"Fine. I’ll drop it. Record your conversations. I need to hear it and also watch the staff to see if there’s any particular one keeping an eye on you," she said, meeting Ruby’s eyes and Ruby nodded.

As Ruby stepped out to face another round of carefully masked family tension, Rayna sat back in the chair, staring at the notes she’d made. There was something off about all this. Too many convenient silences. Too many things Ivy left behind — or maybe meant to leave behind.

Somewhere in this mansion, the truth waited. And she was going to find it.

The corridor was silent as Ruby stepped out of her room, gently closing the door behind her. The soft click echoed louder than she expected, or maybe it was just the weight of what she was carrying—secrets, guilt, and the presence of her best friend now hiding behind her bedroom door.

She took a slow breath, smoothing her dress as she walked down the wide hallway toward the grand staircase. The scent of roasted garlic and herbs wafted from the kitchen, mingling with the delicate aroma of fresh lilies in the vases that lined the walls. Her heels clicked against the polished floor, a steady rhythm that betrayed her unease.

"Where have you been?" a sharp voice called from behind her and she didn’t need anyone to tell her who it was.

Ruby turned to find her mother, Regina, stepping out from the small parlor, her expression pinched, her perfectly manicured hands folded tightly over her clutch. "I’ve been looking everywhere for you."

"I—uh—I went to see a friend. I needed to think away from everything for a few minutes."

Regina narrowed her eyes, then glanced toward the top of the stairs. "So you thought it made sense to disappear while your blind husband is upstairs by himself? Ivy, how could you be so careless? What did you need to get away to think about?"

Ruby felt a jolt of panic flare in her chest. "I sent his valet to him," she said quickly. "Martin—he was there to see to his every need."

Regina stepped closer, her voice lowering into a whisper as her eyes darted around to ensure no one else was nearby. "That’s not something you should say. Not something Ivy would say. Do you understand?"

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Ruby stiffened, caught in the invisible grip of her mother’s expectations.

"If you had truly married that man for love," Regina continued in a hushed but scolding tone, "you would never leave his side. Especially not when he can’t even see the world around him. That’s not the Ivy Stefan knew. The Ivy he fell in love with would have walked him down herself, guided him through every step."

Though she knew that was a lie, she needed Ruby to be that woman for Stefan so he would be too in love and happy she was being there for him to think about any differences he might be seeing.

Ruby’s fingers curled slightly into her dress. Her voice was tight. "I didn’t mean to—"

"You’re lucky it wasn’t Elizabeth who saw this," Regina hissed. "Because if it had been, she would’ve started saying things we both wouldn’t have liked."

Ruby looked away, guilt prickling hot under her skin.

"She may be polite to your face," Regina said, her voice softening just slightly, "but she’s watching you, Ivy. All the time. The smallest change in behavior will alert her. So I need you to remember something: you’re not just pretending to be Ivy. You are Ivy. Until this is over."

Ruby nodded, swallowing past the tightness in her throat. This was all frustrating.

"Show Stefan love. Let him feel it. That’s what Ivy would’ve done. That’s the only way to keep him from seeing through you," Regina said firmly. Then, with a glance down the hallway, she added, "Go. Check on him. Help him down if he’s ready."

Ruby turned to leave, but her mother’s hand briefly touched her arm.

"You’re doing well, darling," Regina added softly, though her tone held more pressure than praise. "Don’t ruin it now."

Ruby climbed the stairs slowly, every step echoing with her mother’s words.

"You’re not just pretending to be Ivy. You are Ivy."

She hated how easily her mother said it. As if it were the most natural thing in the world to replace one daughter with another. As if it didn’t cost Ruby pieces of herself every single day to walk in someone else’s life.

Someone who had abandoned everything and left her to clean up the mess. How could Ivy even live with herself?

She paused outside Stefan’s room, her hand hovering near the door handle.

There was a brief moment of silence. Then, her fingers curled around the knob and she pushed the door open gently.

"Stefan?" she called softly.

She found him seated on the edge of the bed, fully dressed in a navy shirt and dark trousers, his head tilted slightly as if listening for her.

"Ivy," he said with a small nod. "I thought you weren’t coming."

Her heart twisted at the way he said it—not accusing, just... disappointed. Was he no longer doubting or suspicious of her?

"I’m sorry," she said, walking over. "I didn’t mean to keep you waiting. I thought Martin would help you down."

"He offered," Stefan said, turning toward her voice. "But I wanted to wait for you. You promised you’d be back early so I figured I wait for my darling wife."

Ruby froze for a second, then forced a smile as she stepped closer. "That’s sweet of you, Stefan. I’m here now."

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She extended her hand, guiding his fingers into hers. His grip was warm, strong, and somehow trusting in a way that made her chest ache. Perhaps, he had stopped doubting her but what changed?

He stood slowly, and Ruby instinctively moved to support him. His arm slid around hers as they walked together toward the door.

"I like walking with you more now," he said suddenly, almost in a whisper.

She glanced at him, her throat tightening, wondering where that was coming from.

"Before now, you used to say I always walk too fast," he continued with a small chuckle. "But now, now I never feel rushed. You’re patient with me, leading me just how you need me to walk."