Back From Prison, Built For Revenge - Chapter 10: Chapter 10

Chloe stood motionless by the window. The image of Yolanda on her knees, begging for a forgiveness she didn't deserve, refused to fade. A short while later, the quiet of her room was shattered.
"Miss! Something's happened!" The servant's sudden cry shattered the silence. "It's Miss Yolanda... she's trapped in the elevator!"
For a heartbeat, the room was still. Chloe's brow furrowed before her expression smoothed into a cool mask. "And what does that have to do with me?"
The servant stared, momentarily speechless, before wringing the hands in distress. "But... the elevator is malfunctioning, the emergency alarm is ringing, everyone is so worried... "
"Then go find Hayden," Chloe said, her voice perfectly level. "He's the master of this house."
With that, she turned back to the window. Her detached, dismissive air was a wall the servant dared not try to scale again. Without more words, the servant backed out of the room with a quiet apology.
The moment the door clicked shut, Chloe's composure wavered. She let out a long, slow breath. Three years had taught her how to build a fortress around her emotions, but some things could never be completely buried.
"Miss Chloe, should I go and check on?" Demi Lane asked cautiously.
"No," Chloe said, shaking her head. "She'll be fine."
But even as she said it, she couldn't forget the flash of raw hatred in Yolanda's eyes as she had left the room. She knew Yolanda was no stranger to starting fires.
Suddenly, the piercing shriek of the alarm reached them from downstairs, a sharp, grating sound like a blade being dragged across glass. Chloe's frown returned. A knot of suspicion tightened in her gut; this was too neat, too simple.
After a few minutes of hesitating, she finally walked out of her room.
Down the hall, the monitoring room was a hive of activity. A wave of silence washed over the staff as Chloe entered. All eyes turning to her, but no one dared to greet her.
"What's the situation?" she asked coldly.
One of the braver servants quickly answered. "Miss Yolanda is stuck between the third and fourth floors. It looks like she's having trouble breathing."
On the screen, Yolanda was slumped in a corner, her face white, gasping for air and looking as if she might pass out at any moment.
"She's lack of oxygen?" Chloe asked.
"We don't know," the servant stammered. "Maybe the elevator seal is too tight... "
"How about the backup power?" Chloe asked.
"It's been activated, but there seems to be a system error... "
Hearing this, Chloe's eyes narrowed. She stared at the screen for a long moment, then turned to Demi. "Get the toolbox."
Demi blinked. "Miss, you're going to handle it yourself?"
"Don't waste my time," Chloe said, voice carrying an authority that was impossible to question. "Go."
Demi didn't hesitate, rushing off and returning moments later with the toolbox. By then, Chloe was already in front of the elevator doors, examining the control panel.
The staff gathered around her, holding their breath, not daring to make a sound. They had never seen this Chloe before—poised, decisive, and shockingly competent.
"Hand me the screwdriver," she said, holding out a hand without looking back.
Demi quickly put it into Chloe's palm. She watched, mesmerized, as Chloe expertly dismantled the panel, inspecting the internal wiring with a small flashlight. Her focus was so absolute that it was easy to forget this was the same one once known only for being a pampered heiress.
"These are just a few tricks I pick up in prison," Chloe explained flatly, sensing their stares. The remark only made the expressions on their faces more complex.
"Miss Chloe is amazing... how does she know how to do this?" a few servants whispered among themselves.
"She looks like she knows more than the actual maintenance crew... " another agreed.
Just then, a faint metallic groan echoed in the hall. A crack of light appeared as the doors were pried apart. A collective cheer went up, but Chloe didn't stop, continuing to adjust the wiring. The crack widened until it was large enough for a person to fit through.
"Get her out of there!" she commanded, using her own body to block the doors from accidentally closing and crushing someone.
Two male servants immediately moved forward, pulling the semi-conscious Yolanda from the elevator. But as they were placing her on a stretcher, a shrill voice cut through the air.
"Wait! Don't touch her!"
Everyone froze. It was Camila Lamb, Yolanda's personal maid, bursting into the room like a storm, her face contorted with rage. "Do you have any idea why Miss Yolanda was trapped? It's because someone sabotaged the equipment!"
The accusation was a bomb. The staff stared, stunned, their eyes slowly drifting to the only possible suspect—Chloe.
Faced with their suspicious, probing gazes, Chloe didn't flinch. She simply arched an eyebrow, her tone almost playful. "Oh? Are you suggesting this was deliberate?"
Camila nodded, her voice shaking with rage. "That's right! It was you! You must have done this to get revenge on Miss Yolanda!"
A low murmur rippled through the staff. Some now looked at Chloe with open suspicion. But before anyone else could speak, a sharp, furious voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "That's enough!"
All heads turned to see Demi, her face a mask of fury. She threw the toolbox to the floor with a clatter and strode up to Camila, getting right in her face. "Our Miss Chloe spent three years in prison for a crime your mistress committed, and this is the thanks she gets? An accusation? Watch your mouth, Camila, or you'll regret it."
Her words landed with the force of a judge's gavel, stunning the crowd into silence. Their expressions grew even more complicated as they exchanged uneasy glances, each one of them aware of the dark, ugly secrets buried within the walls of this house.
Camila's face went white with fear, but she tried to stand her ground. "I... I'm just telling the truth! How do we know someone isn't just pretending to be a hero when they're the one who caused the problem in the first place... "
"Stop it!" This time, the voice belonged to Hayden. He strode onto the scene, his face a thunderous mask. He swept his gaze over the crowd before it landed, hard and cold, on Camila. "You had better think very carefully about what you're saying, Camila."
That was the last straw. Camila completely crumbled, lowering her head in terrified silence. Hayden then turned to Chloe, his expression a tangled knot of emotions that was impossible to decipher.
"About three years ago... " he said, his voice rough. "I'm sorry."
The words were simple, but they cut through the tension like a knife, leaving a deep fissure in the hearts of everyone present. The air was so still no one dared to breathe. Chloe just offered a small, dismissive smile, one full of deep and abiding contempt.
"Don't bother," she said. "I'm used to it."
And with that, she turned and walked away, not sparing anyone a final glance. As her figure disappeared down the hall, a heavy silence, thick as stone, settled over everyone left behind.