Back From Prison, Built For Revenge - Chapter 74: Chapter 74

Chloe shoved open Yolanda's door. A heavy wave of perfume hit her, mixing with a weird, uneasy vibe. Pink curtains fluttered in the breeze, and the vanity was a mess of makeup and jewelry. It was an absolute eyesore to Chloe.
Camila crouched on the floor, head bowed as she fumbled with Yolanda's handbag. Her hands trembled violently, like leaves in a storm.
"Ms. Quinn..." Camila's voice trembled as she stole a furtive glance at Chloe and then immediately averted her gaze.
Yolanda stood at her vanity, lips still glossy with fresh lipstick. She stiffened for a second and then quickly composed herself. Turning slowly, she met Chloe's gaze, eyes sharp with defiance. "What's so urgent you're barging in here at midnight, Chloe?"
Chloe didn't say a word, her eyes fixed on Camila's cowering form. She advanced step by step, each one weighing heavily on Camila's heart. "Camila," Chloe said coldly, her voice like ice, "pack your things. You're coming with me."
Camila's head snapped up, her face twisted in fear. Without thinking, she scrambled toward Yolanda. Yolanda stepped in front of her at once, gripping her arm tightly. She refused to meet Chloe's eyes, her voice hard. "She's mine, Chloe. You can't take her."
"Yours?" Chloe arched an eyebrow, her lips curling into a mocking sneer. "Then tell me what exactly Camila is to you?"
Yolanda's eyes flickered, her voice wavering slightly. "She's just my personal assistant. Why are you being so pushy, Chloe?"
"Personal assistant?" Chloe let out a cold laugh. "Today, I'm going to uncover exactly what secrets this so-called personal assistant is hiding."
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed from outside.
"Enough!" Hayden's voice thundered. He stood in the doorway, his broad shoulders blocking half the light.
His brows were knitted, and he gave Chloe a sharp glare. "Chloe, are you finished? You burst into Yolanda's room at night. Where's your courtesy?"
Chloe turned to him, her eyes glinting with frost. "Making a scene? I'm just trying to get to the bottom of things."
Hayden snorted coldly and strode in, shielding Yolanda behind him. His voice was icy. "Camila is with Yolanda. There's nothing to investigate. If you insist on making trouble, don't expect me to go easy on you."
Chloe's lips curled into a bitter, mocking sneer. "When you threw me in jail for Yolanda, did it ever cross your mind that I was your sister?"
Hayden's expression flickered, but he quickly regained his composure. In a low, firm voice, he said, "Let the past stay buried. Family harmony is what matters most now. Camila is just a servant. Why are you so fixated on her?"
"Family harmony?" Chloe scoffed derisively. "If you truly want family harmony, then everyone should come clean. No more hiding things!"
The air instantly froze.
Just as the two were locked in a fierce standoff, Phoebe hurried in, in her nightgown. Though she looked a bit disheveled, she still strove to maintain an air of dignity and elegance.
"That's enough, both of you," she said gently, but with undeniable authority. "Is this how you should behave, making such a ruckus in the middle of the night?"
"Mom!" Yolanda immediately threw herself into Phoebe's arms, her voice trembling with grievance. "Chloe insists on taking Camila away, and I tried to stop her, but it was no use..."
"Isn't Camila just an ordinary maid?" Phoebe gently patted Yolanda's back and then turned to Chloe. "Chloe, don't you think you're taking this too seriously?"
Chloe narrowed her eyes, a scrutinizing glint in her gaze as she looked at Phoebe. "An ordinary maid?" she echoed, her voice tinged with skepticism. "If she's really just an ordinary maid, then you have even less reason to stop me from taking her, don't you?"
"Well..." Phoebe hesitated briefly and then quickly regained her composure, her face forming that familiar gentle smile. In a soft, reassuring tone, she said, "Chloe, I think there might be some misunderstanding. Camila has been loyal to Yolanda all these years. There's never been a problem."
"Loyal?" Chloe sneered, her icy gaze fixed on Camila's ashen face. "Then why does she look scared out of her mind every time I ask her for help?"
Phoebe quickly interjected, her tone gentle but firm. "Camila's just timid. Naturally, she gets frightened when you interrogate her like this."
"In that case, I'll ask her myself." Chloe locked eyes with Camila, her gaze so cold that it seemed to pierce straight into her soul.
Camila shuddered and instinctively stepped back, only to find Demi blocking her way. "Ms. Quinn is right," Demi said coldly. "It's better to face the issue head-on than to guess in the dark."
Chloe advanced slowly, each step like a weight crushing the girl's fragile nerves. "Camila, tell me. What exactly have you been concealing?"
"No... I... I didn't..." Camila stammered, her voice trembling uncontrollably.
"Really?" Chloe pressed, her voice icy.
Finally, Camila collapsed to her knees, her face streaked with tears. "Spare me, Ms. Quinn... I... I was just following orders..." she sobbed.
A deafening silence followed her words.
"Camila!" Yolanda shrieked, lunging forward to pull her away, only to be firmly blocked by Demi.
"Whose orders?" Chloe fixed her icy gaze on the kneeling girl.
"M-Ms. Stone..." Camila choked out and then clapped a hand over her mouth, too terrified to utter another word.
All eyes snapped to Yolanda.
"Nonsense!" Yolanda shrieked, her voice shrill and piercing. She stormed up to Camila, pointing an accusing finger at her. "Have you lost your mind? How dare you slander me!"
"Camila," Chloe continued coldly, ignoring Yolanda as she fixed her piercing gaze on the kneeling girl. "What else are you hiding?"
"Ms. Quinn... I swear, I really don't know... Whatever Ms. Stone told me to do, I just... I just did it..." Camila shook her head and then nodded, utterly broken, sobbing uncontrollably.
"You little bitch!" Yolanda, seething with rage, raised her hand to strike, but before the blow could land, Demi caught her wrist in an iron grip.
"Ms. Stone," Demi said coolly, her voice laced with steel, "this is a house of rules, not some den for riffraff to run wild."
The air froze once more.
"Enough of this," Phoebe finally broke the silence with a sigh, her tone almost pleading. "Let's pause this matter for now. Camila will stay, and we'll look into it properly. Shall we?"
"No need," Chloe said coolly, turning to leave. Over her shoulder, she dropped one final line, "The truth always surfaces."
Chloe strode out of the room, her footsteps echoing down the hallway. Demi followed close behind, her expression unreadable.
Hayden stood rooted to the spot, his brow furrowed. He glanced at Yolanda and then at Phoebe, words caught in his throat.
Yolanda's face turned deathly pale, her body trembling slightly. She bit her lip hard, her eyes darting nervously as if she were desperately trying to suppress something.
Phoebe took a deep, shaky breath, forcing a serene smile. "Alright, everyone. That's enough for tonight. Let's all get some rest, and we'll talk about this tomorrow."
Camila remained kneeling on the floor, her sobs ragged and broken. Yolanda shot her a venomous glare before storming off without another word.
Hayden glanced down at Camila on the floor, heaved a weary sigh, and walked away.