Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
Holly hinted subtly, “I also found it strange; the floor had oil right when Ms. Bella called for Serena.”
Louisa angrily said, “You’re implying that all of this was a trap set by Bella?”
“Please calm down, Ma’am; I didn’t mean that; I was just speculating.” Holly quickly bowed her head to apologize: “Serena treated me like a sister; seeing her like this, I just felt sorry.”
“What happened?” Kenneth Collins rushed over after hearing the news. After listening to the recount of the events and seeing the state of the two girls, he urgently asked, “Why isn’t Dr. Zoe here yet?”
“He’s on his way; he should be here in fifteen minutes.”
“Tell the driver to hurry.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sir, Ma’am, don’t you find it strange?”
Relying on her seniority, she said arrogantly, “Mr. McMillan usually only calls for Ms. Bella; why did he suddenly call for Serena today? And just as Serena was going out, there was oil on the floor. It’s all too coincidental!”
Louisa glanced at her displeased and asked, “Lily, what do you mean by this?”
“Sir, Ma’am, to avoid wronging the innocent and to not let the person who set up Serena go, I suggest we ask Ms. Bella to come down and explain what happened. Also, I request to see the CCTV footage!”
“Are you joking?” Louisa didn’t expect this maid to be so audacious as to make such a request: “I won’t argue with you because you’re a long–time employee, but I won’t give you a second chance. You need to take responsibility for your actions!”
She dared to suspect Bella; was she that brave?
“Did I hear someone’s looking for me?”
Just then, Mirabella sauntered down the spiral staircase, with Edith hot on her heels.
It seemed Edith had filled her in on the living room situation.
“Bella, what brings you down here?” Louisa turned to Edith and asked, “Who told you to fetch Ms. Bella?”
“It’s because Lily was being too loud. Mirabella walked over to everyone and gave a careless glance around. “Aren’t we supposed to review the security footage?” “Bella.”
“Let’s do it.” Mirabella spoke in a calm tone: “I want to see if someone is asking for trouble and getting what they deserve.”
“You.” Lily felt a surge of discontent towards her, but she still said, “Since it’s Ms. Bella’s idea, I’ll bring up the footage for everyone to see. I believe everyone is curious about what really happened and how Serena fell!”
“If the person who framed Serena watched her fall and doesn’t have to take any responsibility, does that mean everyone can bully Serena in the future? How many more insults does Serena have to endure? Does she even have a place in this family?”
Mirabella lazily leaned back on the single sofa, and Edith poured her a glass of water. She took a sip and said nonchalantly, “Enough with the chatter.”
“Play the footage.”
“Wait and see!” Lily went to fetch the security footage. Soon, the afternoon’s surveillance footage was playing on the big screen.
Lily fast–forwarded it to three times the speed.
At five twenty in the afternoon, Holly was watering the garden. At half past five, the screen suddenly turned into black and white stripes, and then the time jumped to six in the afternoon.
Mirabella walked through the front door, and not long after, Martha accompanied Serena out of the main building. Before they even reached the front door, Serena slipped and féll, and Martha fell too while trying to help her..
“It doesn’t seem like anyone’s fault; Ms. Bella didn’t do anything, and neither did Serena!”
“They both look innocent!”
“Lily, you misunderstood Ms. Bella; she just got home from work at that time.”
“That’s right.”
Several of the maids spoke up for Mirabella.
“No!” Lily seemed to have found evidence, pointing at the screen and laughing coldly, “Look carefully; this is the spot. Ms. Bella didn’t fall when she passed by; how; come Serena did?”
Everyone looked, and indeed, both Serena and Ms. Bella had passed through that spot.
Lily declared, “Ms. Bella must have known in advance that there was oil there; that’s why she avoided it! But Serena didn’t know, so she slipped and fell when she walked past!”
In other words, the oil was poured by Ms. Bella!
“Nonsense! Ms. Bella only got home at six; when would she have the time to set this up?” Edith stood up and accused, “The master and mistress are here, yet you dare to slander Ms. Bella! You’ve got guts!”
“This surveillance system was purchased by the master and mistress from overseas and has been running smoothly for five years. However, during this half–hour, from five thirty to six, the surveillance footage was deleted. And then, as soon as it hit six, Ms. Bella appeared in the footage! Doesn’t that give something away?”
“What are you implying?” Edith couldn’t bear it anymore; she stood in front of Mirabella and started arguing with Lily: “Ms. Bella just joined this family; she doesn’t even know where the oil is! Do you really have to slander her?”
“Could it be possible that you told her?”
“You’re framing her! You’re just spouting nonsense!”
“I heard from Holly that when Ms. Bella got home from work, she sent Serena and Martha away first, then went upstairs herself!”
Mirabella wondered if she could just go back to her room.
“Everyone knows that the surveillance room is on the third floor! Is Ms. Bella avoiding our gazes on purpose just so she can sneak upstairs and delete the surveillance footage?”
Mirabella was speechless
“Do you have any evidence” Edith was fuming
“And you don’t have any evidence that Ms Bella is innocent!”
“Enough” Louisa couldn’t stand it anymore, she glared at Lily and said, “You’re really pushing it, Lily Bella is my own flesh and blood, are you trying to stir up trouble between us? Are you itching to go back to your hometown and retire?”
“Madame Serena has always treated me well over the years. Now that she’s hurt, I can’t just stand by! If I’ve misunderstood Ms. Bella, I’m willing to apologize once things are cleared up. But for now, I need an explanation from Ms. Bella! How come you didn’t slip at the same spot Serena did?”
“Oh, because I saw the oil on the floor,” Mirabella replied nonchalantly.
It wasn’t her fault the others didn’t see it!
“So she did know about the oil!” Lily seemed to think she had caught Mirabella; she sneered, “I also want to ask, why would Mr. McMillan randomly look for Serena? Did you be? Mr. McMillan didn’t look for her at all! You made it up, your goal was to make Serena fall, wasn’t it?”
Upon hearing this, Serena looked at Mirabella with suspicion. Did Mirabella really lie to her?
Romeo didn’t look for her
No. If that was the case, she had to make Mirabella pay!
“Why Romeo was looking for her, is that your business?” Mirabella found it hilarious.
Lily knew Mirabella was lying by her look. She smirked and said, “Romeo is of high status; of course I can’t ask. But Ms. Bella can!”
Was she hinting at giving Romeo a call?
“Lily” Just as Kenneth was about to tell her to pack up and leave, Mirabella spoke up.
Fine, no problem.”
Mirabella casually pulled out her phone, dialed Romeo’s number, and put it on speaker.
Serena was both nervous and hopeful that Romeo really did have something to talk to her about!
If it was Mirabella who lied to her, she would never let her off the hook!
Soon, the call was answered.
“Bella”
Every time Romeo called Mirabella’s name, his yoice was so charming that it was heart–fluttering, a bit teasing, and full of indulgence.
His voice was enchantingly melodious: “Have you eaten yet?”
“Not yet”
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.