"What the hell do you mean by that?" Thomas asked, stepping forward. "That''s impossible!"
"Do not yell at my wife!" Ss snapped.
For a moment, ivy thought the tension would escte, that the Stone brothers might go at each other''s throats in a room full of strangers.
She bit her lip, silently scolding herself for rushing in, especially when the atmosphere was still so tense.
"What happened?" Wade asked, turning to her.
She repeated herself. "It seems like she''s in a tight spot. I don''t fully understand it either."
Theresa had sounded angry on the phone, but Ivy had also heard exhaustion in her voice. She had been excited to get a call from her, only for it to be filled with frustration and distress.
"Where did she say it happened?" Ss asked.
"On her street," Ivy replied.
"Let''s go."
"I''ming too," Thomas said, already striding toward the door.
"No, you''re not." Ss''s tone was sharp, his eyes sharper, as if daring Thomas to argue.
Ivy held her breath, watching both proud men locked eyes in stubborn silence. No one else in the room dared to speak.
Finally, Thomas stepped back. “I have better things to do anyway."
Ss scoffed. "Great." Then he took Ivy''s hand. "Let''s go, baby."
She followed, but not before ncing at Thomas. For a fleeting second, his eyes gleamed with guilt. But when theynded on her, he scowled and turned
away.
Outside, Ss was already speaking to Bud, arranging more security. "Are youing in my car or...?"
“I brought Jonathan,” she replied, looking away.
She half-expected him to object-but he didn''t. And that, strangely, hurt.
She made her way to her car and found Jonathan.
"Hey, we''re waiting for Ss," she told him, climbing in.
After a few minutes, Ss gave the signal to begin. Ivy''s two vehicles followed behind his convoy.
Ivy tapped the edge of her phone against her palm, her heart leaping with fear. How had Theresa ended up beating someone up? It was so unlike her.
The anxiety gnawed at her and so did curiosity/Before she could control herself,
she unlocked her phone and searched for Theresa Stone.
The headlines made her heart drop:
Theresa Stone Fled After Causing Road ident.
Grandfather and Kids Barely Survive Collision with Theresa Stone''s Car.
Public Stunt or Personal Copse? Exclusive Details from the Victims.
Ivy groaned, tossing the phone away.
So it was Theresa.
Her stomach twisted, recalling the ident scene. She exhaled slowly, allowing the realization to sink.
Then her mind drifted; none of the articles mentioned a physical assault, and now she wasn''t sure if to be happy or terrified.
Theresa had admitted to hitting the reporter, which only meant Ivy hadn''t found articles on that yet.
Giving in to the curiosity, Ivy picked up the phone again and searched for Theresa Stone''s fight.
To her dismay, there was already a video, and it seemed to be going viral. She groaned again, her heart clenching.
"Everything okay, ma''am?" Jonathan asked, ncing at her through the rearview mirror.
"Yes," she replied quickly.
She hesitated for a full minute, before eventually hitting y.
In the clip, a young woman in a turquoise gown stretched a microphone towards a
car window, the camera too close to her.
"Hello, Ms Stone," the reporter said, tapping lightly on the ss.
At first, Ivy couldn''t see Theresa, but then she appeared in the back seat, clearly trying to shield her face.
The video went shaky and silent for a second, with the camera jostling t of view. When the camera was refocused, Ivy saw and heard Theresa.
"Go away!" Theresa yelled, storming out of the car, her eyes zing as she approached the youngdy.
"Mrs. Stone, we would-"
The reporter''s words were cut off by a sudden, forceful push.
Ivy gasped, clutching her phone.
"Stay the fuck away from my house!" Theresa yelled.
The camera briefly caught her enraged expression before it went tumbling down. Off-camera, Ivy could hear the chaos, the yelling.
There was a man''s voice. Then the reporter screamed, followed by Theresa''s screams.
Someone picked up the camera and shouted, "Theresa Stone just injured our reporter! Send help!"
Then the video ended.
"What the hell..." Ivy whispered, her chest tightening, her head spinning. She
hadn''t expected such a thing from Theresa, and it was rming.
The car slowed, and she looked up.
"The hell..." Jonathan muttered.
There were a ton of reporters stationed outside Theresa''s house. Far more than
when Thomas had been arrested.
Her phone rang and she answered. It was Ss.
49. Sat, 21 Jun
"Hey," she said.
"Tell your drivers to follow my car. Do not deviate," Ss said firmly.
"Follow the car in front," she said to Jonathan, her voice shaking.
"Stay safe. See you inside," Ss added before hanging up.
Ivy''s stomach dropped as they slowly made their way closer to the crowd.
"Do not lower the windows," Ivy warned, reminded of earlier.
"Yes, ma''am," Jonathan said.
The instant their cars were spotted, all the reporters surged forward, flooding the
car.
Panic spiked as multiple reporters gathered the car, banging on the windows, waving their microphones like spears.
"Straight line, Jonathan," she said, her voice cracking.
There was nowhere to turn, the car felt trapped. Both windows had been
surrounded, darkening the car interior.
Ivy covered her face with her hand, hiding from them. The car gained momentum
and soon they pulled into Theresa''s driveway.
"That was insane," Jonathan muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Ss tapped on the other side of her window and she opened the door.
"Are you good?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied, stepping out.
"I thought Theresa was waiting on her street," Ss said, frowning. The seriousness in his tone made her heart leap.
"I thought so too," Ivy said. "Maybe it just took longer to get in."
"Maybe," Ss said, though his tone was uneasy. "Let''s go."
They entered the house, fear gripping Ivy as she stepped into the quiet living
room.
"Resa?" Ss called.
"Here," came a hoarse voice from the corner.
Ivy spotted her and rushed over. "Hey, T."
Theresa''s eyes were red and puffy as she sat on the floor, her hair disheveled,
her belongings scattered around her.
She copsed into Ivy''s arms. "I lost control," she sobbed.
Ivy''s heart broke as she sat beside her, pulling her closer.
Ss knelt beside them, his serious features now softened into concern. "What
happened?"
Theresa cried some more, and Ivy ran a gentle hand down her back. For a moment, the only sound was her tears.
After a while, Theresa sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I... wasing back from... I went out, and then I met the reporter on the street. She asked about the ident and I just... red up. I couldn''t control-"
"What ident?" silse''s tone turned sharp with pamil,
Theresa sat upright, moving away from ly''s arm. The gesture stung wy a fate, but
the understand why-
bumped into someone''s car atter fleht Aunt May''s house
Sitas stood, his eyes wide. "Why didn''t you say anything?
"She couldn''t." Ivy said before Theresa could speak. She stood as well, her
cheeks burning up. "Something happened at Aunt May''s house"
Then she told them everything.
"I get that you''re mad about it, and I''m sorry," she said to Theresa afterward.
"Oh, Ivy." Theresa whispered, breaking down again.
"How could Aunt May say something like that?" Ss said, his voice twisting with
disgust.
Pain burned in Ivy''s chest, but she swallowed it as she sat beside Theresa again.
She couldn''t break down, not when her friend needed her.
"I''m sorry," she said softly as Theresa copsed in her arms again.
"I''m sorry too. I should have listened," Theresa said through her tears.
"It''s okay," Ivy replied, rubbing her back.
They stayed there in silence until Theresa finally lifted her head. "Ss, can I talk
to Ivy alone?"
Ss didn''t hesitate. "Of course. I''ll be by the bar if you need me."
Once he was gone, Ivy turned to Theresa, concern racing through her. "What is
it?"
Theresa sniffled and leaned inn closer. "I wasing back from the hospital when
I saw that reporter."
Ivy''s stomach dropped. "Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" Theresa sighed. "Yes. I got the DNA results. The baby is Wilson''s."