Chapter 4

Ivy froze when she saw the sea of expectant faces. Then, glancing back at the taxi speeding into the distance, she forced a theatrical smile.

"I... I went shopping today," she said, drawing out the words. "That's why I didn't have time to transfer the money. And our Rolls-Royce broke down halfway, so the driver had to take it for repairs. What are you all standing around for—something wrong?"

Not a single person had asked why she stepped out of a taxi, not a luxury car. The explanation reeked of desperation, more suspicious than convincing.

But no one was focused…