Rosalind Lowell sighed. 'I should have told Alaric Davenport not to come out with me. Now look, everyone's here. What am I going to do if I end up embarrassing him?'
'She ran through a few scenarios in her head. The most likely one was that Faye Lowell was throwing another fit because she couldn't get married. Last time, she'd threatened to jump off a building; this time, it was probably the sea.'
It was quiet for those inside, but chaotic for everyone else.
Herman Lowell and Yvonne Carter were waiting right outside the door.
To their surprise, trailing after that wretched girl, Rosalind Lowell, were Mr. Davenport and several other young socialites.
But this was no small matter. It involved his precious daughter, and he couldn't possibly remain calm.
"Dad? Mom? What's wrong?"
Herman Lowell said angrily, "What's wrong? You have the nerve to ask what's wrong? You harmed your sister, and now you've made such a scene that everyone knows!"
He was about to say something even harsher, but with Alaric Davenport present, he held back from swearing.
"What happened?"
Alaric Davenport's deep voice made Herman Lowell instantly change his tune. "Mr. Davenport, this is my failure. I didn't raise this child properly. To think she'd plot against her own sister."
"I didn't," Rosalind retorted.
"Details."
Alaric Davenport didn't waste any words, remaining completely calm. She wondered if he even realized he had been holding her hand the entire time.
"Mr. Davenport, come with me to the room and see for yourself." Herman Lowell began to lead Alaric Davenport away as he spoke. "My Faye said she was just minding her own business in her room when Young Master Davenport suddenly burst in. And, well..." He sighed dramatically. "That happened. My poor, innocent daughter. How will she ever get married now?"
"What does that have to do with her?"
"Of course it does! Someone said that this evening, Rosalind Lowell had a note passed to Young Master Davenport. It said she'd taken a liking to your brother and wanted him to come to her room, but the room number she wrote was my Faye's! Little did we know, your brother had been drugged, and then..."
"And what does that have to do with her?"
After asking, Alaric Davenport glanced at Ethan Lockwood, who immediately headed off elsewhere.
"She passed the note! She was involved in the drugging! How is that not related?"
"Mr. Fairchild, they are both your daughters. Why are you blaming Rosalind without even figuring out what happened?" Skylar Morrison interjected, coming to Rosalind's defense.
"B-But... all the evidence points to her! As their father, of course I'm heartbroken. Who would do something so horrible to her own sister?"
"Motive." Alaric Davenport bit out a single word.
"What motive?" Herman Lowell didn't understand.
Skylar Morrison helpfully "translated" for him. "He's asking what possible motive Rosalind could have. She's going to marry Mr. Davenport and live comfortably as a wealthy wife. Why would she need to harm her sister?"
Herman Lowell was struck dumb by the question, unable to respond.
Just then, Yvonne Carter chimed in to help him. "What reason does she need? She's just jealous, worried our Faye will have a better life, so she decided to ruin her! Our poor, poor Faye... And this one," she said, gesturing to Rosalind, "is an ungrateful stray. All she's ever wanted is to marry out and leave the Lowell Family."
The others, who hadn't known she was an adopted daughter, couldn't help but feel a stir of curiosity and form some unfavorable opinions upon hearing this.
They arrived outside Faye Lowell's room. Inside, Faye was huddled under a blanket, her hair a mess and tear tracks staining her cheeks. Her face still held the tell-tale flush of recent exertion.
Nearby, Julian Davenport's hair was also disheveled as he sat shirtless.
"The note. When did you get it?"
Julian Davenport sulked. He was terrified of his older brother. Alaric Davenport's powerful presence was suffocating. He answered meekly, "Four-thirty this afternoon."