My Anti-hero Fairy System-Chapter 66. At The Dining table

Cara placed her phone down on the bed and rose to her feet. "Ashley," she whispered, her tone measured. "Lower your voice."

"How do you expect me to keep my voice down," Ashley hissed, her volume dropping only slightly, "when you’re clearly working for the enemy?"

Cara sighed, meeting Ashley’s fiery gaze with her own steady one. "I am not working for the enemy," she said firmly. "I’m trying to save your only brother from a death sentence because, whether you want to believe it or not, he’s innocent."

Ashley flinched as Cara reached out to touch her face, turning her head away sharply. "How do you know he’s innocent?" she demanded, her voice faltering.

"I just do," Cara said softly but resolutely. "And helping Travis doesn’t mean I’m not on your side. I’ll help you in whatever way I can, Ashley." Cara reached out again, her fingers brushing against Ashley’s cheek. This time, Ashley didn’t pull away.

Ashley’s expression softened slightly, but there was still a tension in her voice as she said, "How can you help me now? Him being in prison would have given me enough time to..."

"To do what?" Cara interrupted sharply. "Take over the family business?"

Ashley didn’t flinch instead, she met Cara’s eyes with unwavering honesty. "Yes, and you know that. But now you’ve made it harder for me." She hesitated, searching Cara’s expression with a desperate intensity. "Be honest with me, do you have feelings for Travis?"

Cara’s face twisted in disgust at the suggestion. "No," she said coldly, her tone leaving no room for misinterpretation. "I don’t, and I never will. I don’t have feelings for your brother nor would I have feelings for any man, for that matter. So calm down. If I’m helping Travis, it’s because he’s innocent. And frankly, I have a feeling this case is worth investigating. There’s a story here, a big one. Or have you forgotten that I’m a journalist?"

Ashley took a step closer, her face now inches from Cara’s. "I’m sorry," she murmured. "I forgot about that. So, you really think there’s a story here?"

Cara’s voice was steady, tinged with the confidence of someone piecing together a puzzle. "Yes. Three women have been murdered, all killed in the same way. Two of them had leaked sex tapes showing them with vampires. If I dig deeper, I’d bet the third woman had similar connections. There’s a pattern, Ashley."

Ashley seemed to absorb the information, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Okay," she said quietly. "I understand, or at least, I’ll try to."

Cara stepped closer, her lips brushing against Ashley’s in a soft, lingering kiss. She pulled back just enough to whisper in a sultry tone, "Don’t ever doubt that I’m team Ashley—any day, anytime. You hear me?"

Ashley nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yes. I’ll never doubt you."

Cara smiled as her lips trailed down Ashley’s neck. Ashley tilted her head back instinctively, baring her chest. Cara’s kisses deepened, her hands exploring breasts, drawing soft moans from Ashley as she melted into her touch.

But just as they were on the brink of losing themselves completely, footsteps echoed down the hallway, heading toward Cara’s room. They froze, their breaths coming in hurried gasps. Ashley darted to hide just as the door opened.

Arlene stepped in, her expression curious. "Honey," she said, her voice playful, "were you touching yourself? I could’ve sworn I heard moaning coming from this room."

Cara blinked, caught off guard. "No, Mom," she said quickly, trying to sound nonchalant. "I wasn’t touching myself."

Arlene smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "You know, honey, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s perfectly natural. Exploring your body is how we women learn what works for us." Her tone was almost instructional, like a Sex Ed teacher giving a lesson.

Cara exhaled, desperate to change the subject. "Mom, I’ve had a long day. Is there something I can help you with?"

Arlene straightened, brushing off Cara’s deflection with ease. "Well, I was just wondering if you’d be joining us for dinner?"

"Yes, I’ll be there," Cara replied quickly, eager to end the conversation.

"Good. I’ll have the new maid set a plate for you." Arlene turned to leave but paused at the doorway, glancing back with a warm smile. "By the way, I’m proud of what you did for Travis."

Cara’s expression softened slightly. "There’s no need to thank me, Mom."

"But I do," Arlene insisted. "That boy is like a son to me. I just hope he learns from this and stops living so recklessly. Anyway, dinner will be ready in five minutes." With that, she walked out, leaving Cara alone.

The room fell silent, save for the sound of Cara’s steady breathing. She turned her head toward the closet where Ashley was hidden and let out a small, amused sigh.

—---

—---

That evening in the dining room, Cara sat next to Travis but faced Ashley, their feet brushing against each other under the table in a silent game of footsie. The tension between them was palpable, though they kept their expressions neutral.

Travis leaned toward Cara, his voice low and sharp as he whispered in her ear, "Stop it. Someone’s going to catch you two."

Cara immediately withdrew her foot, her composure unshaken but her movements careful now. She adjusted her posture as the new maid entered alongside the other staff, each carrying trays of food that they began placing neatly on the table. The new maid looked pretty average compared to Lucrecia. So she is definitely not going to be a threat to Arlene, Cara thought.

"When did you get a new maid?" Cara asked, her gaze shifting to Rudy, her tone deliberately casual.

"This afternoon," Rudy replied curtly, his expression hard as stone.

"What happened to the other maid? What was her name again?" Ashley chimed in, her voice light but tinged with curiosity.

"Lucrecia," Cara said without hesitation, her eyes briefly darting to Rudy before returning to Ashley.

"She just wasn’t a good fit anymore," Rudy said coldly, his words laced with a quiet menace. "Especially after what I caught her doing."

Arlene, seated at the head of the table, tilted her head in concern. "What did you catch her doing, honey? Did she steal something?"

Rudy’s gaze locked onto Cara, his eyes narrowing with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. He didn’t need to say it outright, the threat in his stare was enough to make her hold her breath, bracing for whatever he might say next.