Chapter 183: Arrival Of The New Enemy

The Beverly villa was more than just the moderate house that Nathan shared with Crystal, Helen, and all staff. What made it what it was, what made it special - was the grounds. There was the view, the trees, the animals, and the other buildings. These included servant accommodations, a shed, two guest houses, and the stables.

The stables were seldom used, though, so when Helen heard the sound of a horse-drawn carriage coming from that direction, she was more than a little bit surprised. Who is that? - she wondered. She looked around the room, but there was no one to ask. When Crystal and Nathan came in, he had gone directly to his study, and she had gone to her room - and after greeting them, Elma had drawn herself a mineral bath to help with her wounds.

The carriage looked European. It was fringed with gold, and there was a guard on either side of it, each on horseback. When it stopped, the guards got down from their horses. They opened the carriage doors, and a pretty woman proudly stepped into the sunlight.

Oh my God - thought Helen- What is she doing here?

Crystal was aimlessly wandering about the villa. Although she had been there many times, she hadn’t seen much of it other than the common areas, her bedroom that she shared with Nathan, and their bathroom - and even though the house was on the small side, she had never explored the corridor on the main floor.

She had found a tapestry that caught her attention, and she got closer to examine the detail. Then, when she stepped back, she crashed into someone who had been passing behind her. She turned around to apologize, but when she saw who it was, she froze. What is Christine Laurent doing here?- she wondered. Christine smiled and offered her hand to shake. “And you must be Crystal,” she said. “It is nice to meet you finally.”

Unbeknownst to Crystal, Christine’s grandfather had asked her to move into the manor to keep an eye on Crystal. After what she’d supposedly already done, a lot of people were worried that she might try to hurt the baby again, and although Christine had a smile on her face, she did not trust Crystal any more than they did.

She is even more beautiful in person than she is on TV - thought Crystal. A haughty, patronizing look on Christine’s face, though, made Crystal feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, she felt an uneasy curiosity about her relationship with Nathan. Why is Christine here? She wondered - And does this have something to do with Elena?

Christine: “I just arrived. Maybe you can show me around the dining room?”

Crystal nodded and led the other girl to the dining room. Everything seemed normal. As they approached the next tapestry, though, Christine’s gloved fingers touched the paint. Suddenly, a dark hole appeared, and Crystal fell into it. She hit the ground hard, and as the trap door closed, she was enveloped in total darkness.

Crystal cried out, but she instinctively knew that no one would hear her.

Above her, Christine smirked.

The manor was covered with traps, which was another reason Nathan had chosen the place to be their home. The walls of the villa were full of infrared alarms. Even the helicopters weren’t verified so that nobody could get in. Furthermore, there were towers in each of the manor’s four corners, and snipers were on guard 24/7. Even if the old Davis mobilized thousands of troops, he might not be able to conquer it.

Christine grinned like a Cheshire cat, and she thought - Crystal Smith, you’re on my property, and you’re going to enjoy my game.

There were two servants ahead of her, and when they turned around, they were taken aback. Where did Crystal go?- they wondered.

Christine’s eyes narrowed, and she was about to deal with the servants, but then Vic suddenly appeared. “Miss Christine Laurent?” he said. “Is that you?”

Christine nodded but said nothing.

Vic: “Well, hello, miss. Excuse me, but when did you arrive?”

Christine: “Must I report to you when I arrive?”

Vic: “You misunderstand me….”

Upon seeing Vic, one of the servants said, “Vic, Miss Smith was following us just now, and then she suddenly disappeared. I think that something bad has happened to her!”

The other servant pointed to where they had last seen Crystal, but we didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. That being said, he and Nathan were both aware that there were secret passages in the house, so he knew to look for certain clues.

A minute passed, and Vic spotted a smudge on one of the paintings. He touched it, and a hole opened in the floor. He looked down, and when he saw Crystal trembling below him, he shouted, “Miss Smith, I will send people to save you. But don’t move. If you touch the wrong stone, you will be fired upon by thousands of arrows!”

Christine frowned. Her assassination attempt had failed, and from now on, her character would be suspected.

By the time Crystal had been rescued, Nathan had heard about what had happened, and he was there to greet her the second she was safe. She staggered out of another hidden passage with a bodyguard on either side of her supporting her weight. He pushed them away and pulled Crystal into his arms. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Crystal was in a state of shock, and it took her a while to focus her thoughts. Even then, though, it was a struggle to speak.

Nathan turned to one of his servants and shouted, “Call the doctor!”

“I’m fine,” Crystal finally said.

Vic: “The hole is only three meters deep. She didn’t trigger the arrows, so she should be fine. I think she’s more traumatized than physically hurt.”

Nathan looked at the servant who had been closest to Crystal at the time of the accident and said, “Tell me what happened!”

“It was a trap,” the servant explained. “I didn’t see who triggered it, but it had to have been either Vic or Christine!”

“Can we check the security footage?” asked Nathan.

“I’m afraid not,” Vic replied. “The circuits were fried during the last thunderstorm, and they have not been repaired yet...”

Nathan frowned as he realized how difficult things were about to get. He sighed and said, “This is very troubling...” Vic was his most trusted servant, but he had grown up with Christine. She was like a sister to him. He couldn’t imagine either of them intentionally doing him harm.

“Why are you looking at me?” Christine asked doubtfully. “You know me. I wouldn’t hurt a fly...” She nodded her head in Vic’s direction. “...But look at him. He is violent by nature, and you know it!”

Vic scowled. He looked Nathan in the eyes and said, “I swear to you that I am not lying. I do not know Christine’s character, so I cannot guess what she is capable of. Is it possible, though, that the trap was triggered by accident? Or perhaps there was a mechanical malfunction. The trap is old, so that is not outside the realm of possibilities. You should have the matter investigated before you start pointing fingers at people that you love and trust...”

Nathan nodded and said, “You are right. I am sorry, old friend, for jumping to conclusions.” He turned to Christine. “Of course, my apology extends to you as well. However, if it turns out that either of you was responsible for triggering this death trap, know this: There will be Hell to pay!”