Chapter 540 Recognized
The door of the study had been locked from the inside, which meant that no one could have entered the room. This allowed them to exit the basement safely without getting caught.
Arnold placed his hat over Josie’s head as they left the room, hoping to draw attention away from her.
To their surprise, Zach arrived at the garden, dressed in a suit and tie as he mingled with the guests. He had the poise of a gentleman, but they knew this was just a façade.
“I want to thank you all for coming to Summer’s birthday party today,” Zach announced, raising a glass of champagne.
Arnold raised his glass to Zach, his lips curling into a smirk. “Zach.”
Zach turned around to face him and greeted him with a slight nod. “Arnold.”
“I thought you’d be here earlier, Arnold said, walking over to Zach and blocking his view of the villa.
Zach smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “The whole of Wavery knows how much you care for Summer. I could never be as attentive to her as you are, even though I’m her brother.”
Everyone in the crowd chuckled politely at Zach’s remarks.
“What about Laura?” Arnold probed, taking a sip of his wine. His casual manner and tone made it seem as if he hadn’t just witnessed a horrific scene before him earlier.
“Laura wasn’t feeling well, so I had her stay in her room,” Zach said confidently, his voice steady.
Arnold smiled, his lips curving up in a faint smile..
“Mr. Russell, he doesn’t seem suspicious, Larry said to Dexter. They both kept their eyes fixed on Arnold.
The way he carried himself confidently, speaking in high spirits with the guests, left no room for suspicion.
Meanwhile, Summer was walking towards Dexter; her eyes focused on him.
“Where is his secretary?” he inquired.
Larry frowned as he looked around the garden, his eyes searching for Andy. “I don’t see him anywhere,” he replied.
“Find out where he is right now,” Dexter ordered, his voice commanding.
Summer approached them, her eyes sparkling with innocence. “Dex, do I look beautiful today?” she asked, her singsong voice filtering through the air.
As always, Summer was breathtakingly beautiful; her eyes shone like stars in the night sky. Dexter forced a warm smile. “You’re always beautiful.”
Summer chuckled shyly at his answer, then turned to his secretary. “Mr. Peeple, where are you headed to?”
Dexter maintained his calm demeanor, even though he was caught off guard by Summer’s question. “We have an urgent problem to attend to,” he responded quickly, trying to put an end to the subject.
Summer looked down, her eyes no longer sparkling with light. “Dex, I heard you’ve been looking for Josie. Have you found her?”
Dexter let out a forced chuckle, his eyes darkening with an inscrutable expression. “Who told you?”
“I could help you find her. Are you searching for her in Rivonia?”
Summer didn’t hold back a single word. Dexter’s smile faltered as he replied, “You don’t need to bother yourself with it.”
“She’s the one at fault, Summer commented, her eyes locked on Dexter’s. “Anyone else could’ve understood your situation at that time.”
Dexter couldn’t bear to hear her anymore. “You know me too well,” he responded, his lips pressed into a
thin line.
Summer returned a smile. She reached out her hands to hold him and spoke slowly and deliberately. “Of course. I know you better than anyone in this world. That’s what makes me worthy of being by your side.”
Andy was leading Josie and the doctor out of the side door as Summer and Dexter were engaged in conversation. Josie kept her head down, not wanting to make eye contact.
As she raised her head, she caught a glimpse of the woman standing next to Dexter from the corner of her
eye.
They were standing side by side, their arms brushing against each other’s.
Larry’s eyes widened in recognition when she stopped to look at them. “Mrs. Russell?” he blurted without much thought.
He lowered his voice to a whisper and darted across the hall toward her.
Andy was caught off guard by Larry’s sharp eye. He couldn’t get Josie to escape in time.
Larry’s eyes widened in surprise and disbelief. His mouth gaped slightly as he stared at Josie. “Mrs. Russell, why are you here?”
