Chapter Twenty Seven

Chloe's POV

I hesitated, thinking about how to explain the situation. "What happened was that I crossed paths with Claire later, and it didn't end well at all."

Ashley’s brow furrowed in puzzlement. “What really happened?”

I took a deep breath, remembering the tension and confusion of the encounter. “Well, at first, I was just enjoying myself and mingling with everyone. Then I heard Claire say a few things to some people in the restroom. They all sounded off, so I tried to hear what they were saying. And boom! She caught me!”

“Wow! What did she do when she caught you?” Ashley asked, her curiosity growing.

I took another deep breath, trying to steady my nerves as I recounted the events. “She held me at knife point, Ashley. She warned me not to say anything about what I might have heard to anyone.”

Ashley’s eyes widened in shock. “She held you at knife point? That’s insane! I know Claire can be tough, but I never imagined she could be that wicked.”

“Yeah,” I said, nodding slowly. “It was terrifying. She looked at me with this intense, cold gaze. I couldn’t believe it either.”

Ashley shook her head, still processing what I had just told her. “I mean, I always thought she had a mean streak, but this is on a whole other level. I know I can be a bit wicked myself, but this... this is something else.”

“It was horrible,” I admitted. “I was so scared. I didn’t know what to do. I just stood there, frozen.”

“What did she say exactly?” Ashley asked, leaning forward, her eyes locked on mine.

“She said that if I told anyone about what I overheard, she’d make sure I regretted it. She didn’t give any specifics, but the look in her eyes was enough to convince me she wasn’t bluffing.”

Ashley let out a low whistle. “That’s intense. What did you do next?”

“I just nodded and promised I wouldn’t say anything,” I replied. “I didn’t have much of a choice. She was holding a knife, Ashley. I just wanted to get out of there alive.”

“I can’t believe this,” Ashley said, shaking her head again. “Claire always seemed so controlled. I never thought she’d resort to something like this.”

“Neither did I,” I said, sighing. “It was like seeing a whole new side of her. A really scary side.”

Ashley leaned back in her chair, her expression thoughtful. “We need to figure out what to do about this. We can’t just let her get away with threatening you like that.”

“I know,” I said, feeling a mix of relief and apprehension. “But I’m scared, Ashley. What if she comes after me again?”

“She won’t Chloe. Claire just make empty threats. Nothing more”

Ashley tapped her chin, deep in thought. "We'll have to be careful. Maybe we can start by keeping an eye on her, see if we can figure out what she's up to without getting too close."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good plan," I agreed. Then, my stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten anything since lunch. "I'm starving. Is there any food ready?"

Ashley smiled, the tension easing a bit. "Yeah, the maids prepared something. Let's go check it out."

You didnt eat at the party?