Undressed By His Arrogance-Chapter 317: What Are You Doing?

Ivy met his gaze. "I just need to speak with you for a bit," she said evenly. "I have some things I need to ask you, if you don’t mind."

"Of course." He stepped back, sweeping an arm in a mock-gallant gesture. "After you."

She crossed the threshold, her eyes already cataloging the room. She glanced toward the hallway. "The kids?"

Tom shut the door behind her. "Out," he said shortly. "Now tell me why you’re here, Ivy."

She walked to one of the sofas and sat, crossing her legs. Then she reached into her bag.

The gun emerged quietly, catching the light as she set it in her palm.

"What—what are you doing?"

Ivy looked at the weapon. "I never thought the day would come when I’d need one of these," she said conversationally.

She glanced up at him, lips twitching. "Today, I just felt... fuck it. My aim is quite shoddy, though. I only got a crash course on the way over here."

"Still doesn’t answer my question," Tom said, swallowing hard as his eyes darted to the door, the windows.

"Shall we test my aim, Tom?" Ivy asked lightly, lifting the gun and balancing it in her hand.

"I’m calling the police," he snapped, fumbling for his phone.

The shot rang out before he could unlock the screen.

The bullet slammed into the sofa beside him with a dull, violent thud, fabric tearing, stuffing exploding outward.

Tom yelped and jumped back, heart pounding visibly beneath his shirt.

Ivy giggled. "See?" she said cheerfully. "I was aiming for your leg there."

"What do you want?" Tom snapped. The earlier smugness was gone now, stripped clean by the smell of gunpowder and the unmistakable certainty that Ivy was not bluffing. His chest rose and fell too fast, eyes darting around the room.

The front door opened and closed.

Reese stepped inside.

Tom’s eyes widened. "Ah...Reese. Here to make sure she doesn’t do something stupid?"

Ivy didn’t look away from Tom. The gun remained steady in her hand, her arm no longer trembling. "Oh, he’s here for that," she said coolly. "But mostly to make sure I don’t kill you before you tell me what you gave Winn."

Tom barked out a harsh laugh, panic thinly disguised as outrage. "What... what I gave Winn? What are you talking about?"

"You’re really committed to this performance," she mused. "Points for consistency. Same way you had nothing to do with Diane. Same way you had nothing to do with my assault."

She nodded once in Reese’s direction.

Reese moved.

One sharp kick to Tom’s shins sent him crashing to the floor with a cry of pain, knees slamming into marble. Reese stepped back, folding his arms as Tom struggled to stay upright, breathing hard, sweat already beading on his forehead.

Ivy rose from the sofa and walked toward him. She stopped directly in front of him and raised the gun, the barrel now level with his forehead.

"I can’t miss this way," she said lightly. "Can I?"

Tom stared up at the gun, then at her face—really looked at her this time.

"What the hell do you want from me?" he shouted, desperation bleeding through his anger. "I’ve done nothing wrong! Winn ruined my life! I let him be, and you still won’t let me breathe!"

"And since when do you even care about him? I thought you were engaged to someone else."

"You had Raphael poison Winn," Ivy cut in sharply, the barrel pressing closer to his skin now. "I don’t care about your excuses. I don’t care about your vendettas. I need the antidote."

Her finger tightened ever so slightly on the trigger.

"Or I swear to God," she said, voice deadly calm, "I will blow your brains out right here, redecorate this overpriced living room, and sleep just fine tonight. Please—test me."

Even Tom seemed to understand then:

Ivy Morales had reached the end of her patience.

"I don’t know anything about any poison!" Tom shouted. He shook his head violently, curls plastered to his forehead with sweat, denial pouring out of him. "You’re insane. You’ve lost it. You can’t just walk into my house and accuse me of—"

Reese stiffened. His head snapped toward the window. He moved silently, peering through the sheer curtains just enough to see the driveway. An SUV rolled to a stop. The passenger door opened.

"The mom’s back," he said quietly, urgency threading his voice. "With a kid."

"Splendid," Ivy said, smiling faintly. "I want the kid."

Reese’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. He repositioned himself behind the door. He didn’t like it—but he trusted Ivy. And more importantly, he understood her. Winn’s life was bleeding out minute by minute, and morality had become a luxury none of them could afford.

"No!" Tom screamed, panic detonating in full. "You cannot do this! No—no, Ivy, please—"

The crack of the gun against his face cut him off.

The metal barrel slammed into his cheekbone with a sickening thud. Tom cried out, collapsing sideways. Ivy stood over him.

The front door opened.

"Tom! We are home!" Morgana’s voice rang out brightly, oblivious, carrying grocery bags in one hand, guiding Mel through the doorway with the other. "You wouldn’t believe the traffic—"

She stepped into the living room.

Her eyes took it all in at once: Tom on the floor. Ivy standing with a gun in her hand.

Maternal instinct hit.

"MEL!" Morgana screamed, dropping the bags and turning back.

Too late.

Reese scooped the child up, one arm securing her against his chest. Mel gasped in confusion, eyes wide.

"Mummy?" she whimpered. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Ivy gestured with the gun, commanding. "On the floor. Now."

Morgana’s face was white, tears streaming freely as she reached out instinctively toward her daughter. "Please," she begged. "Please let her go. She’s just a child. She doesn’t understand what’s happening."

Mel started crying now, soft hiccupping sobs.

Ivy saw Elizabeth’s face in her mind. Winn’s hand in hers. Love burned hot and vicious in her veins, eclipsing the guilt before it could take root.