My Great Escape Led Me to You novel Chapter 166

Isabella Austin held herself with quiet grace, her lips curving into a gentle smile. “I’m not upset,” she said softly. “I’m just worried all your effort with the tulips will go to waste after so much time tending them.”

“If Emily really did offend you, I apologize on her behalf.”

Arianna George’s anger, which had just begun to subside, flared right back up at Isabella’s words. Her face darkened, eyes sharp as she fixed them on Emily Blair, studying every nuance of her expression as if searching for a lie.

Emily caught the glimmer of amusement in Isabella’s eyes and felt a cold laugh rise in her chest. She saw through the act—Isabella had brought up the tulips on purpose, just to rile up Arianna and turn the situation against her.

Arianna’s voice was low and pressing. “Was it you?”

Emily glanced over at the others. Andrew Lane looked utterly detached, hands shoved in his pockets, his gaze drifting somewhere behind Isabella—as if she was the only person in the room worth noticing. From the very start, it was clear Andrew had come here for no one but Isabella.

Emily’s expression was calm and cool as she met Arianna’s stare. “When exactly did these people see me?”

“One o’clock in the afternoon,” Arianna replied.

“And when did they say I left?”

“Around two.”

Emily offered a slight smile. “And when did you discover the tulips had been ruined?”

“Eight this morning.”

Emily bent down and picked up one of the limp bunches of tulips. “So, there’s an eighteen-hour window in between.”

She held Arianna’s gaze. “How are you so sure I was the one who destroyed your tulips?”

Arianna’s stern expression began to waver, her anger cooling as she processed Emily’s words.

Ashley Miller, standing beside Emily with her arms crossed, had lost her usual bright smile. Her tone was blunt and edged with irritation. “I was with both of them all afternoon yesterday. If they snuck off to do something like this, I’d know.”

Sophia Clark couldn’t hold back a retort. “How do we know you’re not all in on it together?”

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