Bab 24: 24. Rudy’s Study

"And get off your high horse—I know you slept with my sister last night," Travis said, his lips curling into a smug grin.

Cara froze, her expression betraying nothing, but her mind raced. How does he know? Did Ashley tell him? The thought gnawed at her.

Then it struck her—she could just read his mind and get to the bottom of it.

"I don't know where or how you came up with this ridiculous idea. Let me guess—Ashley fed you this nonsense?" Cara asked, her voice steady and her gaze unwavering.

Travis smirked. "No, she didn't have to. I heard everything... well, almost everything."

Cara's stomach dropped. 'Damn. He caught me. This creep is relentless.'

[Well, you guys might have been a bit loud last night.]

Cara felt her face heat up but pushed the thought away. 'I just hope no one else heard us.'

"Congratulations, Travis," she said with a sharp edge. "You overheard sex noises coming from a lady's room. Do you want a medal for your bravery?"

Travis chuckled, leaning back in his seat like he had all the time in the world. "The way the two of you were flirting at the dining table yesterday? It was obvious something was going to happen. I've got a sixth sense about these things. What really surprises me, though, is you. My sister? Sure. She's always had... queer tendencies. But you? This isn't like you. In fact, everything about you has been off ever since you... resurrected."

Cara's breath hitched for a split second, though she quickly recovered. 'Wait a minute. Is he actually piecing it together? Could he be the first to figure out I'm not really Cara?'

[He might be smarter than we gave him credit for.]

Cara forced a bored expression onto her face. "Well, this has been enlightening. Umm, now, can you start the car and take me home? I'm tired and bored of your rambling."

Travis stared at her, his smug grin faltering as her calm demeanor took the wind out of his sails. He clenched the steering wheel, frustration simmering just beneath the surface. How the hell did everything I just said not faze her?

He finally started the car, and they drove in tense silence. The mansion loomed into view, the car stopped in the driveway, and Travis, unable to hold back any longer, broke it.

"I could tell everyone about your affair with my sister. You know that, right?"

Cara turned to him, her expression icy. "But you won't. Because it never happened. It's all in your head."

"Don't try to gaslight me, Cara," Travis snapped, his voice rising. "I might be a pervert, but I'm not dumb. I saw what I saw and heard what I heard. I saw my sister go into your room. I eavesdropped on the two of you, and I saw her leave." His voice shook with rage now, his smugness giving way to frustration.

Cara's jaw tightened. 'God damn it. What does this bastard want?'

[Would you just admit it?]

'No. Even if he caught me in the act, I'd deny it. It's his word against mine.'

Cara gave him a cold, measured look. "I haven't the slightest clue what kind of nonsense you're spewing, nor do I care to listen to it anymore."

Without waiting for a response, she opened the car door and stepped out, her heels clicking against the cobblestone driveway. Travis stayed in the car, seething as he watched her walk away. After a moment, he started the engine and sped off into the night, leaving Cara walking in towards the entrance of the mansion, her mind already plotting her next move.

—-

In the mansion, Sylvester was still adjusting to the surreal reality of living in such an opulent place, even if it wasn't truly his own life but Cara's body he inhabited. The grandiosity of the estate felt foreign to him, a stark contrast to the simpler world he used to know.

The first person Cara saw that day was Ashley. She was seated in the sitting room, glasses perched on her nose, a green sleeveless top hugging her figure, and a laptop resting on the coffee table in front of her. Her focus on the screen was intense, but to Sylvester, inhabiting Cara's body, Ashley's nerdy look was unexpectedly alluring. Trying to keep his thoughts in check, he approached her with a casual tone.

"Ashley, how's it hanging?" Cara asked, her voice light, almost playful.

Ashley didn't look up, her attention glued to the screen. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as if Cara hadn't spoken at all.

"Alright, I guess someone's being a bitch right now," Cara said with a smirk, walking past her. "Especially after getting a couple O's last night."

That got Ashley's attention. She stood quickly and followed Cara into the corridor, glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one else was nearby. Lowering her voice, she said, "I'm busy right now. And you know I don't want anyone finding out about... whatever this is."

Cara stopped and turned to face her, crossing her arms. "I get that. But you could at least respond when I say hi. Ignoring me completely? That's just rude."

Ashley sighed, clearly torn between her priorities. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I'll try to be less rude."

Cara raised an eyebrow, letting the moment hang in the air for a beat. "So... you're the only one home, or are my mom and your dad around?"

"Arlene's in her room, I think," Ashley replied, her voice returning to its usual composed tone. "But my dad isn't back yet. Can I come by later this evening?" She gave Cara a small, teasing smile.

Yeah, I bet she wants another round tonight, Cara thought, her mind already jumping ahead.

"Yes, you can," Cara said aloud, keeping her expression neutral. "But didn't you say, 'This can't happen again'?" The anticipation she had been harboring all day was now impossible to ignore.

Ashley stepped closer, her smile deepening into something more mischievous. Without another word, she leaned in and kissed Cara, her hand sliding down to grab Cara's ass. Pulling back just enough to look into her eyes, Ashley said, "I can say a lot of things, but my actions are what really matters."

And with that, she walked away, leaving Cara standing in the corridor, watching her go with a smirk of her own.

Once Ashley was out of sight, Cara climbed the stairs to her room, peeling off her clothes as soon as she stepped inside. She swapped her outfit for something casual, her mind already shifting from the playful encounter to more pressing matters.

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the key to the cellar, the one Farrah had given her. Tonight was the perfect opportunity—Rudy wasn't home, and she could finally investigate the mystery surrounding the cellar.

Cara stepped out of her room and made her way toward Rudy's study. If her hunch was correct, the entrance to the cellar would be somewhere nearby. The air in the mansion felt heavier as she approached the study, her senses on high alert.

Inside, the study was just as she remembered—neatly organized yet radiating an air of secrecy. Her eyes swept the room until they landed on a rectangular placemat on the floor. It was out of place, too deliberate. Cara knelt down, lifting the mat to reveal a trapdoor embedded in the floor.

Bingo, she thought.

She slipped the key into the lock, her fingers steady despite the tension building in her chest. Just as she was about to turn the key, footsteps echoed from the hallway. Her pulse quickened, and she immediately pulled back, slipping into the shadows of the room.

Her breath hitched as she strained to listen, trying to determine who was approaching.