Hello, Ex! I Finally Found My Worth!-Chapter 170: Hang In There

Ivy drove away from Claire's house, gripping the steering wheel tighter than she realized. Her mind swirled with thoughts of Hunter.

The way Selena had called her earlier, sounding almost alarmed, didn't sit well with her. What news could be so important? And why Hunter? She knew she could easily pull out her phone and check the trending stories online, but she told herself firmly, 'I'm not interested. I don't care what's going on with him.'

Yet even as she told herself that, her foot pressed harder on the gas, and before she knew it, she was already on the familiar route to Hunter's house.

What am I doing? She thought, glancing at the street signs. She should turn around, go home, and forget any of this ever happened or that Selena ever called her.

But her hands remained steady on the wheel, refusing to obey her better judgment. She told herself she wasn't going because she cared. No. She was just making sure he was okay and the news, whatever it was wasn't something bad.

She was already on the route to his house so she'd just breeze in there, see how he was and leave.

"That's it. Nothing more," she told herself.

As she neared the entrance of his building, Ivy slowed her car, ready to turn into the driveway but just then, another car pulled out, almost brushing her bumper. She frowned and eased to a stop.

Her gaze shifted to the other car, and her scowl deepened when she saw the driver was no other but a young, attractive woman with long, sleek hair and a confident smirk was on her face as she drobe off without even as much as casting a glance toward her.

Ivy's chest tightened. Of course. Another woman. The old, familiar ache of betrayal bubbled up, threatening to drown her. She should have known better than to hope for anything different.

For a split second, her mind flickered back to all the moments they had shared—the laughter, the stolen glances, the way he seemed like he was opening up to her. Maybe he fell for me, she had thought while with Emma and the group. Maybe he was only carrying out his father's plan because he had no choice.

But all those foolish thoughts crashed down like a broken dam. She'd made a mistake coming here and thinking he could have changed. Hunter was nothing but a cheat. A liar and a jerk.

How could he come to her house when he had already moved on to another girl?

Hot tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away furiously. "Don't cry," she muttered to herself. "He's not worth it. He was never worth it."

Yet the tears didn't listen. They spilled down her cheeks as she sat in the car, too exhausted to wipe them away.

Her phone beeped, snapping her out of her spiraling thoughts. She grabbed it from the passenger seat, expecting a message or notification about work. Instead, it was an Instagram post.

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The thumbnail alone made her heart stop—a picture of her and Hunter at the lounge the other day. The very first date she had requested. Why was someone posting about them?

Ivy's breath hitched as she read the caption. "This is the girlfriend of the murderer who killed his father."

"What?" She asked outloud as the phone slipped from her fingers. Her mind whirled, and her hands began to shake. She felt the air thicken, suffocating her with fear and confusion.

Murderer? His father's murder?

What was going on? She couldn't make sense of any of it, but one thing was clear—her life had just taken a terrifying turn. And there was no running from it now.

Ivy's heart began to race as panic set in. Her hands trembled while she stared at the Instagram post again. Hunter?

Her mind struggled to process the words. No. This has to be a lie. It has to be. She tried to take deep breaths, but her chest felt tight, and her thoughts came at her too fast. Was this what Selena had tried to tell her earlier? When did this happen?

Quickly, she opened her phone's browser and searched for the latest news. Her fingers fumbled over the keys, and it took longer than she would have liked, but then she saw the headlines:

"Heir to Stone Foods, Hunter Stone, Arrested for Alleged Role in Father's Death."

Her eyes widened. The articles confirmed it—Hunter had been arrested just three hours ago.

Ivy felt like the floor had just dropped out from under her. She shook her head, trying to fight back the rising panic. Is it true? Could he really have done something so horrible?

But another thought crept in, one that made her stomach twist with unease. If Hunter was arrested three hours ago... who was that woman leaving his house just now?

Her mind raced with possibilities. She didn't want to think that Hunter might have escaped or was hiding, but her feet moved before her brain could stop her. She was already out of her car and heading toward the building.

At the entrance, she hesitated for a moment, but then her hands moved almost automatically. She had seen Hunter enter his passcode before, and without even thinking, she punched in the numbers.

The door clicked open.

Ivy stepped inside the house, the familiar scent hitting her like a wave of memories. She had no idea what she was looking for or why she had come in the first place.

Her eyes darted around the room, searching for... something. Anything. But there was nothing out of place. Everything looked normal, as if Hunter had just stepped out for a moment.

I'm being ridiculous, she told herself. I shouldn't be here. This is insane. She was about to turn and leave when something caught her eye.

There, on the corner of the couch, was a small, worn notebook.

Curiosity tugged at her, and despite the voice in her head screaming for her to leave, she reached out and picked it up. The pages were filled with scribbles of different recipes, but when she flipped to the last page, she froze.

Three words were scrawled across the bottom of the page, bold and ominous: "It is time."

Her breath hitched. The notebook slipped from her hands and landed on the floor with a dull thud.

Her mind spiraled with questions. What did this mean? When was this written? Did he really kill his father? Was this some kind of warning? Or... a confession?

Fear prickled down her spine. She wanted answers, but now she wasn't sure she was ready to find them.

Away from there, Hunter sat at the cold, steel table in the interrogation room, the harsh fluorescent light casting shadows across his tired face.

His lawyer, a tall man with sharp features named Matthew Lewis, sat across from him, flipping through a thick file of papers. The sound of the pages turning was the only noise in the room.

Matthew leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Hunter, we need to go over this one more time. How is it that you were in the house at the exact time the police arrived? You're the only one there, and that doesn't look good."

Hunter clenched his jaw. He had already answered this, but he knew the question had to be asked again. "I told you. I received a text from my father. He asked me to come over. It was urgent." His voice was steady, but his hands were trembling under the table.

"How is it that you have the text but it's no where in your father's phone?" Matthew pressed, his tone measured but serious.

"I don't know! I already told you that! Maybe it was deleted by whoever sent it or something!"

Matthew sighed. "Hunter, this is a setup. That much is clear to me. But the police? They're looking for the simplest explanation. Right now, that's you. You're the son who just inherited everything. They don't care about what's real—they care about closing this case."

Hunter felt a stab of frustration. "Then what do we do?"

"I need time," Matthew said firmly. "I'll investigate who had the most to gain from your father's death and who could've framed you. But you need to stay strong and keep your head down. Don't say anything to anyone without me present."

Hunter nodded, but it felt hollow. His whole world had turned upside down in a matter of hours. His father was gone, and now he was accused of killing him. He couldn't even wrap his mind around it.

Matthew stood, gathering his papers. "I'll be in touch as soon as I have something. Hang in there."

As soon as the door clicked shut behind the lawyer, the walls seemed to close in. Hunter let out a shaky breath, resting his elbows on the table and burying his face in his hands. Tears welled up before he could stop them. He hated crying, but everything was too much.

His thoughts drifted to Ivy.

Did she see the news, yet? She must have by now. What does she think of me? The thought twisted in his chest.

She probably thinks I'm a murderer, he thought bitterly. How was he ever going to prove to her that he wasn't a bad person or a murderer?

His tears fell harder. Ivy had been the only person who made him feel grounded in the middle of his chaotic life. Losing her without even the chance to get back togther even just the thought of it, was unbearable.

Hunter clenched his fists. "I won't let this end like this. Not for Ivy's sake. I don't need to add murder to the list of crimes I've committed against her." His voice was hoarse, but there was fire behind his words.

No matter what it took, no matter how deep he had to dig, he would find the person who set him up. For his father's memory. For his own freedom. And for Ivy.