THROUGH THE SCHEMES OF FATE

BÉNÉFICE DU DOUTE

As soon as Yasmine had rushed up stairs, Louisa regained her position on the table, but she had to serve another cup of tea since the previous one turned cold. Luckily there was still some chamomile tea so she served some for herself and soon after the awaited visitor made her way in.

It was an elegant brunette, hazel eyes and dressed elegantly. Though Louisa knew a lot about her through the former host memories, the girl in front of her wasn't unfamiliar though. It was none other but Kathryn James, a well known jewelry designer. But most people are unable to get a glimps of her appearance as she always acts discreetly, which gave her the nickname, ghost jewelry designer.

Most people couldn't tell if the famous ghost jewelry designer was male or female and as for how she was able to tell who she was, it was only thanks to her father's connection in the similar business.

"Welcome to our humble home, Mrs Kathryn. I guess you're here for Yasmine.", Louisa said politely, pricking in Kathryn's curiosity as soon as she had met her. She knew of two sisters, which are Alyna and Yasmine, but she had never heard of another pretty girl, jet black hair and baby blue eye texture, delicate white skin. The black chokers she had worn fitted perfectly well on her long delicate neck, it almost inspires Kathryn to design on chokers that coukd fit her, though she had never tried.



LOUISA'S CHOKERS

And now to be exact about the girl in front of her, she dared not give a conclusion at random, but she won't lie that she was curious about the goddess she had just met.

"Who exactly are you?", Louisa kept her cup of tea that she had held for a while with her slender fingers and gave Kathryn a delicate smile.

"Miss James, your question is unexpected, shouldn't you be asking about my sister."

"Euh, yeah, right.",

For the first time Kathryn felt embarrass to look at a girl, but she couldn't help it when faced with the pretty stranger.

"...Yasmine, where is she ?"

"My sister had some inconvenience, but she should be back soon, would you mind a coffee while waiting."

"Yeah, but you said sister, does it mean Yasmine and you?"

"Yeah, we're 'sisters', any problem?"

"No, it's just, Yasmine had never told me about a pretty sister like you."

Never talked about her

Louisa wasn't surprised at all that her sisters made her a non existent being. Being despised by a an egomaniac grand mother and lost of her mother's support, nothing was surprising for her.

No wonder she was looked down upon by servants of the house, everyone treated her as a dummy, but to be exact. The former Louisa had never been a dummy, but due to the circumstance and drugs she was forced to become one.

"You don't look familiar, so I..."

"We surely didn't meet, but you probably heard of me a lot...however in a rather lowest key manner."

"Are you sure, I don't think remember."

She doesn't remember as no one would remember a dummy and the family's piece of trash.

"You probably heard of the Woods dummy."

"Yeah, many have heard a lot about her, but no one has ever seen her...why do you...?", Kathryn paused as soon as she realized the meaning of her unfinished explanation.

"Wait, don't tell me, you..."

"Exactly, I'm the so called dummy everyone talks about, did I dissapoint your expectations ?"

Disappointment was not the phrase Kathryn could have used at that moment, but rather something beyond shock. She heard a lot from Yasmine about their so called dummy whom no one had ever been able to see. She heard so much that she had no desire to meet the piece of trash to disgust her inspiration. However she never expected to meet Aphrodite in person. Perharps her description was a little exaggerating, but she didn't wish to retract it.

"How can you say that, although I'm indeed shocked, but I'm not disappointed, it was worth a visit here today."

"I'm flattered to be complimented by a well known designer like Kathryn James. I guess you're here to present some jewelries for sister."

"What, no, Yasmine just helps me a lot with some designs."

"Hum, how come sister does design work now? I don't think I've ever seen her do such things before, she even hated drawing more, so how could design."

"What do you mean?"

"Unless I'm just ignorant since I've been sick for long, I don't think sister knows much about jewelries or designs. She might be a fan of them. but about their deep evolution, I doubt."

"What do you mean by that?", Kathryn frowned, but Louisa wasn't panicked, but she acted cute and innocent while disclosing the truth behind Yasmine's secret on designing jewelries. Her original self as Jane knew just little about designing jewelries, but her competence was far better than that of Yasmine Reason why she usually snatched the original host's designs to pretend they were hers in order to get favour from the James family. And today, Louisa's target was to cut off Yasmine's wings and support to be able to easily trample on her without effort

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

"Neither do I."

"What do you mean by that?", Louisa exhaled and stood up from her sit, leaving half of her tea untouched.

"Miss James has a good judgment, if you say my sister is good at designing jewelries, then I won't bargain with you...', Louisa turned to leave but Kathryn immediately caught her back, holding her wrist firmly.

"You're quite cunning Miss pretty, you said that just to prick my curiosity and once I'm doubtful enough you leave me hanging and thereby hungry for the truth. What is your real motive in this case?"

Her real motive?

Her real motive had already been achieved from the moment Kathryn left from curiosity to doubt. But her main mission was yet to be achieved, but Louisa wasn't bothered at all. Because she knew that it was still the beginning of the game.

"So tell me, what's your motive?"

"Miss James is wise, you probably already have an idea."

"Do you want to slur your sister, how cruel.", Kathryn frowned and tightened her grip on Louisa's grip, yet she bared with the pain for the sake of the success of the plan. But she wouldn't deny that Kathryn's words just now had hurt her.

'How cruel!', Louisa immediately snapped away Kathryn's hand as her temples contracted. She was considered cruel when she was just trying to find justice, but no one said anything about her sister's who tried to kill her.

"Huh, sure I'm cruel when I try to help, but...Miss James is right I shouldn't meddle in this. Carry on with your business, sister should be here soon to keep you company."

She turned to leave, but the more steps she took forward, the more Kathryn felt guilty and regretful. She didn't know if it was right or not, but she still ran after Louisa and pulled her wrist.

"Please wait!"

"What is it Miss James, do you think I..."

"Please tell me your mind?"

'Bingo!'

Louisa smiled inwardly, because though her moves and plans just now was hasty and risky, she still attained her goal and her ultimate goal was just a question of time.

"You no longer think of me as a vicious sister who plans to slur her sister."

"I can give you the benefit of doubt."

'Benefit or doubt and bénéfice du doute' ,just as it was said in French, she was going to make Yasmine's secret come to light.

"Find, then let's do it this way....."

"....