Skyler scoffed, [Nonsense! I'm the life of the party, the non everyone's lips. They can't get enough of me. You? You're just pea
green with envy because you can't even set foot in the Stirling Mansion, the outsider. What are you even fighting for? If you'd chill
out like me, maybe you'd find a place in the family tree.]
The silence on the other end of the conversation was palpable before the reply came. [And how do you figure | can't get into the
Stirling family? For all you know, | might be right there.]
Skyler was momentarily taken aback. [You're in the Stirling Mansion? Did you sneak in dressed as a butler or something? Well then,
you should be serving me, your lord and master. Look at you, all that fighting and in the end, you're just a pretender, sneaking
around, not even able to show your face. Pitiful.]
The rage was almost visible through the screen.
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[Blow it out your ear, | am the rightful heir of the Stirling family. Why on earth would | stoop to playing servant?]
Skyler retorted, [Then who are you pretending to be? Surely not Raines. Honestly, he does look a bit like you. Every t| see him,
| wonder if it's you in disguise. But he was poisoned. You wouldn't be daft enough to poison yourself, would you?]
Geoffrey fired back, [Nonsense, spouting rubbish. Why would | impersonate him? He's the least regarded in the Stirling family.
There's no point.]
[You can't impersonate anyone else, can you? He's the only one who's been abroad long enough for you to find a loophole.]
Geoffrey responded, [You've got such a wild imagination. Why don't you take it and write a screenplay? The holidays are nearly
upon us. Instead of finding a way to save your mother, you're concocting all sorts of crazy stories. Is your head filled with nothing
but trash?]
Skyler snorted, [Touched a nerve, have I? But it doesn't add up. If Raines is bedridden and paralyzed from the poison, he can't be
the one sending these messages. Unless there are two fake Raines. One is you, one is your henchman. One wearing a mask, the
other with a new face from plastic surgery. Because a mask can easily slip, so you'd need a backup plan. But your double is laid up
in bed, poisoned. You'll need to find a chance to swap places, but | bet you haven't found the opportunity yet.]
There was a long pause before the other side responded. [You've been hit on the head with a door if you believe such drivel. But
you've givenan idea to mull over. It's quite amusing.]
Skyler said, [Can't help it, I'm a psych major. | always cup with things others don't. So anyone who tries to play games with
[Be careful your smarts can backfire and you end up dead without knowing how or why.]
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[Heh, at least you admit I'm smart,] Skyler chuckled, smugly.
Aurelia, who had been eavesdropping, glanced at him and asked, "Skyler, is Geoffrey messing with you again?"
"Yep." Replying, Skyler showed her the messages.
At the crucial point, Aurelia gasped in shock, "You think there are two fake Raines?"
"Yep," Skyler nodded confidently, "That's my theory. Geoffrey would never go under the knife. Transforming into Raines wouldn't do
him any good. He'd have a hard tchanging back. So he'd need someone else to get the surgery and create confusion, while he
uses a mask. They could switch places in secret."
Aurelia admired his creativity, but it was a plausible scenario, especially since Skyler knew Geoffrey better than anyone.
She needed to inform Leopold immediately. Better safe than sorry. And if they managed to catch them in the act of swapping,
they'd have them trapped.