Facade of Love

Chapter 453 Picking Up Ash

Lake City had no place for me anymore. The border was my only shot to make things right for Officer Jackson and Kobe.

Gregory seemed to realize he could not change my mind. He gave me a serious look and said, "Ms. Scott, hold on. I didn't say it was impossible. Let me talk to the higher-ups. If you're set on this, we'll come up with a plan. Technology's on our side. We could plant a tracker on you or give you one to carry. That way, we can keep tabs on you at the border. You think you can get close to Lucas, but he's no pushover, so we need a bit of time to hash this out."

I nodded, understanding where he was coming from, and let the matter rest.

He was swamped with work, and someone else needed his attention then, so I took that as my cue to say my goodbyes and leave the police station.

...

Three days later, I got the scoop on Idris and Alice tying the knot from Emily. I could not say I was shocked. Once I knew Alice was Chandler's kid, I saw it coming a mile away.

How could Idris turn his back on her with a baby on the way? With the duty and loyalty laid on him by Madam Young and Kobe, there was no way he would walk away.

"Yvette, have you caught up with Idris lately? Why the sudden change of heart? Grandma was on his case to tie the knot with Alice, and he wouldn't budge. What made him change his mind?" Emily's voice was a mix of bewilderment and curiosity over the phone.

I was in on the secret but at a loss for words on how to break it to her. Keeping my tone collected, I replied, "Turns out, Alice is expecting. He was bound to make her his bride sooner or later. It was just a question of timing."

"However..."

Before Emily could get another word in, I cut her off, "Look, I'm done with the Young family drama, Em."

There was a brief silence before Emily let out a resigned sigh. "Okay, maybe it's all written in the stars. Hey, Yvette, are you busy later? Could you swing by the school and pick up Ash for me? One of my students ran into some trouble, and I'm stuck here."

Emily was a college professor, and her days were usually pretty chill when she was not lecturing. It was not often that she was tied up. I nodded, not giving it a second thought, and said I would do it.

Ash was in junior high. I swear, parents were feeding their kids something different than they did back in my day. Standing at the school gates and watching them run out in their uniforms, I could not help feeling like a shrimp, especially next to the boys. Even though they were only fourteen or fifteen, some of them were already towering over me at six feet.

Ash was one of the last to emerge. She was not surprised to see me there and greeted me with a smile. "Feels like ages since we've seen each other."

I had met her a few times back when I was with the Youngs, so we were not exactly strangers. However, as things were rocky with Idris back then, I was not much of a talker at the time, so Ash and I were not close.

I offered her a small smile.

Ash bit her lip and gave a small shake of her head, "Hey, could you come with me to the bookstore later? I need to pick up some new books."

"Ash." I was about to respond when a man's deep voice cut in.

I turned to find Liam with Sweety, whom I had not seen in ages, right by his side. My eyes flicked to Sweety's rounded belly, and my heart dropped, a tangle of emotions clogging my chest.

"We should get going!" Ash grabbed my sleeve, her face set in a frosty scowl as she tried to lead me away.

Liam blocked our path, looking at me with an awkward air. "Ms. Scott."

He was suddenly acting formal with the 'Ms. Scott.'

I could not help but laugh internally, not really caring, but I managed a rigid, composed smile in return. "Mr. Young."

He looked uncomfortable, rubbing his nose before turning to Ash. "Ash, it's the weekend tomorrow. Dad's gonna pick you up, and we'll go to the amusement park later."

Ash's eyes met his, her face a mix of annoyance and defiance. "Don't bother. I don't wanna go. Take someone else."

Liam and Emily's drama was out in the open, then.

I looked down on it, sure, but it was their drama, not mine.

I took a deep breath and told Ash, "I’ll wait in the car, Ash."