Chapter 47: Breadcrumbs

Chapter 47: Breadcrumbs
Colton looked up at Wanda “Don’t you think you have been crossing your limits a little too often these past few weeks? Just because I have not been saying anything to you, it doesn’t mean that I am ok with however you have been behaving, Wanda. You are my personal assistant so you better start behaving like one!”
“But Colton, what did I say so wrong that you are angry with me? I just greeted Ms. Smith like any other person would!” Wanda was aggrieved seeing Colton’s behavior towards Giselle ‘For crying out loud, they were both divorced from each other and yet they are unable to stay away from each other?’
‘And what kind of woman is Giselle? Colton was doing nothing but insult her while they were married and nor has he been any better to her after divorce too! So, why is she still entertaining a man like him? It was out of my understanding!’ “Just stay out of my business, Wanda. This is my last warning to you!”
Wanda turned pale, “But Colton…”
Before she finished speaking, she was interrupted by Colton’s deep voice, “Don’t talk about these things and make a mess out of them if you don’t know anything and, in the future, I will deal with my own affairs.”
Wanda was choked to silence while Colton stopped looking at her and stood up and left. The tall and slender figure of Colton disappeared in the crowd.
The next day, Giselle and Tanner Knight took a plane back to New York. They arrived home in the morning, Giselle’s body wanted to rest but her mind was too occupied for sleep. When she had told Tanner about the whole unknown number fiasco, he had asked her to put forward a request to speak on a phone call instead of messages.
“What if the person understands what I am asking and never gives us that proof?” Giselle had questioned Tanner.
Tanner laughed in response and asked her a question instead of answering her “What if the person is dumb enough or overconfident that they might not think in the way that we are thinking? It’s not a sure shot bullet to fire, but it is better to start somewhere than having no starting point!”
This time, Giselle’s mood relaxed a lot, probably because she had figured out something, and since she wanted to keep the baby, she had to keep herself in the best condition “Well, you are right, but whoever it is, they have been watching us our every move.”
“They can watch all they want, it boils down to whether or not we get that proof! If we get that proof, we can give your father a reason to live life with his head held high.” Tanner was sad that his mentor, the man who was his father figure had to suffer the brunt of someone’s sick games.
“Giselle, calm down! It is not good for the baby if you get so restless!” Tanner grabbed Giselle’s arm and tried to stop her from pacing the floor like a madwoman while biting down on her nails. He was afraid that she was going to give herself a heart attack if she did not stop worrying!
“Look, whoever it is, they will have to show themselves eventually. Who knows, we might even get to know who it is when they put forward their demands!” Tanner was being mindful of Giselle’s pregnancy coz he remembered what the doctor had said about Giselle’s pregnancy to him when they had been to the doctor for her last checkup.
“You are right, Tanner, I am just wondering why they never came forward if they had this proof all this time? Why wait for two and a half years to bring this into light? What is their motive? What is their need behind doing all this shitty stuff? If they are getting some sick pleasure by ruining someone’s life like this, then what does this say about them?” Giselle was miffed and scared.
“I will get my team to track this bastard down, you don’t worry about it.” He pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head lovingly, a gesture that Giselle longed to receive from Colton while they were still together.
Since their vacation was turning into something awful when Giselle realized that she was going to be targetter next, they took the first flight out to New York. “We need to talk with your dad, he was supposed to have been released a few days ago, right?”
“Yes” Giselle was still walking around in a daze.
Tanner grabbed Giselle’s shoulders and shook her up “Giselle, wake up! Come to the present!”
Tanner’s voice managed to bring Giselle back to the present “Oh, I am sorry, Tanner. I am still kind of jet – lagged. Can we talk about this later, please?”
It was truly intense on Giselle, the fact that her father had been suffering in jail, the fact that he was screaming for them to listen to what he was truly saying instead of doubting him, they would not have been in this situation in the first place!
“What is happening, Giselle? Why did you ask me to come urgently?” Annalise came into the house and hugged her daughter worried that this was all just a dream. Annalise pulled away from the hug and looked into her daughter’s eyes “Are you 100% sure that your father is innocent and was set up by someone else?”
Giselle nodded her head in agreement, unable to speak a word, she just bit down on her lower lip “Mom, I know what I am saying, and I know that my father is innocent! Now, all I need to do, is figure out how to get that proof so we can clear father’s name and live the rest of our lives happily!”

Giselle’s PoV
Mom started crying as soon as she heard me say that my father was innocent all this while “I am ashamed of myself that I doubted him when I should have known better. I have known him for more than twenty – five years and yet, I was not there with him when he needed me!”
“Mom don’t blame yourself, even I did not stand by him when I should have been there for him and supported him through this whole ordeal. Dad kept telling me that he was innocent, but I never heard him!” I pulled her into a tight hug and tried my best to console her.
“Tom has applied for Mr. Smith’s bail and since the amount is already paid off, the judge will grant the bail. If the Public Prosecutor chooses to pursue this case further, then it is going to be a problem. This evidence is our way to clear his name once and for all!” Tanner spoke up.
Tanner then turned his attention to my mother “Mrs. Smith, Giselle is pregnant now and she should take care of herself better. I am afraid that this new development in Mr. Smith’s case is going to put her under a lot of pressure and stress. It would be better if you could stay with her until we get our hands on this evidence.”
I wanted to protest and say that I am more than capable of taking care of myself but the look that he gave me made me shut my mouth. He knows me better than the man I spent three years of my life with. My mother looked between Tanner and me, an involuntary smile tugged on her lips “We also made a mistake when it came to you, my dear.”
Unable to look at her and see guilt in them, I averted my eyes by turning my head away from her. I was thankful that she did not say anything more “I will get some food ready and Tanner” she turned to Tanner “I will take my daughter with me to my house, that is where she should be.”
“It is good that you know your priorities!” I received a text message from that unknown person, and it confirmed my suspicion that this person was tracking my every move, coz there is no way they would send me a text message as soon as I landed in New York.
“Is it that the same person?” my mother asked as my attention went to my phone as show drove us to the house that I had rented for her before. I shook my head turning my head to face the window biting down on my fingers “Sweetheart, what is it?”
I shook my head slightly and I felt her warm hand rubbing my knee soothingly. Her warmth and her care made me want to breakdown and cry my heart out, but I do not have that luxury right now!
“Just thinking about tomorrow’s appointment with my doctor” Who was I trying to fool? She is my mother, and she knows me better than anyone in this world.
My mother scoffed “If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine, but I am your mother Giselle, you don’t have to lie to me coz no matter how much you try to fool me, I can see the pain as clear as day in your eyes, my baby.”