Chapter 108 Whose Child Is It
Alicia's delicate face flushed red and white with anger.
"Just because you say it's not Zach's doesn't make it true! What proof do you have?"
She refused to let it go. Quinley couldn't help but laugh, tilting her head slightly to meet Alicia's jealousy-filled eyes.
"I'm getting married soon. Naturally, the baby is my husband's. Ms. Davis, if you want to save Mr. Jennings, figure it out yourself. Stop trying to use me."
Quinley called out Alicia's schemes without mercy. Use her again? What made her think she could?
"Fine. I'll figure it out myself. Quinley, don't say I didn't warn you." Alicia spoke through gritted teeth.
She didn't stay long after that, finally leaving the Elikin home. Once she was gone, Quinley collapsed onto the bed.
Alicia was a rabid dog—Quinley truly couldn't predict what chaos she'd cause next. Time was running out. Quinley thought of something she needed to do immediately—she couldn't wait any longer.
She booked an errand service online, grabbed what she needed, and hurried downstairs. Marlee had just returned with groceries, and mother and daughter met at the stairwell.
"Quinny, where are you going?" Marlee called out.
"Just out for a bit. Don't wait for me for dinner." Quinley walked quickly. She'd deliberately arranged to meet at the subway station to prevent anyone from tracing it back to her.
Fifteen minutes later, wearing a mask and oversized hat, Quinley met the courier at the subway entrance. She handed over the package, gave a few instructions, and left in a hurry.
About an hour later, Lucas's phone rang.
"Is this Mr. Lucas Murphy? I have something very important to deliver to you."
Lucas was at Jameson's office when the call came, discussing how to get Zachary released on bail. Landon had pulled every string to make the murder charges stick. Jameson had contacted everyone he could, but nothing had worked.
Lucas was suspicious when he got the call, but he went downstairs anyway. The courier handed him a plastic case and disappeared in a flash.
Lucas opened it to find a portable hard drive. Not knowing what it contained, he returned to Jameson's office.
"What is it?" Jameson asked casually.
Lucas frowned, examining the drive carefully. "No idea."
"Who sent it?" Jameson pressed.
Lucas shook his head again. "Don't know."
"Well, let's see what's on it," Jameson suggested.
Lucas handed over the drive. Jameson plugged it into his computer's USB port—it contained an audio file. He clicked play, and Harold's voice came streaming out.
Both men held their breath as they listened to Harold's conversation with an unknown woman. By the end, everything became crystal clear.
"Mr. Jennings is saved!" Jameson said excitedly.
Lucas slammed his fist on the desk. "That son of a bitch! I knew it was him. I'm going to destroy him right now."
Lucas's temper flared instantly, but Jameson grabbed him. "First priority is getting Mr. Jennings out. We'll have plenty of time to deal with that bastard later."
With the audio as evidence, Jameson suddenly had ammunition. The two rushed to the police station. An hour later, Zachary was released on bail.
"Has anything happened these past few days?" The moment Zachary got out, he started asking about the outside world.
Lucas filled him in on everything—Apex Global Group's recent developments, how smug Landon and Emily had been acting. Zachary listened with deeply furrowed brows, remaining silent throughout.
After a pause, he asked, "What about her?"
Hearing that Zachary still cared about Quinley set Lucas off again. "Mr. Jennings, she was the biggest accomplice in framing you! Why do you still care about her? She's an ungrateful snake. You need to forget about her."
Lucas had a grudge against Quinley, but Zachary saw things clearly. "If we hadn't gotten that recording as evidence, who knows how much more you would've suffered!"
While Lucas fumed, Zachary zeroed in on the key issue. "Where did the audio come from?"
"Some good Samaritan sent it." Lucas had investigated but couldn't find any information about who sent it.
Zachary's eyes darkened. He knew Quinley—she wasn't an ungrateful person. She didn't talk much, but she was smart, always thinking several steps ahead.
"She sent it, didn't she?" Zachary let out a muffled sigh.
Lucas objected. "Mr. Jennings, please stop thinking about her. She's not that kind-hearted. She's living the good life right now, about to become a rich man's wife—and she's already pregnant."
Lucas's tone dripped with sarcasm.
"What? You said she's pregnant?" Zachary's frown deepened.
For some reason, hearing this news shocked him to the core. "That's right! Mr. Brown's all about the flashy lifestyle—he even had a livestreamer with millions of followers broadcast her prenatal checkup..."
Lucas kept talking, but Zachary didn't hear another word. A voice in his head kept screaming, "Impossible. Absolutely impossible. She couldn't be pregnant with David's child."
But he only let that voice scream internally—he didn't have the confidence to say it out loud. The car fell silent. Lucas focused on driving while Zachary sat rigid in the back seat, his face cold but his mind churning.
"Mr. Jennings, should we head to Apex Global Group or back to Maple Estate?" Lucas asked when they reached a fork in the road.
"Go to the downtown apartment." Zachary's voice was firm.
"Mr. Jennings, why are you going there?" Lucas was feeling bold today—he'd already said plenty that crossed the line and contradicted Zachary.
But the moment those words left his mouth, he saw Zachary's face turn dark as iron in the rearview mirror. "Say one more word and you're fired."
Lucas shut up immediately. He drove in silence, following Zachary's instructions to the downtown apartment. The car stopped below Quinley's building, and Zachary opened the door and headed straight for the entrance.
He actually had a key to this apartment, though he'd never used it. He reached the door and knocked—no answer. Almost possessed, Zachary remembered the key. It was taped under the doormat. He retrieved it, inserted it into the lock, and the door opened.
A familiar scent washed over him, but what he saw left him stunned. Sheets covered the sofa, and several packed bags were scattered on the floor.
For three years, Quinley had lived here. She'd made it her home. Now... was she moving out?
Zachary walked from the living room to the bedroom, then to the kitchen, finally stopping at the balcony. This place held Quinley's marks and memories that belonged to him alone.
But it seemed like none of it could ever be reclaimed. He stood on the balcony for a long time until he heard the front door open.
Quinley walked in. She'd come to collect the rest of her things and didn't expect to find someone inside. The person had their back to her—she didn't recognize them at first.
"Who's there?" she demanded sharply.
Zachary turned around, backlit, brows furrowed as he looked at her. She seemed even thinner than before, her bare face showing signs of exhaustion.
"It's me." His voice was quiet.
That familiar voice made Quinley's heart jump. The keys slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor.