Chapter 163 THE MOTHER’S MASK

Chapter 163 THE MOTHER’S MASK


LUCIEN

As I stand there and look at Yvette's back, hunched over and tissue in hand, I can tell that she is spinning lies and painting herself as a victim as well. She was forced to do all the things she did because of Enoch, and if she could prove it, then she might be lucky, but I needed to tie her down to the kidnapping of her kids. If she got out free, she was going to be a burden to Nirelle, and I knew it.

"Officers, please find my daughter," she sobbed out loud as if she was trying to inform the police station that she was a caring mother who was in search of her daughter.

"I have to make an urgent call," I said to the officer who was standing right beside me. He nods and gives me some room, but I do not wait there; I go straight to the car.

"How is it coming? Have you located the man who helped them?"

"Alive and well, boss." Theo seemed to enjoy running around in the shadows more than he enjoyed going to the office daily. He had been against a revenge scheme. "Just do well in business and forgive them; they can't ever touch you again," he used to say a lot when I first shared my vision with him.

When I asked him why, he would look down and say, "It is too dangerous, and I am worried about you. And you do not know what those men can do."

"So would he be of help to us?"

"Oh, big time. He wants revenge on Enoch," he laughs, and it almost infects me as well. "That man would do anything to make sure that Enoch and his wife rot in hell."

"What did they do?"

"Dispose of him when he helped them cover up their tracks so well. He barely survived their death notice on him."

"Oh well, what better way to get rid of them than using someone who has a grudge against them?"

"I will have him at the station to confess to a crime he had committed years ago."

And evidence? Does he have any of that?"

"A whole lot, enough that we do not have to worry about anything."

"Okay, good. Yvette walked in here of her own accord, and I think if we can get him here soon, then we have them right where we want."

"And what about Olivia? Have you done anything to make sure she does not get out of this?"

"Oh, I did not need to do anything; her father already kicked her out, and her company board, too."

"I saw the notice for an emergency meeting, with the agenda being the change of CEO," he laughed and then added. "I kind of feel bad for her."

"With that laugh, how am I supposed to believe?"

"I do not have to prove it to you, do I?"

"No, you don't."

"So what is going on now? "Are you going to get Nirelle?" he asked. That was what I kept asking myself. Was it safe to go get her now? I had wanted to get her away from there, hold her in my hands and tell her that all was okay for a week now, but if I did not put all of these people away, I was sure that I was going to regret it. I wanted the world around her to be safe before I pulled her out into it.

"So what are you doing?" Theo asked again. "I have to admit I do miss her around the house and how she made everything just better."

"I think it is time to bring her out," I reply mindlessly. "She is the key to putting Cory away, and we know he won't do more than a few years, but it's still better at this point."

"She will confess that Cory kidnapped her, and then everything will be fine," Theo said, and I nodded.

"I will be going there this evening. Why don't you do the security?"

"I thought that..." He stopped himself as if he realised that we could not take any risk just because. "Sure, doubling the security as we speak."

"See you later?" I asked, and he made a sound of approval. I cut off the call and went back into the station. Yvette is no longer speaking to the officer, and I wonder if it is because she had finished giving her testimony or if it was because she could not talk because of all the tears. She was a good actress; I had to give it to her for fooling everyone around.

"I can only imagine the pain she is currently going through," one woman said from the corner.

"If I lost my child, I would lose my mind," the man standing beside her replied.

"Get up," I say, standing hovering over her. Her eyes meet mine, and for a moment in her wet eyes, I see the shock in them. "Let us talk."

"Son-in-law," she said, still sobbing, the tissues in her hand unusable. "Have you found her? Is that why you are here?"

I suddenly realise what she was trying to do. She knew that Nirelle was with me and wanted me to be the one who got blamed for kidnapping his wife. That way, she was not associated with the present kidnapping.

"I have something to discuss with you," I say, and she stands up. "Privately," I add. She followed me out with a word, still sobbing in the back seat of the car, even though we were alone, with the tinted windows all rolled up. "You can stop forcing yourself to cry. We both know that you are lying."

The tears dried up as if my words had such an impact on her. She looked at me and sniffed back the snot from her nose. "You want to get out of this."

"I can't go to jail," she declared.

"Too bad, too late; you have to go."

"I can't go; I can't survive in there." I am sure that my kids and husband won't want me to go either," she adds. I see confidence in her face. "You, on the other hand, are keeping them away without their consent, so..."

"So that is what you are here for?" I do not mind the defiance on her face. I take up my phone and dial Theo again. "TRIPLE THE SECURITY NOW!" My voice comes out with some kind of strength, the kind I could barely control.

"What is it?"

"As expected, she is playing with us; you need to..."

"On it." Theo did not need any more explanation to know what to do, and I hoped that before she could do anything stupid, we would get Nirelle safe and sound. "I'll be at the station in a few hours; why don't you wait for me there?" he asked. Now I just had to stall until he got here.

"Aren't you going to get her?" Yvette stuttered when I dropped the phone to my lap and turned to her, ready to continue to interrogate her.

"Let me guess, you have men around waiting to follow me so you can prove that I kidnapped my wife?"

"What are you saying?" Her face was priceless when she realised how I had caught her so easily.

"You really underestimated me. I fell once with my family, but I can never fall again, so have that in mind," I add, and her jaw squared. "Now, why don't you explain to me why you are so confident that your kids and husband are going to help you out?" She looked mortified, and I leaned into the chair, ready to take all day. After all, I needed to stall.

"It's none of your business," she mumbled as she turned, ready to leave.

"Did you ever even love them? You only cared about yourself, and even now, you refuse to take your punishment so that they would be free. You manipulate Michael once again, using his affection for you, and he is deep in thinking you both would get together, so he can help you avoid jail."

"I...I...I did..."

"No need." I raise my hand in the air and then wipe my lips with my second hand. "You're going to end up behind bars anyway."

"I have to go." She jerks at the door handle, trying to run off.

"Why don't we wait here until the end and see what happens?" She shakes her head, but my hand grips her. "You walked in here yourself; why don't you wait to make sure that everything works?"