Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Any one of Annabel’s accusations was enough to cost Gideon his badge and land him behind bars.
Color drained from Gideon’s face. He sputtered, his voice trembling, “What bullshit are you spouting? That’s slander against an officer! It’ll only add to your charges! You want to spend the rest of your life rotting in jail?”
Annabe! replied coolly, “A year ago, you colluded with an inmate at Maplewood Prison, Stella Hughes. You murdered an innocent girl and buried her body near the prison grounds.”
Gideon gasped, slumping back into his chair, utterly stunned.
Annabel leaned back, crossing her arms with a cool smile. “I’ve got plenty more. Need me to list them all?”
Hearing Annabel’s level of detail and seeing Lynn’s reaction, the officer taking notes realized this could be real and tensed up.
“Just a moment, Miss White,” the officer said. “I need to contact the Chief immediately.”
He stood up to leave, took a few steps, then stopped and turned back. “Mr… Lynn, I now have reason to suspect you’re involved in several cases. Please come with me.”
Looking utterly shell–shocked, Lynn got up unsteadily and stumbled out of the interrogation room after the officer.
A cold glint entered Annabel’s eyes. Discovering everything he’d done made her want to kill Lynn herself, but for now, letting the law handle him was the best approach.
She could only hope the Chief wouldn’t let her down.
“Hello? Mr. Shaw…”
Charles Shaw, sounding annoyed, asked, “Gideon? What is it? What’s happened?”
Gideon’s voice was thick with panic. “Mr. Shaw, I had to get a buddy to let me make this call on the sly. I’m screwed! Annabel White–she knows everything! She spilled it all! The Chief is on his way over right now!“,
“What?” Charles demanded. “How the hell could she know about any of that?”
“I… I don’t know,” Gideon sobbed, the forty–something man completely breaking down. “All I know is she knows way too much! Mr. Shaw, please, you have to help me… find someone… kill her.”
After a long pause, Charles’s voice came over the line, cold and smooth. “I seem to recall you have a son and a daughter? How old are they now? Doing well in school, are they?”
A cold sweat broke out on Gideon’s back. He was silent for a beat, then choked out, his voice thick with fear, “Yes… thanks to you, Mr. Shaw, they’re doing very well. I hope….you’ll continue to look out for them. Well, I… I won’t keep you any longer, Mr. Shaw.”
After the call ended, the stress apparently too much for him, Gideon collapsed unconscious onto the floor.
Annabel met with the chief, Alfred Huston. He took her allegations seriously and dismissed the idea that she’d hired a hitman as ridiculous. After apologizing profusely, he personally escorted her out of the station.
As for the details of Gideon’s crimes, she would send them Alfred later.
Now, there was somewhere she needed to be.
1/3
Chapter 36
Annabel knocked twice, and the door opened almost immediately, revealing a tall man.
He stood silhouetted against the light from inside, strikingly handsome. A flicker of surprise showed in his sharp eyes as he saw her.
Annabel was just as surprised. “What are you doing here?”
Before Jonathan could answer, Sophie Miller’s voice called out uncertainly from inside the room, “Jonathan? Who is it?”
“Come on in,” Jonathan said, stepping aside to let Annabel pass.
Annabel slipped off her shoes and walked towards Sophie. “Mom, it’s me. You shouldn’t just let strangers into the house like that.”
As she spoke, she shot Jonathan a wary look.
‘Until I know who this guy really is and what he’s about, I won’t be able to relax, she thought. ‘And now he’s getting close to Mom? What’s his angle?
“Oh no, dear,” Sophie said quickly. “Jonathan saw me take a tumble outside. He was kind enough to help me up and even carried my groceries back for
me.”
Annabel anxiously looked her mother over. “Mom, are you hurt? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, dear, really. Just took a little fall,” Sophie reassured her.
Jonathan spoke up then. “I only just realized Sophie was your mother.”
“You two know each other?” Sophie asked, surprised.
When Annabel nodded, Sophie beamed. “Oh, what a coincidence! It must be fate! Annabel, why don’t you keep Jonathan company in the living room for a bit? I just have another dish or two to finish, and then dinner will be ready.”
They went into the living room, the sounds of cooking drifting from the kitchen.
Annabel’s gaze darkened, her lips pressed tightly together as she glared at Jonathan. “Just who are you, really?”
A slight smile touched the corners of Jonathan’s eyes. “Who do you think I am?”
Annabel gritted her teeth, wary. “Aether Studios doesn’t sign artists with questionable backgrounds. And I certainly don’t work with people who have hidden agendas!”
Jonathan hadn’t expected her to be so tense, so guarded. She reminded him of a cornered animal, wary of everyone after being hurt.
“Little Wildcat,” he said softly, “relax. I would never hurt you.”
A scornful laugh escaped Annabel. ‘Yeah, right,‘ she thought.
The biggest lesson she’d learned from her second chance at life hit her again: Never trust anyone easily.
Annabel clenched her fists. “I’m warning you. If you dare lay a hand on my family, I’ll make you regret it.”
Jonathan didn’t respond verbally. Instead, he gently took her hand and traced a few words onto her palm.
Annabel tried to pull away at first, but then froze, staring at him, her eyebrows knitting together sharply.
A small smile played on Jonathan’s lips. “Annabel, I told you. You have to take responsibility for me.”
“You-“Annabel started, but before she could finish, Sophie came out from the kitchen carrying a dish. “Responsible for what? Annabel, did you do something wrong to Jonathan?”
“Mrs. Miller… ” Jonathan’s eyes crinkled with amusement, his smile radiant. He asked, his tone light, “Since fate brought us together like this, how about
Chapter 36
I become your son–in–law?”
Sophie blinked, stunned. “Huh?”
Annabel shot Jonathan a warning glare before taking the dish from her mother. “Mom,” she explained quickly, “he’s an actor. We were just running lines.”
Sophie relaxed. “Oh, ! see… ” Yet, for some reason, she felt a faint twinge of disappointment.
Jonathan simply smiled, neither confirming nor denying.
Later, during dinner, Sophie kept warmly offering Jonathan more food, treating him like family. Jonathan, who was known to be quite particular, ate everything she offered without hesitation.
Annabel was the only one who barely tasted her food throughout the meal.
After dinner, Jonathan offered to drive Annabel home.
Annabel quickly linked her arm through Sophie’s. “No, thanks. I’m staying here tonight.”
Jonathan looked at Annabel, then smiled at her mother. “Alright then. Goodbye, Sophie. And please, be careful lifting heavy things next time.”
Sophie saw him off warmly. Annabel could only shake her head, exasperated.
Annabel stayed the night with Sophie and left after lunch the next day.
As she arrived back at the White residence, her phone rang. Unknown number.
Annabel ignored it and called Mason. “Handle the negotiation with Carlos Mayer. We have the upper hand, so drive a hard bargain. Send me the draft contract once you have terms, but don’t rush to sign anything yet.”
After hanging up with Mason, the unknown number called again.
She answered with a frown, and sure enough, a grating, unpleasant voice came through the line-
“Well, well, niece. Not happy to hear from your uncle?”
AD
Comment
Send gift
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.