Chapter 18 Chapter 18
"So you researched me without my knowledge or consent," Iris said, her voice tight but controlled. "Looked into my background, my adoption records."
"Yes," Tony admitted, meeting her gaze directly. "I was wrong to do that. I'm sorry."
Iris crossed her arms, processing his apology. Part of her wanted to walk out immediately; the violation of her privacy was profound. But another part of her understood why he had done it. If he was interested in her, he was thinking about the future.
“It's ok, I can’t say I’m fully happy with it, but I get it, you wanted to help and surprise me, maybe once you had answers.”
Tony released a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. Her understanding meant more than she could possibly know. "Thank you," he said quietly. "I should have told you sooner, but I was afraid of losing your trust completely."
Iris moved toward the windows, taking in the view of the city below. The afternoon light cast long shadows across the warehouse district, giving everything a golden, surreal quality that matched her current state of mind.
"So what do we do now?" she asked, her practical nature reasserting itself. "If these people are looking for me, both your family and the Lawsons, they'll find me eventually."
Behind her, Tony's phone buzzed with an incoming call. He glanced at the screen and grimaced. "It's Eleanor."
"Answer it," Iris said, turning to face him. "She might know something we need to hear."
Tony accepted the call and put it on speaker. "Eleanor, you're on speaker with Iris."
"Tony, thank God," Eleanor's voice came through, tense with urgency. "Your parents have deployed their security team. They're tracking your car; there must be a GPS device on it somewhere."
Tony's eyes widened. "How do you know this?"
"Because your mother just called me again, fishing for information about where you might be hiding," Eleanor replied. "She mentioned something about 'acquiring the girl before Richard does.' Those were her exact words."
Iris felt a chill run through her at the phrase. 'Acquiring the girl', as though she were an asset to be claimed rather than a person.
"And the Lawsons?" Tony asked, already moving to the windows to scan the street below.
"Their three sons are in the area, searching building by building," Eleanor said. "Tony, whatever you're planning, you need to move quickly. These people aren't going to wait patiently while you two figure things out."
After ending the call, Tony turned to Iris with renewed urgency. "We need to ditch my car and find another way out of here. They'll be closing in soon."
Iris nodded, her mind already calculating options. "I think we should call them the Lawsons. On our terms, not theirs."
Tony stared at her, admiring her courage even as he worried about her safety. "Are you sure?"
"No," Iris admitted, a wry smile briefly crossing her lips. "But it's better than being hunted like an animal." She paused, her expression growing serious again. "If there's even a chance I am their daughter... don't they deserve to know? And don't I deserve to know the truth?"
Tony couldn't argue with her logic. He pulled out his phone again, hesitating before making the call that would irrevocably change both their lives.
Three blocks away, the Lawson brothers received an alert from their security team. A property search had uncovered a loft purchased two years earlier by a "T.J. Kennedy", Tony instead of Antony. “It appears the Kennedy boy has feelings for her, he has been helping her for about a month or two with a business plan for her own fashion house, she was in the process of saving for her first workshop, buying her first home and a home for her adoptive family, the Maxwells. According to her workmates at the cafe.”
Theodore Lawson's phone rang, the vibration cutting through the tense silence in the SUV. He glanced at the screen, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"Unknown number," he said to his brothers, then answered cautiously. "Theodore Lawson speaking."
"Mr Lawson," came a female voice, steady and direct. "This is Iris Maxwell. I believe you're looking for me."
The three brothers exchanged startled glances. Victor leaned closer to the speaker while Bryce gripped the back of the front seat, his knuckles whitening.
"Miss Maxwell," Theodore replied, his voice carefully controlled despite the surge of adrenaline coursing through him. "Yes, we are. My brothers and I would very much like to speak with you."
In Tony's loft, Iris stood with her back straight, one hand pressed against the cool surface of the kitchen island for support. Tony watched her with a mixture of admiration and concern, ready to end the call at the first sign of distress.
"I understand there are questions about my identity," Iris continued, her analytical mind taking over. "I'm willing to meet with you to discuss this, but on my terms."
Theodore nodded, forgetting she couldn't see him. "Of course. Whatever makes you comfortable."
"The university library. The main reading room. It's public, well-lit, and has security cameras." Iris had already calculated the safest possible meeting place. "One hour from now."
"We'll be there," Theodore agreed immediately, motioning for Victor to change direction. "Just the three of us, my brothers and I. No security team, no press."
"Agreed," Iris said. "And Mr Lawson? I'm not promising anything. I just want answers."
After she ended the call, Iris let out a shaky breath, her composure momentarily slipping. Tony moved to her side but stopped short of touching her, respecting the space she needed.
"That was brave," he said softly.
Iris shook her head. "That was practical. We need to control this situation before it controls us."
Across town, Helga Kennedy received the update from her security team with cold fury. "What do you mean they've arranged a meeting with the Lawsons? Find them before they get to that library!"
Julius placed a calming hand on his wife's arm. "Perhaps we should reconsider our approach, Helga. If the girl is meeting willingly with the Lawsons..."