Chapter 108
Sure enough, he was a goddamn player trying to have it all!
I said, “I won’t marry you or drop the charges against Kate. It wasn’t me who sued her in the first place.”
Gabrielle asked me to lend a hand to keep Claude’s law firm from collapsing. Yet Claude wanted me to marry him and let his Kate off the
hook.B
I snorted, “Claude, I don’t have the power to influence your and Kate’s situation as you think I do. Maybe you should ask the police what exactly Kate did to me. Or better yet, check if she’s hurt other girls, too.”
I helped Richard into the car, leaving Claude standing there, watching as we drove away.
“Have you heard about the Hilton family?” Richard asked as we got into the car
“The Hilton family tore down the orphanage to build an amusement park, I can’t even step foot in there. Even though my parents worked for the Hilton family, our relationship with them was purely employment. In the end, it was because of Claude that things went south. To stand up against the most powerful family in town? I doubt my parents would want me to take such a lone stand.” I said it casually, leaving Richard at a loss for words.
Richard returned to his remaining house, far from my apartment. “Why don’t you move in with me? We’ve got plenty of rooms in the villa” I shook my head. I couldn’t let Richard waste any more time on me. “Richard, I can take care of myself.”
Richard didn’t try to stop me further. With just a look, his assistant handed me the keys. “Young people always want independence, but remember, I’ve got your back. No need for taxis anymore. I’ve arranged a new car for you.”
When I saw the car keys, I realized Richard, even while in jail, knew I got bullied in a taxi.
My eyes welled up, and I couldn’t help but cry on his shoulder like a child. I’d known Richard since I was a baby. He was ten years older and practically raised me.
Richard promised, “Sweetie, I couldn’t do much from jail, but now that I’m out, I won’t let anyone bully you again.
I nodded, and my phone rang just then. It was Ronald calling. “Ms. Floyd, we’ve found another young girl’s body today, burned. The Goodwin family is using this evidence to claim Ms. Goodwin’s innocence. We currently lack concrete evidence linking Ms. Goodwin to your abduction, so the Goodwin family has taken her home. I called to warn you to be careful.”
My hand trembled as I looked at Richard fearfully. “Isn’t there any evidence from Daniel’s side?!
Ronald sighed, “Daniel’s bank account shows a large transaction, but it doesn’t link back to Kate. As for your recording, it’s not sufficient evidence.
I got the message. If I were alive, Kate’s charges would be minor without solid evidence.
I asked again, “Are you investigating how the new victim got burned?”
Ronald added. “Dr. Hilton is assisting with the autopsy. Hopefully, well find new leads ”
After hanging up, Richard was even more reluctant to let me return to my apartment alone. “The apartment’s unsafe. If you insist on returning, I’ll come with you”
He was about to grab his luggage to join me when I stopped him. “No need. If anything happens, I tell you right away. Kate was just jealous of me being around Claude. Now that I’m stepping back from Claude, she probably won’t bother me anymore.”
