“And who is the mother to you? Roman, is there something I need to know?” she probed, her tone shifting slightly.
“Penny, she’s a friend,” I stated firmly, though the word felt inadequate.
“09:30 Tue, Nov 25”
She exhaled slowly. “Okay. I can file the paperwork today, but Roman… I’m not exactly the favored side right now. Social services might flag the case because the near-drowning happened on the mother’s watch.”
My jaw tightened, frustration boiling beneath the surface. “So what can we do?”
“Dig,” Penny instructed, her voice resolute. “Find me something ugly. A history of violence. Drugs. Affairs. Scandals. Financial instability. I don’t care what it is. I just need a crack, anything to make the mother look like the safer option here.”
“Then I’ll give you everything,” I promised. “I’ll call back with his full name.”
Even as I spoke, a coil of unease tightened in my chest. This wasn’t merely about Alyssa anymore.
“Roman,” she said, her tone softer now, almost inviting. “Let’s hang out sometime.”
“I’m not in Philly right now, but I’ll let you know when I get back,” I replied, the weight of the conversation hanging heavily between us before I hung up.
Just then, Dean entered the room, his expression clouded with concern. “I can’t find Chloe.”
Savannah straightened, alarm flashing across her face. “What do you mean?”
“She’s not at the house; her car’s still parked, and no one’s seen her leave. Her phone’s smashed-thanks to Alyssa,” he added, frustration creeping into his voice.
“Don’t start with me, Dean,” Alyssa shot back, her temper flaring.
I could feel the tension spiral. Chloe missing? Gerald showing up? Too many pieces were shifting at once, and it felt like a precarious game of Jenga.
“I need to go look for her,” I stated, determination coursing through me.
Savannah grabbed her phone, her resolve evident. “I’ll come with you.”
Dean nodded, and for a brief moment, my stomach twisted uneasily at the sight of them together.
I didn’t like it. Not the way Dean looked at her, as if she were still his to protect. Not the way she looked back at him, trust dancing in her eyes.
But this wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
“Be careful,” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady, and Savannah met my gaze for a fleeting moment that made my chest tighten.
“I’ll text you if we find her,” she assured me before disappearing down the hallway with Dean.
As the door closed behind them, the room felt heavier, as if the walls themselves were closing in.
“09:30 Tue, Nov 25”
Alyssa sank back onto the couch, her voice barely above a whisper. “What am I going to do if I lose her?”
“You’re not losing anyone,” I said firmly, moving closer to her. I crouched down, locking eyes with her. “I’m going to fix this. I promise. No one is taking Emily from you. I just need his full name.”
She blinked, her lips trembling with emotion. “Why are you doing this?”
Because you remind me of someone. Because I couldn’t save her, but maybe I can save you.
But I kept those thoughts to myself. “Because no child deserves to be a pawn. And no mother should have to fight this alone.”
She nodded, slow and small, as if my words offered her a glimmer of hope. “His name is Gerald Potter.”
Potter. The name ignited a fire of loathing within me.
“I need to talk to him,” I said, my voice resolute.
Alyssa frowned, confusion clouding her features. “Why?”
“Because before we unleash legal hell on him, I want to give him a chance to walk away,” I explained, my mind racing with the implications.
And because I needed to understand exactly who I was dealing with.
Their father stood, skepticism etched across his face. “You sure that’s wise?”
“I didn’t say I was going to be nice,” I muttered under my breath. “If he doesn’t want this to get ugly, he’ll back down.”
I took the elevator down to the lobby, my heart pounding steadily in my ears as security nodded at me in recognition.
As I rounded the corner near the reception desk, I spotted a man gesturing angrily at the nurses. I didn’t need anyone to tell me he was the prick I was looking for.
He was pacing near the reception, still arguing vehemently with anyone in scrubs.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. An expensive watch glinting on his wrist.
And worse, he looked familiar.
Too familiar.
“Gerald Potter?” I called out, my voice steady despite the storm brewing inside me.
When he turned to face me, I felt the world shift beneath my feet.
“09:30 Tue, Nov 25”
I shouldn’t have brushed it off as mere coincidence.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.