“This is all part of the job, you know?” Emmeline chuckled. “I’m not asking you to lose your virtue or anything.”
“Get out of here!” Waylon playfully pretended to swat at her.
Emmeline burst into giggles.
She loved bantering with Waylon.
During their time on Adelmar Island, it was one of her favorite things to do.
And of course, it was the same for Waylon.
Engaging in playful banter with Emmeline was a great way to relieve stress.
“So, what do you want to do now?” Emmeline regained her composure. “I can only be your sister, I can’t shield you from all the troublemakers.”
“Then let’s drop the subject,” Waylon ruffled her hair affectionately. “Let’s have lunch here, and I’ll cook.”
“Sounds good,” Emmeline was about to agree when her phone rang. It was Benjamin calling.
Emmeline pressed the answer button on her phone. “Ben?”
“Emma,” Benjamin’s voice sounded somewhat subdued. “Have you seen Janie?”
Emmeline was taken aback. “No, why?”
Benjamin fell silent for a moment before speaking again. “I see.”
“What happened to Janie?” Emmeline asked. “I called her this morning, but she didn’t answer. She’s probably still asleep.”
“She left Struyria,” Benjamin said, his voice tinged with concern. “I haven’t been able to reach her.”
Emmeline’s heart skipped a beat. “Let me try calling her again.”
After ending the call with Benjamin, Emmeline dialed Janie’s number.
It rang on the other end, and soon Janie answered, her voice coming through. “Emma?”
“Janie,” Emmeline inquired, “are you not in Struyria?”
“Hmm,” Janie replied. “I came to Falmouth.”
“Why did you run off there?” Emmeline exclaimed. “Ben couldn’t find you, and your phone was unreachable. Did you block him?”
Janie remained silent on the other end, but Emmeline could hear her sniffle.
“What are you doing in Falmouth?” Emmeline asked, feeling a headache coming on at the mention of the place.
“My college friend has developed a beautiful garden here. I’m staying for a few days, nothing serious,” Janie explained.
“Well, that’s good,” Emmeline said. “But Ben sounded worried.”
“I don’t want to contact him,” Janie said firmly. “But please let him know that I’m doing fine.”
“I will,” Emmeline assured her. “Take this time to relax, but please take care of yourself, okay?”
“I will, don’t worry.”
Someone called out to Janie in the background, a woman’s voice, and she hung up the phone.
Emmeline immediately switched back to Benjamin and he picked up right away.
“Emma, what’s the update?” Benjamin asked anxiously.
“Janie is in Falmouth,” Emmeline replied. “She went there to clear her mind, nothing more.”
“Okay, I see,” Benjamin responded in a low tone.
“Ben, are you okay?” Emmeline asked with concern. “Where are you right now?”
“I’m fine,” Benjamin replied. “I’m at a bar.”
Emmeline furrowed her brows. “At a bar? Alone?”
“…Yeah.”
“Wait for me then,” Emmeline said, feeling worried about him. “Send me your location on my phone.”
Before Benjamin could respond, she already hung up and bid farewell to Waylon.
Waylon said, “Ben rarely acts like this. There must be something bothering him. You should go check on him.”
“Then I won’t have lunch here,” Emmeline replied. “Doris is here.”
Waylon looked surprised. “Doris?”
“Mr. Adelmar,” Doris’s hesitant voice came from the stairs. “I…I’m here, sorry.”
Waylon turned his head and looked at the stairs…
Emmeline made a funny face to herself, grabbed her car keys, and ran off.
On her way, she called Abel.
Abel was about to head back to the Precipice for dinner when he saw it was a call from his little sweetheart, so he quickly answered.
“Emma Babe?”
“Abel, want to hang out?” Emmeline teased in a seductive tone.
Abel was a bit stunned for a second. What had gotten into his little sweetheart?
“Emma, are you sure you didn’t dial the wrong number?”
“You don’t even have that confidence?” Emmeline retorted. “Aren’t you the only man in my life?”
“At this hour,” Abel said, “if I don’t go home, where do you want to meet?”
