there. Are you thirsty? I’ll buy you something.”
“Mommy, I want juice.”
She nodded. “All right, I’ll go get some.” With that, she got up and walked toward the convenience store at the side. She even glanced worriedly at Aiden, who was left sitting alone.
—
Meanwhile, at Northern No. 1.
When the doorbell rang, Selina, sitting in the house, instantly froze and subconsciously gulped. She stiffly walked up to the door, then looked through the peephole to see Elias and Yacob standing at the door. Her heartbeat instantly hastened. Why are they here so soon? Did they sense that Amanda was running away?
She tried her best to calm her emotions and hide her guilt. She put on a smile, then got ready to open door. The man waiting outside seemed to have lost his patience as he frowned and rang the doorbell again. It sounded urgent.
She was so startled that she shuddered, gripped the door handle, and opened the door with a nervous
smile.
the
Elias, outside the door, looked at Selina and asked in a low voice, “What took you so long?” With that, he walked straight into the house, and Yacob followed suit.
Faced with that man, she was more or less intimidated by the strong aura that emanated from him. Still, she went all out so that Amanda and Aiden could escape without a hitch. “I was working in the kitchen, so I didn’t hear the bell… I’m so sorry, Mr. Winters.”
He looked around the house but did not catch sight of Amanda and their son. He turned around and looked at Selina. “Where are Amanda and Aiden? Are they out?”
The question was finally asked.
A layer of cold sweat appeared on Selina’s forehead. She felt like she was beginning to forget the excuse. Amanda had taught her to say before they left. Her voice was shaky as she stuttered, “Um… Oh, right, Amanda took Aiden to the movies because he was making a fuss about it. They called just now and said they would be eating outside, so there’s no need to make dinner for them.”
Elias did not seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. He sat on the couch and took out his phone to call Amanda. However, her phone was off, so the call did not go through.
The man frowned and looked up at Selina. “Her phone is off. Is it necessary to turn off your phone at the
cinema?”
“Amanda said that Aiden didn’t want her to work when watching a movie. Whenever she watched movies with him in the past, she always left halfway through to answer calls, and he was mad about it. So, she might have turned off her phone this time,” Selina answered quickly. This was also an excuse Amanda taught her.
She could not help but be amazed at how well Amanda knew her ex-husband, so much that she could
even predict what questions he would ask.
However, Yacob noticed a little detail and asked, “Are you nervous? Why are you sweating?”
Elias also noticed the cold sweat on her forehead. Cold sweat? What does that mean? Did she lie or commit a crime?
The man slightly narrowed his eyes. “Did Amanda say when she’ll be back?”
Oh…
Amanda did not teach her how to answer this question, rendering her at a loss for words. She said hesitantly, “She didn’t say for sure. If Aiden refuses to go home, Amanda will have to play along with him. The movie probably hasn’t ended yet, so when it’s over, she might turn on her phone by then. Please be patient, Mr. Winters.”
Elias began to sense that something was off. He took his phone and dialed Amanda’s number again, but no one answered.
Wait a minute….
How could a lawyer turn off their phone without a proper reason? They would keep their phone on 24/7, in case an important call came in. Amanda had been working for a few years, so she should know better than that. She turned off her phone, so… What did that mean? Was she avoiding him?
The man’s gaze was dark as he made a call to Justice & Associates. Someone picked up soon enough. “Hello, this is Justice & Associates. How can we help you today?”
“I want to know if Miss Bailey came to work today.”
“Sorry. She didn’t come to the firm today. I can give you her number so you can call her up.”
“It’s okay, thanks.”
Elias was staring at Selina throughout the entire call. Cold sweat poured out of her pores as she stood there, her gaze avoidant. After hanging up, he looked at her. “Why didn’t Amanda go to the firm today?”
“Um… She said she wanted to spend time with Aiden.”
He repeated. “Let me ask you again. Where exactly did they go?”
“To the movies, of course. You can call her later and ask. Selina picked up her phone and glanced at the time. She wondered if they had boarded the plane by now because she could not hold on any longer!
As she spoke, beads of sweat appeared on her face…
As the man watched the sweat roll down her face, he sneered. “You’re not good at acting, so why put on an act around me? She didn’t go to the movies; that’s just an excuse she taught you to say, right? You’re stalling me so that she can have more time… Let me guess. She ran away with Aiden, didn’t she?”
It seemed to make perfect sense. After the outrageous deed Howard did, Amanda finally lost her patience. She feared he would snatch the child again, so she decided to just escape with him.
Selina instantly widened her eyes, for the man had hit bullseye. She could barely keep it together but could not admit to it either. Moreover, she had to buy a little more time for Amanda. She screamed in her heart, Get on the plane! Get on the plane!
Yacob’s expression turned grave as well. He was prepared to go out and look
Amanda is such a troublemaker. I didn’t expect her to run away with the child. She should’ve known that after Mr. Winters learned about the child’s existence, he would never allow her and the child to escape his clutches.
Elias suddenly stood up. His tall figure approached Selina before he said in a low voice, “It’s not too late for you to tell me where she went. I know she’s angry and scared; I won’t blame her, but she cannot leave. She’s the safest around me.”
She looked at the man before her, wondering if she should tell him. His gaze looked quite sincere, but-
No! I won’t say anything even if it costs my life. I must let Amanda leave with the child.
“I swear I don’t know, Mr. Winters. Amanda told me she took Aiden out for a movie. I don’t know anything else…”
By the looks of it, it was impossible to glean any other useful information from this woman. Elias refused to waste his time here, so he looked at Yacob and said, “Check the surveillance cameras in the community, then look for them at train stations and the airport. Check the harbor too. Don’t miss any detail.”
“Understood!” With that, the two turned around and left the house.
When Selina heard the door close, her legs gave way as she fell onto the floor, taking in large gulps of air. Geez! My heart….
She sprinted down the stairs but suddenly remembered her pregnancy and slowed down. Clutching the test strip in her hand, she wondered what Elias Winters' reaction would be once he heard the news.
Yet, when Amanda was halfway down the stairs, she saw two figures in the living room—Elias and a sexy woman. Slowing down her steps, she held the handrail tightly and felt her heart sink. That was because she saw her husband and the woman behaving affectionately as though they were a smitten couple.