hapter 28
“Alright,” Cynthia nodded with a contented smile, feeling the irritation dissipate.
They kept talking, swapping stories about the day’s card games. Liam had a hunch that Jasmine might’ve rigged the game, letting Cynthia lose on purpose, maybe even teaming up with the other players. But he kept those suspicions to himself.
After chatting for ten more minutes, they said goodnight and hung up. Cynthia was fast asleep.
The next morning, after breakfast, Cynthia was all set to head back to her place at Regalian Garden. The card game from the day before had left her pockets lighter, and she needed to make some money, stat, or she wouldn’t even have a dine for emergencies
Darian was downstairs in the underground garage getting the car ready, while Cynthia waited at the front gate
Right then, a sleek Mercedes rolled up Stepping out were Jeffrey, Mason, and Felicia
With Roseanne’s latest trouble, Jeffrey had been scrambling for support left and right, but it seemed like everybody had gotten the memo to avoid him like he had the cooties, With no options left, he was here to hit up David, the ex–CEO of Sullivan Group who still had a say in Clusia.
As they got out of the car, they couldn’t miss Cynthia standing by the gate.
She was rocking a skirt, a big change from her usual style, and her wavy hair was flowing down her back. The morning wind played with her hair and skirt, making her look all attractive and elegant
Jeffrey couldn’t tear his eyes away. Was this really the same small–town girl he remembered? She had a kind of rare purity about her–even Roseanne couldn’t hold a candle to her, and good luck finding anyone else in Clusia with that vibe
Mason and Felicia also caught sight of Cynthia, and their eyes nearly popped out What in the world had Cynthia been up to? She was like a totally different person.
Felicia caught on quickly to the danger when she saw the way Jeffrey was looking at Cynthia. Roseanne had nabbed the marriage deal with Jeffrey partly because he had a thing for her. But now, even Felicia had to admit that Cynthia looked stunning, and if she noticed, of course Jeffrey would
too.
Panicked that Jeffrey might suddenly change teams, Felicia stepped in front of him, blocking his view. “Jeffrey, we should head inside,” she said. trying to get his attention.
Her nudge did the trick and Jeffrey tore his gaze away.
A car pulled up from the garage and stopped in front of Cynthia. She was about to hop in when she heard Mason yell “Wait a second”
Cynthia spun around at the sound and her eyebrows knit together, spotting the trio marching toward her.
-What‘ ve you
been doing all this time?” Mason barked.
“That’s none of your business, Cynthia shot back
–
“Get moving to the police station with me. Say you forgive Roseanne so they’ll let her go, Mason demanded.
Luck was certainly on his side today, stumbling upon Cynthia. If she spoke up, they wouldn’t have to beg around anymore. Cynthia must have some sort of connections to make even the chief of police take her seriously.
“Why should I help her? She tried to set me up,” Cynthia couldn’t help but smirk, making a move to climb into the car.
Mason cut in front of her, blocking the door.
“She & your sister…” he began, but then his eyes landed on Darian in the driver’s seat, and anger colored his face. He pointed right at Darian, yelling. “You should be with Mr. Roberts, not hanging out with this old guy. What a bitch just like
your man””
He was boiling inside. He’d thought he could trade Cynthia for cash, but now he wondered how he’d sell someone who’d been with such a nobody
Jeffery’s admiration flipped to scorn. He’d had his doubts back at the station, and now seeing them together, he felt certain she was nothing special. just willing to get with any guy who paid attention.
They all massed the anger on Cynthia’s face. She was fuming, hands balled into fists, eyes zeroing in on Mason’s sing look. She snatched at Mason’s collar, warning. “Say one more word about my mom, and you’re done? With that, she shoved him away.
Mason staggered but Felicia raught him before he could fall and make a fool of himself.
He was ready to let her lave it when Felicia leaned in to whisper, “Hemember, Rosie’s still waiting in the police station.”
That snapped Mason out of it. He lurched forward, grabbing Cynthia’s wrist, trying to drag her to his car. “You’re going to the station whether you
like it or not
Darian saw Cynthia in trouble and hurried out to help.
Cynthia didn’t want to hurt Darian, so she held back a bit, and Mason seemed to be getting the upper hand. Just as he might have overpowered her Jasmine and David came out of the house.
This interrupted Jasmine and David’s post–breakfast stroll for fresh air. They asked, “Who’s making a scene here?”
Jeffrey, who was typically found around town flaunting the Sullivan family’s reputation, didn’t often get a chance to meet Jasmine and David. He was surprised at first but quickly put on a keen smile to warmly greet them.
Mason and Felicia let go of Cynthia and snapped to attention. David and Jasmine were the revered elders of the Sullivan family, it would be foolish to show anything but respect
“Good morning.” Jeffrey said, his voice full of che
cheer.
Jasmine and David squinted; they hadn’t spotted Cynthia. These days, their eyes weren’t so sharp, and Jeffrey’s face wasn’t so familiar,
“Well, my memory isn’t what it used to be. I’m forgetting people left and right, Jasmine confessed, a bit embarrassed. She didn’t recognize this relative who’d been out of touch for years,
Mason and Felicia shared a look, wondering why Jasmine didn’t remember Jeffrey since he is also a Sullivan.
Jeffrey, who was used to being the center of attention in town, felt his ego bruise but painted on a smile. “Oh, it’s me. Jeffrey. Don’t you remember how I used to play here when I was ten?”
Jasmine gave David a questioning glance.
At the same time, Cynthia was so amused by this scene. The man who just loved to throw around the Sullivan name wasn’t even a flicker in the matriarch’s memory.
Darian moved to intervene, but Cynthia gently held him back. She was curious to see what would unfold.
After a couple of minutes and a stroll down memory lane, it clicked for David, and his face softened. “My, you’ve shot up in height, boy! So many years
have gone by without a visit.”
“Well, here I am now,” Jeffrey managed, grinning and letting out a breath of relief. Not being recognized by his own blood would have been a tough one to explain to Mason and Felicia.
Jeffrey was indeed a great–grandson in the expansive Sullivan family tree–a fact David should know well. However, in a family so ancient and branched out, it was no surprise they weren’t all tight–knit, and visits became rare as the years rolled by,
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