At night, Jolene shifted in her bed, trying to sleep. How could Paisley end up in the same prison as her? She prayed she wouldn’t get tortured by that bitch.
The next morning, a female cop knocked on their cell.
“Jolene Lawrence, you have a visitor,” the cop announced and led Jolene to the waiting room. It must be her father since he promised to visit today.
But what if it was Tatiana, Jaxon, or even Mr. King himself? Jolene abruptly halted, her heart racing. She wasn’t ready to face any of them.
“Why did you stop? Keep moving.”
“Who came to visit… Tell me,” Jolene said, and the cop rolled her eyes.
“Keep walking!” she barked.
“At least tell me!” Jolene yelled back.
“It’s a woman… a woman you shouldn’t keep waiting. Now move,” the cop snapped, and Jolene gritted her teeth. With no choice, she obeyed.
As she stepped into the room, her eyes turned cold, and her jaw clenched even more.
“Hey, sweetie. Long time,” Odessa greeted with a smile. She was clad in a fine gown, her makeup heavy, and her jewelry glittering under the room’s lights.
Jolene quietly sat before her. A transparent glass was between them. Both stayed silent for a long time, their eyes throwing daggers at each other, until Jolene finally broke the silence.
“Why are you here?” she asked coldly, and Odessa let out a low, mocking laugh.
“She really threw you into prison without a second thought. Oh, poor soul… Does Tatiana even deserve any forgiveness for what she’s done to you? She blamed you without thinking twice.”
“Why. Are. You. Here?” Jolene emphasized, her nerves on edge. She wanted to cut the woman’s tongue out.
“Easy, cupcake. I know how upset you are. How disappointed you must be that Tatiana left you here. Has she even come to visit you?” Odessa asked, and Jolene tried not to let the words affect her.
“She doesn’t know, does she?” Odessa smiled wider at Jolene’s expression, knowing her words were hitting home. “She doesn’t know your betrayal was to protect her.”
“Shut up. I don’t want to hear your rambling nonsense.”
“Nonsense?” Odessa scoffed. “Let me guess again. Tatiana thinks you knew Mr. King was Dylan’s father all along and that you conspired with the bartender that night to drug her?”
Jolene averted her gaze, recalling Tatiana’s words: *’Tell me you didn’t know all along that Cash was Dylan’s father.’*
Shutting her eyes, she slowly recalled the night Tatiana was betrayed.
After getting the evidence of Nathan cheating on Tatiana, she hesitated to send it to her, knowing how much it would hurt. She knew how deeply Tatiana loved Nathan, how she had sacrificed her own dreams to help him achieve his. How she had staked her well-being, both emotionally and physically, to support Nathan.
And there Jolene was, staring at proof of Nathan’s infidelity. She wanted to ignore it, but she knew Tatiana deserved better than a man who would hurt her over and over again. So, she clicked *send*.
Not long after, she received a message from Tatiana, saying she had left the wedding without telling her father. Knowing how crazy Mr. Wallington could be, Jolene thought Tatiana might try to leave the country. So, she booked a flight and went to find her.
Then, Jolene got another message from a maid at the mansion: Tatiana had arrived there. Jolene’s eyes widened, her mind racing.
Why would Tatiana go to the mansion? Maybe she was there to pack her things and leave immediately. Mr. Wallington wouldn’t take it lightly, given how badly he wanted the Redmond family collaboration.
When Jolene arrived at the mansion, she was shocked to see Maximus waiting for her. The maid who had texted her stood beside him, her gaze lowered, fear etched on her face.
“Get in the car,” Maximus ordered as his guard opened the door. Jolene turned to run, but a large guard blocked her way. Her throat tightened with fear.
She glanced back at Maximus and reluctantly got into the car.
That decision would become her worst mistake…
The driver took them to a bar, where Maximus pulled out his tablet and played a video. Jolene’s eyes widened at the sight of Tatiana drinking, already on her third bottle.
“Look at her,” Maximus said, his voice deep and cold, cutting through the silence in the car.
Jolene discreetly reached for the door handle, hoping to escape, but it was locked.
When she looked back at Maximus, his gaze was fixed on her, piercing through her. He scoffed lightly and turned back to the screen.
“She humiliated me. She humiliated my family. What do you think I should do to her?” he asked, turning back to Jolene, his voice dripping with malice.
“Nathan Redmond is not a good man,” Jolene argued. “I found evidence of him cheating, and not just once. He even cheated during the wedding. You expect her to marry someone like that? Nathan should be shot where it hurts most.”
Jolene hadn’t realized how angry she was until the words spilled out. She was furious at how much Tatiana had to suffer for a man who didn’t deserve her.
“Do I look like I care about your opinion? My words, my rules, and she broke them-thanks to you, little bird.”
Little bird?
“My name is Jolene Lawrence, and if you think I’ll let you force Tatiana to marry Nathan, you’re wrong.”
Maximus’s lips curled into a smile. “You must really care for her. That’s good-she needs a little bird by her side.”
“Stop calling me that, and let me go. I’m of no use to you.”
Maximus’s eyes narrowed. Jolene noticed the small earpiec he wore. Something was wrong.
“Let me show you something,” Maximus said, turning back to the screen. He pointed to the man standing behind Tatiana. “See that man? He works for me. Right now, he has a gun.”
Jolene’s breath hitched as she focused on the man, his face hidden behind Tatiana.
“What are you planning to do?”
“I want to show you what happens to those who humiliate me and disobey my orders. I can have as many children as I want. With just one word, that man will shoot her in the head. And you, little bird, will watch it happen.”
Jolene’s eyes filled with anger. “You won’t kill your own daughter,” she whispered, shaking her head. But the look in Maximus’s eyes told her he meant every word, and it terrified her.
“Watch me,” Maximus said coldly. “See how you killed your friend.” He tapped his earphone gave the order. “Do it.”