The silence lasted for a while before Linford finally gave in, “Fine! I can stop the investigation for now. But I still have one condition.”
“What is it?” Pop asked eagerly.
“If I figure out who sent Giselle to torture Candace, you can’t stop me from getting back at that person for any reason anymore,” Linford said seriously.
Pop faltered for a second and soon nodded, “You don’t have to say that, Linford. The person who sent people to torture Candace must be punished! We can never let that person go easily!”
“Okay, deal,” Linford smiled.
Pop felt much more relaxed now. Nevertheless, he would do anything to stop Linford from investigating what happened six years ago.
The old man would never guess that the person who sent Giselle was actually his granddaughter-in-law, Clara.
That was why he promised Linford without any hesitation.
****
When Linford went back to his bedroom, Cristelle and Candace were still playing puzzles.
“Mom! Mom! This!” Candace couldn’t move. She could tell Cristelle what to do next. Cristelle was happy that she could get Candace to talk for a bit.
Linford smiled as he walked over, “Did you guys enjoy the meal?”
Candace drummed her tummy, telling her Dad that she enjoyed the meal.
Cristelle put the puzzle pieces on the desk, “Honey, could you play them by yourself a bit? Mommy has something to talk to Daddy.”
The girl nodded.
Cristelle didn’t say anything until they went to the balcony, “Did you tell Pop anything?”
“Pop has decided to let Pamela go,” Linford said calmly.
Cristelle bit her bottom lip, “Did you tell him the truth?”
She looked scared, and Linford only wanted to hold her in his arms, “I will never tell him the truth. I just… used a different way of phrasing, and he just said yes.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Linford seemed confident. Cristelle knew he must have found a way to solve the problem. For now, she was finally safe. However, the secret of her identity was a bomb. If one day it exploded, she and her babies wouldn’t even know where to go. “You don’t need to worry, Cristelle,” Linford interlaced his fingers with hers, “I’m still here. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
His hand was warm. But Cristelle couldn’t help withdrawing.
She still remembered what Linford had said to her that day.
“I’m sorry,” Out of nowhere, Linford suddenly apologized.
Cristelle looked up in bewilderment.
“I said many awful things to you that day. I hope you can forget them. You know… I was just being jealous.” Linford dropped his gaze.
Jealous?
Cristelle went blushed instantly, “What are you even talking about? I don’t even know why you’re suddenly bringing it up.”
She went shy again. It was so cute. Linford stood there as a faint smile showed up on his chiseled lips.
****
When Pamela left the jail, her mother, Maria, was the one who came to pick her up.
“She’s not even been locked up for a week, and her family already came to pick her up. I know those big houses only care about their benefits,” A couple of young cops joked around.
Officer Charles shot them a stern look, “You guys don’t have work to do?”
His men thus left the lobby.
****
Pamela sat in her parent’s car. She didn’t expect she could leave jail in the end. Why did that bitch, Cristelle, suddenly change? She didn’t want to sue her anymore?
“Pamela… Please don’t do anything stupid anymore. You’re lucky this time. But you won’t always be so lucky in the future.” Maria didn’t like what her daughter did. But it made her sadder than being angry when she saw Pamela end up like this.
“Where’s Diego?” Pamela asked, “Why didn’t I see him?”
Maria shook her head, “They are all waiting for you at home.”
Diego didn’t show excitement when he knew they could pick Pamela up from the jail today.
Pamela had made such a huge mistake. Diego had already been kind enough not to divorce her immediately. Why would he ever show up here and pick her up?
Pamela was too stupid. Maria was disappointed, but she still couldn’t bring herself to blame her poor daughter.
“Just don’t say anything when you return to the Barnett mansion. Try to apologize to them, and I’ll take you home after that,” Maria sighed.
Pamela leaned against her Mom’s shoulder, “Okay, Mom. I’ll go back with you. Should I get a divorce?”
Get divorced?
Maria turned to look at Pamela’s face. It had only been six months since they had seen each other, and she was already so gaunt and pale. She looked like a ghost, “Are you sure about this? If your Dad and I had known this would occur, we wouldn’t have run around and asked for help everywhere. If you’ve made up your mind, let’s go back and get things down instantly.”
Pamela didn’t say anything.
Maria heaved another deep sigh. She knew her daughter was just saying that out of despair. She would never have the heart to truly divorce Diego.
She was obsessed with that man.
“Mom, how did you guys get me out of there?” Pamela asked again, “How did that bitch decide to let me go?”
Asking Diego and his mother to go to the White House was Pamela’s father, Noah’s idea. But it was a dangerous plan. Maria knew she shouldn’t bring this up to Pamela for her good. So she sighed, “Your mother-in-law went to beg someone to save you.”
“Who did she beg?” She didn’t believe there were other families in this city that could tell the Bradley family what to do.
Maria shook her head, “She went to ask the White House house for help. I didn’t know she had some connections with them. You’re really lucky this time, Honey.”
The White House?
Pamela knew Mrs. White was quite a figure. She didn’t even know the Barnett family had a strong connection like that.
But why didn’t her mother-in-law ask for the White’s help in the first place? With their help, the Barnett business would have soared a long time ago.
Why did they only ask for their help on occasions like this?
Maria explained, “Your mother-in-law told me they would never ask for help from the White unless it is really necessary. Pamela, you can never do things like this ever again. You will get all of us in trouble. Do you understand?”