Cristelle was worried. She instantly called her sister but didn’t pick up the call.
Did something bad happen to her?
Should she call the police already? Cristelle knew those guys didn’t let Claire go off easily. They’d been trying to find her.
Did those people get her? The more Cristelle thought about it, the more worried she became.
“Cody, bring your sister to bed. I need to go outside.” Cristelle said and was ready to leave.
Cody thought for a short second, “You can go with Dad, Mom. I’ll take care of Candace, I swear.”
Franco looked quite grim. Did anything bad happen to Claire? No! The White House wouldn’t be that bold.
Linford didn’t hold the same thought. He tried to comfort his wife, “You don’t need to leave and look for them, Cristelle. They’re adults. They’ll be fine. Besides, I’ve talked to Enzo before. He has sent his men to protect them secretly. They would have told me if Claire and Frank were in danger.”
Cristelle was still worried, “But why haven’t they come back yet? It’s getting late.”
Linford pulled her into an embrace, “Maybe they just want some space for themselves. You’re thinking too much, Cristelle.”
Cristelle still couldn’t alter her thoughts. Claire would at least pick up the phone. She knew it was dangerous, and Cristelle was worried about her. She wouldn’t leave the phone there ringing.
Linford tried to make her relax, “I would have known if they were in danger. Let’s just wait at home. I believe they will come back or call very soon.”
Franco suddenly came over, saying, “We should wait for them. Making hasty judgments would only make things worse. I believe Frank will ensure Claire’s safety under any circumstances.”
What they just said actually made sense. Cristelle decided to listen.
She sighed, “Candace, Cody, it’s getting late. Why don’t you guys go to Pop’s room so he can share a bedtime story with you guys?”
Cody understands Cristelle’s intention. She wanted them to make Pop go to sleep early.
The boy thus nodded, “No problem. Candace, let’s go.”
Candace was hesitant. She wanted to stay with their Mom. But she ended up being dragged by Cody forcefully.
Franco wanted to stay in the living room to wait as well, but he couldn’t handle it when the babies urged him to get some sleep, “Alright. Let’s go then.”
About 30 minutes later, Cody came out of Pop’s room with Jack. Pop and Candace had both fallen asleep immediately.
“Linford, do we get anything yet?” Jack asked with a soft voice.
Linford shook his head, “Nothing yet. Why don’t you go get some rest as well, Jack?”
Jack sighed, “I’m not even tired. I can stay here and help.”
Cristelle shook her head, “Jack, just go get some sleep. Pop and Candace will need you.”
Jack didn’t know how to refuse. So he ended up following their suggestion and left the room.
“Cody, you also need to get some rest. Auntie Claire will be back soon,” Cristelle touched the boy’s little cheek, “We will go to sleep soon. You can go back to your room to take some rest too.”
Cody folded his little arms before his chest, “It’s okay. I can handle long hours to stay awake.”
Cristelle wanted to say something else, but Linford stopped her, “It’s okay. Just let the boy stay. He probably will be helpful.”
Cristelle shook her head and sighed, knowing she couldn’t persuade Cody to change his thoughts.
****
Claire and Frank didn’t return home until 5 am.
Cristelle was so tired as she stood up and went forth, “Claire! Where have you been? I was so scared!”
Claire looked pale. But she tried her best to stay calm, “It’s okay… I’m okay now.”
“What happened?” Cristelle was so anxious.
Frank cleared his throat, “Cristelle, your sister barely ate anything. Would you mind getting her some food for her?”
“Of course!” Cristelle took Claire’s hand and took her to the kitchen. Cody followed them. Linford was pulling a face as he took Frank to his study. “What exactly happened, Frank?”
“It was a car accident.”
“Really?” Linford’s eyes widened, “You guys didn’t get hurt, did you?”
“We wouldn’t have been here if we really got hurt, Linford,” Frank shook his head, looking extremely tired.
“What happened? Why did Claire leave the house?”
Frank took a sip from his glass, “Claire got a phone call last night, and she decided to leave. I asked her what had happened, but she didn’t tell me. I was worried, so I left with her. But when we arrived at a club, the waiter told us that Claire was demanded to walk in alone. I insisted on the following, but those guys wouldn’t allow me.”
“Who are those people?” Linford asked.
Frank shook his head, “I don’t know. Claire refused to tell me the truth.”
“What happened next?”
“I told Claire not to walk in. It was clearly a trap, but she insisted on coming. She spent about an hour in that club. I worried about her so much that I broke in. It turned out those guys were trying to rape her. I fought them off and took her out.”
Linford patted his shoulder, “Cristelle and I are both grateful, Frank. Did Claire tell you why she insisted on going to that club?”
“I think…. those people probably know the secret about her mother’s death. They used this piece of information to lure her in.”
Was that why?
After a few minutes, Linford meditated and asked, “And how did the car accident happen?”
“It happened on our way back. A white Maserati came out of nowhere and ran into our car. We were lucky that I steered the wheel fast enough. And two black cars also came out to flank us on our way back. I think those cars intended to protect us, but I didn’t manage to see their plate numbers.”
“It’s a relief that you guys are both okay,” Linford let out a breath.
“Did you send those cars to protect us, Linford?”
“Yeah. I asked Enzo to send a couple of his men to protect you two. I’m glad they made it on time.”
“Thank you, man. I wouldn’t be here if it were not for you,” Frank was grateful.
“We’re a family. You don’t need to thank me. It’s just… remember to call me when you and Claire are in trouble next time. So I can help,” Linford uttered sincerely.
Frank nodded, feeling warm.