Chapter 36
“Maverick, the Parker family heir, genuinely don’t know how to comfort his wife: Bengi thought, a
amused
Maverick sat on the couch, looking frustrated and embarrassed. With a sigh, he rubbed his forehead and repeated his question to Banji, his best friend, and doctes. Ti serious, Benji. How do you comfort a wonun?
Maverick confided in Benj about the situation in detail.
Benji smirked, leaning back in his chair. He’d suspected as much but now know for sure what had prompted Aurora to ask him for and- inflammatory meds recently.
“At least I didn’t give her the wrong prescription, he thought, amused.
The two men launched into an in–depth discussion on the art of apologizing. Mostly, it was Benji’s advice and Maverick’s brooding silence, but the atmosphere remained easy between them
By the end, Benji told Maverick a prescription, advising him, “Take this from my clinic; it’ll work faster.”
Maverick hesitated but nodded. As much as he disliked the idea, he wanted Aurora’s recovery to go as smoothly as possible.
The moment he hung up with Benji, however, his phone lit up with a new call–Declan Jackson. The name flashing on the screen gave
himi pause
After a brief h
“hesitation, he picked up. “Mr. Jackson,” he greeted, his tone guarded.
“Maverick. I’m not one to beat around the bush,” Declan’s voice came through. “Did you recently kidnap a guy named Scott?”
Maverick’s eyes narrowed. Dedan, a family elder from the Jackson side, had done Maverick favors in the past–debts Maverick hadn’t yet repaid.
And here was Declan calling in one of those debts.
Maverick recalled the incident. He’d had his man Howard lock Scott up in a hotel room. Howard had even gone so far as to strip him of his clothes to prevent any chance of escape.
But when that didn’t feel like enough, Maverick had arranged for Scott to be captured again after his brief escape, this time contining him to a vill hallway up a mountain.
“What do you need from me, Mr. Jackson?” Maverick asked, his voice neutral.
“Oh, nothing complicated Just want the boy to come over and keep me company for a few rounds of chess,” Declan replied with an easy chuckle, bur Maverick didn’t miss the underlying demand
Maverick’s face darkened. Lenting Scott go wasn’t exacity in his plans, but Declan’s favor meant this wasn’t up for negotiation
After a long silence, he said, “Fine. He’s here with me, so I’ll have him sent over tomorrow”
Maverick thought dismissively after hanging up. Tve captured him once; I can do it again.
Still, a nagging question lingered. Maverick wondered about Scott’s connections
Scott was only an illegitimate child, yet he’d somehow garnered Declan’s attention–an elite circle not just anyone could access
Deciding to find out more, lie sent a quick message to Howard: [Look into Scolf’s network of contacts|
Sending off the message calmed him, and his gaze drifted to the light blue mechanical pencil sitting in a pen holder.
Its blue paint had chipped, and a small heart–shaped charm dangled at the end, with a tassel made of matching beads.
It was an unmistakably girlish item, yet it had been with him for many years and belonged to the best gift Aurora had given him–a seemingly
casual trinket, but one be treasured.
***** Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Aurora had just finished applying her medicine when her phone buzzed. She picked it up to see Ruth’s name on
“Aurora, what did you say to Tina”” Muth’s voice carried an edge.
Aurora blinked, caught off guard. “Who she asked, genuinely confused by the name.
“Tina Hacker–Maverick’s childhood friend. You met her at the Parker Manor last time,” Ruth explained.
It clicked. Aurora remembered the girl, Tina–Maverick’s childhood friend, who had shown up claiming they were sull together. Tina had even tried to seduce Maverick at Parker Manor but was prevented by Aurora
1/2
Chapter 36
“What’s going on?” Aurora asked cautiously, not particularly interested but aware Ruth wouldn’t have called otherwise.
Ruth’s tone was blunt. “What’s going on! She tried to kill herself. And you’re telling me you don’t know anything about int
Aurora stiffened, taken aback by the sudden news. Tina’s melodrama had always been a little over the top, but this was shocking “She tried to kill herself?” Aurora asked, barely hiding her disbelief. “Last I saw her, she was fine.”
“Well, you tell me What did you say to her?” Both demanded, frustration clear in her voice.
Ruth’s agitation was reasonable. Tina’s only recent confrontation had been with Aurora, making her the primary suspect in Ruth’s mind.
- I don’t know! You heard everything I said” Aurora grew flustered, worried Ruth would believe she’d somehow forced Tina into this. All she’d done was assert her position as Maverick’s wife, making sure Tina knew her place
Ruth cut her off with a huff. “Alright, Where’s Maverick!”
Ruth had just tried calling Maverick, only to find his line busy, which prompted her to reach out to Aurora instead. Now that she’d said everything she intended, naturally, she wondered where was Maverick
Aurora cast a glance toward the door, unwilling to admit she’d sent him out earlier. “He’s…taking a shower,” she said instead, hoping to avoid another argument
If she said anything that caused a further rift, the consequences would only fall back on her
Ruth fully aware that Aurora was lying, chose not to confront her. She added deliberately. “Have him go to the hospital to visit Tina once he’s done. Those two have a close bond. Im sure having him there will help her recover faster.”
Before Aurora could protest, Ruth hung up. The finality in her tone left Aurora uneasy, her frustration growing
Aurora frowned, puzzled by Ruth’s intentions. Maverick was married now, and as his wife, here she was being told to send him to comfort another woman–one who had attempted suicide over him, no less
The whole thing felt absurd, no matter the reason behind Tina’s actions or why her attempt hadn’t succeeded.
But the call was over, and however dissatisfied she was, there was nothing more she could say. With a quiet sigh, she changed into her nightwear and opened the door, stepping out with a heavy heart..
