Chapter 93 Trouble Near Dawn
Chapter 93 Trouble Near Dawn
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Zacharias came back inside after smoking two cigarettes, and Coral had already cleaned herself up.
Her eyes were red and watery, but she still forced a sweet, dependent smile as she opened her arms for a hug. Zacharias didn’t go over. His voice was low and stern. “I called you a cab. It’ll take you home. I don’t ever want to see something like this happen again.”
Coral’s smile vanished, disbelief flashing in her eyes.
“You’re leaving?”
Even with injuries, I still can’t make him stay? But just now in the car, he held me so tightly. He wasn’t as cold and indifferent as he’s pretending to be. He still cares, I know he does.
Yet Zacharias didn’t answer. He turned and walked away without looking back.
Once in the car, Jackie asked cautiously, “Mr. Shaw, should I drive you back to Sunrise Residence?”
Zacharias almost nodded by instinct, but Coral’s scene still clung to him–her heavy perfume stuck to his skin. Anneliese hadn’t forgiven him yet. If she caught even a trace of another woman’s scent on him, she would only misunderstand further.
With a helpless sigh, he ordered, “Back to the office.”
Once there, he took a quick shower. But it was already late, and Anneliese was no doubt asleep.
He had only just returned from abroad and hadn’t even adjusted his schedule yet. So instead of going home, Zacharias stayed at the office and spent the night there. If he had gone back at all, he would have found his home already stripped bare, nothing but an empty shell.
The next morning, he was jolted awake by Jackie’s urgent knocking.
Zacharias opened the door with a deep frown, his expression hard. “This had better be important.”
It was. At dawn, Melody had been taken away by the police. They said she was involved in a sexual assault case and was now being held at the station.
Zacharias rushed there immediately. As soon as he stepped out of the car, Lenora came running toward him, red–eyed and panicked. “Zach, they took Mom inside. Please, you have to get her a lawyer and get her out!”
She was a mess–hair tangled, still in pajamas, completely frantic. Nineteen years old, spoiled
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Chapter 93 Trouble Near Dawn
and brash as she was, she had never faced anything like this. She was terrified.
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Zacharias steadied her by the shoulders. “What exactly happened? What did Mom do while I was away?”
Lenora’s gaze flickered. “I don’t know, what could she possibly have done? It must be a mistake. Zach, just fix this.”
Her evasive eyes told him everything. His face hardened, and he let go of her with a sharp
snap.
“At a time like this, if you still won’t tell the truth, I can’t help her.”
Jackie jumped in. “Lenora, just say it straight. If Aunt Melody gets cornered during questioning and they pull it out of her, it’ll be even harder to fix.”
Jackie was a distant relative of Melody’s, and his dismissive attitude toward Anneliese had always been colored by her influence.
Lenora finally broke down, stomping her foot. “This is all Anneliese that b*tch’s fault! Mom only asked Mr. Tate to teach her a lesson, and she turned around and heartlessly threw her own mother–in–law into the police station!”
Zacharias froze. He clearly remembered what Jackie had said–Melody was being investigated for sexual assault. His own mother had tried to arrange for someone to assault his wife?!
His face turned grim, disbelief tightening every muscle. “She’s your sister–in–law; have some respect! And what the hell do you mean by just a lesson? If it were just a lesson, do you think the police would be involved?”
Lenora had never seen her brother look so terrifying. She trembled all over, too scared even to cry. Then fury overwhelmed her fear, and her voice cracked.
“Zach! Anneliese didn’t even get hurt, but Mom’s been dragged away! And you’re yelling at me? If she hadn’t set her dogs on us, if you hadn’t always defended her no matter what, Mom never would’ve snapped and sent Jameson Tate after her.”
With that, she wiped her tears and ran back to the car in sobs,
Zacharias felt a sliver of relief when he heard that Anneliese wasn’t harmed, and just then the lawyer arrived. No matter how furious he was, he couldn’t ignore his mother. He took the lawyer inside the station without another word.
Maple Bay, that morning, Anneliese followed Jonathan’s request and made him a stack of savory pancake, a glass of protein shake, and a small bowl of salad before carrying the tray
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Chapter 93 Trouble Near Dawn
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Chapter 94 The Hickey
