Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)

When I dropped Fidelia off, she got out of the car blocks away from her place, waving goodbye with a lingering sadness. I signaled for her to hurry home.

I watched as she looked back at us every few steps, even turning for one last glance before rounding the corner. Only then did I nod to Hannah to drive away.

In the car, Hannah said, "Allie, her words are very informative. It looks like Jesper's really stirring the pot."

I felt a heavy sigh escape me and chuckled in self-deprecation, "Seems I've got it in for the Dawson family. It's like a feud spanning lifetimes, relentlessly following me into this one, each blow cutting deep." Hannah laughed along, "It is buying a lifetime's worth of deep-seated grudges. So, what's our play now? Head back to Silverdale City?"

"Let's decide once we're home."

"Ronan said to leave those two items be for now, but he's clued in Galen and everyone at Wood Manor. Looks like Fidelia wasn't lying," Hannah relayed Ronan's message.

I fretted, "Now I'm worried about what they might have heard. If Fidelia keeps mum, we're screwed. That was a close shave. Thank goodness we caught up with Fidelia."

"Allie, you are so kind." Hannah smiled, "It's like divine intervention. Jesper's plans are doomed to fail."

"It seems he's in cahoots with Mason Wood."

We sped back to Serene Garden Homes. Everyone was there. As I walked in, Hannah made a beeline for Logan, "Two things! This phone number needs to be traced as much as possible. It belongs to someone Camilla trusts to get stuff done, a key player for sure."

Hannah jotted down the number on a piece of paper and handed it to Logan. It was the number Fidelia had mentioned earlier.

"And the second thing,"

"Stop!" Logan interjected, "At least let me in on the full story, will you? What's the rush?"

We both laughed and recounted the recent events in detail, not leaving anything out.

Then, I addressed Logan directly, "I need you to look into that new pharmaceutical company Camilla mentioned. She lied about delivering meds, but according to Fidelia, that's not the case. I have a hunch Camilla knows their operation well."

Ronan added, "We really overlooked Camilla. Fidelia mentioned surgery, and that's intriguing."

"It's odd. Someone as reclusive as her amassing a fortune? Surprising," I admitted my thoughts.

"Right," Hannah agreed.

"Sure, there are quiet millionaires, but Camilla doesn't fit the bill. Also, could she be connected to Jesper? Their stories matched too well the day Fidelia went missing. Coincidence? But would she watch a stranger harm Fidelia? It's illogical." I mused aloud.

"That's not hard to explain. In certain situations, there's only one effective tactic available," Ronan rationalized, an explanation I had to accept for lack of a better one.

Suddenly, something else crossed my mind, "Ronan, why didn't you want us to remove the bug?"

"We can't touch it yet. Their intentions are unclear, and it's still useful. They want to know our moves, so let's feed them some."

"You mean to use it to send messages." I immediately grasped Ronan's plan that he wanted to turn their strategy against them. Ronan's lips curved into a smirk.

As we were talking, Catherine strode in. I was surprised seeing her. Wasn't she supposed to stay longer in Silverdale City? What brought her back so soon?

She brightened up the moment she saw me, rushing over, "Allie, I heard you moved in here, so I jet off to get here as quickly as I can."

Her words confirmed she knew about this place.

Logan gave her a sidelong glance and teased, "Jerk off? Can you not just be exaggerating? You'll turn into a laughing stock if you keep this up."

Catherine's cheeks flushed, "What are you talking about? Can't you show some decorum?"

She snuck a glance at Ronan, conscious of the other man present.

I couldn't help but chuckle, feeling my face warm up too.

To deflect from the awkwardness, I quickly pulled out my phone and showed her a photo of Mason, "Cut the chatter, and we've got serious business. You just arrived in time. Do you know this guy?" She took my phone, glanced at it, and said without hesitation, "What's there to know? That's Mason."