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A tear slipped down Jacklyn’s cheek, maybe because the sadness was too much to bear. She turned her head, roughly wiping it away with her hand.
Rebecca’s voice was soft and pleading. “Just give us another chance, okay?”
“Jackie, we’re your birth parents. We never meant to hurt you. Everything we did was to keep you safe,” George chimed in.
Jacklyn’s gaze went cold in a heartbeat. Even now, they were trying to make her feel guilty.
She walked off, done wasting any more time on them,
“Penelope! Something terrible happened! Your parents got arrested!”
“What?” Penelope jumped to her feet, demanding, “What happened?”
Amanda rushed through the explanation, and Penelope hissed through clenched teeth, “Those idiots! How could they be this dumb at their age? How did they leave so many loose ends and get caught?”
Her eyes darted to Eugene, who was napping nearby.
“Amanda, I’ll send you the money. Get them bailed out.
No matter what Amanda tried, George and Rebecca still weren’t being released. The police told her that money wasn’t going to fix it.
When Penelope got the news, she stomped her foot in frustration.
Before long, she reached Eugene with puffy red eyes, grabbed fistfuls of his shirt, and collapsed into tears.
“What’s wrong?” Eugene frowned, catching her as she swayed. “You’ve got to stop crying. This isn’t good for the baby.”
“Gene, please. You have to help my parents. If anything happens to them, I won’t live through it.”
A cold dread washed over him. “What happened?”
“The police… arrested them,” Penelope murmured.
“What?” Eugene was confused. “Why would the police just arrest them for no reason?”
Penelope had rehearsed what to say, but no matter how she spun the story, she couldn’t avoid bringing up Jacklyn.
Guilt crept into her voice as she spoke, “My parents wanted to speed things up with our wedding, so… they took Jackie. They didn’t hurt her. She had food, clothes, whatever she needed. But when she got away, she went to the police and said they abducted her.”
“What?” Eugene sprang up. “Are you guys out of your minds?”
Terrified, Penelope clutched at his pant leg, her sobs growing louder, “I didn’t know anything, Gene! If I
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Chapter 46
had, I would’ve never let them do this.”
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“Your parents brought this on themselves! Who the hellabducts their own daughter? Is Jackie alright?”
Penelope’s hands tightened into fists. Even now, all Eugene cared about was Jacklyn.
“Jackie’s fine, but my parents are still locked up, barely eating or sleeping. Gene, please, just help them. I swear they’ll never do anything this stupid again.”
“Start packing. We’re heading back to Cyrelia! I need to see Jackie!”
Eugene jerked his leg free and strode away without another glance.
Left behind, Penelope’s eyes turned cold. Her jaw clenched as she spat out Jacklyn’s name.
One day, she’d make sure Jacklyn lost it all!
Eugene didn’t stop once on his way back to Cyrelia, going straight to Lloyd Manor. He barely dropped his bags before rushing upstairs.
Jacklyn was just stepping out of the guest room when she saw him, looking worn out from the trip.
“Jackie!” Eugene hurried forward and pulled her into a tight hug. “Are you hurt? I came right back when I heard what happened overseas!”
Jacklyn shoved him off and took a step back, shaking her head. “I’m fine.”
Eugene figured the abduction had left her shaken.
He reached for her hands again, closing the space between them. “This is my fault. I never should’ve left on that business trip. This wouldn’t have happened if I’d stayed here with you.”
He ducked his head, speaking like he meant every word.
Jacklyn tilted her head slightly, her voice quiet. “Was it really a business trip?”
Under her piercing stare, Eugene flinched before quickly turning away. He reached into his bag and pulled out a gift he’d prepared ahead of time.
“Of course, Jackie. I’ve missed you so much these past few days. You’re all I’ve thought about.”
Jacklyn stared at the gift, her face blank but her heart full of disgust.
She thought it had to be exhausting, playing the doting husband while he was off honeymooning with Penelope.
“Gene, I’m tired. I need to rest.”
Eugene, still misreading her distance as trauma, ruffled her hair gently. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle everything.
The next morning, Jacklyn was jerked awake by the commotion outside.
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“Mrs. Lloyd is still sleeping, Ms. Stinson! You can’t just push your way in!”
“Then, go wake her! I’m not going anywhere until we speak!”
Jacklyn’s thoughts sharpened. Trouble was at the door.
“Jacklyn!” Penelope shoved past the butler and charged toward her, voice hot with rage. “How do you even sleep at night? Our parents are locked up, and you’re just lounging around like everything’s fine?”
Jacklyn descended the stairs slowly. “They brought this on themselves. I just let justice handle it.”
“And why are they locked up? Because of you!” Penelope spat.
“What’s all the yelling about?”
Eugene stepped out of the master bedroom.
Penelope’s expression shifted instantly. Her face fell, and she dropped to her knees with a heavy thud, clutching her stomach. “Jackie, please, just spare Mom and Dad this time.”
Jacklyn leaned against the stair railing, arms folded, watching with a faint smirk.
“Penelope!” Eugene barked. “You’ve got some nerve showing up here to beg favors from Jackie. Knock it off and get out!”
He marched over and pulled Jacklyn into a hug. She was about to push him away, but the bitter jealousy in Penelope’s eyes changed her mind.
If Penelope wanted to play games, Jacklyn was all for it.
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