Chapter 19
The Shores and Jordan didn’t do anything for a day and night aside from sitting around the phone and waiting for the police to call. Countless thoughts flashed through their minds–they thought of all the possibilities, still feeling uneasy.
They were worried their hopes would be dashed, that Rowena really was dead. At the same time, they also worried she’d faked her death to leave them, making sure they would never find her again.
The long silence was finally broken by the ringing of a phone. Philip instantly answered it.
On the other end of the line, a police officer said, “After the autopsy and further investigation, we’ve confirmed that the body is a lifelike dummy. The actual Rowena Shore has likely gone somewhere else. We’ve yet to find out her whereabouts, so please have patience.”
Tears of agitation filled everyone’s eyes when they heard that. It didn’t matter where Rowena was–the important thing was that she was alive.
Melinda buried her head in Philip’s chest and burst into tears. Meanwhile, Roland laughed and cried like he’d lost his mind. Even Jordan couldn’t help smiling as a weight was lifted off his chest.
“We’ll find Ro, no matter where she is!” Melinda cried. The three men nodded in agreement. They were united in this moment and gave each other strength.
Now that the Shores and Jordan were sure Rowena was still alive, they headed to Graystone Prison.
A prison warden kicked the door of a prison cell tucked in a corner. Jasmine instinctively curled up when she heard the sound and trembled uncontrollably. She held her head and said weakly, “Don’t hit me, please… Let me go…”
It had been just over ten days since she’d been thrown behind bars, but she’d already gone from looking vivacious to being skin and bones. Her body was covered in wounds- her skin was free of bruises. Gone was the pitiful innocence she’d once had. Now, she was nothing short of terrifying.
–
– not an inch of
The prison warden was pleased by her reaction. He tapped the floor with his baton to attract her attention. “Hey, I’m not gonna give you any ‘special care‘ today. A few bigshots want to see
you–come on out.”
Jasmine’s eyes lit up after having gone dull for a long time. She laughed almost manically and mumbled, “Mom, Dad, Roland, Jordan… Are you guys here to take me home? You regret it now, don’t you? I knew you guys still cared about me!”
The prison warden shot her a contemptuous look and snorted. Then, he muttered to himself, “Let’s hope you can still laugh like this when you see the looks on their faces.”
She didn’t hear him as she limped out of the cell, looking expectant. She was pressed onto a chair in the visitation room. However, all that greeted her were the Shores‘ and Jordan’s frosty expressions.
She couldn’t help feeling scared when she saw them. She mustered her courage
and said weakly, “Mom, Dad, Roland-‘
Before she could finish, Philip snarled menacingly, “Shut up! Who allowed you to address us like that? Don’t you know your place yet?”
Roland scowled. “How dare you speak to me like that after what you’ve done to Rowena? I’m not your brother!”
Jordan’s eyes were frosty. “It looks like she hasn’t learned her lesson yet. She’s still coveting things that don’t belong to her.”
He turned to look at the prison wardens and said coidly, “I’d like to ask you guys to leave us for a moment. We need to handle the next part ourselves.”
He didn’t raise his voice, but his words made Jasmine’s hair stand on end. She had an ominous feeling.
