Abigail simply looked away to help Sheryl, pretending as if she never heard a thing.
Zachary tactlessly pulled Abigail aside and said, “I’ll do it.”
While Abigail was speechless, Erin kept pestering her, “Just tell me what it is, Abigail!”
Abigail was silent for a moment and started toward a room. “Come with me!”
Erin followed, and after she closed the door, Abigail admitted everything, knowing that there was no hiding it now.
“After we found Diarmuid, James had to cover our escape. He was captured afterward.”
Erin stood, her expression blank as her hands clenched gradually at her sides!
“We’re worried about him too,” Abigail assured Erin.
“Why isn’t anyone out looking for him?” Erin asked, more or less accusative.
“We don’t even know who those people were,” Abigail explained. “Diarmuid has already asked people to find them. Why would we ever abandon James? Who do you take us for?”
Erin stayed silent for a long while for the information to sink in. “Sorry. I was too worried and didn’t choose my words…”
“It’s alright.” Abigail understood and therefore did not take offense. “We’re worried too, but we didn’t tell you in case you get distraught.”
“I understand that you hid it from me for my sake,” Erin replied. “But to be honest, you should’ve told me sooner. I’d find out eventually—there’s no hiding something like this.”
Abigail thought about it and had to agree.
“Is there no news at all yet?” Erin asked.
Abigail shook her head.
Erin then asked, “Where was he captured? I’ll go look.”
She could not just sit and wait!
“No.” Abigail refused summarily-the gang had guns and were clearly serial criminals. It was too dangerous for Erin, and how would they explain themselves to James if something did happen?
Even now, James’s fate was unknown!
Abigail reached out and took Erin’s hand. “Trust us. We will do our best. Honest!”
Erin was willing to believe them, but she could not do nothing and wait!
Abigail could tell that Erin was anxious. She said, ’Wait here for me. I’ll ask if there’s news.”
Erin nodded, while Abigail left to find Diarmuid and saw that he was talking to Zachary.
She did not approach them but instead listened quietly from a distance.
Zachary seemed confused. “Why would it be Ian Althoff’s leg?”
Diarmuid did not seem surprised, since it was not that hard to explain. “Hector bribed those pilots to capture me. Knowing that it failed and I survived the crash, he’s now coming for my family.”
“You mean Hector was the one who sent it?!” Zachary gaped but he soon understood. ’So he’s taking his revenge on your family… But he didn’t bother to check why Ian was constantly kept under confinement? James only spared him because killing him would sully his hands, while torturing him, was the best way to punish him. But Hector didn’t even do his homework and thought that killing him would be payback against you?” Zachary was amused by the thought!
“Well, since Hector killed Ian, he spared James the trouble!” Zachary exclaimed, suddenly finding Hector a pushover. “That’s one concern less on our list! And that means it’s Hector who knows about the castle, not that gang who’s after us.”
That gang was definitely the worst of the two!
“Find out where he is now,” Diarmuid told Zachary-Hector remained a time bomb that could inflict serious damage unless they removed him from the equation.
Who knew when he would jump out at them, catching them off guard?
Zachary nodded.
“He’s in hiding-even James had trouble tracking him down earlier,” he said, though his tone soon changed. “But that doesn’t mean he’s gone without a chase, especially now that he made a move. There must be clues somewhere.”
“Yeah,” Diarmuid said. “Make it fast!”
“Right away,” Zachary replied, and he turned to see Abigail walking toward them.
“The leg wasn’t James’s?” she asked-she heard them talking about it but just wanted to confirm it.
Zachary nodded. “It’s Ian’s.”
Abigail heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness!
Diarmuid’s phone rang just then-he had changed to a new phone since he returned, but kept to his old number and used the same phone model.
He knew where to swipe and answer, and once he did that, he put the phone beside his ear.
The others did not know what was spoken on the other end, but Diarmuid’s reaction changed before he eventually turned calm again.
“Understood.”
And with that single word, he hung up.
Abigail asked, “Was that news on James?”
“No,” Diarmuid replied. “But I have to leave.”
Abigail was naturally worried. “I’ll come with you-“
Diarmuid cut her short before she could finish. “You’re still hurt. Stay home and rest—I’ll be fine going with Stan.”
“Okay, but you should take Eagle,” Abigail insisted.
“No. The more people guarding this house, the better,” Diarmuid replied. “You don’t have to worry—I’ll have Stan arrange for more bodyguards with me and at home.”
This was a dangerous time, and they had to be careful!
Abigail had more to say, and Diarmuid beat her to it again. “I’ll only have ease of mind if you take care of things at home.”
“But your eyes…”
“The people I asked to help are important people,” Diarmuid replied. “I’m friends with them, and I’ll stop by the doctor’s when I have the time.’
Abigail could not say anything to that.
When Erin heard that Diarmuid was going out, she was certain that he left for James and she suggested, “Let me come with you. I can take care of you since you can’t see-you know Stan can get a little clumsy with his fat fingers and all, and he’s not that good with taking care of others anyway. I’m way more attentive than him.”
Stan was speechless.
Him, clumsy? How dare she!
He lowered his gaze to his hands and spread his fingers.
They were appropriately slim, and he even had fair, delicate skin!
At the same time, Diarmuid did not respond, so Erin turned toward Abigail with a pleading look.
Abigail shook her head-she would not ask for something like this lightly.
She did not know what Diarmuid would be doing, and things were definitely a mess at the moment.
“I dont care,” Erin said then, clearly having made up her mind. “I’ll follow you even if you refuse.”
She would not give up even if they forbade her from going.
“Fine,” Diarmuid said, relenting.
It was better to keep an eye on her directly, since otherwise she would follow them in secret.
“Let’s go! Dear brother, I’ll take good care of you!” Erin exclaimed sweetly and fawningly, shoving Stan out of the way as she would be Diarmuid’s eyes now.
Diarmuid frowned ever so slightly.
That was when Abigail suddenly said, “Wait.”
Diarmuid turned around, while Erin turned toward Abigail too. “What’s wrong,
Abigail?” “Nothing,” Abigail replied. ’Just wanted you all to be careful.”
“Oh, we will,” Erin assured her. “Don’t worry, Abigail.”
Abigail nodded, watching them as they left.
She scowled a little, feeling like she could not be of help.
Eagle approached her just then. ’Is there anything I can help with, ma’am?”
Abigail shook her head. “Let’s go back inside-thanks for keeping an eye on things while I wasn’t around.”
“It’s what I should do,” Eagle replied, nodding.
Tommy ran up to Abigail then, hugging her leg. “Mommy, carry me.’
Abigail arched her back and tried to pull him up-the move tugged at her shoulder wound, and it was only then that she remembered that she was still hurt.
“Why dont we just hold hands?’ she asked mildly.
Tommy shook his head. “Carry me.”
Eagle walked up to them. ‘I can carry you.”
Tommy spaced out for a moment and snapped, “Nope!”
With that, he ran away.
After all, Eagle had kept him on a tight leash when Abigail was away, stopping him from climbing walls or leaving the castle and insisting that he properly studied Franconian under his tutor.
He would even ensure Tommy had seconds during meals!
There was no way he would want Eagle to carry him after the latter denied him his freedom-Eagle’s arms were no different from a prison, devoid of warmth!
That was why Tommy wanted his mommy’s warm embrace!
Abigail raised a brow as Tommy fled and turned toward Eagle. “He’s that scared of you, huh?’
Eagle was actually unsure what Abigail was getting at, but he explained,” Maybe I was too strict with him when you were away.
That’s why he doesn’t like me.”
Abigail suddenly smiled and said, “Good work.’
Eagle smiled a little too.
Over at New Kent, Martin was discharged after more or less recovering.
And since he had scored a major accomplishment, the precinct allowed him time away since he had yet to fully recover, and so that he had time to take care of Lulu’s baby since she only delivered recently.
Martin would actually refuse it if it was any other occasion-he never took leave even after working for so many years.
This time, he accepted his higher-up’s goodwill.
“We keep calling our baby baby. It’s time we named her,’ Martin said at home.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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