Frieda lowered her head and nodded in silence. When Jonathan saw that, a trace of anger flashed across his face, but he quickly suppressed the rage rising in him.
“Given Aubree’s capabilities, there was no way she could have escaped under the surveillance of both the Farwell family and the police. Even with your help, it was still an impossible feat. How exactly did she manage to do it?”
Frieda hesitated for a second before answering with a pleading look in her eyes, “Jonathan, if I tell you, can you promise me not to tell anyone else?”
Jonathan remained unmoved as he fixed his gaze on his sister. “Lucian can’t know that I didn’t inform him that Aubree ran away. He’s not going to let me off! Who knows, maybe our entire family would also be affected…”
Panic was written all over Frieda’s face as she tugged at Jonathan’s sleeves. Jonathan’s gaze softened when Frieda expressed worry about their family’s situation. However, instead of giving her a direct answer, he merely said, “So tell me, how did she manage to escape?”
Frieda took her brother’s silence as his tacit agreement and said softly, “She had help from a man. If I’m not wrong, he’s the one who was with her at the hotel that day. He seems to be a rather powerful person. He sent Aubree out of Horington on the night of the incident.”
Jonathan could feel anger flooding his veins, but he managed to keep a poker face when Frieda looked toward him.
“That’s all I know. I have nothing else to tell you even if you continue asking me,” the woman said. Jonathan furrowed his brows and asked, “When is she coming back?”
Frieda shook her head. “I have no idea. I left the room when both of them were talking. When I returned, Aubree was already getting into the car and leaving.”
After saying that, she asked Jonathan hopefully, “Didn’t you say that you will prevent her from returning?”
When Jonathan was sure that his sister had: told him everything she knew, he finally unleashed the fury he had been suppressing all this while.
“Are you finally worried that she might come back? You should have taken my words seriously in the first place!” Frieda’s eyes brimmed with grievance and nervousness when she saw the sudden change in her brother’s attitude.
“Why did you help her? Were you involved in all those things that she had done previously?” Jonathan asked sternly, suddenly recalling some things.
Frieda let go of his sleeves guiltily. Learning her lesson, she decided not to tell him anything else. “No. That’s really all. I had no idea what she wanted me to help her with when she came to see me. I didn’t expect…”
She sounded as if Aubree had also deceived her. Jonathan eyed his sister suspiciously for some time while she kept her head bowed.
“Make sure this stays between us. Don’t you dare ask Grandpa or Mom and Dad for help. I don’t want them to collapse from anger!” After an extended silence, Jonathan continued coldly, “It’s best for you to stay at home during this period. You’re not allowed to step out of the house without my permission!”
Without giving Frieda a chance to reply, Jonathan turned around and strode out of the room after saying that. “Keep an eye on her. Don’t let her leave the house without my permission!”
Even with the door slammed shut, Frieda could hear her brother speaking to the housekeeper. She felt as if a pail of ice-cold water had been dumped on her.
After much contemplation, Jonathan still thought he had to talk to Lucian face-to-face after learning the truth. Otherwise, the Queen family might meet the same fate as the Pearson family if the Farwells learned about it from Aubree.
Jonathan quickly called Lucian and invited him for drinks. Lucian, who had no place to vent his anger for the past two days, agreed without hesitation. The two of them agreed to meet at the club they often went to.
When Lucian arrived, Jonathan had already. ordered the drinks and was drinking by himself in the private room. He looked pretty angry too. “What’s wrong? Did something happen to the Queen family again?”
Lucian took a seat next to him and poured himself a drink. Jonathan was thinking of how to tell Lucian the: truth. His mind was a mess.
Only when he heard Lucian’s voice did he return to his senses and stop drinking. After a while, he decided to finish the drink int his hand before he smiled bitterly and said.
“Lucian, didn’t you say that you suspect Aubree ran away? Well, now I can certainly tell you that it’s true. She indeed ran away.” Lucian stopped drinking when he heard that and turned to look at Jonathan. “What did you say?”
Helplessness was written all over Jonathan’s face as he replied, “If it’s possible, I, too, wish that I didn’t know about it, but…”
The two of them grew up together. Even if Jonathan did not finish his sentence, Lucian could already guess what Jonathan was going to say.
If the Farwell family could not find out the truth, it was even more impossible for Jonathan to find out about it. The only possibility was that the person who knew the truth was beside him.
Frieda! A cold glint flashed across Lucian’s eyes when he thought of Frieda. However, he was still considerate of his friend and did not express his displeasure.
Jonathan had helped Lucian and Roxanne a lot with their relationship. He believed Jonathan would keep watch over Frieda. Lucian was willing to be considerate of Jonathan. As long as the latter chose not to say anything, Lucian would pretend not to know.
“Who sent her away?” Lucian changed the topic as he refilled their glasses. Jonathan raised his glass gratefully. He sounded doubtful as he answered, “I know that the person was the man Aubree met during the hotel’s opening. The next morning, that man had also taken inappropriate photos of Aubree. I have no idea why he would help her.”
Lucian scrunched up his eyebrows, and his expression turned grim. “What exactly are that man’s intentions? He first put Aubree in the spotlight, but now he’s helping her by doing this. And he’s able to avoid getting caught by the Farwell family and the police…”
This person is dangerous the more I think about it. I must quickly find him! Jonathan also had the same thought. “I also want to know Aubree’s whereabouts. We’ll find her as long as we find that man. I’m somewhat related to this matter. I can’t sit by and do nothing.”
Lucian slightly nodded before taking a sip of his drink and said, “It’s not a bad thing if Aubree did leave Horington. Since she dared to leave, she should never think of returning. I won’t let her get another chance at harming them!”
Jonathan was fully aware of who Lucian referred to as “them.” When Jonathan thought of how his sister had been hanging out with Aubree, he said apologetically, “I’m sorry. If I had found out about it sooner-”
“It has nothing to do with you. If Aubree doesn’t return, we’ll just let this matter go. However, if she dares to return, we’ll just wait for the truth to be revealed.”
While he did promise that he would be considerate of Jonathan, his patience was limited. Jonathan sighed inwardly and did not say anything else.
Roxanne had wanted to personally send and pick up the three children to and from the kindergarten. She thought she would be more relieved if she did that. However, she did not expect to be so busy on the first night and ended up asking Linda to pick them up in her stead.
Half an hour later, she received a call from Archie. Roxanne thought Linda had not arrived, so she quickly answered the phone. Roxanne could hear Archie’s wary tone from the other end of the call. “Mommy, can we go home with Ms. Linda?”
Roxanne was momentarily stunned when she heard that. However, she quickly returned to her senses and remembered that she had told them not to follow anyone else 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.