Clang. Audrey’s phone slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor. The call cut off abruptly.
She stood frozen, staring at the device in shock.
She thought, ‘Lucia is supposed to be at home tending to Logan. When did she go to Ironhaven? And why was she handing cash to a man? Don’t tell me she’s got a kept man on the side.‘
Yann could see the gears turning in her head. He dialed Winifred Manor immediately, not asking outright about Lucia but casually probing Logan’s recovery and diet. The answer came quickly.
Eden reported that Lucia had been unusually dedicated to Logan’s care.
He’d even noticed a shift in her demeanor, and Logan had rewarded her devotion with a generous allowance.
‘It’s about money again!‘ Audrey thought, her eyes twitching.
Soon, another detail emerged.
Lucia had recently connected with a doctor whose homemade medicinal paste was said to aid bone healing. She’d placed an order and gone to collect it.
Hours earlier, Clayton answered a call from Valerie, who asked him to bring Luna for a visit. She claimed to miss their daughter.
The request sounded innocent, but Clayton knew better.
He thought, ‘Since when has Valerie ever cared about Luna? She used to abuse the girl, even feeding her allergenic food to blackmail stores, not giving a damn if the girl died.‘
‘Her sudden “longing” is clearly a ploy to assess Luna’s bond with Hardy and manipulate the situation for her own benefit.‘
Clayton had once intended to fight for custody of Luna, but his terminal illness had changed everything. He could barely manage his own survival, let alone raise a child who wasn’t his blood.
‘What if I pick up Luna and Hardy refuses to take her back?‘ he thought.
Legally, he was still Valerie’s husband and Luna’s father, but the girl carried a different surname. ‘That’s absurd,‘ he thought.
His focus had shifted from custody to closure.
To speed up the process, he hired a lawyer in Ashbourne to sue for divorce from Valerie.
Aware of the risks of withholding information, he laid out the sordid truth–his toxic relationship with Valerie, the lie of Luna’s parentage, and his medical prognosis as proof of his inability to parent.
The lawyer, who’d worked with Clayton in the past, thought it crazy that he’d divorced his first wife just to raise another man’s kid.
But Clayton claimed it was about repaying a debt of gratitude, and the lawyer couldn’t help feeling sorry for him.
So he recommended a doctor. Word on the street said someone turned a terminal tumor into a harmless one there.
Since Clayton was already in Ashbourne, he might as well go there and have a shot.
Clayton found the clinic in a rundown slum, house, not a proper storefront or commercial area.
The only sign was a hand–painted board saying “Miracle–working Doctor“.
1/3
It looked sketchy, like the guy might’ve fudged his license.
Clayton was ready to leave when he saw a familiar face–Lucia, Audrey’s mom. He thought, ‘Why would a rich society lady like her come here? Who’s sick? Don’t tell me it’s Audrey.
‘If Audrey’s triplets came from some secret remedy, then once we remarry, I can get her to take it too. Wyatt’s daughter is a lost cause, and if I can’t have kids, my family will die out.”
Hope sparked in Clayton’s chest, and his eyes lit up. He wanted to rush over and ask straight out.
But before he could reach her, Lucia slipped out of the back alley, constantly looking over her shoulder like she was hiding something.
‘Weird,‘ Clayton thought.
He tailed her deeper into the slum’s roughest neighborhood. This area was supposed to be torn down, but the deal fell apart over money.
They compensated households for removed doors and windows and reinstalled them. But all sellable fixtures were stripped. No one renovated. Walls were quickly painted white, and houses were rented cheaply.
Only broke people lived there, and it was crawling with all sorts.
Lucia wore a long down coat with the hood pulled tight over her head. At first glance, she looked ordinary, but she wore a dress underneath. Peeking out from her coat were fake sheer tights and high heels, which helped Clayton recognize her.
Lucia looked around, checked for tails, then ducked through a doorway.
Just as Clayton started to hurry over, she came back out–this time with a man following.
He was tall and lean but hunched, his shoulder blades sticking out, his medium–length hair a tangled mess.
“Where’s the cash?” the man said, holding out his hand.
Lucia pulled a non–woven bag from her bag and handed it over.
The man took it; finding it heavy. He glanced inside, smirked like a jerk, and turned to leave.
Lucia grabbed his arm. “This is the last time. Just because I’ve been nice doesn’t mean you can keep messing with me!”
The man scoffed and swatted her hand away. “If you’re not scared of your daughter finding out your dirty business, go ahead and try to take me down!”
Even with the hood, Clayton saw her face go pale in an instant.
The man shook her off and walked into the courtyard.
Lucia stumbled, looking like she’d lost her soul, and started walking slowly past. Clayton quickly hid in a nearby courtyard, waiting until she passed
before sneaking into the man’s courtyard.
It was a simple courtyard. As he moved from the first floor to the second, he heard the voices of an older man and a younger one.
One of them said, “Get a real job instead of wasting your life.”
The other said, “What job? Nothing pays this well,”
“Aren’t you afraid she’ll rat you out and get you locked up?”
“Dad, relax. She’s married into money. 30 thousand dollars is chump change to her–like buying a purse. She won’t press charges. Plus, she’d never let her daughter find out. Let her try. We’ll see who loses more,”
Clang Clayton accidentally kicked over a flowerpot.
09:17 Sat, 21 Jun
Chapter 360
“Who’s there?” The man shot out quickly, eyeing Clayton warily. “What are you doing here?”
“I… I’m looking to rent a place,” Clayton said, righting the flowerpot and flashing the man an awkward smile. “Your place is the only one with someone around. I was wondering if there are any empty rooms.”
The man stared him up and down for a long moment before replying, “There’s a room downstairs. The rent is 1,500 dollars. First month’s rent and a deposit, paid every three months.”
“That’s pretty steep. Can you lower the price?”
“Basements up the street cost 1,400. dollars. This is a real apartment. If you stay long–term, I can knock off 50 dollars.”
Clayton grimaced. “I’m here to see a doctor. If it doesn’t work, I’ll go back soon.”
“Then 1,500 dollars is the lowest I’ll go.”
Clayton bargained a bit, said he’d consider it, and left the courtyard.
Lucia’s arrival right after his had made the man suspicious. He quietly followed Clayton, watched him enter the clinic and then leave, before going in to ask questions.
When he learned Clayton actually had cancer and was there for treatment, he finally relaxed.
Clayton was scared to know someone was tailing him.
