CHAPTER 232
If someone were to ask Kevin why he was so determined to keep Brittany, the answer would be because she was the only one who met his expectations. They'd been in a relationship for a long time, they'd endured the hardships of college together, they'd shared the same ups and downs, they'd shared the same love.
They shared so many things that Brittany didn't realize that Kevin had a terrible personality hidden inside him.
That day, was the day Kevin met Brittany. It was one year ago.
Brittany was busy with her cell phone in her hand when someone with a stack of books blocking the view bumped into her. They collided and both fell to the floor. The thick books Kevin was carrying scattered to the floor, Brittany's Momentarara also fell and threw her cell phone.
Brittany stood up in a panic. "Oh my, I'm sorry!"
The girl picked up all the books, as did Kevin. He felt guilty for bumping into Brittany and did the same. After he was done with the books, Kevin tried to make sure that Brittany was okay.
"I'm sorry these books knocked you down, are you okay?" Kevin asked curiously.
Brittany smiled, "I'm fine." She held her phone up in the air. "I'm busy looking for class, it's chemistry class. I don't know which building to go to because the professor asked for a room change."
"Chemistry class?"
"Yes, I'm taking Chemistry Education, but for the first time, Mr. Green wants to switch rooms. I've never explored the campus, so I don't really know."
Kevin put a smile on his lips. "I can take you, I happen to be taking that class too. Since we're in different classes, I never met you."
Brittany mumbled and nodded her head at the end, "You're right. Your face is very familiar."
"I'm Kevin," Kevin said, and shook Brittany's hand, which she gladly accepted.
"Brittany. Brittany Scoots."
Brittany closed her eyes as she remembered everything about Kevin. There wasn't a single thing that made Brittany hate Kevin. Kevin was a nice guy, smart, and he was good at choosing his words to make her feel comfortable around him. She got up from the bed, looking at herself in the mirror in the corner of the room. Holding up her oversized T-shirt, Brittany observed the shape of her stomach, which looked a little full.
Whereas normally Brittany would panic at the sight of her bulging body, now she could only let out a long sigh and regret everything there.
"One year is too short to recognize someone's true character."
That voice made Brittany turn around. She pulled down her T-shirt, covering her now-baby belly. A small smile appeared on Brittany's lips when she saw Sophia walk into her room.
"But love can blind anyone," Sophia continued, walking over and putting her arm around Brittany's shoulders. Turning her daughter's body gently, they looked at themselves in the mirror. "You can't guess who you'll fall in love with, and you can't choose who your heart will fall for."
"Mom."
Sophia's gentle touch on Brittany's back brought tears to the girl's eyes. "Everything will be fine, you'll be safe in this house."
"Will grandma be angry if she finds out I'm pregnant outside of marriage?"
Sophia smiled bitterly. "She's a very religious person, but Mom will try to talk to her. She'll definitely understand. You don't have to worry. Isn't grandma's beating better than the man who almost killed you?"
Brittany chuckled in embarrassment, she nodded her head and answered her mother. "I'd rather be spanked by Grandma, Mom."
"Why don't we talk to Grandma about your current situation?"
Brittany's face took on a surprised look, she turned around and raised her eyebrows. "What? Right now? What if you kick me out right away?"
Sophia rolled her eyes lazily. "Grandmother is part of the family. You're part of the family. And as family members, we can't hurt each other, Brittany."
Brittany hesitated for a moment, contemplating the idea of revealing her condition to her grandmother. Sophia, sensing her daughter's hesitation, squeezed Brittany's shoulder reassuringly.
"Grandma loves you, Brittany. We are family, and families support each other through thick and thin," Sophia said, her voice filled with warmth.
Taking a deep breath, Brittany nodded, "Okay, Mom. Let's go talk to Grandma."
Together, they walked down the hallway of the familiar family home, with walls decorated with memories captured in photographs. As they approached the cozy living room, the scent of grandma's homemade cookies filled the air.
Grandma, a gentle woman with silver hair and a twinkle in her eye, looked up from her knitting as Brittany and Sophia entered. She greeted them with a warm smile, "Ah, my children, what brings you here?"
Sophia gently guided Brittany to the sofa, and they both sat down. Sophia began, "Mom, we need to talk about something important."
Grandma put down her knitting needles, worry evident in her eyes. "Of course, dear. You can tell me anything."
Brittany nervously fiddled with her hands, trying to find the right words. "Grandma, I'm... I'm pregnant."
There was a moment of silence in the room, the only sound was the ticking of the antique clock on the wall. Grandma's eyes widened slightly, but instead of anger or disappointment, a thoughtful expression crossed her face.
Sophia interrupted, "We know this is unexpected, Mom. But Brittany needs our support now more than ever."
Grandma sighed, "Life is full of surprises, isn't it?" She looked directly at Brittany, her gaze softening. "You are family, Brittany. And the family will stick together. We will face this together."
Brittany, overcome with emotion, felt tears welling up in her eyes. Grandma opened her arms, inviting Brittany into a warm embrace. As they embraced, Brittany could feel her grandmother's unconditional love and acceptance.
"I may not understand everything, but I love you, Brittany. And that won't change," Grandma whispered.
A weight was lifted from Brittany's shoulders as she realized the power of family bonds. In that moment, surrounded by love and understanding, Brittany knew that no matter what challenges came her way, she had a family that would always be by her side.
The room was filled with a sense of unity, three generations bound by love, ready to face the uncertainties of the future as one strong family.
CHAPTER 233Interrupting the warm atmosphere between the three women in the living room, Paul entered with a bag of fruit in his hand. The man was taken aback by the sight before him, wondering why all the women had such puffy eyes. Paul even saw Brittany, his daughter, wiping away tears that seemed like they couldn't stop rolling down her cheeks.Paul looked at everyone in turn, then held up the fruit plastic in his hand and said, "I brought you some grapes. I thought there would be enough for everyone."Sophia approached Paul and gently took his arm. She looked up slightly to see Paul's expression, which still looked confused. With a small smile, Sophia finally began to explain, "Grandma already knows everything, Paul."That one sentence made Paul turn to his mother-in-law. He was silent for a moment, before running over to Grandma and kneeling regretfully. Bowing his head and clasping his mother-in-law's hand, Paul apologized. "I'm really sorry. I couldn't take care of Brittany, Mo
CHAPTER 234Nicholas got out of his car and saw Noel walking towards him. With a small smile, Noel greeted his boss casually."Can't enjoy the New Year's celebration in comfort, Chief?"Noel's one hand, which was holding a cup of coffee from Fast Coffee, was directed at Nicholas. Noel's original intention was to place the coffee on Nicholas' desk. But since the owner of the table had already arrived, Noel quickly gave Nicholas the drink he ordered.Nicholas chuckled and accepted the coffee bought by Noel. Lifting the drink, Nicholas said, "Thank you for the coffee and the sarcasm, Noel. It really helped.""Tsk, this really is an unpleasant Christmas and New Year celebration, isn't it?"The two of them then walked out of the parking lot, heading inside the police station. It was still cold outside, so they both bundled up in thick, long coats to cover their shirts and suits. The snowfall wasn't too heavy, just a drizzle that occasionally hit their faces on the way."Since you gave me t
CHAPTER 235Nicholas mumbled for quite a while, before he unveiled his plan in front of Noel. "First, I did ask Peter to make a discreet inquiry into Hendrick's involvement with Ace, but since I suspect he's involved with Kevin as well, I might need your help as well."But Noel waved his hand in the air. "I refuse.""Why?""Investigating a criminal makes my head explode, now you're asking me to investigate a friend?" Noel immediately expressed her concern. "Let Peter do the job. They're close because they were assigned together. And it'll be easier for Peter to pry out information about Hendrick when they're talking casually about the investigation."Nicholas hadn't thought of that because he was pressed for time, and Noel's words brought Nicholas to his senses. Nicholas nodded in agreement. "You're right about that. But, Peter is a junior police officer, what if something bad happens to Peter when we don't know about it?"Noel rolled his eyes lazily. "Alright, alright. I'll join thei
CHAPTER 236Nicholas overheard Noel's conversation as Noel immediately pressed the loudspeaker icon on his cell phone. Noel placed the phone on the table and turned up the call volume when the voice on the other side came on.[Hello, Detective Noel. Are you with Nicholas?]Noel looked at Nicholas, then nodded his head and answered the question from the other side. "Yes, I put this call on speaker so Nicholas can hear it too. Is there anything you found, Dr. Harris?"Nicholas rounded his mouth, knowing that it was Dr. Harris who was calling Noel. This was such an unexpected coincidence.Dr. Harris' voice came back on the phone. [The team from the lab just gave me the news. These are the results of the nail samples you found].Noel and Nicholas' faces both turned enthusiastic, they did not expect that Dr. Harris would give news in the midst of this very complicated atmosphere. Noel immediately replied to the doctor's words. "Yes, Doctor? What did you find?"[The nail clippings you found
CHAPTER 237Noel tapped her fingers on the surface of the table, she looked around. The scene outside Nicholas' room was still the same. There was only Elden at his desk. Hendrick and Peter were already in the field, looking for more information regarding the case they were on."Don't we have anything to compare Jason to? We could just go through all the items in Jason's pawn shop, couldn't we?" it was Nicholas' idea, he had become very ambitious after finding out Ace was involved in the death of Jill and her daughter. "If Ace can kill Jill and her daughter, Ace can also kill Jason and his family!""We haven't found Jason's children yet, Nick. Let's not make the wrong assumptions and opinions." Noel shrugged. "You know all the media outlets are highlighting Ace's disappearance, right? Especially if Wilson Blake really has recovered from his illness, we have to list Wilson Blake among the suspects. Especially if Wilson Blake does have murder plans for Alicia's parents."Nicholas massag
CHAPTER 238"Now, we have two pieces of solid evidence. We've matched Luna Winchester's testimony with the VVIP customer list we already have. Ace is connected to this case, he knows Jason. We just need to confirm that Ace came to the pawn shop on the day of the incident, so we can arrest him for Jason's murder."Noel, who was sitting next to Nicholas, nodded in agreement. He seemed to read all the notes in Peter's book, before finally handing over the notes to their owner."You talked to some of the people Jason had run-ins with?" Noel looked up, seeing Peter sitting at the back.The four of them, Nicholas, Noel, Hendrick and Peter were now sitting in Nicholas' car. They had a brief discussion in the car so that no one would overhear their conversation, as the media was starting to pick up on Jason's pawn shop. The murder case begins to rise in the media. Making the citizens of New York even more uneasy because of this horrific serial killer."Yes, sir! I spoke to two people who had
CHAPTER 239Nicholas maneuvers through the city streets, keeping a close eye on Hendrick's speeding car. The falling snow added urgency to the chase, creating a tense atmosphere in the air. Noel, who was gripping the side of the car, couldn't help but feel the tension of the situation."He's in a hurry, Chief. Do you think he's after us?" Noel asked, his gaze fixed on Hendrick's car ahead.Nicholas remained focused on the chase, determination etched on his face. "He might suspect something, or he's rushing to share information with someone. We can't let Ace get away."The chase took them through winding streets, with Hendrick's car weaving through traffic. As they approached a bridge, Hendrick suddenly veered off the main road, heading into a quieter suburb."He's deviating from the usual route. We have to be careful," Nicholas advised as he narrowed his eyes. The snowfall was getting heavier, creating a mystical atmosphere around the dimly lit streets.Hendrick's car came to an abrup
CHAPTER 240"Peter seems to be in shock about this, Nick." Noel watched Peter leave through the rearview mirror.Nicholas turned the car around, he took another route to drop Noel off. While looking at Peter through the rearview mirror at his side, Nicholas mumbled in agreement. "Um, you're right. He's in shock. Is this the first time he's been betrayed? Has Peter never been betrayed by his first love?"Noel laughed, then patted Nicholas on the shoulder. "You talk about women like you're a master of romance, huh? You're even dating a girl much younger than you now!""Hey, but we're both adults now!""Tsk, adults? You don't even know how to kiss, do you?"Nicholas rolled his eyes lazily. "You think I'm a pervert? Alicia and I are committed to marriage, our relationship is deep and serious. We don't spend the night just for one-night stands. Ah, why do we have to discuss this? I'll drop you off and go home to meet Alicia. I promised her to take her on vacation, but I have to deal with a