Chapter 20

MAX POV

It was already 1 a.m., and we were still at the hospital. My eyelids feel heavy, and my body aches for the comfort of my bed.

I had thought about leaving several times, but each time the thought crossed my mind, something stopped me.

I couldn’t bear the idea of Richard Garrison being the only one praised for staying up late with the Johnson family.

The man already had enough glory as the richest young bachelor in the state. People practically worshipped him, and the Johnsons weren’t any different.

Unlike Richard, who had his own empire and employees working tirelessly for him, I was still an employee under the Johnson family.

The gap between us was a constant reminder of how far I had to go to prove my worth.

That thought alone was enough to keep me rooted at the hospital, even though exhaustion tugged at me relentlessly.

As I leaned against the wall, watching Mrs. Johnson whisper to one of the nurses, I realized how much I needed to rest.

Morning was only a few hours away, and by six o’clock, I would have to start getting ready for work again. The weight of responsibilities felt heavier with each passing minute.

I sighed deeply and made up my mind. It was time to leave. Walking over to Mrs. Johnson, I said softly, “Ma’am, I think I should head home now. I need a few hours of rest before I prepare for work in the morning.”

Mrs. Johnson turned to me, her face a mix of exhaustion and gratitude. “Thank you so much, Max. Staying this late with us means a lot. I truly appreciate your support tonight.”

I nodded, feeling a small pang of guilt for leaving, but I knew I had to. Turning to Nadia, who was sitting by the corner scrolling through her phone, I asked, “Nadia, are you coming along? I can drop you off.”

She shook her head without looking up. “No, my driver will be here soon.”

“Alright then,” I said, not pushing the matter further.

I walked out of the hospital into the chilly night air, got into my car, and began the drive home.

The roads were very quiet, which gave me time to think about everything that had happened that night.

The sniper attack on Mr. Kenneth still felt not real, and I couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was more to the story than anyone was letting on.

When I finally arrived home, I opened the door to find my mother and younger sister, Anya, sleeping on the couch.

They must have been waiting for me to return. The sound of my footsteps woke them up, and they both jumped to their feet, rushing toward me with wide eyes.

“Max, is it true that a sniper shot Mr. Kenneth?” my mother asked, her voice filled with concern.

“Who saved him?” Anya added, her curiosity evident.

“Was the sniper someone close to the family?”

“Did you see Tamara? Was she there?”

“Do you plan on getting Tamara back?”

The barrage of questions came at me like a tidal wave. I raised my hands to stop them, chuckling softly at their overwhelming curiosity. “Calm down, both of you. I’ll explain everything one at a time.”

They settled back onto the couch, their eyes fixed on me as I recounted the events of the night.

I told them about the chaos at the hospital, the tension in the Johnson family, and how the sniper’s actions had everyone on edge.

I didn’t leave out the part about Richard Garrison basking in the spotlight, much to my irritation.

When I was done explaining, my mother shook her head regretfully. “If only we had treated Tamara better,” she said, her voice laced with regret. “We had no idea she was the daughter of one of the richest men in the state.”

Anya nodded in agreement. “I wish I had been nicer to her. She could have been a part of this family by now.”

My mother placed a hand on my shoulder. “Max, don’t give up on Tamara. She’s a good girl. You shouldn’t rush things with Nadia. Focus on getting Tamara back. She’s the one for you.”

I didn’t respond immediately. Instead, I reached into my pocket, searching for the iPhone I had been holding onto earlier. The phone had a damaged screen, courtesy of a waiter and some unruly kids at the engagement ball, but I had planned to repair it.

The phone was my only shot at exposing the connection between Tamara and Richard, and losing it would be disastrous.

But as I patted my pockets, a sinking feeling washed over me. The phone wasn’t there. I checked again, this time more frantically, but it was gone.

“Is something wrong, Max?” Anya asked, noticing my distressed expression.

I didn’t answer right away. My mind was already racing. Where could it be? Had I dropped it somewhere? Did someone take it? That phone was crucial, and without it, I couldn’t prove anything.

I took a deep breath and muttered under my breath, “Where could it be?”

MR. JACOB’S POV

The dim light in the interrogation room made it feel colder than it actually was. I sat stiffly on the metal chair, staring at the inspector, Diana Collins, as she examined the evidence.

The necklace…the one thing I wished I could erase from this mess…lay in her hands as she scrutinized it with sharp eyes. I couldn’t help but wonder how things had escalated so quickly.

“I’ll have this necklace tested,” Diana said, breaking the silence. Her tone was calm but firm. “My team will examine it thoroughly. We’ll determine whose fingerprints are on it and if there’s any DNA evidence we can extract. That should help us figure out who’s truly behind this.”

My throat tightened at her words. Fingerprints? DNA? This was going too far. I felt my pulse quicken, but I forced myself to stay calm.

“Inspector,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm of panic brewing inside me, “do you really think that necklace will lead anywhere? It’s just a piece of jewelry.”

Her sharp gaze met mine, and she smirked slightly. “Sometimes, Mr. Jacob, the smallest things hold the biggest clues.”

She placed the necklace carefully on the table between us and stood up. “I’ll be back shortly. Don’t go anywhere.” She gave me a pointed look, as if she expected me to do something foolish, then left the room, shutting the door behind her.

The moment she was gone, I felt the tension in my chest increase. My eyes darted toward the necklace lying there, mocking me with its presence.

It was like a ticking time bomb. If the inspectors found anything that connected it to me…or worse, to someone close to me…everything would fall apart.

I glanced around the room, my paranoia growing with each passing second. Were there cameras in here? I scanned the walls, the corners, and the ceiling. Nothing. No red lights blinking, no lens glaring back at me.

“Okay, Jacob,” I whispered to myself. “Think. Be smart.”

The room was dead silent except for the faint hum of an air vent. I leaned forward slightly, my eyes locked on the necklace. This was my chance, the only moment I might have to fix things.

But what if someone walked in? What if there were hidden cameras I couldn’t see?

I hesitated for a second, my hands gripping the edges of the table. Then, with a deep breath, I reached out. My fingers trembled as they touched the cool metal of the necklace.

It was lighter than I expected, but the weight of what I was doing felt heavier than ever.

As soon as it was in my hands, I looked around one last time, half-expecting the door to burst open or an alarm to go off.

Nothing happened.

I clutched the necklace tightly, my mind racing with what I needed to do next.