Philip knew he couldn't keep this a secret. If the Layne family wanted answers, they'd find them. Witnessing his friends' torment, he confided in Samuel about the fortune teller's warning on Panne Street.Samuel frowned. "Someone predicted something bad would happen if you raced?"Philip nodded, still reeling from the shock. "She just told me not to go. I had no idea things would turn out this way."Samuel patted his shoulder. "You've lucked out. Regardless of whether she is a swindler, she saved your life."The Layne family would bear the brunt of the bad publicity if word of the crash got out. A car crash involving their wealthy son, racing, and a pregnant woman nearly killed wouldn't be good press.So what if Howard Jepson died? The Laynes had to contain the damage. "Do you know where the woman is?" Lucky was easy to handle. The Laynes had already spoken to the entertainment company, who just wanted money.Samuel worried someone else might expose the incident. An unknown
"Has Philip told you anything, Grandpa? Why didn't he go?" Moses asked, his voice dripping with bitterness. Friends were meant to share both joy and suffering, yet Philip had skipped the race despite Moses' invitation.If Philip had been there, the car crash might not have happened. Samuel said in a low voice, "He claimed someone predicted that something would happen to him if he went to the race. I'll ask Kenny for more information when he comes by later."He added, "I've told you to spend more time with Kenny. You could learn a lot from him. Philip, on the other hand, is a bad influence."Moses' head snapped up. "Someone predicted harm if Philip went? Can this person handle my situation now? Grandpa, whenever I close my eyes, all I see is a horrifying vision of a laughing fetus. I can't take it anymore!"Moses clutched his shirt as cold sweat ran down his back. "Why did it only come for me, Grandpa?""Calm down," Samuel soothed. "That's all superstitious nonsense. The problem
"It was you who called for an ambulance, wasn't it? Moses must have called you that day to leave a record." Ignatius looked at Philip. "Here's what I think—if he said on the phone that Mouse was the one who hit the other car and there's a record of this on your phone, it could clear his name. "Moses wanted to drag you into this too, but you called for an ambulance instead."Ignatius' hands trembled as he smoked. "I don't want to believe Moses could be so cruel, but people can do terrible things to save themselves. You're a Wagner, so you're safe. Lamond and I have no way out of this."Philip knew this was true. No one would talk about the accident publicly. It happened on a foggy mountain road, and both cars' dashcams were broken. The Whits and Furlers wouldn't let Lamond and Ignatius testify.The key to clearing Moses' name was that phone call. Moses had lied, and that phone call had indirectly turned Philip into an alibi Moses desperately needed to salvage the Layne family's nam
Aria had no idea that Fiona had been asleep since returning to the hotel. Her phone had been taken from her, and it had been set to silent mode.While Owen wouldn't lower himself to check Fiona's phone, the constant barrage of messages from a certain scammer irritated him. He tossed Fiona's phone onto the table. Owen sighed as he watched Fiona sleep. "Your problem is that your heart is simply too kind."Concerned about a potential overdose, Owen called their family doctor.The doctor reassured him, "Mrs. Carver is having a normal reaction to the medication. Due to her recent episode, she hasn't slept much in the past two days. She's just exhausted."Relief washed over Owen. "I'm glad she's okay."The doctor envied their relationship. "You're such a good husband to Mrs. Carver. I'll hook her to an IV so that she can get her nutrients in."Owen nodded. Before leaving, he turned on the aromatherapy diffuser in the room. He decided to wait until tomorrow to have Dr. Kent examine
Mindy cast her gaze down; sadness etched on her face. Her cousin, Marty Carver, said, "Don't worry, Mindy. We won't become friends with that country bumpkin. She can't hold a candle to you. Kenny and Moses said that no one in our circle would accept her. She's just a joke to us."Mindy snapped her head up. "You shouldn't talk like that in front of Grandpa, Marty." "Grandpa Warren's favoritism is so obvious." Marty curled his lip. "Why can't I? If my grandpa were head of the family, that country girl wouldn't be back." Looking at the two men standing behind Marty, Mindy chided, "You shouldn't call her that, Marty! She's your cousin! Anyone else can, but not you!"Marty was perplexed. "Why are you still defending her at such a crucial time? Why is Grandpa Warren so insistent on kicking you out before she returns? Moses analyzed the situation and suspected she poisoned Grandpa Warren's mind against you. She's jealous of you, even before stepping foot back in the family!"Owen's fro
A gnawing worry settled in Owen's gut as he left Ian's. What could have happened to the Laynes? Owen thought he ought to have Troy look into it. However, upon returning, Troy was nowhere to be found. When Owen called, Troy's voice cracked with sobs as he spoke, "My nephew Howard... he's gone."Howard Jepson was the young man Philip and his friends called Mouse.After learning of everything that had happened, that feeling of unease lingered. Owen's head felt like it was close to bursting, and he thought of his wife, who acted unusually from time to time. Abruptly, he instructed his driver, "Turn around. We're going to Mr. Windsor's place.""Yes, sir."…Blake was swamped that day as every noble family in the city sought his services except for the Wagners. Philip was looking for the young woman he'd met. "Are you telling me you knew nothing about this, Mr. Weller?" Philip demanded, disbelief lacing his voice. "Look at Ignatius' eyebags! Please, tell us, where is your niece?"W
The elderly neighbors huddled together, their voices laced with confusion. "Wasn't that ball supposed to be indestructible?""I recall that as well. It was quite scary, too.""Anyone who tried to step on it would fall. And didn't we hear strange noises at night? I think they came from that thing.""This yard is empty, so what could be making a noise? The sky's turning dark, and I'm concerned about Sam getting spooked. Let's drop this."Spooked? Sam looked up, squeezing the ball in his hand with an innocent expression.The old folks stood speechless, a sense of dread settling over them like a shroud. There was something off, something deeply unsettling about the situation."Perhaps that's normal," one of them ventured. "Didn't Aria say he was skilled at dealing with the supernatural?"Meanwhile, Georgina bustled around the yard, setting up a table laden with snacks, fruits, and a steaming pot of tea. She planned to invite the neighbors over for a board game. It was a remarkab
Ignatius didn't expect the expert Philip spoke of to look like this. She was young and beautiful. She was also currently grilling meat over a fire. She didn't resemble a fortune-teller; rather, she seemed more like a celebrity.Aria raised her brow slightly. "Are you here because of the car crash? You want me to deal with your predicament, don't you?"Both Philip and Ignatius were in awe. How did Aria know when they had said nothing at all? The Laynes would keep this incident quiet, meaning Aria must have foreseen it.Ignatius looked at her with a desperate plea. "You must save me, Ms. Aria, please!""I won't get involved," Aria drawled. "You need to make amends on your own until your debts are settled."Ignatius' face drained of color. He turned to Will, pleading, "Please, Mr. Weller! Help me put in a good word or two!"Will dared not interfere with Aria's decision. "If she doesn't want to help, there's nothing more to be done."Anxious, Ignatius trailed after Aria. "I know I'v