Chapter 813

 813:
Zander’s face scrunched up like a balloon about to pop. “I’m the one who called Mommy. I told her to come save you!”
Zenia blinked, a little thrown. “But, Zander… you didn’t call the police yourself.”
His face stiffened, eyes flicking away in awkward silence. “Anyway, you were probably tricked. That’s what bad guys do—they pretend to be nice.”
Zenia folded her arms, lips pushed into a pout. Then, as if struck by a wild idea, she leaned in, her voice dropping to a dramatic whisper. “You know what? I think… you kind of look like that bad guy.”
“What?! Nonsense!” Zander recoiled so fast he nearly fell off the bed. “I don’t look like him! He made Mommy cry so much—I’d never make her cry like that!”
Zenia’s face fell. “But… when we snuck out this morning, Mommy was really upset.”
That hit a nerve. Zander puffed up indignantly. “She was worried, not upset! That’s different!”
“Okay,” Zenia gave up trying to untangle it all. She said softly, “So what now? Mommy’s never gonna let us go out alone again.”
Zander fell silent, thinking hard. Then suddenly, his eyes lit up. “I’m gonna settle things with that bad guy myself.”
Zenia gasped. “Zander! What are you going to do? He’s really tall!”
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“I’m not scared of him!” Zander puffed up his chest and balled his tiny fists. “I’ll stand up to him like a real man. I’ll make sure he knows he can’t hurt Mommy again.”
Zenia’s lips parted in awe. She looked at her brother like he had grown a superhero cape. “You’re so brave, Zander…”
Dolores arrived not long after Linsey’s message had gone out.
The moment she stepped inside, she made a beeline for the water pitcher, pouring herself a glass and downing it like she had crossed a desert. “Ugh, I’m exhausted,” she gasped between gulps. “Why is it so hot out today?”
Linsey watched nervously, half-expecting her friend to choke. “Slow down, would you?”
Seeing how flushed and sweaty Dolores was, she quietly fetched a fresh towel and began patting her friend’s cheeks with gentle care. “I told you we could meet whenever it worked for you. Why’d you rush over like this?” Linsey said.
Dolores gave a sheepish smile. “The board was driving me insane. Same useless discussions, going in circles for hours. I couldn’t take another second. So I ran away—to here. Consider this my hiding place.”
Linsey’s brows pulled together in a frown. “They’re pressuring you again? Why? I thought your company was doing better this year. Why are they still pestering you with that nonsense?”
Dolores looked away for a beat—just long enough. “No… it’s not that.”
Linsey knew Dolores too well. So the moment she saw that look flash across her face, she had a feeling it was about her.
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