Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress

Chapter 317: A Relationship

The sun was bright and warm as Jamal’s car rolled down the open road. It should have been a peaceful Sunday afternoon, but it didn’t feel that way to Jamal. Not when Abigail was feeling so down.

He glanced at her. She was just staring out the window, her thoughts miles away.

"You okay?" Jamal asked gently.

Abigail blinked and turned to him. "Yeah, I’m fine," she said quickly, forcing a small smile.

"You sure? We can skip this barbecue if you’re not up to it," he said. "My grandfather won’t mind. We can always go next weekend. I’m sure they will all understand."

Abigail shook her head with a sigh. "You’ve been saying that all day. I’m fine, really. I want to go. I’ll be alright."

From the back seat, Josh leaned forward, his brows pinched with worry. "Are you sick, Mommy?"

She turned to him and smiled, her expression softening. "No, sweetheart. I’m not sick. Just a little tired, that’s all."

Josh nodded, satisfied. "Okay," he said, leaning back in his seat.

Silence settled in the car once again.

Josh kicked his feet gently against his booster chair. He had Lucy the panda in one hand and a juice box in the other. "I’m going to miss Bella," he said suddenly, breaking the quiet. His small voice carried a sadness that made Jamal glance at him through the rearview mirror.

"I know, buddy," Jamal said with a faint smile.

"And Brenda too," Josh went on, his voice stretching the names. "And Branden."

"Did you list them in the order you love them?" Jamal asked curiously.

"No. I like them the same. They said I’m never to pick a favorite because they’re the same like the three sides of an ekularatal trankle."

Abigail turned slightly in her seat with a confused smile, wondering what Josh meant by that.

She’d been quiet all morning, even on their way to the airstrip, while the girls chattered and bantered with Branden.

Jamal chuckled. "Equilateral triangle, you mean."

"Yes. That," Josh said, bobbing his head.

Abigail giggled at that, too, though her eyes looked tired. "I will miss them, too. I wish they didn’t have to go so far away. We just started having fun," Abigail finally said.

The Bees had only been visiting for a couple of days to attend a friend’s birthday and welcome Dawn and Josh.

They’d just seen them off to the airstrip where they left for school in a private jet, accompanied by their parents.

"You’ll see them again soon," Jamal assured her. "Time flies fast. Before you know it, they will be back."

Abigail sighed. "It doesn’t exactly fly fast when you’re waiting," she muttered.

Jamal exhaled deeply, "Let’s play some music to lighten your mood."

He said as he reached forward and switched on the radio, hoping to fill the car with something lighter.

But the moment the radio came on, the broadcaster’s voice cut through the car with all seriousness, and the words hit like a sudden wave.

"—is in shock following Genevieve Harris’s confession video, where she admits to her role in the impersonation and fraud involving Dawn Harris, or Dawn Hank, as Genevieve called her. The video has gone viral, raising questions about just how much Dawn suffered and what punishment is suitable—"

Jamal and Abigail turned to each other at the same time, eyes wide.

Abigail’s heart started to pound. "What video?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper as she fumbled for her phone and quickly opened Instagram. The top of her feed was already flooded with reposts of Genevieve’s face, her name trending in red.

She clicked on one of the videos.

The car filled with the shaky sound of Genevieve’s shaken and broken voice, as her face filled Abigail’s phone screen.

"Hi, everyone," she said softly. "It’s been a while. This won’t take long. I’m sure you’ve all seen the video my Dad released a few days ago. I want to clarify some points. First of all, I didn’t know until he released the video that I wasn’t his biological daughter. I always thought I was. Secondly, he lied. He was responsible for the murder of Dawn’s mother and grandparents. I know that because I was there when he did it. I saw him pull the trigger, and he didn’t make me take over her place because he wanted to protect her. On the contrary, it was because she was smart and I wasn’t. And in order for me to successfully impersonate her, she needed to be in the background doing most of the work while I took credit for it..."

Abigail’s mouth fell open, but no words came out. "Jamal... did you know anything about this?" she asked finally, her voice strained.

Jamal’s eyes were still on the road, but he shook his head. "No," he said quietly. "I didn’t."

He reached for his phone. "I’m calling Stefan."

Abigail nodded, her eyes glued to the screen as Genevieve’s sobs filled the car, as she continued her confession.

The call connected on the second ring.

"Hey, Jamal," Stefan’s voice came through, winded and distant. "Can I call you back? I’m at the studio supervising the setup of The Rise of Arthur. I received a call from the producers this morning, and we’re behind schedule."

"I see." Jamal didn’t waste time. "So I’m guessing you don’t know about Genevieve?"

Stefan paused. "What about Genevieve?"

Jamal’s voice was calm. "She made a video. She confessed to everything."

There was silence on the line, then a quiet curse. "I’ll call you back."

"You should probably go home and check on her," Jamal said before hanging up.

Wondering why Josh had been silent, Jamal glanced at the backseat and saw that Josh had dozed off. His head had fallen to one side, but he was still clutching Lucy the panda.

After watching the video, Abigail let out a shaky breath and leaned back in her seat. "I don’t understand," she whispered. "Why would she do that? Why would Genevieve go public like that? She’s just made herself a target. Everyone’s going to hate her now."

"She probably couldn’t live with it anymore," Jamal said softly, glancing at her.

Abigail rubbed her temple and sighed. "Maybe. But she’s brought trouble on herself. She admitted to impersonation and to willingly helping Ryan. People are already calling her a monster online. And now everyone’s going to start talking about me, too. I know her intention is good, but I really don’t want any of this. It just feels like we never get a moment to breathe."

Jamal looked at her, then at Josh sleeping peacefully. He could see the exhaustion etched into her face. "Do you want to go see her?" he asked.

Abigail shook her head quickly. "No. My head’s pounding. I’m tired. I can’t."

Jamal was quiet for a moment. Then, without a word, he made a U-turn.

Abigail frowned and looked at him. "Where are we going?"

"I’m taking you home," he said. "You don’t need to deal with my family right now. We’ll go another time."

She sighed softly, too tired to argue. "Okay," she said after a pause.

As Jamal drove, his phone rang again. Emily’s name flashed on the screen.

He picked up. "Hey."

"Did you see Genevieve’s video?" Emily’s voice was tight.

"Yeah. We just did," Jamal said.

"I’m with Callan," Emily said. "Mari’s the one who told us about it."

"Why don’t I call you back later, Em? I’m driving right now," Jamal explained.

"Okay," she said before the line went dead.

"Take me home," she told Callan, who was still waiting for her to finish so they could continue their conversation.

Callan turned to her. "That’s it? You have nothing to say about what I said?"

Emily’s eyes stayed on the windshield. "Maybe later," she said quietly. "Right now, I don’t know what to say. You caught me off guard."

He nodded slowly but said nothing as he started the car. Neither of them spoke as they drove through the quiet streets.

After a long moment, Emily turned to him. "How could you say you loved me when you kept... doing all that with different women?"

Callan winced. "Call me stupid, but that was my attempt to get over you. I was trying to get you out of my system," he said. "I thought if I drowned the feeling, it would go away."

Emily looked at him, hurt flashing in her eyes. "I didn’t become irresponsible trying to get over you."

"We’ve established the fact that I’m stupid and you’re far better than I could ever be," he said quietly.

She turned away, shaking her head, her eyes fixed on the window.

When they finally stopped in front of her house, Emily turned to him. "Thank you for lunch and for opening up," she said, reaching for the door handle.

But before she could get out, Callan caught her hand, feeling the need to let her know his stand. The last thing he wanted was for her to think all he wanted was to give her closure.

Her heart skipped. She turned slowly, her breath catching as she met his eyes.

"I know I’m a jerk," Callan said quietly. "And I know I don’t have the right to say this. But I meant every word I said earlier. I really, really do love you, Emily. And even though I know I don’t deserve it, I’d like to have another chance with you. A real one. Not sex. A relationship."

Emily stared at him with wide eyes, speechless. Then she swallowed hard. "I haven’t even said I’ve forgiven you," she whispered. "And you’re asking for a chance to be with me."

Although her heart was racing wildly and her knees felt like jelly, she pulled her hand away, opened the door, and stepped out.

Callan sighed sadly as he watched her walk toward the house.

Emily did her best to walk slowly and gracefully until she got inside and shut the door behind her, then she sprinted up the stairs to her bedroom, not wanting to run into any of her siblings.

The moment she successfully entered her room and shut the door behind her, she jumped on her bed, laughing happily through tears as she kicked her legs in the air.

For the first time in years, her heart felt alive again.

Callan, the idiot, had finally come to his senses.