Chapter 125

Clifford's fingers paused. He glanced at Ziven, his eyes darkening as a thought occurred to him. "She couldn't get away fast enough."

...

Latisha had to get to the hospital for her IV treatment, so of course she'd left promptly. To make sure she could leave on time, she had skipped lunch, working through the break to finish sorting all the documents.

At the hospital, she presented the doctor's order, picked up her medication, and went to the infusion room.

The treatment had helped; the dull ache in her lower abdomen was slightly better today. It was still there, a faint throb, but manageable without painkillers.

She found an empty seat and settled in. The room was busy at this hour, filled with solitary patients, as family members weren't allowed inside.

Latisha took out her phone and opened Zadok's chat again. She hadn't replied to his message last night, so he hadn't sent any more.

She typed: [I need to ask you about elderly support obligations.]

This was what she had wanted to ask all along. She simply didn't have the kind of money Preston was demanding and wanted to know if there was a legal solution.

About two minutes later, Zadok Blaine replied: [What's the situation? You can give me a brief overview.]

Latisha didn't know all the details, but she explained how Mrs. Dashiell had been kicked out and how Preston was now using her to extort money.

A few minutes passed before Zadok asked: [Can we talk on the phone?]

Latisha's fingers froze. Biting her lip, she told him she couldn't speak.

Zadok was silent for a moment before responding with understanding. Then, a voice message came through. “I think I have a handle on the situation," his voice was steady and rich, conveying a sense of integrity. "This Preston person might be guilty of criminal abandonment. If you have enough evidence, he could face jail time.” "Usually, with civil matters like this, we start with communication and mediation before moving to legal action, as it can strain family relationships.”

The sound of his voice-calm and magnetic-instilled a sense of confidence in her. She found herself immediately trusting him.

She typed back: [I've met him. I don't think mediation will work.]

Zadok replied. "Understood. Then we proceed with legal action. First, the elderly person's own testimony is crucial. After that, we need evidence: witness statements from friends or neighbors, medical records, supveillance footage

communication logs-allof it can be used."

Getting statements from the neighbors shouldn't be a problem. She wasn't sure if Preston had security cameras, but if they could find footage of Mes. Dashiell rummaging through trash outside, that would surely be powerful evidence.

Zadok explained that they would need to gather proof; talking about it over the phone wasn't enough.

"When are you free? We could meet to discuss the details."

Latisha glanced at the date on her phone. It was Wednesday. The earliest she would be free was Saturday. They arranged to meet Saturday morning at nine.

Latisha let out a slow breath and looked up to see that her IV bag was nearly empty. She stood, took down the bag, and carried it to the nurses' station to get the next

one.

"You can just call out next time,” a nurse told her. "No need to bring it over."

Latisha pressed her lips together, unable to explain that she couldn't.

After the nurse changed her IV bag, she returned to her seat and opened WhatsApp again, deleting her chat

history with Zadok. Clifford had e

orchestrated Mrs. Dashiell's

removal If he found out she was stili involved, there was no telling what he might do.

By the time her treatment was finished, it was past eight in the evening. Latisha took

the bus home, followed by the long walk from the bus stop to the villa.

When she stepped inside, she saw Clifford on the sofa. He was lounging casually, one leg crossed over the other, idly flipping through channels with the remote.

Latisha's fingers tightened into fists as she cautiously approached.