Chapter 100

"Hale!"

"Hale!"

The anxious voices of their parents called out from behind them. Before Liliana could let go, Vida grabbed her arm and pulled her away from her son. Seeing Hale so thin, Vida's heart ached. "My son, it's all your sister's fault. She's useless, letting you rot in jail for so long. But you're out now. Let's go home. Mom will fatten you up." "Stop nagging. It's freezing out here. Get Hale in the car!" Chuck ordered.

Hale seemed dazed, in a world of his own, letting them guide him away. The three of them got into the car, and Chuck sped off toward the Preston family home.

It was early winter, and the evening air was cold. But it was nothing compared to the chill in Liliana's heart. She watched Chuck's car disappear into the distance. Her family of three was gone, leaving her behind.

The prison was in the suburbs. Hailing a cab was nearly impossible, and even ride- sharing apps would mean a long wait. She stood on the sidewalk, hands shoved into the pockets of her trench coat, and started walking toward a busier road, kicking through the fallen leaves. Maybe she'd get lucky and find a taxi.

At a crossroad, Cedric's car was stopped. The window was halfway down, and his deep-set eyes were fixed on her, his expression unreadable.

"Mr. Forrest, should I go get Mrs. Forrest?" Timothy asked.

Cedric rolled up the window and turned his attention back to the laptop in front of him. "Drive."

"Drive...?" Timothy was confused. They had been sitting here with him working on his laptop for the sole purpose of seeing Hale released. The case had been resolved quickly, thanks to the evidence from piliana's accident. Mr. Forrest had given her that evidence immediately, which meant he cared. But why was he acting so cold now?

Not wanting to question his boss, Timothy did as he was told. He started the engine and pulled away from the curb. The Maybach covered the distance Liliana had walked in just a few seconds.

From inside the car, Cedric's voice was sharp. "Stop." The Maybach screeched to a halt beside Liliana. Timothy, caught by surprise, hit his head on the doorframe and winced in pain.

Behind him, Cedric lowered the window. Liliana stopped walking, the lonely look in her eyes replaced by surprise. What was he doing here?

"It's rush hour. No cabs come out this far," Cedric said, an eyebrow slightly arched, his voice cool. "Beg me, and for old times' sake, I'll give you a ride."

"A ride where?" Liliana asked, her

hands and feet numb with cold. If he was offering to take her back to

Polaris Court she would have begged. But she feared his words had a double meaning. If she begged, he might take it as a sign of surrender, a willingness to call off the divorce.

Cedric's expression darkened. "You're in the middle of nowhere. You'll freeze to death before you walk home. Do you really think

hovel

couldn't understand her

you're in a position toet

stubbornness. He was here, offering a lifeline, because he pitied her after seeing her family abandon her. As her husband, he could treat her poorly, but no one else could. He was pitying her, not begging her to get in.

"Then let me freeze..." Before Liliana could finish her sentence, the sound of a car

horn blared from across the street. She looked up.

A black SUV had pulled over. The window rolled down, and Douglas's face came into view.

"Liliana," he asked softly, "do you need a ride?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation. She walked around the front of Cedric's car, crossed the wide street, and ran toward Douglas.