Love the Second Time Around

Chapter 54 Two Possibilities

I binge-watched dramas till the wee hours of dawn at home since I had nothing better to do. Consequently, I never got up before ten in the morning.

Fumbling for the offensive device on my bedside table, it took a while for me to crack my eyes open and look at the caller ID.

Louis Zanetti, you little asshole! Why are you calling me at such an ungodly hour?

Accepting the call, I immediately bellowed into the receiver, “Dude, what’s wrong with you? Why are you calling me in the middle of the night? If you can’t fall asleep, don’t drag others down with you!”

There was silence on the other end of the call. It lasted for so long that I had to check my phone to see if the line was still connected.

I raged at his seemingly senseless prank.

“Louis Zanetti, you-”

“Hello ma’am, am I speaking to Liliana Zanetti?”

My brain screeched to a halt at the voice that greeted me. Pulling my phone away from my ear, I confirmed that the number was indeed Louis’, despite the stranger who had just spoken to me.

The stranger continued asking about my identity. Confused, I inquired, “This is Liliana Zanetti speaking. Who are you, and where is my brother?”

I got an explanation immediately. “Ms. Zanetti, your brother’s run into some trouble. Could you make your way down to the station? I’m referring to the police station, by the way. It’s the one near your brother’s school.”

My sleepiness was gone once I heard about the police station. I sat up in a rush.

Having been detained in one myself not too long ago, I knew firsthand how devastating it felt.

How did Louis get himself stuck in the police station? He’s been a straight-A student since young, and his track record is squeaky-clean.

Another thought invaded my mind; I wondered if he had fallen for a scam. They’re getting more common these days, after all.

to my brother, please?” I had to figure

hesitating. Eventually, she agreed to my request

voice on the other end of

are you? Are you really at the police station? What happened?” My questions tumbled out in

Don’t let Mom and Dad know, please.” His request made

person who had spoken to me earlier had come back on

“Ms. Zanetti, please hurry.”

with no other choice, I could only agree to go over to

and hopped off the bed, getting dressed and packing as fast

barely six in the morning. Louis did not want to worry my parents, and neither did I, so I didn’t approach them with the shocking

into a tizzy before we had

note on the coffee table,

the Jadeborough Institute of Science and Technology.

flight to Jadeborough once I arrived

hours later and took a cab to the Jadeborough Institute

time visiting Jadeborough and my brother’s university, so I had no idea where the police

ask several locals before

asked a young woman clad in police uniform at the

moved her mouse rapidly like she

later, she said, “Yes, he came in yesterday, right? You can head over

in the direction she had

them open. Two policemen were sitting in the

finished my question. He approached me and said, “Ms. Zanetti, we’ve been expecting you

recognized his voice as

felt relieved that this policeman seemed friendlier than the others who had questioned

me to a room and gestured for

in a chair. The lights in the

were meant to