Chapter Twenty

Timothy

Timothy was on his way to Melody’s parents’ house; it was the only place he hadn’t looked for. He had called her countless times on her cell phone, wasting time dialing, knowing she wasn’t going to answer.

She was tired of him and his attitude and he knew it.

“Sir,” it was Clark, he was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn’t realized they were already in front of Melody’s parents’ house.

The detective had done the job right.

She was there, she hasn’t been out all afternoon, not even to the porch.

“Shall I wait for you or come back for you later?” he didn’t know what the answer to that question would be either.

“Wait for me,” how about Melody refused to see him, she had her reasons. He screwed up big time. And Equilay Thompson’s Bahamas account confirmed it. He has been stupid, blinded by Gia’s infidelity and betrayal, he judged Melody without listening to her.

Now she was gone.

An innocent in a world full of bullets in the air.

She was hit by one, and unfortunately, Timothy was the one who pulled the trigger and sentenced.

“No,” he regretted. “Go. I’ll call you when we’re done.” He wasn’t going to leave without her.

He always had been known for being a confident man, but at that moment, with the documents the detective handed him half an hour earlier, he didn’t even know how to walk safely and calmly.

Regret and guilt were two things he never felt before, at least not to this magnitude.

He called Hamlet, asking for Devina’s number, which his cousin didn’t like, as he knew they didn’t get along, but in the end, Timothy was forced to confess that he screwed up big time.

Big and deep.

“Did you find her yet?” was the first thing she said when Hamlet put her on the phone.

“No. But you were right.”

“I usually am,” he imagined her smiling complacently, she was tremendous, that woman.

“I don’t know what to do.”

Admitting it hadn’t cost him as much as he imagined.

The truth was, if he was responsible for hurting Melody, it was appropriate to be just as responsible for apologizing and begging for her forgiveness.

He did not see himself as a man who would kneel before anyone, but neither did he see himself as one who would mistreat and hurt.

The last one already did.

It cost him nothing to kneel if necessary.

“The first thing is to talk to her, go over to her and tell her that you know she wasn’t the one who stole the money,” she told him after a while with the line silent.

“You make it too easy; don’t you remember how she beat you up for thinking I sent you?” she didn’t want to imagine what it would do to him if he didn’t tread lightly.

“It’s not that I forgot, it’s that she acted out of how we conditioned her. I realize this now.”

“What the fuck do you mean?” Devina seemed to have all the time in the world, whereas he, needed to figure everything out now. He was a pragmatic man of action, not one to make a mess and walk away without sorting it out.

“You accused her of stealing from you, of planning something as ugly as a three-million-dollar embezzlement, I tried to help her by giving her the money,” she sighed and continued. “I influenced her to believe you were trying to blame her even more. Melody didn’t see it as help, she saw it as a ploy to prove her dignity and her sincerity. Not as an escape, which was what I was looking for.”

“You wanted her to leave me?” he didn’t understand why Devina had stepped in where no one called her.

no one’s doing any harm. She only recently realizes that her brother-in-law, who she believed in for years, stole from you.” Looking from that way, he only managed to feel like Satan himself, like a deplorable being. He thought of the restaurant and how he gave her Equilay Thompson’s statement and how he smiled

didn’t know that about you, I’m sorry that...” he didn’t even

Hamlet and then went back to him. “I know you like her, if you weren’t attracted to her, you wouldn’t be screwing your brains out so much to seek her forgiveness. For that

he said

listen to her. Tell her you screwed up, tell her you’re sorry and hopefully, hopefully, you’ll get her to

stood in front of the house, the

hit him with a broom,

car and watched Clark drive away, a part of him wanted to leave with him, take refuge in his penthouse and carry on as if nothing happened. But the

for him. He recognized

from the look on the woman’s face, she knew who he was,

finally meet you,” she said and stepped aside, making way for him, which he

banging with frying pans and

coffee or wine?” she asked after inviting him

the extreme, he tried to behave as

there were photographs of Melody and her sister as children, all the way up to their teenage years. He focused

both, in Italy and in Manhattan and most of the world. His

And he was.

now how petulant he

he

judged him so harshly. Because in

he let himself appear

deal out of everything,” he realized at once to

the way Melody communicates,” but he found it unnecessary

not a

what you mean,” he was beginning to think the woman wanted to tell him something else, but Melody’s father came out of one of the rooms at that moment

Mr. Redford,” he

him at his parents’ house, he hoped not so much that his father would

love, that made him question why Melody left her parents’ house, even more, because being pregnant she did not

father,” the man shook his hand for a second and released him as he looked at his wife. “Did you offer Timothy something

said blushing, though she had been more amused, spreading uncertainty in him,

as he agreed to sit down. “Where’s Melody? I need to

dinner, since you will be my youngest daughter’s husband, the least we can do is invite you to dinner, so we can get to know each other,” Melody’s father sounded more like an accusation and challenge than

they both behaved, it gave him to understand that Melody hadn’t rant at

made him

looking to sow hatred in others at the thought of him, though it was well

stay long,” he just wished he could talk to

you know where I can get my...?” the question died on her lips at the sight

look so damned beautiful. She wore a flowered long-sleeved dress a little below her thighs, her white skin stood out attractively. Her black hair fell loose on either side of her face and down to her breasts. She was wearing white tights, which came down to her knees, with

the room grew heavy and it wasn’t just him who

you alone,” Charles looked at him and the threat was implied in his eyes, but he still said

her,” and he meant it from

hope so. Because money doesn’t matter to me, none of my family members care how rich you are, my daughter doesn’t deserve to

her father’s back. “Leave us alone for

of Melody’s parents, when

take it for him to realize something was going on there. Melody looked at him without fear

relatively low wall, made of brick, Melody sat there and looked at him

bank accounts of both and the proof that her brother-in-law kept the money in an account in the Bahamas. He felt her warmth

brow. Her big gray eyes were undaunted. She was strong. One of the strongest women he knew, taking care of a child alone, never minding that the father was absent, shouldn’t be easy. He didn’t know the root of her relationship with that guy, he didn’t care about

“What?”

you didn’t eat. You left without lunch,” he replied taking her hand. She tried to let go, but he didn’t let her. “Look at me Melody, look me

struggling and stare at

“You...”

know you had nothing to do with the

let out a sob and covered her

want you to know that I know I was a bastard, and I don’t deserve you to help me, or to marry me.

turned away as if

you and me. No press. Have you seen everything they say about me? That I’m a freeloader and a slut? You did that!” she began to draw in a forced breath, and Timothy worried about

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