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.

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 at her all smug and wild. “She

you, I’m sorry that...”

that you must be empathetic, put yourself in her place, understand her or at least try to,” she said something to Hamlet and then went back to him. “I

he said

her you’re sorry and hopefully,

as he stood in front of the house, the

him with a broom,

to leave with him, take refuge in his penthouse and carry on as if nothing happened. But the part that contained his integrity,

he said when Melody’s mother opened the door for him. He recognized her, since the report given by the detective was

the woman’s face, she knew who he

to finally meet you,” she said and stepped aside, making way for him, which he was curious about. He hadn’t expected such a simple and cordial

with

wine?” she asked after inviting him to sit

to behave as affable as possible, but it was impossible for him

elegant. A set of traditional mahogany furniture adorned the living room, giving it a contemporary and classic style, there were photographs of Melody and her sister as children, all the way up to their teenage years. He focused on Melody automatically, her face hadn’t changed a bit. She was smiling at the camera with all her teeth, even though she wore braces and her bangs on her forehead messed up in almost

people, both, in Italy and in Manhattan and most of the world. His last name opened doors for him,

And he was.

now how

discovering Gia’s infidelity, he lost his

Devina judged him so harshly. Because in her eyes, he was a cold and emotionless

let himself

has been. I hope you can settle your differences tonight. I’ve always told her she should stop making such a big deal out of everything,” he realized at once to whom Melody came out so talkative, for, although he was her daughter’s fiancé, in truth, Lydia Redford didn’t know him to

amusing the way Melody communicates,” but he found it unnecessary to let her mother

good thing. It’s not a good thing to be constantly drowning

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

meet you Mr. Redford,” he decided to take the first

parents’ house, he hoped not so much that his father would cut him down with a razor. The

a jewel of union and love, that made him question why Melody left

and released

been more amused, spreading uncertainty in him, than

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

a shower. You came at a good time, we are having a family 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 an invitation. But

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

detail that made him

others at the thought of

he just wished he could talk to Melody alone and be able to start

her lips at the sight of

her face and down to her breasts. She was wearing white tights, which came down to her knees, with a bunny face on her knees.

the room grew heavy and it

to you. We’ll leave you alone,” Charles looked at him and the threat was implied in his eyes, but he still said staring at him. “Be

to hurt her,” and he meant it

me, none of my family members care how rich you

father’s back. “Leave us alone for a moment, we’ll

Melody’s parents, when hours before, he thought their daughter was a

for dinner,” Melody didn’t look at her mother, but it didn’t take it for him to

relatively low wall, made of brick, Melody sat there

her and leaving the envelope on top of the wall, with the documents that contained all the family information of Equilay and Melody herself, 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 and smelled

of a child alone, never minding that the father was absent, shouldn’t

“What?”

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 in the eyes and believe me when I say I’m sorry. I’m sorry for judging

and

“You...”

you. I know you had nothing to do

morning...you believed...” she let out a sob and covered her mouth with her

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

and turned away

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 her well-being. “You feel good,

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