Chapter 443



But Joanna hadn’t anticipated the police locating her so quickly.

The lead officer wasted no time in explaining their arrival. “A concerned citizen informed us of your whereabouts, which is why we were able to locate you so promptly. You are accused of murdering your mother. Are you willing to confess to your crime?”

Hearing she was reported, Joanna immediately realized who was responsible. It had to be Ethan. She had no desire to ever see him again, not even in the next life.

Elsewhere, Jake brought Kallie and Sophie back home. Anna and Lenny surprised Jake by following him. The sight of them made Jake’s head throb.

Kallie saw the hostility in Anna’s eyes. She gently freed her hand from Jake’s grip and coughed awkwardly. Jake’s gaze had been fixed on Kallie until this moment. He turned to Anna, his face cold.

“Do you need me to book a flight back, or would you prefer I escort you out myself?” he asked, impatience and anger clear in his voice.

Anna’s voice was thick with hurt. “Jake, I came back for you. I turned down several job interviews. You’ve never treated this way before. Everything is different now, and I don’t believe it’s without reason.”

As Anna spoke, she shot a look at Kallie. It was obvious she was blaming her.

Jake’s anger flared at her insinuation. “I’ve always treated you the same. That’s not the issue here. What you’ve said and done today is unacceptable. Surely, you don’t want me to force you to leave, right?”

“And what if I refuse to go?” Anna challenged, her voice defiant.

The air crackled with tension.

Just then, Lenny stepped forward urgently. “Sir, there’s another reason why Miss Watts returned. She ran into some difficulties overseas and had no other option but to come back. You promised to protect her. Are you going to go back on your word?”

Anna gave Lenny a displeased look. “Lenny, why did you have to say that?” She then let out a snort. “If this was before, he’d protect me without hesitation. But now he’s with someone else. He probably thinks I’m just a bother. It’s fine. I’m leaving now. Jake, don’t come to regret this later. You threw away your promise to my brother for someone like her.”

With that, Anna was ready to storm off.

Kallie felt a headache coming on. Honestly, she didn’t want to get mixed up in this. Anna was not someone to mess with and had a unique bond with Jake. On top of that, she was wrongly accused, which she found hard to accept.

“Miss Watts,” Kallie rushed to stop Anna before giving Jake a look. “Mr. Reeves and I are not in a relationship as you think. And I’m not asking you to leave. We had to put on a facade for some reason. I hope you don’t get the wrong idea.”

With that, Kallie took Sophie’s hand, ready to leave.

Before leaving, Kallie said to Jake, “Don’t come here again. I don’t want to get involved in this complex situation.”

Jake was taken aback and felt a pang of disappointment. Anna’s expression grew puzzled. She folded her arms and eyed Jake with suspicion. “So, there was truly nothing going on between you and her?”

Jake didn’t want to talk to Anna. He turned away and left, his expression downcast.

Anna watched Jake’s retreating figure, tears forming in her eyes. She said to Lenny, “Can’t you see, Lenny? I don’t stand a chance.”

.

.

.