Chapter 801

“Why isn’t Madelyn here, Kevin?” Mya asked.

Kevin replied with a hint of nonchalance, “Ms. Jent’s downstairs, playing golf with Mr. Jardin. If you want to see her, go on down. Mr. Jardin said his company’s taking care of the situation at the birthday party.”

Mya said, “Thanks for letting me know.”

Kevin nodded, “No problem.”

Luke called out, trying to make things right, “Mya…”

Lifting her dress slightly, Mya shot him one last look, “I told you you’d face the consequences. “She walked off, leaving a chattering crowd behind.

Luke’s family swarmed him, bombarding him with questions, “What went down, Luke? Why did Mya bolt? You know, our families had your back, helped with your college needs, and in return, you promised us a house.”

“Are you guys still getting hitched?”

“Man, Luke, I was waiting for a house before getting married. Now, without one, what do I do?

“And these gems? They were supposed to be a safety net for my daughter’s future. Luke, you better not bail on us. 11 Frustrated, Luke yelled, “Can you all just cool it? Is it always about money with you people? Isn’t there enough to go around? Why have you got to be so greedy with the Harpers?” Silently, he seethed, ‘Blake nailed it; they’re just out for themselves.’

Police officers arrived shortly after Mya left, “We received a tip about Luke Graham being involved in kidnapping, extortion, and some burglaries. Anyone involved will come with us.” Two officers handcuffed Luke and escorted him away. The other relatives, attempting to leave, were swiftly arrested.

Madelyn removed her Bluetooth headset, telling Zach, “Mya’s approaching. Can you give us a moment? I’ll catch up with you later.”

Zach said, “So, I should just disappear?”

Madelyn gently removed his arm from her waist and replied, “It’s not about you disappearing; it’s about how it will look. If Mya sees us this close, how do I explain our relationship? Secret boyfriend or something else? Mya’s one of my few friends. Please, don’t make it complicated for me.”

She looked up at Zach, his tall figure acting as a shield against the sun, highlighted by a deep- red striped vest and black shirt. “Thank you for today,” she murmured. Even though she did not know how he found out about Mya’s problem, she felt grateful.

Zach’s eyes, however, were not even warm hearing that. Instead, they turned icy. “That’s it?” he snapped and said sharply. “I helped you because I wanted to. I do not want to hear these empty words from you. Can’t you please me?”

Madelyn shifted her gaze. “Isn’t being in bed with you enough? What more are you looking #

her voice took on a sharp edge, “you’ve made a huge mistake.” Without warning, she swung her fist, hitting Luke’s nose.