The police had arrested many people, and Deon’s men had taken over the House of Hope completely. At the same time, several police officers stayed at the police station to take statements from children who had woken up.
The police and Deon were determined to use the evidence they got this time to find out the people behind the whole thing.
In a room, Jaquan found a blanket for taking naps and wrapped Stony in it. But Jaquan was still shirtless. A plain-clothed policeman brought Jaquan his clothes which he had taken off. Jaquan put them on and buttoned his shirt.
Stony threw himself into Emma’s embrace with the blanket around him. He raised his head and asked, “Mom, are you here to pick me up?”
He hadn’t eaten or drunk anything for a whole afternoon and a whole night, and he had been hanging in the well for so long. He looked weak when people got him out of the well, but he became much more energetic when he saw Emma. There was more liveliness on his face now.
Emma nodded.
Stony jumped joyfully. Jaquan immediately picked him up and held Stony in his arms, “You’re very happy, aren’t you?”
“Mr. Jaquan, my mom comes to pick me up!” Stony snuggled up against Jaquan’s shoulder happily.
“Yes, I know.” Jaquan replied to Stony while fixing his eyes on Emma, “She said I can go home with her, too.”
Emma froze for a moment.
Stony blinked and asked excitedly, “Really?”
“Do you want me to go with you?” Jaquan asked that question deliberately.
Emma frowned slightly, but Stony had nodded to Jaquan, “Sure.” Stony did not remember he should ask Emma first until now. He then asked Emma in a low voice, “Mom, can Mr. Jaquan go home with us?”
Jaquan’s phone rang. He got a call from Collin. Last night Collin went to check on Stony as usual. He didn’t find Stony at Jaquan’s place, and he soon heard that Stony was kidnapped. Collin also helped to look for Stony. But he needed to work tomorrow. Otherwise, he would probably be searching for Stony all night on his own.
But it was just three o’clock in the morning now.
“You’re still up?” Jaquan asked after picking up the phone.
“How can I sleep? How is it going?” Collin didn’t sound sleepy at all. He sighed and said, “I should have let Stony stay at my place. Emma would kill me if she knows about the news…”
Collin made it sound like he and Emma were close to each other, and that annoyed Jaquan.
But since Collin cared about Stony very much, Jaquan told Collin how they found Stony briefly. Of course, Jaquan didn’t mention that Stony was his son by blood.
He planned to show it off to Collin when he had more time.
“Thank goodness you found him. I’m so sleepy. Goodbye!” Collin spoke quickly before he hung up.
Jaquan looked at his phone, shook his head, and turned around.
Damn! Emma and Stony had gone away!
When Emma led Stony out, she ran into Deon and Bernice. They just went out of the room. Felice and Allen were also there. Felice had cooked for Stony at Jaquan’s place, so Stony greeted Felice and Allen politely, “Grandpa, grandma.”
“Oh, you are such a sweet boy.” Felice’s eyes turned red again. She limped to get closer to Stony.
Stony had trotted up to her, “Grandma, what happened to your leg?”
Allen wanted to answer Stony’s question, but Felice glared at Allen.
Allen could only shut up.
“I’m fine.” Felice stroked Stony’s head with her hand, “Are you feeling alright? You just choked on water. Do you need to see a doctor? Why haven’t you changed your clothes? Do you feel cold?”
Before Stony could reply, Felice had wrapped her arms around Stony, “I’m sorry… I made a mistake last night. If something happened to you, I would never forgive myself for the rest of my life. Stony … I’m so sorry… It’s all my fault…”
“No, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have listened to the bad people.” Stony said in a low voice, “I won’t run away from you next time. Grandma, don’t cry.”
He reached out clumsily and tried to wipe away the tears on Felice’s face, but he was too short. And Felice’s leg got injured, so she could not squat down to pick him up.
Allen wanted to hold Stony in his arms, but he dared not to do it when Deon was glaring at him.
In the end, it was Deon who picked Stony up. Stony wiped away the tears on Felice’s face with a corner of the blanket, turned to smile at Deon, and said, “Thank you.”
Stony’s smile stunned Deon. After Deon put the child down, there was still a silly smile on his face.
Bernice clicked her tongue and said, “You look silly with that smile.”
Deon was lost for words.
He took out his phone to take a look at his face quietly.
“Let’s go home now.” After Deon gave that order, the man with scars on his face began to lead Deon’s men out.
But Stony turned to Emma and said, “Mr. Jaquan hasn’t come with us yet.”
Deon knitted his eyebrows. Apparently, they hadn’t talked about Jaquan just now.
There was no doubt that Stony must go back to the Alberton’s. Deon didn’t care about other people at all. If Jaquan was nice to Emma, Deon would certainly consider letting Jaquan see Emma. But Deon would never agree to their marriage!
Sony was already four years old, but Jaquan didn’t know it until now. Based on that, Deon thought Jaquan was just too foolish! He would never let someone so foolish marry his daughter.
Of course, he had ignored something automatically. It was Emma who tricked Jaquan, kept the truth from Jaquan, and decided to raise Stony by herself.
Emma was pure and innocent in Deon’s heart. Deon could never believe that Emma had tricked Jaquan.
Deon thought that Jaquan must be an irresponsible guy!
At that moment, Jaquan opened the door and found that many people had turned their gazes on him. Felice and Allen were looking at Jaquan somehow apologetically.
Bernice’s gaze was mild. It was as gentle as her personality. On the other hand, Deon looked aggressive as if he was protecting her daughter from all other men in the world. He knitted his brows tightly and glared at Jaquan.
Jaquan was confused.
He had no idea what was happening.
Stony didn’t know what everyone was thinking about. He just trotted towards Jaquan after seeing him. He said joyfully, “Mr. Jaquan, let’s leave here now.”
Deon’s face darkened as he saw that. He immediately said, “Stony should come home with us. He is an Alberton by blood, so he must come back to the Alberton’s.”
Felice and Allen glanced at Jaquan again. There were guilt and uneasiness in their eyes. They didn’t know how to reason with Deon. Felice and Allen were educated people and were always polite. They also felt guilty for having lost Stony. Deon was a guy with a dominating air. Felice and Allen didn’t dare to talk back to Deon at all.
Felice and Allen didn’t know what Jaquan would do if Stony went back to the Alberton’s. Felice felt extremely sorry for her son when she thought of the sight of Jaquan sitting on the sofa and staring at the TV blankly.
Even though Bernice had a good impression of Jaquan, she cared more about Emma’s feelings. Since Emma had said that Stony was her son alone, Bernice would also try to take Stony to the Alberton’s with them.
Emma was standing beside them quietly. To her, the last place she wanted to take Stony to was the Alberton’s.
But Jaquan spoke at that moment, “Sure, Stony should go home with you.”
Deon was satisfied after he heard Jaquan’s reply. He unknitted his brows slightly, but he was still looking at Jaquan disdainfully with his nose held high. He was waiting for Jaquan to continue.
So Jaquan continued, “I’ll go home with you as well.”
Felice was puzzled.
So was Allen.
Bernice was astonished.
And Deon was both confused and astounded.
