Chapter 86
Before Lily could release Hayden, Hazel tugged at her arm and pulled Hayden away from her.
Hazel’s heart broke when she saw how thin he’d become.
“Hayden, it’s all your sister’s fault for not getting you out of prison sooner! You’ve lost so much weight. Come on, let’s go home. I’ll cook something nice for you,” Hazel exclaimed.
“Alright, alright! Don’t start nagging now. It’s freezing out here. Let’s just get Hayden in the car first,” Bobby quickly interjected.
Hayden seemed to be lost in a daze. He just allowed them to pull him along.
The three of them got into the car and drove off to the Joyner residence.
It was early winter, so the temperature dropped as evening approached, making the air feel colder. Nevertheless, the cold outside was nothing compared to the coldness in Lily’s heart. She watched as the car disappeared down the road–her parents had taken Hayden and left without her.
The prison was located in the suburbs, making it hard to catch a ride. Even calling for one was tricky.
With her hands buried deep in her pocket, Lily started walking along the sidewalk, hoping she might get lucky and spot a cab.
When she reached an intersection, she spotted Xavier’s car. He was staring fixatedly at her through the half–rolled–down window.
“Mr. Fulton, should I ask Mrs. Fulton to get in the car?” Timothy asked.
Then, Xavier rolled up the window and turned his gaze toward his laptop. “Let’s go,” he instructed.
Timothy was confused. Despite Xavier’s busy schedule, he’d specially made this trip here to check on Hayden.
The reason Hayden’s case had escalated so swiftly was due to the evidence Lily had gathered–and Xavier had ensured it had been delivered to her promptly.
It was clear that Xavier cared deeply for Lily. Therefore, Timothy didn’t understand why he was so determined to keep his distance.
Still, he did as he was told–he started the engine and began to drive off. Within seconds, the Maybach had closed the gap that Lily had spent minutes walking on foot. “Stop here,” Xavier suddenly instructed.
Timothy immediately pressed on the brake. He jolted forward and winced in pain as his head knocked against the steering wheel.
The car came to a halt right beside Lily. Xavier, who was sitting at the back, lowered his window.
Lily also stopped in her tracks. The disappointment on her face from earlier was still evident, but it was quickly replaced with a hint of surprise.
She couldn’t help but wonder what Xavier was doing here.
“It’s hard to find any transportation out here, especially during rush hour,” Xavier said. He raised a brow and added coldly, “If you beg me, I’m willing to give you a ride. After all, we’re still married.”
“Where to?” Lily’s hands and feet were starting to grow numb from the cold.
If Xavier was willing to send her back to Bayview Gardens, she’d willingly do as she was told.
But she feared he might misunderstand her and think she’d give in to his request of calling off the divorce.
Xavier’s expression darkened. “There isn’t another car here for miles. If you walk back, I can guarantee that you’ll either collapse from exhaustion or freeze to death! And you’re asking me where to?”
Xavier didn’t understand why Lily was so stubborn.
He’d approached her because he felt sorry seeing her being abandoned by her own family.
As her husband, he felt that he had the right to treat her however he wanted–but he wouldn’t let others do so!
He convinced himself that it was simply pity he felt; he wasn’t begging her to come with him.
“Then let me freeze to death-“Before Lily could finish her sentence, a honk sounded nearby.
She turned toward the direction of the sound. An SUV had pulled up across the road. The driver rolled down the window–it was Terence.
He asked gently, “Lily, do you need a ride home?”
“Yes, please.” Lily made her way around Xavier’s car, crossed the road, and jogged over to Terence’s SUV.
