Chapter 5
Warren ended the call.
Taking a moment to steady himself, he began silently cleaning up the mess on the floor. “Mr. Keaton’s visa has expired,” he explained calmly. He’s too old to handle the back–and–forth, so he asked me to help him sort it out.”
Shailey raised an eyebrow. “Doesn’t he have a daughter living in the country? Why didn’t hel ask her instead?”
Warren groaned. “Why don’t you call her and ask her yourself?”
“I don’t have time for that.”
“Then stop asking so many questions.”
Warren spent the entire night tidying up his bedroom.
The clothes and shoes Jacob had dirtied and thrown around were now abandoned in a
of the wardrobe. He didn’t plan to take them with him anyway.
He did manage to salvage a few rolls of film, but the soaked negatives were irreparably damaged.
Later, Jacob sent him a text that read, “Today was just a warning.”
The message lingered for two minutes before Jacob deleted it. This was just enough time for Warren to see it without leaving evidence.
However, after what previously happened, Warren was prepared.
The moment he received the message, he took a screenshot.
With his lips curled into a smirk, he sent the screenshot back to Jacob.
He didn’t receive a response for a while.
Warren found it laughable.
Did Jacob think his petty schemes would succeed time and time again? Did he think he wouldn’t catch on?
He must have truly underestimated him.
About ten minutes later, Jacob finally replied.
It said, “What are you getting at?”
Warren shot back, “Nothing much; just a warning of my own. If you dare pull any stunts again, I’ll send this screenshot to Shailey.”
With that, he turned off his phone.
He didn’t care if Jacob deleted his other messages
In truth, it didn’t matter to him how Shailey would react if she saw.
From the day he made the decision to leave, he had resolved not to expect any more from her.
The next morning at breakfast, his mother noticed his pale face. Concerned, she asked, ” Warren, did you stay up all night? You look terrible.”
He nodded. “Didn’t really sleep well. But it’s fine, all I need is some rest.”
“You need to take care of yourself,” said his mother warmly. “With Shay’s wedding coming up, you’ll have much to do. She grew up in our home after all, and I treat her like my own daughter. Now that she’s found someone she loves, we must make sure the wedding is as grand and memorable as possible.”
Warren looked up at her. “Has the date been set?”
“Of course. It’s next weekend: Didn’t Shay tell you? That girl used to share everything with you. Why hasn’t she mentioned something as big as her wedding?”
Next weekend…
Warren checked his calendar. It was truly a coincidence–her wedding day was the day he was
leaving.
Just then, Shailey and Jacob walked out of the bedroom.
Acting as though nothing had happened, Jacob greeted Warren with a grin. “Warren, Shay and I have discussed this thoroughly–you’ll be the chief photographer for our wedding! Make sure you capture our best sides.”
“I can’t,” Warren declined flatly. “I have something else to do that day.”
Jacob pouted. “Are you still mad about yesterday? I’m sorry, okay? If you’re still upset, I’ll… I’ll kneel and apologize to you right now…”
He crouched to get on his knees, but Shailey abruptly yanked him back to his feet. “He’s not worth you kneeling for.”
Their mother tried to diffuse the tension. “Jacob, there’s no need for that. Warren treasures his film collection to bits, so it’s natural for him to be upset. But kneeling? That’s too much.”
Jacob sighed pitifully. “I just feel like I mess everything up. I really do owe Warren an apology.
Shailey comforted him, “Just be more careful in the future. Let’s eat first. Didn’t you say you were starving earlier?”
Jacob tossed her a playful wink. “Only because of you! If you hadn’t teased me this early in the morning, I wouldn’t be so tired and hungry.”
“Fine,
me me. Sit down and cat.”
She turned to Warren while spreading jam on a piece of toast. “Warren, you must block out your schedule no matter what. You’ve got to be our wedding photographer next weekend. Consider it a gesture of goodwill after all these years as a family.”
Out of the blue, the doorbell rang.
The housekeeper opened the door to reveal a middle–aged woman with a humble demeanor.
“Hello, who are you looking for?”
The woman smiled politely. “Hello, I’m here for Mr. Warren Gardner. I’m from a charity organization. He contacted us about donating clothes to people in remote mountain areas. We arranged to pick them up today.”
Warren sprung to his feet at once. “That’s me. Please give me a moment. I’ll bring them down.
He scurried upstairs and returned with several large bags filled with clothes, which he handed over to the woman.
She was beyond thankful. “Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Gardner. With the weather turning cold, many people in the mountains don’t have enough clothing to survive the winter Your donation is sure to make a difference.”
“No problem. Please make sure they’re delivered as soon as possible.”
“Of course! You can rest assured…”
“Hang on a minute.” Shailey approached in confusion, frowning down at the half–dozen large bags. “Are you donating all your clothes?”
