Facade of Love (Yvette Scott and Idris Young) novel Chapter 303

Chapter 303 Freak Accident or Foul Play? 

I…. 

Was he hinting that he wanted to stick around too? 

With that hanging in the air, I lay back, staring at the ceiling, my head pounding. 

Maybe it was the presence of my two knights in shining armor, but I actually dozed off. By the time I woke up, night had fallen. 

The room was empty, yet a low murmur of voices in the hall could be heard. 

Groggy and stiff, I swung my legs out of bed and shuffled over. As I got closer to the door, the voices grew clearer. 

Renata’s death was not an accident. She had a bunch of injuries that were hidden away, like she had been in a serious scrap before the fire even started. “I’ve got to get to the bottom of this.” That was Officer Jackson’s voice, and it sounded like he was fighting back tears. 

I froze for a second, my mind racing back to when I had left the police station. I had heard something about a fire at Officer Jackson’s place, but with my mom and Maxwell’s accident in Lorrell, I was too freaked out to ask about his family. 

Renata was gone? 

As the shock hit me, the hospital room door swung open, and there were Idris and Officer Jackson, both staring right at me. 

I zoned out for a few seconds before snapping back to reality. I managed a weak smile and said, “I… need to get some air.” The door had caught me off guard, and I was slow to process what was happening. 

Idris’s lips tightened, his voice as cool and distant as always. “I’ll go with you.” 

Trying to decline, I shook my head and turned to Officer Jackson, “No, it’s fine. I’ll go alone. You guys have your chat.” 

Officer Jackson exhaled and said, “Don’t worry about it. We’re done talking. I’ve got stuff to handle, so you two do your thing.” 

With that, he nodded to us and took off. 

I watched Officer Jackson walk away, then shot a look at Idris, who was still standing there. My mind was buzzing with questions, but I could not find the words to start. 

After a moment of hesitation, Idris finally said, “Come on.” 

He went back into the room, grabbed a jacket, and threw it over my shoulders. Together, we headed down to the hospital’s garden. Night had settled over the place, with people rushing in and out–worried family members and patients worn down by sickness. I found a spot by the flowerbeds and just sat there, lost in thought. 

Winter in Lake City was the kind that bit at your skin, dry and frigid. On a still day, you could almost forget the cold. However, when the wind whipped through, it felt like icy daggers were carving you up. 

“Is Mrs. Newman really gone?” I asked, the words tumbling out before I could think of gentler way to phrase it. 

s, as if he had read my mind, nodded, his voice as crisp and detached as the winter air. “She didn’t make it. She was pulled from the fire, but she died at the hospital.” 

That was all he said, and though I had a million questions swirling in my head, I knew better. than to expect more from him. After a brief pause, I pressed on, “Was it an accident, or… did someone do it on purpose?” 

Instead of answering, Idris fell silent for a moment before he dropped another bombshell. Lucas’s death has stirred up a hornet’s nest at the border.” 

I got it in a flash. Officer Jackson had been a thorn in the side of the border criminals for as 

long as I could remember, ever since he had traced my kidnapping back to Lucas. It had taken years, but he had finally taken down Lucas, the big bad boss. 

Those border types were like weeds, impossible to root out completely, but with Lucas out of the picture, his crew would be crippled. Revenge was probably already on their minds. 

I had thought we had closed the book on this mess when we got back from Macamer, but it was looking more and more like we had only turned the page. 

The silence stretched out until I could not stand it anymore. “They won’t stop at Jackson. We… “I trailed off, the weight of our past actions – mine and Idris’s suddenly heavy on my shoulders. 

Idris must have read the worry in my eyes because he suddenly took my hand in his. His hand. was like a warm shelter, completely wrapping around mine. Noticing my shiver, he gave a reassuring squeeze and said, “Don’t worry, Lucas. Officer Jackson was the one who dealt with this whole thing out in the open. Those guys looking for revenge won’t be able to touch you, especially not here in Lake City. They wouldn’t dare.” 

Renata, however, seemed to linger in my thoughts as I spoke. “She…” My voice trailed off. Pretending I was not scared would be a lie. The nightmare from five years ago was still too clear, too close. 

“We don’t even have a suspect for her death yet. It’s all just guesswork at this point, Yvette. Stop worrying; you’re not in any danger,” Idris said, his voice a deep, steady anchor. His serious, intent gaze held mine.