?<strong>Chapter 281:</strong>


    Joelle wanted to defend Gina, but doubt was creeping in. “Yeah, it’s just too convenient, isn’t it?”


    Shawn nodded. “Exactly. It shows Jackie knew something—something someone didn’t want us to uncover.” From that perspective, it could actually be a sign they were on the right track.


    But then, Joelle spotted the ring hole in his logic. “Wait a minute, Shawn. If Gina was really behind this, how would she even know Jackie came to Illerith in the first ce? Only you and I knew about that, right?”


    Shawn’s brow furrowed. “I’ll dig into it. We’ll figure out where the leak came from.”


    “Okay.” Joelle exhaled, and her head throbbed. “You should head home, though. Take care of Aurora and Rnd for me, will you?”


    “Will do.”


    Shawn’s thoughts began to churn back at home as he tried to piece together how Jackie’s arrival could have been leaked. He found himself in the room where he and Joelle had discussed everything earlier. The room was filled with his mother’s old belongings, a ce that always seemed to help him think more clearly.


    As he stood there, Aurora walked over. “Uncle!”


    Shawn scooped her up into his arms. “Why aren’t you in bed, little one?”


    “I miss Daddy and Mommy. Why isn’t Mommying home?”


    “She’s not feeling too well and needs to stay in the hospital for a couple of days. But I promise, I’ll take you to see her tomorrow.”


    “Is she really sick?”


    “Not too bad,” Shawn said gently. “She’ll be better soon. Now, off to bed, okay? When you wake up, we’ll go visit her.”


    “Okay!”


    “Goodnight, sweetheart.”


    “Goodnight, Uncle!”


    Aurora slid off hisp, clutching her stuffed bunny, but as she did, her hand knocked into a picture frame on the table. It tumbled to the floor, the ss shattering.


    Aurora’s face paled as she nced up at him, eyes wide with apology.


    “It’s alright. I’ll clean it up. You go on to bed now.”


    Once she left, Shawn tried to return to his swirling thoughts, but they wouldn’t settle. His mind felt like it was chasing its tail, and he eventually gave up. As he bent down to pick up the broken frame, something caught his eye—something small and ck nestled underneath it; a faint red light.


    At first, Shawn thought it could be a hidden camera, but after snapping a quick photo and sending it to a friend on the force, he learned it was a listening device. A cold knot formed in his stomach. His expression darkened, but he carefully reced the frame, acting as if nothing had happened.


    The following morning, Shawn was packing a bag, preparing to take the kids to the hospital to see Joelle. The doorbell rang.


    “Kathy’s here!” Aurora and Rnd shouted, bouncing with excitement.


    Shawn hesitated for a moment before ncing up. Katherine stepped in, her eyes scanning the room. “Just you? Where’s Joelle?”


    She was dressed in avender outfit that was both elegant and undeniably suggestive, with a fitted skirt that hugged her curves and a high slit that revealed just enough to catch attention.


    Shawn averted his gaze quickly, focusing back on packing the bag. “She’s in the hospital. I was just about to take the kids to see her.”


    “In the hospital?”


    Katherine set the kids down and walked over to Shawn, her steps steady, but his heartbeat quickened. Despite the storm brewing inside him, he kept his face calm, unreadable. “What happened? Why’s she in the hospital?”


    Shawn nced at the kids, not wanting to exin anything in front of them. He pulled Katherine into the other room. His eyes flicked, almost nervously, to the picture frame on the table.


    Katherine, too distracted by the situation with Joelle, missed the tension in his expression.


    “Shawn? What’s going on? I’ve been away for two days, and now this? What happened?”


    “Do you remember Jackie?”


    Katherine frowned, thinking. “Jackie? Oh, you mean your family’s old driver? Yeah, I remember him. Why?”


    “He is dead.”


    “Dead?” Katherine’s voice shot up, surprised. “What happened? How did he die?”


    Shawn hesitated, then told her everything—the suspicions swirling around Gina, how he had called Jackie back from his hometown.


    Katherine, usually quick to speak her mind, could sense the gravity of the situation and listened in silence. After Shawn finished, she stood there, deep in thought. She, like Joelle, found it hard to believe Gina could be involved in something so sinister.


    “But Gina’s been with your family for years. Why would she ever want to hurt you? Shawn, I think you might be jumping to conclusions here.”


    “I wish I were. But don’t you think Jackie’s death feels off? It’s like someone wanted to silence him—fast and permanently.”


    Katherine inhaled sharply, her brow furrowing as the weight of his words sank in. “You’re right. It does seem suspicious. But now that he’s gone, haven’t we hit a dead end?”


    Shawn replied firmly, “No. We’re not out of options yet.”


    “What do you mean?”


    “Before Jackie made his way here, he sent a letter. In it, heid everything out—everything he wanted us to know. It’s supposed to arrive in Illerith at 3 PM today.”


    Katherine looked at him, sensing there was something more. His subtle nce towards the picture frame on the table caught her attention.


    Without missing a beat, she yed along. “So you want me to pick up the letter for you, right?”


    “This isn’t a simple errand. If anyone gets wind of that letter, they’lle after you. This could be dangerous.”


    She waved him off, a determined spark lighting her eyes. “Don’t worry about me. If we start acting too cautious, we’ll only end up painting a bigger target on our backs.”


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