Facade of Love (Yvette Scott and Idris Young) novel Chapter 445

I shook my head, puzzled at how fast news had traveled to Emily about my border escapades. "You... how did you...?"

"Emily," interrupted a voice that sent a chill down my spine. Madam Young.

She glided over to where Emily stood, Mr. Zachary in tow. She called out for Emily, but her steely gaze was locked on me. Gone was the warmth I once knew. "How are you, Ms. Scott? Are you recovering well?" she asked, her tone icy.

Something was not right, but I faced her bravely. "I'm doing better, thanks. I just wanted to check on Idris. He's... he's okay, isn't he?"

Madam Young's face, lined with years and frowns, twisted with clear displeasure. "Imagine searching for someone you love for a decade only to find they're gone, body lost to the world. Do you think he's okay?"

A jolt of guilt hit me hard. Had Gregory or Madam Young revealed it? Or had Idris himself come to?

The taste of regret was bitter. Kobe's death was a shadow I could not shake off. All I could muster was a whisper, "I'm sorry."

Her next words were like ice shards. "So, you're confessing? You're the reason Idris's father is dead?" Madam Young's voice was dark laced with a palpable fury.

I hung my head, my hands clenched into fists, and I gave a small, painful nod. I wished more than anyone that this nightmare had never begun. However, it was too late. The past could not be undone.

Slap! I did not flinch when Madam Young's hand came down hard across my face.

"Grandma," Emily blurted out, rushing to my side. She wanted to defend me, but the words seemed to escape her, and she fell silent again.

Madam Young might have been old, but her slap packed a punch as strong as anyone half her age. My cheek stung fiercely, and I could taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth.