Ice and Fire novel Chapter 435

"No ma'am, not yet, " answered Lily.

"I see, okay, you can get back to what you were doing, " replied Cherry as she walked to the balcony.

Lily stood staring at Cherry's back as she walked away, unsure what to say. After a short time, she finally walked away and went back to her chores.

That evening Jackson got home while Cherry was watching a soap opera on TV, and Joe was playing quietly on the floor near her.

Jackson sat down next to Cherry, and smiling asked, "How was your day today?"

Cherry sat quietly and didn't answer.

"Bad!" out of the blue Joe shouted loudly, "The world is too small!"

Jackson was depressed and confused hearing his son's tone, and what he was saying. His confusion only deepened looking at Cherry's expression and watching her behavior.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Jackson demanded.

"We met..." Joe wanted to tell Daddy what happened at the mall. He knew his Mommy wouldn't tell Daddy though, and she would keep it all to herself, but as he started to explain what had happened, he was interrupted by Mommy.

"Joe!" Cherry said curtly, reprimanding her son. She gave Joe a sharp look and added, "Go wash up. Dad is home now, and it's time for dinner."

Joe didn't dare disobey his Mommy, even though he was dying to tell his Daddy what happened. He slumped his shoulders, "Yes Mommy, " he said as he got up and went to wash up in the bathroom.

Jackson knew something must've transpired judging Cherry's behavior, and he grabbed her arm demanding more forcefully, "What the hell happened? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it isn't important, " replied Cherry. She didn't intend to tell Jackson about what had happened that afternoon. She thought surely there would be additional trouble if she said anything. Since their son wasn't injured and she got rid of Lucia, why should she bother Jackson with it?

"Tell me! NOW!" Jackson became angry suddenly and glared at Cherry. He wanted to know what happened to them. Jackson wouldn't allow anyone to wrong his family.

"We met up with Lucia at the mall while we were shopping today. We exchanged words and came back home, " explained Cherry flatly, as though she was narrating something unrelated to her.

Jackson knew it wasn't as simple as that. He knew Lucia's personality very well, as well as how she felt about Cherry. He was supposed to believe she spoke to Cherry peacefully? He knew she must have done something bad to Cherry.

"What the hell happened? What did she do to you?" Jackson asked again wondering why Cherry wouldn't talk to him. He must make Lucia pay if she wronged his wife.

That's when Joe came out of the bathroom and saw the stern look in his Daddy's eyes as he was questioning his Mommy. Joe blurted out, "That woman abused and beat my Mommy, and then she pushed me to the ground!"

"Joe!" Cherry cried out hearing Joe.

Derek sat there holding his phone as he mulled over the details. If his suspicions were right, Lucia did something to Cherry, which angered Jackson enough for him to give such an order. He could only obey Jackson's orders. At least Jackson showed mercy and hadn't ordered him to kill Lucia and the rest of her family.

Derek looked for John's number in his phone directory and called him.

"Hello Derek, " John said seconds later when the call was connected.

"Your Uncle gave an order, " Derek said skipping the pleasantries.

"What's going on?" asked John confused. He didn't know what was going on.

"You and all the members of your family have one week to move to Hong Kong, " Derek divulged. He could handle any unresolved affairs within a week when John was gone, and then he could report the completion of his mission to Jackson.

"Why are we moving to Hong Kong? What happened?" asked John in surprise. He wasn't prepared to go to Hong Kong.

"It was your Mother. She offended the wrong person, " said Derek.

"Did she do something to Cherry, again?" John asked thinking of Cherry immediately when Derek mentioned his Mother had offended someone.

"Yes, you're right. Let's meet tomorrow and discuss in detail, the affairs your leaving will cause."