Escape from Mr. Whitman (Emma and Theodore) novel Chapter 413

"Then we certainly can't let you leave, ma'am," the guard said. "What if something happens to you on the way? We'll call an ambulance for you."

*Call an ambulance my ass!* Cecilia thought.

Seeing her chance, she darted past the guard, aiming for the women's restroom. If she could just hide until the police were gone…

But it was too late. The officers were standing right in front of her.

"Are you Cecilia Chambers?" one of them asked.

Cecilia's face went white. She shook her head frantically. "No, I'm not. You have the wrong person."

"May we see your ID, please?"

She clutched her purse. "I don't have it with me."

It was a transparent lie. Everyone had to show ID to enter the conference. When one of the guards suggested they could run a facial recognition scan, Cecilia knew she was cornered. She turned and screamed towards the crowd, "Jared! Jared, help me! Jared!"

Jared wanted to throttle her. What was that lunatic doing, calling out his name now?

"Jared, are you just going to ignore me? You bastard, it was you who…"

Before she could finish her curse, Jared pulled her into a dramatic embrace, wailing, "No matter what, you'll always be our little sister. Don't worry, I'll get you the best lawyer. Just cooperate with the police, tell them everything. We won't abandon you. Otherwise… there's nothing we can do."

Cecilia understood. He was telling her to stick to the script, to not say anything incriminating. He would help her, but if she deviated, he would let her hang. And "nothing we can do" could mean anything. It could mean they both go down together, or it could mean he silences her permanently.

He turned to the police. "Officers, my sister is pregnant. Please, advise her to take care of herself."

Again, she understood. He was reminding her that her pregnancy could be grounds for bail. She had to play along, or she would have no one to help her.

In all the world, Jared was all she had left. He was a venomous snake, and yet, he was her only hope.