Larissa Judson and Haskell Palmer novel Chapter 602

Larissa didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She typed back a reply.

[Save him. His mother already knows he’s in the village. If he goes missing, she’ll raise an even bigger stink. Once he’s stable, drop him off at the local police station. Tell them he’s a thief. A few days in a holding cell might knock some sense into him.]

Zendar’s reply came quickly: [Fine.]

…

Vivica followed the GPS directions, arriving at Spire Village late at night. The roads were pitch-black, so she had the driver stop at the village entrance. She tried calling Finley, but his phone was still off.

Turning on her phone’s flashlight, Vivica paid the driver the agreed-upon fare plus an extra hundred bucks to convince him to walk with her into the village. The houses were all dark, and the entire village was cold and silent. She was already regretting her impulsive decision to rush to this godforsaken place.

Unable to bear the silence any longer, she started yelling, “Finley! It’s your mother!”

“Finley, where are you?”

“Oof!”

Distracted, she didn’t see the shallow puddle on the path ahead. Her foot slipped, and she went down hard.

“Help me up! I think I twisted my back…” Vivica cried out in pain.

The driver, his own shoes caked in mud, grumbled impatiently, “Look, if you hadn’t paid me extra, I never would’ve come out here. I’m heading back.”

“I’ll give you more money! Just help me find my son before you go,” she pleaded.

The driver waved her off as he walked back toward the car. “No thanks. You’re on your own. This fare isn’t worth the trouble.”

Vivica, who had never experienced such hardship, was left alone in the mud, crying in frustration. She dragged her filthy body to the nearest house and pounded on the door.

“Insolent peasant! Who does she think she is?” Vivica fumed, clutching her chest.

She turned to leave, and a few steps later, her foot slipped again. This time, she managed to catch her balance. Tears of frustration welled in her eyes.

What a nightmare!

And it was all because they had brought her biological daughter, Larissa, back into their lives. It was the biggest mistake she had ever made. So what if Honora had deceived them? As long as Larissa had stayed away, their family would still be happy and whole. Honora could have fulfilled her purpose through a strategic marriage, bringing real benefits to the Judson family.

She could only hope her husband found a way back into the family’s good graces soon.

…

At the town police station, Finley looked haggard and pathetic, his face streaked with dried blood. He tried to explain himself again to the officer sitting across the interrogation table. “I told you, I’m not a thief. That’s my sister’s herb garden. She’s not in the village right now, and I just wanted to help her tend to it.”