The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 376

Especially after today's terrifying near-miss, she wasn't taking any chances.

Wait. Caleb Preston?

Could he have been the one behind the truck?

Regardless, she had zero intention of meeting him anywhere. She had to play it safe. Her unborn child had already endured too much stress, and her priority was keeping the baby protected at all costs.

"I'm busy," Jocelyn replied coldly. "I don't have time."

Caleb didn't sound surprised. "If you want to know the truth about who actually ran down your biological mother, you'll make time."

Jocelyn's breath hitched, the phone slipping slightly in her grip. "You know?"

"Do I sound like I have the time to play games with you?" Caleb sneered.

The memory of seeing her mother in the hospital was like a knife to the heart. The happiness of finally finding her family had been snatched away in an instant. It had taught Jocelyn a brutal lesson in the fragility of joy.

She forced her voice to remain steady. "I already know what happened. I just don't have the hard evidence yet."

"I have the evidence," Caleb countered smoothly.

Jocelyn fell silent. Did he really?

"If you want it, you'd better show up."

Jocelyn remained skeptical. "Even if you do have it, you're tying your family to the Lowells. Why would you hand over evidence that could destroy them?"

A dark, calculating chuckle echoed through the line. "My relationship with the Lowells? It's nothing more than my daughter marrying Adrian. Beyond that, what ties do we really have?"

Jocelyn narrowed her eyes, the puzzle pieces falling into place.

"Whether Claire Lowell rots in a prison cell means absolutely nothing to me," Caleb added.

Her thumb hovered over the keyboard for a long time before she typed back. [Not really.]

Julian: [Good. Get some sleep.]

Jocelyn fought the overwhelming urge to call him. Instead, she typed, [I'm going into the office a bit late tomorrow morning. I have a personal errand to run.]

Julian: [Okay.]

She set the phone down and watched the screen fade to black. Her heart felt impossibly heavy.

If Caleb Preston truly had the evidence that could bring her mother's killer to justice, she had no choice. She had to go.

The image of the speeding truck flashed through her mind again. She opened her photo gallery, pulling up a picture of Sylvia Reed. In the photo, her mother was sitting peacefully by a window, looking so serene.

"Mom," Jocelyn whispered into the quiet room. "Were you watching over me today? Protecting me... and the baby?"