Death had left a lasting imprint on Liberty’s mind. Each time she received an unexpected phone call, a shiver of fear coursed through her. Liberty often braced herself for the worst. “Don’t scare yourself. Just find out what happened,” she reminded herself.
Duncan was aware that Liberty and her sister Serenity had lost their parents eleven years prior. While Serenity, at ten years old, might not have retained many memories, Liberty, who was fifteen and just starting high school at the time, remembered every detail vividly. Following their parents’ sudden passing, Liberty had to step up as the older sister, organizing the funeral and caring for Serenity. This would forever remain a painful memory for her.
“Mr. Lewis, could I have a tissue, please?” Sonny, who was intimidated by Duncan, shyly asked.
Duncan handed him a tissue. After thanking Duncan, Sonny slid out of his car seat and stood in front of Liberty to wipe her tears. His young voice carried a tone of comfort. “Don’t cry, Mom.”
Liberty picked her son up and brushed away her own tears. “Sonny…”
“Don’t cry, Mom,” he repeated, lifting his little arm to wipe her tears.
Touched by his gesture, Liberty embraced her son tightly before dialing Jasmine. The call connected immediately.
“Jasmine, what happened to Serenity? How is she? The previous call wasn’t clear. I’m on my way to the shop now, so I’ll be there soon,” Liberty said anxiously.
Jasmine responded, “I lost you before I could explain further. I tried to get your attention, but you didn’t respond, which is why I hung up. Don’t panic, Liberty. It’s not what you think. I—It’s Mr. York.”
“What happened to Zachary? Was he in an accident?” Liberty asked, relieved to hear it wasn’t something fatal as she had feared. This allowed her to calm herself.
Nerves coursed through her as she prepared to exhale in relief, only to discover it was about Zachary. Her heart leapt into her throat.
“Liberty, Mr. York is Mr. York.”
“Zachary is Mr. York? What do you mean by Mr. York…? Please don’t tell me you’re referring to the heir of the wealthiest York family. Is it ‘the’ Mr. York, the one whose wife’s identity everyone has been gossiping about?”