Chapter 20 Caught Red-Handed
“Don’t overthink it,” Chandler said as he ended the call. His brows were furrowed as he changed his shoes and got ready to
leave.
Right before heading out, he turned back, unable to completely shake his concern. “Get some rest. If you’re craving anything, message me. I’ll bring it back when I return.”
Ginny didn’t respond.
The moment he was out the door, she picked up her phone and called Ryan.
He had been planning to visit her after
wrapping up his work, worried something might’ve happened. When she called and he heard her voice, he finally let out a
breath of relief.
“Alright then, we’ll go together,” he said.
At a quiet restaurant, Melody was already growing impatient.
As soon as Chandler appeared, she made a weak attempt to rise from her seat, but after a few failed tries, she gave up. He walked over and helped her sit back down. Only then did she drop the act.
“Chandler, why are you so late?” she
asked. “Was there traffic?”
It was a weekend, and noon-there was
Melody had been to Chandler and Ginny’s place more than once. She knew full well the road conditions in that area.
Her question was just a probe-to see if Chandler had found out what she did last night.
And Chandler heard it loud and clear.
He had originally planned to wait until after lunch to confront her, but since she brought it up, he pulled out his phone and played the recording.
His expression was ice-cold. “What’s this recording about? Did you instruct your brother to kidnap Ginny?”
Melody hadn’t expected Ginny to record it, much less that she’d send it to
Chandler.
Caught off guard, panic flickered across her face. She scrambled to compose herself, her voice suddenly soft and full of guilt.
“Chandler, let me explain. I didn’t mean for any of that to happen. I had no idea Jake would go that far. Everyone in the family knows how I feel about you, and Jake’s always been protective… But I swear to you, all he did was scare her a little. He didn’t actually do anything to her. If you don’t believe me, you can ask
her.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. She softened her tone even more, carefully testing his feelings for Ginny.
“Chandler… didn’t you say once there was no love between you and Ginny? That you two were bound to divorce eventually?”
Chandler’s face darkened. He hated people bringing up his relationship with Ginny. It triggered something sharp in him-something restless.
And as a man who’d made a career of reading people, he didn’t entirely buy what Melody was selling.
Was this woman in front of him really the same girl who had once saved his life six years ago?
He cut her off coldly. “Kidnapping is a
crime. You and Jake crossed a line. This can’t happen again. No matter what you think of my relationship with Ginny, she is still my wife.”
Melody’s fists clenched so tight her manicured nails dug into her palms.
This was the first time Chandler had
spoken to her so bluntly.
That damn Ginny-what gave her the right to be so protected?
But Melody knew Chandler well. She understood his limits, knew better than to press too hard. Otherwise, she’d only push him further away.
She swallowed her rage, putting on a docile front. “I understand, Chandler. Please ask Ginny to forgive me… and not pursue any charges.”
9
A
Chandler gave her a long look, then
turned and left the restaurant.
Watching his figure disappear into the distance, Melody’s eyes filled with poison. Jealousy burned in every breath.
Originally, Chandler had planned to return to his organization. But when he thought about Ginny’s injuries, he changed course and drove back home instead.
When he opened the door, Ginny was fast
asleep on the sofa. The TV was on, and the coffee table was scattered with snacks.
Chandler frowned at the sight. “You can’t just eat junk food. How’s that supposed to help you heal?”
He walked over and tried to lift her gently, intending to carry her to the bedroom. But the moment he touched her, she stirred, groaning in discomfort.
Afraid of aggravating her injury, he stepped back and went to grab a blanket, laying it over her instead.
The next morning, Chandler left early for the Special Ops Division.
Ginny, already up and dressed, quietly
found an excuse to slip away from the person assigned to watch her. With her bag in hand, she snuck out.
Ryan was already waiting by the entrance of her neighborhood. The second he spotted her, he opened the car door.
“You look like you’re sneaking off to rob a bank,” he joked.
Ginny had been about to vent about Chandler’s overbearing behavior, but
remembered the tension between the two
men and swallowed the complaint.
“My arm hurts. This position feels a little better,” she muttered.
The medical seminar was held at San
Francisco. Professor Edward was a giant in the medical world, and the moment the venue was confirmed, tickets became impossible to get without serious connections.
Ginny didn’t know what strings Ryan had pulled to get them in, but she could guess it hadn’t been easy. So she made the most
of it.
Throughout the seminar, she took meticulous notes, never letting her
attention drift. When it came time for questions, she was the first with her hand
Her questions were bold-direct, even –and they quickly caught Professor Edward’s attention.
Chapter 20 Caught Red-Handed
+8 Bonus
After the event, his assistant approached them with an invitation to join the
professor for lunch, to further discuss her inquiries.
It was an unexpected opening. Ginny and Ryan had been wondering how to get close to the professor-now the chance had come straight to them.
During lunch, Professor Edward was thoroughly impressed with Ginny. The conversation flowed easily. When he learned she was interested in studying abroad, he made an offer himself.
“You should consider applying to my doctoral program,” he said.
But Ginny hesitated, caught by a thought she couldn’t quite shake.
Meanwhile, Melody had been shopping nearby with a friend. Tired from walking, they’d ducked into the restaurant for a
break.
And just like that, she saw Ginny, seated between two men.
She didn’t need to know who the professor was. All she saw was the perfect angle for sabotage.
“Ginny, I finally caught you red-handed!”
With a glint of triumph, she pulled out
her phone and took her time framing the shot, capturing what looked like an intimate moment between Ginny and Professor Edward.
Then she hit send.
