Chapter 236 Jerry Is a Bad Guy
"Yes." Sophia nodded thoughtfully. "My friend crossed paths with Madison a couple of times at the event and managed to find her secret account. She mentioned that Madison posted something on there last year."
Jerry leaned in, curious. "What did she post?"
Sophia elaborated, "Madison’s post was about receiving some kind of divine blessing. My friend couldn't recall all the details, but there was a picture of Madison with a girl who looked to be in her twenties."
"A blessing?" Jerry furrowed his brow and sent a photo through his phone. "Ask if the girl in this photo is the same one."
Sophia immediately sent the photo to her friend, still puzzled. "If her daughter is already in her twenties, why was Madison so surprised? Could it be the daughter has been living with her dad all this time?"
Jerry’s eyes narrowed, his fingers drumming rhythmically on his wheelchair’s armrest. "Try to find out more."
He had an unshakable feeling that this matter connected somehow to him or Hope.
Two years ago, Sarah had been an imposter in the Harris family, and now she was Madison’s daughter. Everything felt off.
Jerry mused silently, 'I need to find a way to interact with Madison.'
Just then, Sophia's friend, having wrapped up her scene, pinged back. She immediately told Jerry, "The girl in the photo you sent is the same one from Madison's post."
"Hope!"
As I was zoning out on the couch, a soft, earnest voice snapped me out of my reverie. Nolan peeked around the corner, looking a tad shy. "I forgot to grab clothes."
Smiling, I stood up. "I'll get you something." I headed to the room, fetching a shirt. "Here, wear this for now. We'll buy some clothes soon, okay?"
Jerry’s expression was already stormy, so I knew fetching clothes downstairs would only aggravate things further. Thankfully, with fast delivery, Nolan could have new clothes by evening.
"Okay!" Nolan nodded obediently.
I noticed bubbles still lingering in his hair. Laughing softly, I stopped him from putting on the shirt. "Wait, let’s rinse those bubbles out first."
After another sudsy round in the bathroom, I wrapped Nolan in a clean towel, carried him to the living room, and gently dried him off. He stood still as I dressed him, then suddenly tiptoed and leaned in close to my face, his little lips pursed in concern.
"Hope, how did you get hurt?" Nolan reached out carefully to touch my face. "Does it hurt?"
My heart melted. I shook my head, reassuring Nolan, "I got it by accident. It doesn’t hurt anymore."
Actually, it hurt like hell. Jerry was a man of intense passions, both love and anger. This wound wouldn't heal in just a few days.
Nolan, unconvinced, teared up. "You are lying! It looks very painful. Jerry is a bad guy!"
I was taken aback. He was just taking a bath—how did he know about Jerry's bite?
"Why do you say Jerry is a bad guy?" I asked, watching as Nolan wiped his tears with a pudgy hand.
"Mom said if a girl gets hurt, it's the boy's fault!" He proclaimed indignantly.
I couldn't help but laugh. Sophia had clearly imparted quite a bit to Nolan, all in an effort to make him a good man. It wasn't hard to imagine the hardships she'd endured in her own past relationships.
"Not always," I chuckled, picking up my phone. I pinched Nolan’s cheek and pulled him into my arms. "Come on, let’s start picking out clothes! And you can get anything else you want too."
Nolan’s mood shifted quickly. "Okay!" He nodded enthusiastically. Hugging Coco, he declared, "Coco, let’s see what we have here!"
Coco barked softly in agreement.
Two days later, Elissa arrived in Maple Valley in a flurry, knocking on my door with three suitcases in tow.
"Got here fast, right?" She grinned.
"Yes," I smiled, helping her with the suitcases. "Got everything?"
Madison's dress design had just been finalized yesterday. It was time to cut fabric, and Elissa was coming to discuss the offline store plans.
"Everything's here." Elissa announced, kicking off her high heels. "I'm so hot. Get me a bottle of water."
Before I could respond, Nolan darted to the fridge, struggling to open the door and stand on tiptoe to reach the water.
Elissa raised an eyebrow. "Is this Jerry’s cousin’s?"
I talked to Elissa every day; she knew my life inside out.
"Yes, isn't he adorable?" I grabbed a bottle and handed it to Nolan, who proudly offered it to Elissa.
"Drink water," he said sweetly.
Elissa beamed. "You, little guy, are such a sweetie."
"Hehe, Hope says that too!" Nolan giggled, radiating warmth.
He’d been such a charming presence—talkative yet well-behaved, lively and endearing.
I smiled, eagerly unzipping the largest suitcase. Carefully smoothing the edges of my nails, I took out two exquisite pieces of fabric, placing them in the studio.
Elissa's voice called out. "Hope, your phone is ringing. It’s Ms. Ortiz."
"Okay," I quickly returned, answering the call. "Hello, Ms. Ortiz. Are you in Maple Valley?"
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