Chapter 562: Chapter 562



Pulling his car to the side of the road, Shawn answered with a frown creasing his brow.

“Hello?”

“Shawn!” Lina’s voice came through, heavy with emotion.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s my daughter. Kaleb has taken her!” Lina’s voice cracked under the strain of her fear.

Shawn’s response was cool and detached. “You might want to call the police instead of me.”

“Shawn, please!” Lina’s plea sliced through the static, her voice desperate. “The police won’t help me—Kaleb has connections. He’s taken her just to get to me. Shawn, you have to help me. I know I’ve made mistakes, but I’m desperate!”

Lina’s breaths came in ragged sobs. Her daughter was her world, and now, with her daughter in jeopardy, her will to persist was slipping away.

“Please, Shawn, for the sake of a mother, show me mercy.” Her cries were sharp and relentless, making Shawn’s head throb. She made it sound as though if he refused to help, he would be the villain.

“Lina, I’m not the one to blame here. You chose Kaleb over me. Why should your choices affect my life now?”

“Shawn!” Lina’s voice broke with emotion. “Can you really be so cruel?”

“Look, helping you would be a kindness, not an obligation. Please, don’t call me again. I don’t want to upset my girlfriend.” With that, Shawn ended the call and blocked her number, tossing his phone back onto the passenger seat.

When he arrived, everything was proceeding smoothly. Katherine’s parents had initially taken a liking to him, and he was careful not to get carried away by their approval. He made sure to extend every courtesy to Katherine, treating her with the respect she deserved. In typical families, a proposal involved a ring, but what Shawn had given…

Katherine was something even grander. The marriage was a joy to both Agate and Turner. They had agreed to share a meal the following week to finalize the wedding date.

After lunch, Katherine walked Shawn to the door.

“Go back inside. It’s too chilly out here,” he said.

Katherine adjusted Shawn’s collar with a mixture of tenderness and incredulity. Was she really about to get married?

“You’re not going to change after we’re married, are you?” she asked.

Her previous disinterest in marriage had been shaped by witnessing too many failed ones. Men could be unpredictable, and married men were on a whole other level. Acts of domestic violence, infidelity, and abandonment were far too common, with husbands often disappearing when they were needed most.

Katherine, harboring a deep-seated fear of marriage, had nonetheless decided to take a chance on Shawn. After all, love had a way of clouding judgment.

“I worry more about you leaving me,” she said.

Shawn raised an eyebrow and drew her close.

“Don’t worry too much. Just don’t betray me, and I’ll stay by your side.”

.

.

.