CHAPTER 383: A MOTHER’S INTUITION

[From: Silo

Hey! I already told Cedrick what to do, the clothes, and the schedule. I also arranged for someone to pick him up and take him to the salon for the event later! Don’t bother me. I’m going on a date!!! I’ve been preparing for this my whole life, and you just hadn’t been asking me — thank you very much!]

"What is wrong with Silo?" Lola scoffed, seated in the front passenger seat while staring at her phone. "How could he ditch Cedrick just because he has a date?"

Or rather, how could everyone be going on dates on the same day? Even Amala had a date scheduled later.

"He should’ve told me about it at least a day before — is he Amala’s date?" She muttered aloud, earning a disgusted look from Haji in the driver’s seat.

She turned her head toward him and made an equally ugly face. "You better not tell Amala what I just said."

"If she hears that, she’ll throw up," he grumbled, gripping the steering wheel. "Damn! How do I unhear that?"

Lola pouted. The whole day, she’d tried to keep herself busy—but somehow, everyone else seemed intent on keeping her even busier. This wasn’t what she meant when she said she felt lazy and wanted to be productive.

"Say, Haji..." she said suspiciously, narrowing her eyes. "Something’s going on that I don’t know about, isn’t there? What is it?"

Haji gasped dramatically, shooting her a glare. "What the hell are you talking about? Are you high?"

"Just tell me what’s going on."

"What’s going on is you’re going crazy!" he barked. "The hell, woman?"

Lola studied his expression, lips curving downward. "Are you sure nothing’s going on? If you need to confess, confess now, Haji. Because if I find out you’re hiding something, I’ll kill you."

"Are you insane?! How could you threaten me like that just because you’re bored?" He clicked his tongue irritably. "You already have a full set of bodyguards from your boyfriend! Why’d you call me just to harass me?!"

"Why are you so angry?"

"Because—"

He froze mid-sentence, realizing he was overreacting. Amala’s earlier warning flashed through his mind. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

Haji gulped, shooting her a side glance before looking away. "Fine," he muttered, bracing himself for what he was about to say.

"I’m... I’m angry because..." His mouth quivered, throat tightening, his whole being resisting the poisonous words about to escape him. But for his own survival, he forced them out.

Through gritted teeth, he lied. "...I’m jealous."

Lola: "..."

Haji: "..."

Shit. I said it. Fk!

Lola blinked, pure shock on her face. Just moments ago, she’d been wondering why everyone was acting strange—but now, her brain simply shut down.

Slowly, she pointed at herself. "Are you in love with me?"

"Screw you!" he snapped. "I take it back! I felt nothing but relief when you reassigned me to Cedrick instead of you! The guy needs more protection, unlike you! It’s the other way around!"

"Hey..." Lola smirked teasingly. "If you care about me that much, you don’t have to be shy about it. It’s okay. It’s not like it’s embarrassing."

"Shit—"

"I mean, I know you like me, just not that way," she laughed, making his face twitch violently. "Goodness, if you really wanted to work closely with me, you should’ve just said so. Even though Baby makes me smile, and the other guys are fun to tease, you’ll always be my favorite guard."

His face contorted as Lola kept talking, filling him with a mix of horror and despair. His eyes stayed glued to the road, already making a mental note to buy earplugs before their next trip.

"Anyway, if you’re that jealous..." Lola smiled at him sweetly. "I can just send another guard to help Cedrick, and you can stay by my side... forever."

Holy hell! NO!

*****

Meanwhile, at the Young Residence...

"Melissa?" Jasmine furrowed her brows, watching as Melissa instructed the maids to carry several gift boxes to her room. "What’s going on here?"

Melissa turned with a short smile. "Just some things. I’ll be attending an event later, and my friend sent me something to wear."

Jasmine’s confusion deepened as she glanced at the luxurious packages. When Melissa waved the maids toward her room, Jasmine reached out and gently caught her daughter’s hand.

"Melissa, my dear, how about... you don’t go, hmm?" she said softly. "Things still haven’t calmed down. It’s better to stay out of the public eye for now."

But her good intentions only made Melissa frown harder. She pulled her hand free and clicked her tongue.

"Mom, why would you ask your daughter to lock herself in the house? Until when do I have to hide?" she scoffed. "Whether I did something or not, people have already judged me. If they see me doing well and unbothered, maybe they’ll realize it’s not entirely my fault."

"Besides," she went on, her tone sharp, "why do you ask me to go out when I stay home—and then tell me not to when I finally do? Just let me be, Mom. For once, let me do what I want!"

She stomped away, leaving Jasmine staring after her.

"She’s always listened to me since she was little," Jasmine whispered, anxiety tightening in her chest. "She’s never rebelled like this..."

"Melissa, please," she called, following her down the hall until they reached the bedroom. Melissa stopped with her hand on the knob and looked back.

"Mom, do you really not trust me?" she said, her voice trembling with frustration. "I’ve listened to you all my life, and look where it got me! Just let me be. I’m an adult—I can make my own decisions."

With that, she pushed the door and slammed it shut. The sound echoed down the hall. Jasmine flinched at the sharp bang, left speechless by her daughter’s outburst.

"Melissa! I’m just saying—it’s not safe! It’s suspicious!"

But it was no use.

They said a mother’s intuition was a very real thing.

And Melissa was about to learn that... the hard way.