Chapter 51: Cracks in the Surface
Paul knew Yunice was coming back today, so he rushed over to check on her injuries. He hadn’t meant to hit her—he’d just lost his temper. He was ready to apologize. What he didn’t expect was for Yunice to cover for him. But instead of feeling relieved, Paul felt even more ashamed in front of her.
Owen still had a firm grip on Yunice’s arm. “You have a fever? How did that even happen?”
Yunice kept her eyes down. “No one left me a key, so I had to wait outside. I guess being out in the cold for so long made me sick.”
“No one left you a key?” Owen looked baffled. “Why didn’t you just call Mom?”
As soon as Lily’s name came up, Elsie jumped in. “Yunice, you’re an adult. Use some common sense. Did you really have to stand out in the cold like that?”
Owen chimed in, clearly annoyed. “Seriously. That was dumb. You couldn’t find somewhere else to go?”
She didn’t have a place to go or a dime to her name—where was she supposed to stay for three days? If Gill hadn’t taken her in, Yunice could have died from her illness, and no one would have even noticed. But none of them thought they were to blame. To them, it was all just Yunice being stupid.
Elsie pressed again. “So, where exactly have you been staying? Owen and I went to the Johnsons, and they said they hadn’t seen you at all.”
Paul turned to Yunice when he heard that. He was certain she had been staying with Wyatt. The image of her throwing herself in front of danger for Wyatt made Paul’s blood boil. The anger and guilt twisted inside him.
Yunice knew Elsie was just being nosy, but she didn’t give her what she wanted. “I stayed with Madam Margaret,” she said.
Paul’s brow furrowed hard. She was lying! He shot up from his seat. “Yunice!” He couldn’t keep letting her get away with this. Owen needed to step up and put a stop to it.
His sharp tone drew Owen’s and Elsie’s attention. Yunice looked past them and locked eyes with Paul. Her face was calm, like she couldn’t care less if he exposed her. But when he looked at the scar on her face, Paul started to back down again.
Elsie walked over, looking confused, and slipped her hand into Paul’s. “Paul, what’s going on?” She’d caught the change in his expression. Her eyes darted nervously between him and Yunice. Something wasn’t right. It felt like the two of them were keeping something from her.
That’s when she noticed. She lifted Paul’s hand and frowned. “Wait—why aren’t you wearing the ring I gave you?”
She shot a quick glance at Yunice, her gut telling her this had something to do with her. Paul taking off the ring—it couldn’t be a coincidence.
Owen didn’t pay attention to the tension between them. His expression was tight as he pulled Yunice aside and led her over to where the light was better so he could get a good look at her face. The more he looked, the more upset he got. His voice turned rough. “Of all places… why your face?”
Yunice didn’t answer. He’s not worried about me. He’s just mad the scar’s in a spot people will notice. That’s why he’s upset.
Sure enough, Owen followed up with a sharp accusation. “Did you do this on purpose? You trying to get out of the engagement or something?” But right after he said it, he seemed to realize how dark that sounded. He quickly backpedaled. “You should go lie down. I’ll find someone who can help treat the scar.”
Yunice said nothing and quietly went back to her room. This was the only room in the whole Saunders house where Yunice felt even remotely at ease. She sat at the desk, chin in hand, staring off blankly as she tried to figure out what to do next.
That’s when the old phone Elsie had given her suddenly started ringing. Yunice barely used that phone—and she’d never given the number to anyone. Who else would call her besides someone from the Saunders family?
She stared at the screen as it buzzed. Right before the call ended, she picked it up. “Hello?” A calm, steady male voice came through. Yunice was sure she’d heard it somewhere before. When she stayed quiet, the man went on, “Hey, it’s Quinton Ford. We met at Hotel Marcellus. You remember me, right?”
Back then, Owen had only introduced her as a distant relative. So how did Quinton know she was part of the Saunders family?
Yunice answered slowly. “Hi.”
Quinton clearly hadn’t expected her to be so reserved and got straight to the point. “Here’s the thing. I’m interested in the Saunders family’s medical notes. But Ms. Yunice told me you burned them. Is that true?” Quinton had that sharp, impatient tone of someone used to being in charge—like he was taking it out on Yunice, maybe even holding her responsible for what happened.
And when Yunice heard him call Elsie by her name, her chest burned. Her fingers clenched tightly around the phone.