Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ella
The Jaguar’s engine purred beneath my fingertips as I gripped the steering wheel, trying to steady my shaking hands. My mind raced as I replayed what had just happened at the bail bondsman’s office. The shock of Lucas being arrested right in front of me still hadn’t worn off. The last thing I saw before they took him away was the determined set of his jaw, the silent reassurance in his eyes as the agent tossed me the keys.
I love you, Ella.
His words echoed in my head, blending with the sounds of traffic as I navigated my way back to the museum. I barely managed to nod in response before he disappeared inside the FBI’s SUV. The reality of it all settled like a weight in my chest: Lucas was going to jail.
I needed to pull myself together. Bess was waiting for me. And the last thing I wanted was to let her see me unravel.
I picked up my phone from the passenger seat and pressed Maria’s contact. She answered on the second ring. Before I could say anything, she cried, “Ella, I just heard from Marshall. Are you okay?”
I took a shaky breath. “Not really,” I admitted. “They arrested him, Maria. The FBI just—just took him. Right in front of me.”
“Oh, Ella,” Maria’s voice softened. “Marshall called as soon as he heard. He said it happened fast.”
“It did,” I said, swallowing hard. “I’m on my way back to the museum to get Bess. I was wondering—can you drive my car back to the house? I don’t think I should leave Lucas’s Jaguar in the museum parking lot. Too many reporters.”
“Of course,” she said immediately. “Marshall is coming to get me soon. I’ll bring your car home, and we can talk once I get there. Maybe my husband will have more details by then.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, my throat tight with emotion. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’ll get through this, Ella,” she promised. “Just take care of Bess.”
I ended the call just as I pulled up to the museum. True to my suspicion, a small group of reporters loitered near the entrance, their cameras ready. I exhaled slowly, steeling myself before stepping out of the car. Bess was my priority now.
As I slipped inside the museum’s side entrance, I scanned the room for Maria, but she was nowhere to be seen. Instead, I spotted Bess standing near a group of children, her laughter ringing out as she clutched a paintbrush. Relief flooded through me. She was happy. She had no idea what had just happened.
“Aunt Ella!” she called, her face lighting up when she saw me. She waved excitedly before running over, stopping short when she saw the car keys in my hand. “Hey, why do you have Lucas’s car?”
I forced a smile, crouching to her level. “He had a family emergency come up, sweetheart. He asked me to keep his car safe for him.”
Bess’s brow furrowed, but she nodded. “Okay. But can we still go to the aquarium this weekend?”
I hesitated for only a second before squeezing her hand. “We’ll see, okay? Let’s get home first.”
Maria found me as I gathered Bess’s things. “Marshall is waiting outside,” she said quietly. “I’ll take your car now. Meet me at your house in a bit?”
I nodded, my gratitude unspoken but understood. “Thank you, Maria.”
With Bess happily settled in the back seat, I started the drive home, my mind spinning with what I’d tell her next. She needed stability and reassurance. Even as my world felt like it was tipping on its axis, I had to be her anchor.
Back at home, I fixed Bess a strawberry yogurt parfait, her favorite, and let her eat in her room while watching a princess movie. “Just this once,” I told her with a wink, and she grinned before curling up with her blanket.
The moment I closed her door, my body sagged against the hallway wall. My hands trembled as I took out my phone, scrolling through news updates. The headlines flashed in bold letters:
ALISTAIR DEVEREUX DENIED BAIL AS NEW EVIDENCE SURFACES
FBI ARRESTS SON OF INFAMOUS GALLERY OWNER—IS LUCAS DEVEREUX INVOLVED?
My stomach clenched as I skimmed the articles. They were already questioning his involvement, painting him as guilty before he’d even had a chance to fight back. My heart pounded as I exited the articles and shoved my phone into my pocket. No. I wasn’t going to let them tear him down like this. I wouldn’t.
Maria and Marshall arrived not long after. We sat in the backyard, the humid Miami air thick with tension. “What do you know?” I asked Marshall, my voice barely above a whisper.
He sighed, rubbing his chin. “Someone close to the family was questioned today. They handed over documents—records about a vault. It seems there’s evidence of additional hidden art pieces. The authorities are investigating whether Lucas knew about them.”
I stiffened. “Lucas didn’t steal anything.”
“I know that,” Marshall said, his tone gentle. “But the FBI wouldn’t have arrested him without something. It depends on what they can prove. His lawyer might get him out in a day or two.”
A cold pit formed in my stomach. “And if they can’t?”
Marshall exhaled slowly. “Then it’ll be a long fight.”
Maria placed a hand on my arm. “You have to be strong, Ella. For him. For Bess.”
I nodded numbly, my mind already racing. Lucas needed help. And I had an idea of who might hold the key to this mess.
Later that night, as Bess and I lay curled up on her bed, the soft glow of the television illuminating the room, the last scenes of her movie played out in a hushed, almost sacred silence. The room smelled like lavender and crayons, a comforting blend that usually eased my mind. But tonight, my thoughts were anything but calm. A single name surfaced again and again amidst the tangled chaos in my mind, like a lighthouse in a storm—Elizabeth.
The name reverberated through my thoughts, demanding attention. She knew more about everything. Maybe not everything , but enough to make a case for her son’s innocence. My stomach twisted with the weight of uncertainty. I swallowed hard, eyes glued to the ceiling as the credits rolled, each name blurring into the next.
Did I dare involve her? Could I risk all I’d worked for, all I’d built, for this? The exhibit was set to open at the beginning of next week, a culmination of years of effort and ambition. My career, my reputation—they were on the precipice, teetering dangerously.
But then there was Lucas. His face flashed before me, a mosaic of memories and emotions. The way he laughed, warm and genuine, the way his eyes softened when he looked at me. Lucas was worth it. Worth the risk, worth the uncertainty. The real question wasn’t if I’d contact Elizabeth; it was when.
I sat up abruptly, my heart drumming in my chest, an insistent beat echoing my resolve. Yet, as I reached for my phone, my hand trembled, hovering above her contact. A swell of doubt washed over me. What if reaching out to her plunged me into a labyrinth of secrets I couldn’t escape? What if it pulled me into a vortex where the truth was just as elusive as it was dangerous? Yet, I trusted Elizabeth. She had always been good to me and, most recently, Bess.
I glanced at my niece, her face serene in sleep, oblivious to the storm brewing inside me. Her peaceful form reminded me of what I stood to lose and what I needed to protect. A fresh wave of determination surged through me, a current too strong to ignore. Answers were necessary—not just for Lucas but for us—for a future unshadowed by secrets.
With renewed resolve, I pressed the call button, the phone cold and solid in my grip. It rang once, twice. Each ring was an eternity, a moment suspended in time. Finally, her voice came through, calm but edged with an unspoken anticipation.
“Ella. I heard the news.” Elizabeth’s voice carried a weight of its own, as if she had been waiting for my call.
I inhaled deeply, reinforcing myself for what might come. “Elizabeth, I need to know. Can you help Lucas prove his innocence?” My voice was steady, though my insides quaked with the enormity of what I was asking.
There was a pause, a silence pregnant with possibilities. Then, at last, she exhaled, a sound that felt like the calm before the storm.
“I’m flying to Miami in the morning. I will let you know when I arrive.” Her words hung in the air, heavy and foreboding. “I’m prepared to try.”