Chapter 62: Shopping

Chapter 62: Shopping After the phone call with Genevieve, Jamal remained in the car for a moment thinking about what to do next. He had no doubt that it was probably Stefan’s idea for him not to drive them around the city. He couldn’t just stay still without doing anything. Especially not now that he had found Abigail after five years and had so many questions he needed her to answer. He stared down at the screen of his phone. The conversation with Abigail was still open, her last message waiting for a response. > Abigail: Whatever you’re planning has to be something believable. A soft sigh left his lips as he typed. > Jamal: Can you think of any good reason to go out that wouldn’t require the domestic staff doing it for you? The message delivered immediately, letting him know she was still with her phone and looking at their chat. Abigail chewed her lip as she read his message and thought about it. Most of her errands were handled by the house staff. The only time she ever stepped out was when Genevieve sent her somewhere. What would be a solid reason to leave on her own? Then it hit her. > Abigail: Maybe shopping for office clothes? I’m supposed to resume as Genevieve’s assistant on Monday and I’d like to get some clothes. I don’t want her hand-me-downs. Jamal’s response was immediate. > Jamal: That makes sense. Now text Genevieve and ask her to release her driver to take you shopping. Abigail frowned at her screen and hesitated before typing. > Abigail: She would never agree to that. Apart from the fact that she might not want me to get new clothes, she wouldn’t want you to attend to me when you should be waiting on her. Jamal’s reply came within seconds. > Jamal: Trust me. Just ask her. Trust him? Abigail hesitated. > Abigail: If it doesn’t work don’t say I didn’t tell you so. > Jamal: Go on. But before she could overthink it, she exited the chat with him and pulled up Genevieve’s contact, while Jamal got out of the car and headed inside to meet Genevieve. Abigail’s fingers hovered over the keyboard before she typed. > Abigail: Good morning, Genny. I need to buy some office clothes for next week. Would it be possible to release your driver to take me shopping today? If not, I’ll just take a cab. Her stomach twisted as she hit send. Genevieve wasn’t the type to approve of things easily, especially when it came to Abigail having any independence. She sat there, waiting. Away from there in the restaurant, Genevieve sat across from Stefan, stirring her juice absentmindedly as she wondered if she was doing the right thing or making a mistake by being so open to him. Across from her, Stefan watched her, his gaze curious. "Tell me more about yourself, Genevieve," he said, leaning back in his seat. "What exactly do you want to know?" She asked with a smile. Stefan tilted his head. "Everything. What happened to you after the accident? Did your stepdad ever remarry? Do you have any siblings?" Genevieve’s hand tightened around the glass. For a fraction of a second, she froze, then forced a casual smile. "No. No siblings. He didn’t remarry. He was too devastated by the loss and didn’t remarry. He focused on raising me instead," Genevieve said as she had been taught to say during interviews all these years. His gaze didn’t waver. "I see. I guess you two are very close?" Although her throat felt tight, she kept her expression neutral as she shook her head slowly. "I wouldn’t say we are very close. But we are fine. Why all these questions, though?" she asked lightly, but there was an edge to her voice. Stefan shrugged. "Just curious. All these years I haven’t been able to understand why you refused to meet with your paternal family. Is it just you not wanting to meet them? Or is your stepdad stopping you?" Genevieve’s fingers curled against her lap. Before she could come up with a response, her phone vibrated. She glanced down at the message from Abigail. "Give me a moment," she told Stefan, using the text as an excuse not to answer his question. Her brows pulled together as she read the text. Abigail wasn’t one to ask her for such favors. Why was she asking her for this? Before she could finish processing it or think about responding, Jamal approached their table. Relief washed over her as she turned to him, glad that she didn’t have to hide behind Abigail’s text to ignore the question. "Here’s the car key, ma’am," Jamal said, placing it in front of her. Genevieve seized the opportunity. "Thank you," she said quickly, glad for the interruption. Stefan turned to Jamal. "How are you doing today, Pete?" Jamal gave a small nod. "Good morning, Mr Jamal. I’m fine." Stefan nodded, his eyes gleaming with amusement before he signaled one of the waiters. "Pack some food for him," he instructed. Jamal raised a brow, equally amused, but he didn’t protest. "Thanks for your kindness, sir," he said before stepping away from the table to give them privacy while he waited for the waiter. Not wanting to return to the conversation with Stefan yet, Genevieve turned to Jamal and signaled him to come closer. "I suppose you’re going back to the house from here," she said opening her purse to take out some money for his transportation. Deciding that this was the moment he was waiting for, he shook his head, "I won’t be returning to the house." Genevieve’s brows shot up. "Why not?" Jamal exhaled. "Because your father won’t be happy knowing I didn’t do the job he gave me. I’d find somewhere to hang around until you’re ready to go home," he said in a tone that left no doubt in her mind about the nature of the job he was referring to. Genevieve stiffened. She knew it! She knew her father had asked him to spy on her! Genevieve studied him for a moment. If he was going to be loyal to her, she couldn’t let him get into trouble with her father. Immediately, an idea struck her as her gaze fell on her phone. "You can take a cab home and tell my father I sent you to take Abigail shopping with my other car," she said, handing him some money. Jamal didn’t react immediately, but then he gave a small nod as he took the money from her. "Understood, ma’am." Stefan who was listening to the conversation between the two couldn’t help but wonder what was going on and what Jamal was up to. Just then the waiter returned with a neatly packed bag, Jamal accepted it with a polite nod and thanked them both before leaving. As he turned and walked away with his food, a smirk ghosted his lips.