Chapter 93: Who Is Jamal?

Chapter 93: Who Is Jamal? Jamal’s breath hitched as he stared down at the little boy in his arms. His mind raced, his heart hammering against his ribs as realization dawned on him. Josh. The lost little boy from the airport. The kid he had been so worried about. The same kid who had stood there terrified yet brave and trusting that his father would be back. The kid was not older than five, his name was Josh and he had been at the airport that day. Why had he not made the connection before now? Abigail had told him that Ryan brought Josh to the airport to welcome her. The kid he had been so worried about was his son. Jamal felt a rush of emotions so intense it nearly knocked the air from his lungs. What were the odds? What kind of twist of fate had led him to his own child in such a way? Ryan. Jamal’s eyes darkened as he recalled how trusting Josh had been of Ryan. And yet, somehow, the boy had gotten lost. How could Ryan have been so careless? His jaw clenched and his grip on Josh tightened slightly before he caught himself. Now wasn’t the time to think about that. Right now, he had to focus. Josh tilted his head, looking at him with bright, curious eyes. He was about to speak, but before he could, Jamal quickly pressed a finger to his lips. "Shh," Jamal whispered, lowering his voice to barely a breath. "Do you remember my name?" Josh smiled and bobbed his head. Although he was surprised to see Jamal in his house, he was happy to see him again because that meant he could show him to Abigail. "Don’t call me that, okay?" Jamal said, and Josh frowned in confusion. Jamal leaned closer. "Just call me Pete. Not Jamal. No one can know that is my name else I’m going to lose my job," Jamal whispered for his ears alone. Josh narrowed his eyes like he was trying to figure something out. Then, instead of nodding, he tilted his chin up and smirked slightly. "Okay. But only if you do what I want." Jamal blinked, taken aback by the kid’s words. And then a slow, amused smile spread across Jamal’s face as he processed the boy’s words. Smart. Too smart for a four-year-old. How could he be so cunning at such a young age? But then again, he was his son. And Dawn’s. He should have expected nothing less. Jamal chuckled. "You’re negotiating with me?" Josh grinned. "Yes." Jamal huffed a laugh, shaking his head. "Fine. You can ask for whatever you want later. But for now, call me Pete." Josh studied him for a moment, as if weighing his words and trying to figure out why, then finally nodded. "Okay, Pete." Jamal exhaled, relieved. But before he could say anything else, his gaze lifted and he saw Abigail standing at the far end of the hall watching them. Her head was slightly tilted, her expression unreadable. But from her eyes Jamal could tell she was trying not to let her emotions show. Jamal forced himself to stay relaxed and not let his emotions show too as he straightened. He offered her a polite nod but before he could speak, she hurried over to Josh’s side. [What are you doing here? You shouldn’t talk to strangers.] she signed to him, making Jamal wonder why she was doing that. Abigail didn’t spare him a glance as she started to lead Josh away, and once they were out of the hallway she turned to him and quickly signed. [There is a hidden camera in that hallway. You should be more careful.] Although he had been careful and knew that Ryan wouldn’t hear what he had told Josh, Jamal couldn’t help but be alarmed by the information. He should have known that a man like Ryan would plant a camera in the hallway leading to his study. He had too much to hide and would need to be very secretive and careful. Abigail looked down when Josh tugged her hand and beamed at her. Thinking that Jamal couldn’t understand sign language, his small hands quickly moved as he signed to her, his gestures excited and confident. Jamal watched in silence, his brows slightly drawing together as he tried to decipher what Josh was telling her and then his lips twitched when he got it and he raised a brow. [This is the boyfriend I told you about.] Abigail’s heart skipped a beat and her eyebrows lifted in surprise. Then, her lips curved into a slow smile, and she signed something back. [Really? Have you met him before now?] Josh turned back to Jamal, his eyes bright with mischief. Jamal crossed his arms. "What did you just tell her?" He asked, pretending not to understand. Josh just giggled. Abigail turned her attention back to Josh and signed again. [Do you know him?] Jamal saw the little boy glance at him before responding. [Yes. He’s the one I saw at the airport but it’s a secret. You can’t tell anyone.] Abigail suddenly stilled as her gaze flickered back to Jamal, a new layer of curiosity in her eyes. He had met Josh already at the airport? Jamal sighed. "I will tell you about it later." Before she could ask anything else, Ryan joined them. "What’s going on?" he asked, his sharp eyes immediately scanning the three of them. Jamal masked his emotions in an instant. He straightened, lowering his head slightly in a gesture of respect. "I ran into the young master on my way out," he said smoothly. "I was just introducing myself." Ryan’s eyes flicked to Josh, then to Abigail as he wondered why the three of them were standing there when they had left the hallway that way. Abigail’s face remained calm and unreadable but she gave Ryan a nod, acknowledging that Jamal was telling the truth. Ryan studied them for a moment before nodding. "Alright. You’re dismissed." Jamal bowed slightly. First to Abigail, then to Ryan. Without another word, he turned and walked away. As he disappeared down the hall, he let out a slow, quiet breath. As Jamal’s footsteps faded down the hall, Abigail turned back to Ryan, her posture straight but her hands curling slightly at her sides. She could feel Ryan’s scrutiny as his sharp eyes lingered on her, as if searching for something unspoken. Then, she lifted her hands and signed swiftly. [I was coming to let you know the people from the clothes store are leaving and then I saw Pete talking to Josh and got distracted. I didn’t like that he was talking to another adult unsupervised. Pete is a new employee and I don’t trust him yet.] Ryan nodded, his gaze never wavering. His lips curled slightly, an unreadable smirk forming as he crossed his arms. "Pete told me he could sign," he said, his voice slow and measured. Abigail nodded. [yes, he can.] Ryan tilted his head. "And you’re happy about that, aren’t you?" Abigail’s lips curved slightly. [Of course. It makes things easier. I wish all the staff could sign.] Ryan chuckled, a low, amused sound. "I’ll put that into consideration next time I’m hiring." Abigail forced a polite nod, but her stomach twisted. She knew Ryan’s idea of "putting things into consideration" was rarely as simple as it seemed. He was always watching and calculating. Then, Ryan’s gaze flickered toward Josh, who stood quietly between them, his small fingers fidgeting against his shirt. "Now," Ryan said, his voice casual, "tell me what was Pete whispering to you earlier before Abigail showed up?" Josh’s heart skipped a beat and Abigail’s breath caught. Slowly, Josh’s eyes shifted toward Abigail, a silent plea flickering in them. He had promised to keep the secret but didn’t know how to lie to his father. Abigail understood immediately. If Ryan had seen them on the security footage, then he had also seen Jamal whispering to Josh. Her mind raced. She had to get ahead of this. She couldn’t let Ryan know that Jamal had been at the airport that day, else it would make him suspicious and he might want to look into Pete and find out why he had been at the airport. Without hesitating, she lifted her hands and signed quickly, keeping her expression composed. [Who is Jamal?] she asked, wanting to distract Ryan. Ryan’s expression remained neutral as he processed her question. Then, he let out a slow hum. "Why do you ask?" He asked, wondering if she was asking because she suddenly remembered him. Abigail kept her hands steady, her expression unreadable. [We were in his room all day and Genevieve mentioned him during dinner last night. Pete said Genevieve was with him. Is she engaged? Is she getting married?] Ryan chuckled, relieved. "He’s her childhood friend. They lost touch for a while but recently met again." [It seems like he’s very wealthy. The room looked quite grande. I hope they fall in love and get married.] she sighed. Ryan studied her, his fingers tapping idly against his arm. Then, after a beat, he nodded. "I hope so, too." [I will take Josh in to freshen up so we can have dinner.] Abigail signed, and without waiting for his response, she quickly took Josh’s hand and Josh didn’t hesitate. His small legs moved quickly as he followed her, eager to escape the question. Abigail managed to keep her posture relaxed even as her heart pounded in her chest. As soon as they were out of sight and walked into his room, Josh exhaled sharply making Abigail want to laugh at the relief on his face. How had she given birth to such a smart kid? She mused. Now all she had to do was figure out a good explanation for Josh to give Ryan when next he asked, because she knew Ryan enough to know that she might have delayed the questioning, but it was inevitable. And she had to also give Jamal a heads up to let him know what to say when Ryan asked. If they were going to win this war, they were going to have to be more careful and observant.