Facade of Love

Chapter 304 Visiting Charlie
Idris was trying to soothe my fears, I knew. I nodded, my gaze falling as I whispered, “Has Renata been laid to rest?”
“No,” Idris replied, shaking his head. “Her body is still at the station. It’s a murder case, and she was sent by Capital City to help
out with the investigation here in Lake City. They haven’t gone public with her death yet, so the funeral will have to wait.”
The realization struck me then: Renata had been sent to look into Noah’s case, and right after it wrapped up, she was killed.
This whole thing..
“Don’t let your thoughts run wild,” Idris said, as if he could sense the turmoil inside me. His voice was low and calm, a sound that
filled the space around us. “Renata’s death was just a tragic fluke. It’s got nothing to do with you.”
“What did Officer Jackson want with you?” I eyed him curiously as he began to speak. Officer Jackson had just been outside my
hospital room, and to be clear, he was not there for Idris, but he was looking for me. It was merely that Idris was there at the
time, which was why he managed to send Officer Jackson on his way.
Idris’s lips tightened, his handsome, dark eyes thoughtful. “He was not looking for me. We just bumped into each other at the
hospital.”
That explanation could work, but I was not buying it.
I pushed down the flutter of emotions in my chest and did not press him further. I gave a small nod and steered the conversation
elsewhere. “How’s Grandma Young been these last couple of days?”
At the mention of Madam Young, he nodded. “Yeah, she’s doing a lot better. Her sleep has been fitful, but it’s probably so light
because she’s getting older.”
I made a noncommittal noise, looked down, and idly twiddled my fingers. “Did Grandma know you were looking for me at
Lorrell’s?”
“Mhm.”
His reply was soft, then silence fell.
I knitted my brows, then abruptly met his gaze. “She knows you went to Lorrell?”

He seemed taken aback by my reaction, his brows knitting together. “Is something wrong?” After pausing for a few seconds, I
wondered if Madam Young would really send him to Lorrell. “Do the Youngs have a lot of business in Lorrell?”
He gave a slight nod, clearly curious about where I was going with this. “Is there something you want to talk about?”
My heart did a little flip, and I quickly covered it up. “No, just wondering. Oh, and I heard that people in Tully City are quite
spiritual. Are there a lot of churches there?”
His lips gave a quick, involuntary twitch, probably thrown off by the sudden jump in our chat. He was the strong, silent type, so
even though he was caught off guard, he kept his cool and
nodded, playing along with my change of subject. “So, you’re thinking about visiting a church?
1 gave him a firm nod. “Yeah, just wanted to check it out.“‘
He looked at me with those deep, dark eyes. “Interested in Christianity?”
Taking a moment to think it over, I shook my head just a bit before responding. “Not really, but I’m not totally against it either.
There’s so much out there we can’t see with our own eyes. 1 can’t dismiss it just because I haven’t experienced it personally, but
I’m not devout either. I’m open–minded, but skeptical. I’ll just go with the flow.”
He cracked a small smile and agreed, “Fair enough. I’ll make the arrangements. Grandma might want to join us for a service,
too.”
I nodded again, feeling a bit lighter after shifting away from the topic of Lorrell. The cold was seeping in from outside, and after
sitting for a bit, I started to feel it. Time to head back to my
room.
Days in the hospital blurred together. Idris and Charlie made it their mission to hang out in my room almost every day. They were
not big on talking, but they were always there, like silent guardians.
I got used to their quiet company. Charlie’s leg was on the mend, though progress was slow. I was nearly back to normal, while
he was still rolling around in a wheelchair. The doctors said it would probably take a few months to bounce back from a serious
injury, and they meant it. Fortunately for Charlie, he had money, and Inch had a whole crew stationed at the hospital to look after
him. I was surprised to see a bunch of bodyguards with him.

With my discharge papers all signed, I thought I would swing by Charlie’s room for once. He had been a regular in mine, but I
had not stepped foot in his. Funny how he was the one all banged up, and yet, I ended up being the one everyone fussed over.
I paused outside Charlie’s hospital suite, a quiet, private space complete with a bedroom and a living room. It was fancy, but then
again, Charlie could afford it.
Before I could even knock, the towering bodyguard in black guarding the door greeted me, Ms. Scott, come on in.”
I stifled a gasp of surprise, put on my best cool–girl smile, and stepped inside, making my way to where Charlie was getting
checked out by the docs.
He must have had some sixth sense about my visit because as soon as I walked in, Charlie, propped up in his hospital bed,
greeted me with, “Hey, you made it. Grab some pastries from the table, I’ll be with you in a second.”