Page 71 of The Promise

My head spun. This was all strange. My father hadn’t called me all day. And why would Marabella not provide Amy answers to Chi-Chi’s whereabouts in the house? Something felt off about this whole story.

“I’m on my way, Amy.”

ChapterTwelve

Part III

April | Three Years Later

When I pulled up to my father’s home, Jas had just arrived himself. He waited for me to head to the door before approaching it alone. I rang the doorbell several times then dialed my father’s cell again while waiting. It took a little more than a minute before Marabella opened the door. The moment she recognized me, terror flashed in her eyes.

“Where’s Chi-Chi?” I asked, shouldering my way inside.

“Shi-Shi, why are you so upset?” Marabella posed, closing the door behind a heavily observant and imposing Jas.

“Because my nanny called me upsetthat she’s lost track of my child inside her grandfather’s mansion. Why would you not just take her to see Chi-Chi? Why keep her waiting?” I moved again, pacing the foyer into the hallway for the main rooms. “Amy!” I called.

“Shi-Shi, I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” Marabella tried. “Chi-Chi’s perfectly fine!”

“Amy!” I called again, ignoring my father’s housekeeper.

Just as I was about to call again, even louder, Amy appeared. The poor girl was completely flushed when exiting the great room where they obviously had her waiting for nearly an hour now.

“God!” Amy cried, visibly shaken. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble, but she’s my responsibility!” A facial tissue was clutched in her fist, and Chi-Chi’s travel bag was strapped over her shoulder.

I turned to Marabella, who still tried to reason with me. “Jas…Ashira, Chi-Chi’s with her grandfather! She’s perfectly fine. I assure you!” I saw the tears mounting in her eyes from obvious fear.

Jas demanded, “Where?”

Then Marabella, unable to keep the tears within, covered her face and sobbed. “They’re in the solarium! She’s fine! I would never allow anything to happen to my girl!”

Registering the location, I began toward that wing of the house.

Behind me, Amy was still apologizing for the mishap. “I didn’t want to offend you, Shi-Shi, by only calling Jas. I’m truly sorry for all of this and will totally accept if you two think I mismanaged today’s event at all.”

“Don’t trip,” Jas’ voice was authoritative and comforting at the same time. “We’ll get this shit under control.”

I was too angry with my father and Marabella to provide Amy any support at the moment. She was obviously railroaded, but for the life of me, I couldn’t think of why? My father was no weirdo or perv. He wasn’t an unpredictable evil man who would harm my child—any child. Hell. His only other child was conceived in error, and the worse he did was ignore her. He’d never been violent or temperamental with us.

As we entered the vicinity of the sunroom, Chi-Chi’s laughter and apparent lack of awareness for the tension looming could be heard. “Nooooo!” she insisted, then giggled. “You no see me!” Her titter was powerful and generous, something that warmed my icy disposition.

But what I didn’t expect to see seized my damn lungs.

“What is going on here?” I shrilled in utter disbelief.

My father removed his necktie from over his eyes, glancing every way until he found me at the door.

“Daddy!” Chi-Chi shouted before running to her father.

My father stood from the sofa, attention swiftly swinging to the last person I’d ever expected to see in this home again.

“Daddy, Pop-Pop try to get me!” Chi-Chi laughed, trying to describe a game it was clear to me they were playing, using his tie as a mask while she hid.

“You okay?” Jas asked Chi-Chi. She giggled while nodding her head; her rapt attention and humor were still on their game. “Okay. Amy’s gonna take you to get a snack. Daddy’ll be right with you,” Jas murmured before handing her over to Amy.

Balloons, severalMelanated Girldolls, a double stroller for dolls, and quite a few designer shopping bags filled with clothing populated the table and even the floor next to it. It was all the generous touchstone of one Celestine Witherspoon.

She stood from a sofa across from my father. “Good afternoon, Jas.” She smiled affectionately before acknowledging me. “Dear.”

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