From Ashes of Scandal to His Embrace (Laurinda) novel Chapter 491

“It’s kind of a long story, so I’ll just cut to how we ended up as enemies. The rest can wait until later.”

“York and Jack both think I’m holding a grudge against Kenny because of my Balaam, but that’s only part of it. The real reason is that he betrayed me, and if there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s betrayal.”

“Right after my parents’ accident, Kenny told me I needed to come back to Stonehaven and take care of things. That was just a lie. He and Baily teamed up, locked me up, and basically took away my freedom, hoping I’d never leave Stonehaven.”

“At that time, I was completely cut off. The only people I ever saw were Kenny and Baily. They took turns trying to talk me into things. Kenny wanted me to admit to the engagement. Baily wanted me to become the Austin family’s puppet. They just wanted to control me.”

“In the end, I only got out by pretending to die. It fooled the guards and gave me my shot to escape that dungeon.”

Adolphus had heard enough. He pulled Laurinda into his arms and spoke softly, “That’s enough. Everything you suffered, I’ll get it back for you.”

Laurinda hugged him, giving a light, easygoing smile.

“I meant what I said. I’ll make them pay for what they did to me, but not right now. Things have to be timed right.”

She tipped her head back, letting her chin rest on his chest, her dark eyes bright with determination.

Seeing her like that, Adolphus felt his heart melt a little. He kept his voice gentle. “Okay. It’s all up to you. And whatever you want, I’ll make sure you get it.”

They sat together in the car, holding each other a while longer. Once Laurinda felt steady again, she slipped out of his embrace. Without thinking, she reached for his hand, absently kneading his long fingers as she stared at them.

Adolphus watched her fiddle with his hand. For a moment, something fierce flickered in his eyes. Anyone who hurt Laurinda... they would regret it.

***

As soon as Laurinda stepped inside the lab building, she felt like something was off. She didn’t know any of Ladd’s team, so she didn’t bother saying hi to anyone. Clutching her keycard, she went straight toward Ladd’s office.

Just as she reached the door, it swung open and someone stepped out, making her stop short.

When she saw who it was, Laurinda’s lips twitched in surprise. She hadn’t expected to run into a familiar face here.

“Jarred, what’s up? Are you here to check on the lab?”

Jarred gave her a slow once-over, taking in her crisp, professional look. He thought of the rumors going around lately and seemed genuinely surprised that she was here for real.

With a cold, smug look, he said, “So you’re actually planning to join the lab? Do you even get the basics, or is all this for show?”