The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 317

Grace lived close by and hopped in a cab to get there in no time.

Maybe because she'd just been read the riot act by Brandon, Theresa was a bit scared when she saw Grace. She timidly called out, "Auntie Grace," and slowly sidled up to Grace, taking her hand as a peace offering.

"Sorry," she murmured, her apology barely above a whisper.

Grace's heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled back down.

"Do you have any idea how worried sick you made me?" Grace blurted out, but couldn't keep her emotions in check any longer, bursting into tears and hugging Theresa tight, sobbing, "You scared the living daylights out of me."

Theresa was a bit freaked out by Grace's reaction, quietly nestled in her embrace without a word.

"Sorry," she murmured again.

Grace hugged her a little tighter. "You can't ever do that again, got it?"

"Yes," Theresa whispered back, not daring to make another peep.

Both Brandon's sternness and Grace’s breakdown left her bewildered, her little mind and understanding not quite sure how to deal with all that was happening.

When the police saw the two knew each other, they stepped up to ask, "You're related to the child, right?"

Grace nodded quickly, "Yes, I'm her nanny. We live in River-View Community."

The officer looked at Theresa, "Sweetheart, is this your family?"

Theresa nodded, not fully grasping the situation, "Yes."

As though worried the cop wouldn't buy it, she clung tighter to Grace's neck.

After jotting down Grace's name, phone number, and address, and making sure everything checked out, the cop lectured, "She's just a kid; you adults gotta keep an eye out. What if something happened?"

"Definitely, definitely," Grace promised hastily, "It's my fault, really. I never thought she'd go out on her own. I had just put her to bed and then, you know..."

The officer then turned to Theresa, "Little one, you can't just go out by yourself, okay? There are lots of bad people out there."