Escape from Mr. Whitman (Emma and Theodore) novel Chapter 275

As soon as she landed, Emma headed straight for the county jail. She told the guard at the desk that she was Julian Bennett’s daughter and asked if she could see him.

Unsurprisingly, the officer informed her that Julian had already been released on bail.

Her anxiety was clear. “I’m sorry, I just got back from overseas. Do you know who arranged my father’s bail?”

It was the lawyer.

Her family had hired an attorney for Julian and paid the necessary fees for his release.

If her family had the money—or rather, if her mother and brother had ever been willing to pay—her father would have been out long ago. The only reason he’d stayed behind bars, without a lawyer or any effort made, was because there wasn’t enough money, or her mother simply refused to spend it.

Now, it seemed, someone else had stepped in.

“I know who it was,” Emma muttered, squatting down on the steps outside the jail, suddenly feeling utterly defeated.

“Theodore Whitman?” Sebastian guessed.

Emma didn’t answer. She just pulled out her phone, staring at the long string of missed calls highlighted in red, then dialed the number back.

He picked up immediately, his voice breaking out in a rush of excitement. “Emma? You’re back? Why didn’t you tell me your flight number? I would’ve picked you up! Where are you? I’ll come right now!”

“Where’s Grandma?” Emma ignored his rambling, her voice cold and flat.

“Grandma?” Theodore let out a short, incredulous laugh. “You hid Grandma away from me, and now you’re asking me about her?”

“Tell me where she is!” Emma was on the verge of losing it, practically shouting into the phone.

Theodore finally realized something was wrong. “Emma, what are you talking about? What’s going on? What happened to Grandma?”

“She’s missing! What did you do with her? Tell me now!” Emma’s voice broke as she sobbed into the phone. She was terrified—her heart twisted with worry and fear. She’d forced herself to stay calm all this way, telling herself to think rationally, to not lose control.

But now, she was crumbling. If Theodore had been standing in front of her, she might have taken a swing at him.

Sebastian and Larson called out to her at the same time.

They both agreed: call the police. It was the only option.

Emma nodded. There was nothing else she could do.

“Come on, let’s go catch a cab.” Larson helped her up, took her hands, and turned so she could climb onto his back.

“Larson…” Emma hesitated, unused to being carried like this.

“Emmie, I know you’re hurting right now. Just lean on me and let it out. When you’re done crying, we’ll find Grandma together.” Larson carried her out the door.

The words undid her. The tears she’d fought so hard to hold back broke free again.

But she didn’t make a sound. Her face pressed against Larson’s shoulder, tears streaming down uncontrollably, soaking through his shirt.