Chapter 21
The more he thought about it, the more Frederick felt that something was off. After pondering for a while, he put down the perfume he was holding and turned to call Yuna.
At that moment, Yuna was busy sorting out packages with her mom. Seeing Frederick’s incoming call made her day. She answered jubilantly, “Freddie, you’re calling this late, missing me already?”
Ignoring her tease, Frederick cut directly to the chase, “Yuna, who have you been living with all these years? Where do you live?”
Caught off guard, Yuna replied, “I’ve been living at the casino with my parents!”
Frederick felt a shiver ran through his eyes upon hearing this.
Then, Zoe swiftly grabbed Yuna, hastily typing a reminder on her phone, “You’re supposed to be Marguerite, remember her place!”
Realizing her slip, Yuna nervously added, “But, I was living with my grandma in a rented place on Riverside Boulevard some years back.”
“Where exactly on Riverside Boulevard?”
Yuna wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but she knew Frederick was onto her. She feared he’d find the exact rental location and expose the truth about Marguerite. If that happened, her rich lady dream would be blown!
That was a no–go.
So, Yuna decided to play dumb. She pretended to think hard, but to no avail, “Freddie, I can’t remember. I had a high fever when I was little, messed up my memory a bit. But I remember living with my grandma before moving to the casino with my parents.”
Frederick lit a cigar, “Last time I was at the casino, I didn’t see your grandma.”
“Because…, because she went missing then. I have no idea where she went. So, my parents took me home.”
Frederick took a drag on his cigar, mulling over Yuna’s words. His silence made Yuna and Zoe anxious. Yuna shifted her eyes and added, “Freddie… I have a terrible headache, I can only remember so much. But I’m telling you the truth. I have no reason to lie.”
She sounded so sincere, even a bit tearful.
Without further questioning, Frederick hung up abruptly, then told his assistant Chuck, “Look up all the rentals on Riverside Boulevard.”
Chuck seemed troubled, “Mr. Winston, as far as I know Riverside Boulevard is a well–known refugee reception area, at least ten blocks. How should we go about it?”
Frederick’s determination was palpable, he slowly said, “Search block by block, question every household.”
Chuck, “… Yes, Mr. Winston.”
After hanging up, Yuna was seized with unprecedented fear. She jumped around anxiously like a scared kid, “Mom! I shouldn’t have told him about Marguerite’s old address! What if he finds Marguerite?”
Zoe grinned cunningly, “I bet my bottom dollar Frederick won’t find Marguerite no matter how hard he tries. Remember, she’s wearing a mask, you and Marguerite look identical, how could he tell?”
Hearing this, Yuna calmed down, a mischievous smile on her lips. She hugged Zoe’s’arm, “Mom, you’re so smart. You think of everything, you even had Marguerite wear a mask.”
“Of course. With Frederick being so loaded, we can’t let him slip away easily. Besides, you’re his favorite now, he won’t suspect a thing. Otherwise, why would he let us stay at his place? Even arrange his personal driver for us. Yuna, he values you, you must seize this opportunity!”
Just thinking about living with Frederick from tomorrow made Yuna blush, with excitement bubbling inside. Her proud face was like she had become a lady of leisure, beaming with delight.
Her happy life was about to start. As for the stand–in, Marguerite, she could hit the road now!
