Chapter 19: Upbringing

"Dad, stop overthinking!" Josephine turned away. Her admiration for Jared had grown, especially after he'd protected her from Tommy. She felt safe with him.

Suddenly, the hotel manager entered, reporting, "Mr. Sullivan, Tommy and Mr. Chance have left with their men."

"I see," William nodded. Turning to Josephine, he instructed, "Hurry and gather Mr. Chance's medications. Then, arrange for someone to discreetly watch him. I believe the Scott family won't let this go easily."

"Got it," Josephine replied, immediately beginning to follow his instructions.

After leaving the Glamor Hotel, Jared went home. It was noon. He knew his mother would be expecting him.

The dining table was laden with dishes when he arrived. His parents were waiting.

"Jared?" Hannah asked, hearing the door.

"Mom, it's me!" He hurried to her and took her hand.

"Oh, son, where have you been? Your father's been waiting!" Though Hannah sounded like she was grumbling, her face was filled with joy.

"I had to take care of some things," Jared explained. Gary emerged from the kitchen. Unlike three years prior, he looked much older; his hair was white, his face lined.

"You're back," Gary said simply, his eyes bright with excitement, though he tried to hide it.

Jared nodded, his eyes slightly reddened. "Being the family's breadwinner, you were once a respected civil servant—energetic and dashing. These past three years must have been hard."

"Let's eat before the food gets cold," Gary said, serving Jared a plate of pasta.

Jared's upbringing under Gary's authoritative rule meant this was unusual. Meals were always prepared for Gary, not by him. Their lives had changed drastically.

During lunch, Gary and Jared were quiet. Jared, wary of his father because of his upbringing, remained silent. Hannah, however, was talkative. She’d had much on her mind since Jared's imprisonment.

"Jared, now that you're back, find a job and a girlfriend," she lectured. "We're not doing well financially, but things will improve if you and your dad work hard. Your dad can sweep streets. I'll ask Aunt Polly to help you find a girlfriend. Once you settle down and have a family, everything will be fine. Just don't look for Sandy; she's married into the Scott family. We can't afford to cross them. Don't repeat your mistake. I couldn't bear it if you went back to jail."

Jared nodded throughout her speech.

After lunch, he cleared the table and washed up. Gary was putting on his sanitation uniform.

"Dad, now that I'm back, please don't clean streets anymore. I'll take care of us," Jared said, producing a set of keys. "A friend is letting us borrow a nice house. Let's move."

Jared wanted to move his parents to Dragon Bay; their current house was dilapidated. However, he didn't reveal how he'd obtained the new house, simply claiming it was from a friend.