"Do you have everything?" Jason asked Jessie breaking the silence as they stood amongst his numerous cars in the garage.

She nodded. "Good."

​​

"I know it's hard for you to send me away without any bodyguards, with my own car. Thank you, you've already done more than enough, with fake ID and driver's license, I'm not even sure I want to know how. I promise to be safe." She said.

He nodded.

She bit her lip as she saw the grim look on his face, dressed in a plaid grey suit two days after his ball he was going back to work. And she was going in search of the runaway detective.

"Can I hug you?" She asked softly.

"You don't have to ask me that."

"I don't want it to seem like I'm playing with your emotions or anything." She said with a small smile and he narrowed his eyes at her and shook his head.

She moved forward and snaked her arms round his torso, pushing them in between his pocketed hands as she placed her head on his chest. She wanted to remain there forever but he didn't wrap his arms around her, so she pulled away.

Tucking her hair behind her ear she bid him farewell. As she turned around to pull the door open he grabbed her arm and spun her around. Pushing her aganist the car, he leaned placed a soft kiss on her lips. After the initial shock past, her eyes fluttered shut and she ran her fingers through his hair, grabbing his upper arm with the other. The kiss was deep but it wasn't intense. Just enough to convince her regardless he would always love her, enough to convince her to come back, safe.

Jason pulled away, scared he wouldn't be able to let her go if he didn't. Without a word he turned around and walked away, leaving her in the garage.

Jessie sighed and got into the car, she started it and drove out. She had to go into the city to pick Katherine up first, the gps guided her as she left the manor. Without looking back she drove out, she didn't have to look back she was going to return. Or was she?

Jason picked up his phone immediately he saw her car drive out. "Make sure nothing happens to either of them, and you must not be seen okay?"

**************************************************

"Go home, I'm not giving you any of my clothes." Jason informed Paul as he shoved him out of his room.

"Really? I will walk around naked then!" Paul huffed.

"Why are you such a pest!" Jason groaned. "Butler Choi, get him some clothes to wear, I'm sure you can figure something out."

"Of course sir." The butler bowed and left them.

Paul pulled his bath robe closer around him and sat down on the chair, making sure not to loosen the towel he wrapped on top his head.

Jason shook his head at his friend and started to walk out of the room when Paul stopped him. "What now?!"

"Hey, don't yell at me. You're all over the news and social media." Paul said, turning his phone around to show Jason the news.

"What? This isn't possible how does the media have these pictures?" Paul didn't answer as he assumed the question was rhetorical.

"Tch... I should have known Patricia wouldn't yield her reporter but how did the person pass security with a camera?" He thought aloud.

"If that's possible it's safe to say someone else if not more than one came in here with their phones, or some other device." He stated.

"So your location is compromised?" Paul asked.

"It is possible." He sighed in frustration, running his hands through his hair. "The pain I went through because of that wicked woman." His voice full of ire as he spoke.

"Cut her some slack she didn't tell you to throw the party here." Paul said.

"She did. And since when are you defending Jessie?" His eyes full of suspicions assessed Paul.

"I'm just saying, you could be overreacting."

Jason features became dead serious. "Do you really believe that?"

"No." Paul agreed. "You're definitely compromised and there could be multiple culprits. It's also safe to say Jessie has also been compromised." He stated firmly.

Jason squinted his eyes and pursed his lips, Paul noticing his reaction realised why. "That didn't sound right." They both said.

"Either it's theoretically true. If they know the location of my manor then Jessie isn't entirely safe either." Jason agreed.

"What now? Are you going to stop them from going on the trip?" With hope filled eyes he asked Jason.

"Look at how your looking at me" he huffed. "I'm just as powerless as you, I can't stop them but I am going to increase the number of bodyguards. Maybe add one helicopter, what do you think?" He asked.

"A chopper will attract too much attention, how about the gps!" Paul asked as a light bulb lit in his head.

"It's gone, she found out about it and had it removed." Jason frowned.

"Then we plant another on the car they use." He suggested.

"Already did, I tagged all the cars so regardless of the one she chooses."

Paul nodded, "ugh I just wish they wouldn't go. Nothing good is going to come out of Katherine going there."

"What if she actually finds her father?"

"Does it matter? Fact remains he abandoned her for 27 years now. It's just going to be a painful journey whatever the outcome." He sighed, dejected.

"Either way, this is something she needs to do."

***************************************************

"She just left, she should be picking Katherine up in about an hour." Jason informed Paul over the phone.

"And how many guards are following her?"

"Seven. All in different and random cars, are you satisfied?" He asked.

"I'll only be satisfied when they are back safe." Paul replied.

"Same here."

Preview 160: Dead too long.

"Hmm... a pest has refused to die and it has become so confident. So before I exterminate it, I want to humble it some." Patricia mused, pushing her wet hair away from her shoulder.

"And this pest is?"

"Jessie Marin."

"Jessie Marin? I don't understand you found her?"

"Yeah... in the most unexpected of places" She said through clenched teeth and a fisted fist. Shrugging it off, now was not the time to be emotional. She walked over to Mary and sat beside her.

"What do you want to do?"