Chapter 274: Not Giving Up
During her time out of prison, Grandma kept busy. Besides bonding with her grandchildren, she also ventured out, especially to Alibi Room bar for drinks.
As a regular at Alibi Room, Grandma was familiar with Kevin.
The moment she was released, Grandma headed straight to the bar for a drink.
While enjoying her drink, she was taken aback to learn that half of the bar belonged to Frank.
Curious about Frank's situation, she began to inquire and learned about his recent activities.
For instance, Frank had gone to New York, got arrested, appeared on television, and had been missing for six months, leading everyone to believe he was dead. Then, one day, he suddenly returned home with a large sum of money.
He also invested in the bar and spent money on renovations, among other things.
Grandma sensed something familiar in all this.
Her background was in Drug Dealing and all, so she knew that suddenly acquiring a large sum of money usually pointed to her line of work. Other businesses, even those operating in the shadows, wouldn't yield cash this quickly.
"..." Frank remained silent in response to Grandma's observations.
He hadn't shared his business dealings with anyone in the family. Even if Fiona and others had their suspicions, he never confirmed them.
Even though Karen had helped him with his money laundering activities, Frank hadn't disclosed where the funds came from.
Now that Grandma had pieced it together, Frank still wouldn't say a word.
"Well, in this line of work, the most important thing is to keep your mouth shut," Grandma nodded, noticing Frank's reluctance to speak.
Frank and Grandma didn't have much to discuss; they merely enjoyed their drinks, occasionally exchanging a few words.
After some time, Frank pushed Grandma to her room to rest.
"Mom, I don't want to hear anything about drugs in this house, especially around the kids. I've already told them to quit all substances. No one is allowed to touch them," Frank said before leaving the room.
"Mm? Okay," Grandma replied, pausing to give Frank a scrutinizing look before nodding.
Early the next morning, there was a knock at the door—it was Jimmy, holding coffee.
"Hey, good morning!" Jimmy waved.
"What are you doing here?" Frank frowned.
"I've brought my wife's lover over as promised. The whole apartment is now their battleground. Hey, Fiona!" Jimmy exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he spotted Fiona.
"Who is this pretty boy?" Grandma asked.
"Fiona's admirer," Sammi chimed in.
"Oh, make me two over-easy eggs, no butter on the toast, and some Maxwell coffee," Grandma said, eyeing Jimmy before addressing Sammi.
"Sure thing, coming right up!" Sammi responded.
"Chuckie, go pour coffee for Grandma," Sammi instructed the little chubby boy.
"Okay," the plump boy said, getting up to pour coffee.
Chuckie was Frank's grandson and Grandma's great-grandson, making it four generations living together.
"Good morning, Grandma! Fiona," Jimmy greeted, but his attention was solely on Fiona as he reached for her arm.
He looked deeply into Fiona's eyes, and she gradually shifted her gaze down to his lips.
*Cough, cough!* Frank cleared his throat twice.
Fiona snapped back to reality, pushing Jimmy away, only to find the kids staring at them.
"You need to go," Fiona said, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"Kid, did you hear that?" Frank said, his tone turning stern.
Jimmy rubbed his nose and, realizing the situation, didn't linger. From Fiona's reaction, he understood he still had a chance.
"Good morning, Grandma!" Lip rushed in, half-dressed, and dashed downstairs. Grabbing two bananas and a piece of bread, he headed for the door.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Frank asked.
"I have an urgent matter at the school lab," Lip mumbled, his mouth full of bread.
"Mind giving me a ride?" Lip asked as he spotted Jimmy outside.
"Where to?" Jimmy replied.
"To the University of Chicago," Lip said as he got into the car.
"The University of Chicago?" Jimmy was taken aback.
"I skipped a grade. When school starts, I'll be attending the University of Chicago," Lip explained briefly.
"Oh, by the way, how can I regain Fiona's trust?" Jimmy asked while driving.
Jimmy was primarily focused on Fiona, not overly concerned about Lip's situation.
"Can you blame her? You have another family now; Fiona won't break up someone else's home," Lip countered.
"I didn't marry for love; it was out of necessity. I have no feelings for my wife, and you know that. I just brought her boyfriend back to reunite with her," Jimmy clarified.
"Even without that, your other actions were pretty terrible. You started off as Steve, then became Jimmy, and everything about your background was fabricated. Then you vanished to Brazil and came back married," Lip pointed out.
"And you still expect her to trust you?" he challenged.
"Everything has a reason. Despite all that, I am still reliable," Jimmy insisted.
"Is that so? Then show me your actions," Lip replied.
"But Frank is always blocking me," Jimmy said.
"If you're truly determined, Frank won't stop you. If you manage to win my sister back, Frank won't interfere anymore. Ultimately, it depends on Fiona. Just park up front," Lip said, pointing to the intersection ahead.
As Lip got out, Jimmy gritted his teeth and drove back.
"Fiona!" As soon as Fiona stepped outside, not having gone far, she was stopped by Jimmy waiting for her.
"Get out of my way, and don't block the path," Fiona frowned.
"Why didn't you come to the airport that day?" Jimmy asked directly.
"I was on my way to the airport," Fiona said after pausing to consider his words.
"What happened in between?" Jimmy pressed.
If Fiona had left with him the night he departed from Chicago, everything might have turned out differently.
"It's pointless to discuss this now," Fiona said, attempting to sidestep Jimmy.
"I love you, Fiona," Jimmy declared.
"Stop saying that!" Fiona raised her finger to silence him.
"I will never give up. I love you, Fiona! I've always loved you!" Jimmy shouted as he watched Fiona walk away.
With her back turned to him, Fiona's expression was complex, but she couldn't help the corners of her mouth from twitching upward as she tightened her grip on her backpack.
(End of Chapter)