The Billionaire's Temptation: Love, Family and Revenge-Chapter 98: Fredrick’s Curiosity

Vivian waved her hand as if brushing his questions away. "All those questions are irrelevant right now," she said firmly. "Just trust me and trust my ways. I know how to get information. I even told your stepfather about it, but the man didn’t even look surprised. Do you know what that means? It means he already knew and didn’t bother to tell me!"

Her face tightened with frustration, her voice rising with each word. "That man is beginning to act strange. He’s really getting on my nerves."

Fredrick blinked, trying to process what she had just said. "Wait a second," he blurted out. "Aren’t they... sisters?"

Vivian turned to look at him, and suddenly she burst into laughter. It wasn’t a small chuckle, but a loud, full laugh that shook her shoulders. She laughed as if he had just told the most ridiculous joke in the world. "Sisters?" she repeated, scoffing. "Sisters, my foot!"

Fredrick frowned, clearly not amused. "Mom, don’t be like that," he said seriously. "I really doubt Jane is behind this. You need to be sure before accusing someone of something so serious."

Vivian rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Accusations? That’s what you think this is?" she said, her voice thick with sarcasm. "You make me laugh, Fredrick. Can’t you see it? It’s been obvious all along. Those two were never truly sisters. And as for Mr.. what’s his name again? Yes Johnson I doubt he’s even Elena’s real father."

Fredrick shook his head slowly, still in disbelief. "But... that doesn’t make any sense."

"I don’t care," Vivian continued, her tone sharp and bitter. "That entire family gets on my nerves. Every time I think of them, I feel like I’m looking at hungry peasants, always trying to feed off someone else’s success. Always taking, never giving. Just leeches."

Fredrick stared at her in silence, his mind struggling to keep up with everything she had said. The room suddenly felt heavier, filled with tension and confusion. He opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t find the right words.

"This still doesn’t make sense," he finally said, his voice low but angry. "You’re making a lot of assumptions, Mom. What if you’re wrong?"

Vivian didn’t answer right away. Instead, she smiled again but this time, it was a cold smile, the kind that suggested she was already convinced of her own truth.

Vivian narrowed her eyes as she looked at Fredrick, her voice suddenly quiet but sharp. "Why do I feel like something is off with you?" she asked, studying his expression carefully. "I was expecting you to laugh, maybe even roll your eyes like you always do, especially when the Johnsons manage to surprise us with their endless drama. But instead, here you are defending Jane, doubting her actions like she’s some innocent child."

She took a step back, shaking her head in disappointment. Her tone grew colder. "Well, whether you like it or not, I’m sorry to say this but it’s too late. Your so-called stepbrother has already taken action."

Fredrick furrowed his brows, confused and alarmed. "What are you talking about?" he asked cautiously.

Vivian didn’t pause. Her next words were dropped like a bomb.

"Ford already locked her up," she said bluntly.

With that, Vivian turned around and stomped out of the room, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. She didn’t wait for a response or look back. Her anger trailed behind her like a storm cloud.

Fredrick froze for a moment, too stunned to react. His eyes widened as her words sank in fully. Then he shouted, his voice full of shock and disbelief, "What? Ford did what?!"

He rushed after her, but Vivian had already disappeared down the hallway. She didn’t turn around. She didn’t give him a chance to speak again. She was gone leaving Fredrick standing there, overwhelmed, confused, and burning with questions.

Fredrick’s heart pounded heavily in his chest, each beat echoing like a drum inside him. He sat still for a moment, stunned and confused. Locked her up? His mind kept repeating the words, unable to fully grasp the truth. Why would Jane go that far? Why would she lock her own sister inside a house and leave her there? What could have pushed her to such a dark decision?

Was it jealousy? That seemed like the only explanation. But jealousy so deep it made her act like that? Try to hurt her own sister? Fredrick clenched his fists and let out a deep sigh. He couldn’t help but feel annoyed not just at Jane, but at the mess the whole situation had made him be.

Walking slowly back to his room, Fredrick pushed the door open and closed it behind him with a quiet click. The room was dimly lit, the curtains still drawn, casting long shadows on the wooden floor. He sat heavily on the edge of his bed, running a hand through his hair, his thoughts racing back to the last time he had seen Jane.

She had looked so different then. Her eyes were filled with fear, and her hands had trembled as she spoke. She seemed disturbed, scared, like someone carrying a heavy burden. Something about her had changed, and now it all started to make sense but not completely. His mind then drifted to Ford’s assistant, trying to remember if there had been any strange signs or hidden messages in their actions. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t place anything.

"Was she being blackmailed?" he muttered under his breath, frowning deeply. It was the only other explanation that seemed possible. Maybe Jane wasn’t as cruel as she appeared. Maybe someone had forced her hand.

Driven by a sudden wave of urgency, Fredrick stood up so quickly that his chair nearly fell over. He rushed toward the door, determined to go out and find the truth. But just as his hand touched the doorknob, he froze. His feet stopped moving. "What am I doing?" he whispered to himself, confused. Slowly, he turned back and walked to the side of his bed, sinking down with a sigh.

He rubbed his temples, frustration building inside him. He couldn’t believe he had gotten so worked up because of Jane. The same Jane who never even noticed him. Her eyes were always on Ford, that arrogant man who didn’t even seem to care she existed. Yet here Fredrick was, almost running into the night just to help her.

"Jane Johnson," he muttered bitterly, "what have you done to me?"

He hated how soft he was becoming when it came to her. He hated that despite everything, he still cared. Shaking his head in anger, trying to force her image out of his mind, he stood up again. Marching to his drawer, he pulled out the file he had originally come to get. Without another thought, he checked the file briefly, slammed the drawer shut, and stormed out of his room, frustration written all over his face.

He needed answers.

As Fredrick drove down the quiet road, his mind refused to rest. The car moved steadily, but inside, he felt heavy and restless. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake the weight in his heart. It was Jane, her face, her voice, her last expression when they spoke it all haunted him.

He didn’t want to believe the things people were saying about her. Deep down, he still doubted she had done anything wrong. Could Jane really have hurt her own sister? The thought troubled him. It didn’t fit the image of the woman he had come to know. Something felt off.

His fingers hovered over his phone for a moment before he finally picked it up. While keeping one hand on the steering wheel and his eyes focused on the road, he dialed a number. Every few seconds, he glanced at the screen, waiting to see if the person would answer. The line rang for a while, and just when he was about to hang up, someone picked.

"Hello?" a female voice said from the other side.

"Long time, Mary. It’s Fredrick," he said clearly, making sure she recognized him.

There was a pause, followed by a surprised voice. "Fredrick Lugard?" she asked, clearly shocked. "I didn’t expect to hear from you today. How did you even get my number?"

Fredrick gave a small smile, though she couldn’t see it. "It’s a long story," he replied lightly. "Let’s just leave that for another time."

"Okay..." Mary said slowly, still curious. "So what’s going on?"

"I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor," Fredrick said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Of course," she replied politely. "Go ahead."

He took a deep breath before speaking. "I need to know the name of the station where Jane Johnson was taken. I believe you’ve heard of her?"

There was a short silence on the other end before Mary responded. "Yes... I’ve heard of her. But Fredrick, why do you want to know that?" she asked, her tone changing from calm to curious.

Fredrick’s grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel. He had expected the question. But how could he tell her that his heart just wouldn’t rest until he knew the truth? That something inside him wouldn’t stop pulling him back to Jane?

"I just need to know," he said quietly. "Please."

he begged.