Let Me Go, Mr.Lancaster!

Hope's entire body became rigid, and her heart beat rapidly.

Stan didn't even say which night he was talking about, but Hope knew he wasn't referring to the night he saw her with Tom Blackford. It was the night when he had returned to Oakwood.

Hope interrupted her uncle's speech without waiting for him to finish. "I'm not the one who took you upstairs that night."

Stan grimaced. His face was obscured by darkness. The cigarette in his mouth oozed with smoke as he leaned back and turned his dark gaze toward Hope.

Hope tried to calm her fastening heartbeat. She was undoubtedly terrified, especially with Stan fondling his cigarettes and staring at her as if he were measuring the situation carefully.

She released a heavy breath when Stan diverted his gaze back to the road.

Hope, worried about her uncle's reaction, spoke, "Uncle, I heard you're getting married."

Stan's thin lips rose slightly, but his tone remained the same. "You care about my affairs?"

The question seemed innocent to Hope, but she felt his words contained a hidden meaning that only he could decipher.

"I'm sorry. I just happened to overhear it. I'm not interested in your relationship," she mumbled in a low voice.

Stan rhythmically tapped the steering wheel with his delicate fingers, but he said nothing, which made Hope sigh a relief.

"Uncle, you can drop me off at the Belldown Road," Hope stated when they passed Sycamore Way, where she first intended to be dropped off.

Stan ignored her. "Stay at my place for tonight."

"Don't bother, Uncle," she immediately uttered. "My friend and I are supposed to meet here. You can just drop me off at Belldown Road."

Stan steered his car to the side of the road, taking control of the wheel. He locked it with a faint 'pop' and then turned to face Hope.

"Do you think you can lie to my face?"

All the blood on Hope's face drained.

Hope cleared her throat and reasoned, "I'm not lying, Uncle! I did set up a meeting with my classmates on this road."

She handed the phone to Stan as she talked. The screen showed the chat logs between her and Sydney, the words' Meet in Belldown Road' scrawled across the top. She told Sydney to act with her on the chat in advance.

Hope wished her uncle would not notice that she deleted some of their messages and only left the important ones.

Stan could not help but stare at Hope and notice how she acted like an obedient student. No trace of rebelliousness was evident. Her eyes were so pure, like a child who made all of her family proud because of her goodness.

Hope held out her phone for a long time; Stan didn't say anything, but she did see his eyes roaming around the screen, reading. Feeling embarrassed, Hope placed the phone back in her pocket; her palms were drenched in sweat.

As their drive resumed, Hope had a hunch that Stan did not inform their family about her trip to Sybarite. Hope was certain that Elizabeth would've said something about it if he had.

Still worried, Hope turned to her uncle. "Uncle, what happened last time was my fault. Please, I beg you, don't tell Grandpa about Sybarite," she pleaded with her shaking voice.

Stan remained silent. She could not get an answer or explanation out of him, which made her frustrated.

Eventually, the two of them arrived at Stan's house in the city. Stan went out of the car, and Hope followed, wanting to see more of the house, which looked more like an apartment complex. Its size made it look like it was a house for wealthy people.

"I purchased this property several years ago. I've never lived here, but housekeepers regularly come and go for maintenance," Stan stated as he watched Hope get her bag in the backseat.

Hope swung around and replied, "Thank you, Uncle," she murmured.

The two of them made their way toward the house, with Stan in the lead and Hope following.

"Is there anything else you need?" he asked as they both took a few more steps.

Hope shook her head. "No, I've got everything I need."

Stan nodded slowly. "Let me know if you need anything."

The two of them stepped into the elevator, and silence immediately filled the room when the door slammed shut. Stan stood tall and straight. His years in the army helped him maintain an explicit stance.

He glanced at Hope, standing still, and then the situation returned to him.

"Why did you leave your house so late at night?" he asked.

Stan's words may have expressed elderly care for her, but Hope could not help but feel touched.

However, the realization that her father, Richard, did not even consider letting her stay in their house dawned on her. It was already late in the evening, and there was also no cab service nearby. The closest was the bus stop, which would roughly take forty minutes. Another thing was she was afraid of the dark.

Besides, she had no idea where to go, after all. It was apparent that Richard sided with his legitimate children. He believed everything they said to him.

Hope suddenly felt sad because of her thoughts of what happened with her so-called father.

***

Hope bit her bottom lip as Stan opened the door using a key from his pocket. She watched him turn the light on and open the door wider for her to come through.

With hesitation, Hope entered and discovered that it was a one-bedroom house. The room only had one bed, a large television area, a table, and a soft-looking couch.

It didn't occur to her that she would share one bed with her uncle. The thought only made her chest fill with dread, and her heart beat faster.

"Make yourself comfortable," Stan stated as he removed his coat and slid the keys down the table. "Did you eat dinner already?"

Hope nodded sheepishly, asking, "Uncle, if you're lending me your bed, where will you sleep?"

Stan froze in the middle of him, removing his cufflinks. He originally intended to watch over Hope by sleeping on the couch. But seeing her scared expression, he decided otherwise.

"I am staying somewhere else." Stan smiled at Hope to make her feel relieved.

He grabbed his business card from his pocket and gave it to Hope. "Call me if you need anything."

"Okay…." Hope uttered while staring at Stan's name on the paper.

Hope didn't breathe a sigh of relief until Stan left. She was anxious about sharing a bed or room with her uncle, but thankfully, she didn't have to.

She stared at the paper and started saving her uncle's number. She would need it in case of emergency.