Chapter 195
Tyrone stumbled home that evening, still feeling heavy with the day's toll.
Upon seeing him, Cecilia hurried over with a concerned look. "Son, have you been keeping busy lately?"
He shrugged off his coat and tossed it to the family's faithful housekeeper, Wilma. "Same old, same old. What's up?"
Cecilia pulled him over to the couch, her voice laced with gossip. "Did you hear about that little vixen Quintessa taking a shot at stardom? Ring any bells?"
Loosening his tie, Tyrone asked nonchalantly, "What about her?"
Cecilia's voice was a mix of worry and disdain. "Well, she's gone and got herself tangled up with some singer. Seriously, what was she thinking? He's nothing compared to my boy. And the internet is just buzzing with her scandals - affairs, abortion rumors, sugar daddies - it's all quite sordid."
Tyrone's face darkened. "That's all bogus. Don't buy into that nonsense. Every celebrity gets dragged through the mud. You're educated, Mom. You should know better than to believe every little thing you hear." Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.
"And how do you know it's not true? There's evidence out there. And why are you defending her so strongly? Don't tell me you've been messing around with her?"
He stood up, feeling his patience waning. "Yeah, just got back from a tryst with her."
Cecilia's voice turned sharp with worry. "You better cut ties with that girl. Forget her character; just her involvement with the Young family is like an unending bad debt. We don't need a Rachel in our lives, and we most certainly can't have a Quintessa."
Shaking his head, Tyrone tried to ease Cecilia's fears. "Mom, I've told you, my business is my own. You can't control it, so why stress yourself out?"
"Is that the way to speak to your mother?"
With a sigh, he began unbuttoning his cuffs. "I've always talked to you like this. You should be used to it by now. I know what I'm doing with Quintessa. If those rumors were true, she'd be history. Nobody gets one over on your son. I'm beat. I'm heading upstairs."
With a wave of his hand, he left Cecilia, who was standing there, with worry etched on her face.
Once in his room, Tyrone pulled out his phone and dialed Quintessa's number. The call got connected but was abruptly cut off.
Staring at his phone, he was frustrated enough to wish her number would blossom into a flower just from his glare.
How dare she hang up on her boss? Did she not care about her career anymore?
He quickly rang James, his right-hand man, instructing him to check if Quintessa had work that evening.
James reported back swiftly. "Mr. York, I've spoken with Director Cooper. Ms. Quintessa Young isn't scheduled for any scenes tonight."
"Got it."
Tyrone felt uneasy. If Quintessa wasn't working, why wasn't she picking up her phone?
What could she possibly be up to at this ungodly hour?
Seeing another man? Or worse.
In the shadows of the night, Quintessa ended Tyrone's call without a second thought. She turned to Yolanda with a serious voice, "I'll ask you one last time - are you sure you don't want this child?" Yolanda nodded, denoting that her resolve was clear. "I'm sure."
"Alright, then we'll proceed as planned. The day after tomorrow, we play our hand. No mistakes."
"Don't worry, I won't mess up. I'll seize this chance. Thank you."
"We're in this together. No thanks needed."
After parting ways with Yolanda, Quintessa checked her phone - four missed calls from Tyrone.
A sly smile crept under her mask. Oh Tyrone, she thought, let's see how you play this game.
Quintessa could almost be certain now; Tyrone's interest in her had moved beyond mere curiosity. When a man starts to get jealous, love can't be too far off, can it?