Love Rents A Room -
Chapter 124: He Found His Niche
Chapter 124: He Found His Niche
Jeffrey’s jaw clenched. "He’s not backing off. Even their aunt’s pleas don’t register with him. He’s hellbent on getting back at you."
Joanne exhaled sharply, her fingers tightening around the edge of the table. Of course Ian Walsh wouldn’t let it go. He was doubling down—raising complaints, spinning lies. Now, he was even claiming that the kids had been kidnapped by their aunt. And he had done it immediately after speaking to the news.
Someone was advising him, feeding his delusions, urging him to dig himself deeper—all just to drag her down with him.
"I worry for the kids..." she murmured. She could handle the public scrutiny, the court battles, the accusations—but them? They were just children. And their own father was using them like pawns.
Jeffrey’s grip on her hand tightened.
Joanne swallowed past the frustration bubbling in her throat. "Maybe I handled it all wrong. If I had just gone through legal channels from the start, maybe... maybe none of this would have happened. I should’ve turned him in and let CPS take over. Then the kids probably would have ended up with their aunt legally..."
She trailed off, doubt gnawing at her insides. Did she make the wrong call?
Jeffrey didn’t hesitate. He turned her face toward him and pressed a firm kiss to her forehead.
"I was there, Jo. You did the right thing." His voice was low, steady—unshakable.
She closed her eyes for a moment, soaking in the warmth of his reassurance.
She had found them that night—running, scared, desperate to escape their father. If she hadn’t stepped in, anything could have happened. And even after everything, Ian wasn’t fighting for them. He wasn’t trying to bring them home out of love or concern.
He just wanted to win.
It wasn’t about his kids—it never had been. It was about his ego.
"Like the lawyer said, the judge will understand and place them with their aunt..." Jeffrey murmured, wrapping his arms around her, his hand moving in slow, reassuring strokes along her back.
Joanne nodded against his chest, exhaling softly. She had done everything with the purest of intentions. She had given those children safety, warmth, and a chance at peace. That was all she ever wanted—for them to have a stable home, free from fear. But the weight of it all pressed against her, a burden she had willingly taken on, yet one that never seemed to lighten.
A sudden chime cut through the quiet moment. It wasn’t the usual notification sound from Jeffrey’s phone. It was sharper. Urgent.
She pulled back slightly. "You changed your notification sound?"
Jeffrey’s brows furrowed as he lifted the phone, his thumb already swiping across the screen. "No... this..." His eyes darkened as they skimmed the text. "This is a priority notification."
Joanne watched the shift in his expression—how his easy warmth disappeared, replaced by something sharper, something dangerous. He read the message once more, then quickly typed a reply, his fingers moving with controlled precision. The air around him changed. He looked like a commander preparing for war.
She shamelessly admired him in that moment. There was something about a man so completely in his element, so effortlessly powerful when doing what he was meant to do.
And Jeffrey... he was born to lead.
His gaze flickered to hers, serious, steady. He placed both hands on her shoulders, grounding her. "Listen to me, and don’t panic."
Her heart kicked against her ribs. She swallowed hard and nodded.
"We asked your drivers to check their cargo last night, didn’t we?" he asked.
"Yes." She leaned in slightly, curiosity and dread coiling tight in her stomach. Ever since someone had accused her of illegal dealings through her logistics company, she and Jeffrey knew it was a deliberate setup. That was why they had ordered every driver to inspect their loads thoroughly.
Jeffrey exhaled through his nose, his grip tightening on her arms. "One of the trucks had... girls."
For a moment, Joanne’s mind blanked.
Then the words registered, and her stomach dropped.
"Girls?" she whispered, horror creeping into her voice. "As in—trafficked girls?"
Jeffrey’s jaw tensed. He nodded.
Joanne’s breath hitched. "How many? How young? Are they—are they safe?"
He let out a small, almost amused exhale—of course that would be her first concern. Not the damage to her business. Not the scandal waiting to erupt. But the well-being of the girls.
"The driver reported it immediately. The police have already filed an official report." He reached for her hands, squeezing gently. "Because we caught it first, the narrative is in our control. If the truck had been stopped at a checkpoint or intercepted before we discovered it, this could have been catastrophic."
The words barely registered. Joanne’s hands were trembling. She curled them into fists, trying to stop the shaking, but fear had already taken root inside her.
Human trafficking. In her trucks. Under her company’s name.
She couldn’t breathe.
"Jo." Jeffrey’s voice was firm as he pulled her into his embrace. "We can handle this. Do not panic."
She buried her face against his chest, taking a deep, shaky breath.
Never in her life had she harmed another soul deliberately. And now, someone had tried to frame her for one of the most heinous crimes imaginable.
Was this what business competition had become? A battlefield where innocent lives were used as collateral damage? How could someone be so cruel? So monstrous?
Jeffrey pressed a lingering kiss to the top of her head, his hand cradling the back of her neck. "You don’t understand this world, Jo. The higher you climb, the more enemies you make. And you? You’ve climbed fast."
She clenched her jaw. She had spent years growing her business, honestly, working twice as hard as others, minding her own affairs. She had no interest in power plays or sabotage. But someone—someone with deep pockets and no conscience, saw her success as a threat. And now, they had drawn her into a game she had no idea how to play.
But Jeffrey did.
He had seen the dark side of this world. He had walked through its shadows and learned its rules through his grandfather. And now, standing beside her, he realized something with absolute certainty...
She was too inexperienced and kind-hearted for this battlefield.
But he wasn’t.
He was inexperienced but no one could blame him for his tender heart.
Finally, he had found his niche. He would stand by her side.
Joanne had a good heart—too good. But he had no problem becoming the monster needed to fight back.
He would not let her business fall.
And whoever had done this?
They were going to regret it.
"I’ll leave for the meeting. I’ll keep you in the loop," he said and climbed up the stairs.
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