She turned to Jaxen and asked, “Didn’t I tell you to keep digging for more evidence to put her away again? Have you found anything?”

Jaxen ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated.

“I’m still searching, but the things she’s done in the past don’t come close to something as extreme as murder. A lot of it was nothing more than vile, repulsive actions.”

Alfy, who had been silently observing, interjected curiously, “If Neil is so devoted to Lise, couldn’t you create some discord between them?” Katelyn and Jaxen both turned to look at Alfy. Jaxen’s eyes sparkled as though he had struck gold. He dashed over, scooped up Alfy, and spun her around joyfully.

“Alfy, you’re brilliant! My lucky star!” he exclaimed, laughing heartily.

The spinning made Alfy dizzy, and the nausea she had been holding back surged forward.

“Put me down. I’m going to throw up,” she murmured weakly to Jaxen.

However, Jaxen, caught up in his excitement, disregarded her begging. He twirled her around once more.

At that moment, Katelyn instinctively turned away, seeking refuge in Vincent’s arms, unable to watch.

“Ugh!” Alfy couldn’t hold it any longer and vomited all over Jaxen. Jaxen stopped in his tracks, his expression twisted in disgust as he blurted out angrily through gritted teeth, “Damn it! Did you really have to puke on me?!”

Tears filled Alfy’s eyes. She sniffled and replied, “I told you. It’s your fault for not putting me down.”

“Ugh, I can’t deal with this!” Jaxen groaned. He then carried Alfy straight to the bathroom. Since they were both covered in vomit, he figured it would be best to head there immediately, rather than risk spreading the mess further.

Meanwhile, Katelyn realized she had reflexively ducked into Vincent’s arms to avoid the scene. Her body tensed, and she quickly stepped back from him. Though she kept her face calm, her heart pounded unusually fast. She tried to sound casual as she said, “Sorry, I just reacted instinctively.”

“It’s okay,” Vincent responded, his deep eyes twinkling slightly with amusement.

Suddenly, Katelyn felt awkward, unsure of how to position her hands or stand. Usually so composed, she now felt strangely unsettled. She approached the cabinet, retrieved a set of clothes she kept at the hospital, and carried them to the bathroom door.

L?tτ ?нαρτ?rs ιn glov?ls.

“Alfy, here are some clothes for you to change into,” she said.

By that time, Jaxen had removed his dirty shirt and was cleaning himself up at the sink. He turned to Alfy.

“You wash up first,” he instructed, stepping out without a shirt.

Katelyn set the clothes aside and looked at Alfy with concern.

“How are you feeling now? Any better?” she asked.

Alfy, perched on the edge of the bathtub, responded with a nod.

“A bit better. It’s all Jaxen’s fault. He triggered my nausea again.”

Katelyn took a deep breath, feeling the odd sensation in her chest subside as well.

“Alright. You freshen up first, and we’ll talk later,” Katelyn said before exiting the bathroom.

Once in the main room, Katelyn looked around and noticed only Jaxen. She double-checked to confirm Vincent was truly gone.

“Don’t bother looking,” Jaxen commented without looking up from his phone.

“Vincent had to leave. Something urgent at his company,” he explained.

Katelyn nodded, accepting his explanation without further comment. With both Jaxen and Alfy present, she decided to make the most of their time together. She took them out for a meal, and they only parted ways to head home after finishing their food.

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