Chapter 846

"I'm fine," Melina replied, sounding confused. "I've been at home, eating and relaxing. My phone's been on the whole time." There was a pause on the other end of the line before Lyla spoke again. "Melina, none of us could reach you. I even tried calling you with a different number, and it still didn't go through." "Huh? Why?" "Why are you asking me? You might want to ask that controlling husband of yours. But anyway, forget about that for now. Shayla's in trouble. "Mrs. Kirby showed up at campus, dragged her by the hair, and even hit her. I tried to stop it, but Mrs. Kirby caused a scene and threatened to get Shayla expelled before dragging her back home." Melina's breath caught. She forgot about the issue with her phone and asked urgently, "Is Shayla okay? Why would her mom do that? I need to go see her!" "I only just found out about the fight myself. Apparently, Shayla's been at odds with her family for months. They cut off her allowance, and she's been living off-campus. "Mrs. Kirby suddenly showed up out of nowhere. I tried to intervene, but she went ballistic, saying it was a family matter and none of my business. I planned to head to Shayla's house to check on her." "Come pick me up. I'll go with you." "You sure I won't get stopped at the gate again?" Lyla asked warily. "You won't. I'll wait for you at the gate." "Alright, I'm on my way. And Melina, bring that bodyguard—uh, what's his name? Jason? Mrs. Kirby seems unhinged. I don't want you getting hurt if she lashes out." "Got it." Melina hung up, grabbed her coat, and headed downstairs. Andrew was in the kitchen, kneading dough. It was always a strange sight to see someone as commanding and intense as Andrew wearing an apron, focused on making pastries. Melina often felt guilty watching him in the kitchen, as if she were wasting his talents. But today, she didn't have time to dwell on it. She called out, "Andrew, stop what you're doing. I'm heading out, and I won't need the snacks." Andrew emerged from the kitchen, his hands dusted with flour. "Where are you going, Angel?" "I need to go out." "I'll come with you." Her tone turned sharp. "No, Lyla's coming to pick me up. We're going to Shayla's house." Andrew's eyes narrowed slightly. Melina was already at the door, slipping on her shoes. She turned to him and asked, "Andrew, why didn't you let Lyla in the last few times she came to see me?" Andrew's eyes narrowed further, his voice calm but firm. "You were asleep, and I didn't want her disturbing you. She's too noisy." Melina straightened up, and her tone became serious. "Next time someone comes to see me, let me know, okay?" She didn't stop to question why her phone wasn't working or how Lyla had been turned away multiple times. She assumed Andrew had moved past restricting her freedom. After all, everyone had visited her without any issues during their time in the mountains. What Melina didn't know was that other people had tried to visit her since their return to Oakread. Dante had come by, as had Yvonne and even Shayla herself, after briefly escaping Margaret. None of them had managed to see her. Calls never got through, and with Melina relying on an old phone and no social media apps, messages didn't reach her either. If she hadn't spotted Lyla's email in time, she wouldn't have known about Shayla's situation. Her anger flared at the thought of Andrew keeping her in the dark about Lyla's visits. Pulling on her coat, she called Jason to join her, then headed outside. She opened the gate and sat on the front step, waiting for Lyla to arrive. Andrew wiped his hands clean and watched her quietly inside the villa. He didn't try to stop her or argue. Instead, he gave instructions to Draven and Tyler to follow discreetly. He knew Melina well enough to understand she responded better to gentleness. She was upset now, and pushing her further would only backfire. As she waited at the gate, Melina's frustration simmered. She was upset with Andrew for not telling her about Lyla's visits, but her worry for Shayla outweighed her anger. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling about what might be happening to her friend.