Chapter 14

The next afternoon, Preston was still asleep when a sudden shake jolted him awake. He pressed a hand to his throbbing head and opened his eyes. Just as he was about to snap, he caught sight of Simone, her face streaked with tears. "Pres, Mrs. Norwood wants to fire my parents and kick our whole family out. You have to do something!" At those words, the haze clouding Preston's thoughts vanished instantly. He bolted upright, his voice filled with disbelief as he replied, "That's impossible!" Without a second thought, he grabbed his phone and called Paige to get to the bottom of it. But as soon as the call connected and she learned the reason for his call, she curtly cut him off. "That's final," she said before hanging up. Simone overheard Paige's firm response, and her sobs grew louder. She clung to Preston, begging, "Mr. Norwood, please, talk to Mrs. Norwood again. My family hasn't done anything wrong. I just want to stay by your side. You understand how I feel about you, don't y