No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

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Ernest knew I was still pissed, so he didn't reply anything else.

When I saw Jefferson there, clad in a prison uniform, his usually stylish hair buzzed down to nearly nothing, it was a side of him I'd never seen before. For a moment, I was on the verge of tears.

Jefferson had fought hard for his place in the sun, earning his stripes through sheer grit and making it into Conrad's inner circle. But now, it seemed like everything was on the line.

"Jefferson," I called out softly.

"Why are you here?" he asked, surprisingly with a smile.

That was Jefferson for you; always a smile on his face in front of me, as if his world was perpetually sunny.

I found myself at a loss for words, but he just smiled again, "Do I look that bad? So bad you don't want to talk to me?"

I shook my head. Conrad mentioned he was taking it hard, but the Jefferson in front of me was still beaming with that familiar bright smile.

So, this was all a facade, just to keep me from worrying, to spare me the sight of his downfall.

"Jefferson, always handsome," I played along with his self-deprecating humor.

He snorted, "You don't have to comfort me."

"Jefferson, we all know you've been set up. Conrad and Ernest are looking for ways to help. Just hang in there, you'll be okay," I tried to sound reassuring while steering the conversation towards the information I needed.

Jefferson looked surprised, maybe at the fact that we were going to such lengths for him. After all, he had been taken into custody so quickly he hadn't had a chance to clear his name.

"Jefferson, we don't know the full story. You need to tell me everything. Who approached you, what went down with Deck, all the details. And if there's anything else, spill it," I pressed, desperate for answers.

Jefferson closed his eyes, silent for a moment.

I thought he was recalling the events, but when he opened his eyes, he said, "Drop it. Getting involved could drag you down too."

His defeatist tone hit hard.

"Jefferson, we can't just do nothing. No matter how powerful the other side is, if you're innocent, we won't let them pin anything on you," I reassured him.

"It's useless. This isn't back home. This is Houston. We can't fight those people," Jefferson said, shaking his head.

"Jefferson..."

"Felicia Hudson, if you care for me, heed my advice. Leave now. Go back home. Don't stay another day," Jefferson suddenly gripped the bars, his urgency palpable.

"Okay, I'll leave. But it took me a lot to get here. I just want to talk," I tried a different approach.

Jefferson shook his head, "Nothing to talk about. Just go, the sooner, the better."

"Jefferson, it's not like I can just catch a flight right now," I reminded him.

He tightened his grip on the bars, then let go, deflated.

"Jefferson, just talk to me," I pleaded.

Chapter 463 1

"Did you know Deck before?" I asked.

"Yeah, we'd played a few games, got along fine. But after he became my sparring partner, he started showing up late, leaving early, drinking on the job. Itmessed up my entire training schedule. I asked for a change, and he took it personally."

"It's normal to change sparring partners. Deck's behavior was off, like someone was pulling his strings, trying to trip me up," Jefferson looked lost in thought.

I let him continue, "It was Club Q. They want the championship, to make it five in a row. But their player hasn't been able to beat me. They needed me out of the way to win."

"Felicia, I've been framed... I've been framed," Jefferson suddenly became frantic, gripping the bars tightly.