The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 497

"Thank you," Suzie said, her voice thick with genuine gratitude.

Her sincerity made Chester pause mid-step. He glanced back over his shoulder, gave her a warm smile, and then hurried off.

Oliver walked up right as Chester disappeared from view. He looked in the direction the man had gone. "You two close? I saw you hand him a file from a distance. Was that Stella's stuff?"

Suzie opened the passenger door and slid in. "Yeah. He says he's got connections. Since we're hitting a wall everywhere else, it can't hurt to have someone else looking into it. Might give Stella a better chance."

***

The next day.

After dropping the kids off at preschool, Suzie dragged herself back to the precinct.

It was a repeat of the day before. She couldn't see Stella, couldn't get a status update, and had zero idea when she might be released. She called every coworker on the list again—nothing. She checked in with Chester and Oliver—neither had found a solid lead yet.

Her new studio still required paperwork to be filed for final approval, but she couldn't summon the energy to care.

Mia, who had tagged along, could see how rapidly Suzie was spiraling. She gently pulled her toward a row of chairs in the lobby, rummaged in her bag, and handed her a bottle of juice. "Just sit for a minute, Suzie. You're going to make yourself sick with worry."

"I'm fine," Suzie murmured, taking the bottle. But the moment she spoke, her eyes brimmed with tears.

As they got into the car, Mia immediately pitched a distraction. "Then let's swing by the Bureau of Commerce. We can check if the studio's license is ready or if they need more paperwork."

Suzie looked at Mia, letting the silence stretch for a moment before she nodded. "Alright. Let's do that."

Reaching into her purse, Suzie pulled out a sleek bank card and handed it to Mia. "By the way, Hayden gave me this for you. It's your severance package."

Mia stared at the card, her brow furrowing. She immediately shook her head. "Suzie, I walked out without notice. You don't get severance when you quit like that. I can't take this. And please don't think I suggested going to the Bureau of Commerce because I'm desperate for a paycheck. I genuinely just wanted to get your mind off things."

Mia suddenly felt awful. She didn't have an income right now, and she had sworn she would follow Suzie anywhere. She didn't want Suzie thinking she was dropping hints about needing money.