CHAPTER 48 – KIDNAPPED

 

The taxi stopped in front Eric’s mansion, and Drew paid the bill.
The black driver who looked a little like Michael Jordan noticed her injured knee and couldn’t help but ask: “Miss Barrymore, do you need help ?”

 

Drew shook her head: “No, thanks.”

 

Having limped towards the door, she rang the doorbell.

 

The black driver couldn’t help but look at the high walls.
Thanks to the recent tabloids mania and noticing the paparazzi in their parked cars, he soon realized that this was Eric Williams’ newly acquired mansion.
It didn’t really matter to him though as he was only a cab driver, he only shrugged, started his car, and left.

 

“Yes ?”

 

Hearing the familiar voice coming out of the intercom, the absurd pain in her knee hit her and Drew felt like crying.
It was only in front of Eric that she would show this side of her, because she knew he was the only one who cared.

 

“Eric, It’s me.” Drew said.

 

“Drew, wait, I’ll be right there.”

 

After a while, the door opened and Eric saw a distressed Drew hastily come in.
He shut the door and assessed her before asking in concern: “Drew, how did you hurt your leg ?”

 

The girl said in aggrieved tone: “That crazy woman locked me in my room, I didn’t have a choice but to escape from the second floor, so I tied some bed sheets together, and when I was climbing down, one of the knots got loose….”

 

Eric felt he really couldn’t understand Drew’s mother, what a silly woman.
He squatted to check the girl’s knee and found out that it was a little bruised and scraped on the surface of the skin: “Let’s go in, I’ll handle it.”

 

Drew held onto his sleeve and they walked two steps before Eric turned his head to look at the girl limping next to him.
He sighed, bent his back, hugged her and walked towards the house.

 

On the living room sofa, Eric got a first aid kit and started to clean Drew’s wound as he spoke: “Don’t do this next time, it was really dangerous, it’s fortunate that you only got yourself a minor injury.
And about your mother….” Eric suddenly halted his words, he really didn’t know how to evaluate the woman, so he said: “It won’t always be that way.”

 

Drew outstretched her white leg and allowed Eric to take care of her knee.
After a while, she suddenly asked: “Eric, did something happen ?”

 

Eric who was about to bandage her, froze and said: “Do you know something ?”

 

Drew nodded her head: “I feel something is off these days, that woman is secretly getting phone calls and she also locked me in.
When I made the headlines for my drug and alcohol addiction, she didn’t even bat an eyelid.”

 

Eric knotted the bandage on Drew’s knee and put the rest of the gauze and the alcohol back into the first aid kit.
He said: “About that, I don’t know whether I should tell you or not.”

 

Drew didn’t speak but looked uneasily at Eric, quietly waiting for him to go on.
She understood that the matter was somehow related to her.

 

“At noon, Annie called me from New York and said that someone wanted her to testify….
To testify that you and I had a sexual intercourse.”

 

Drew was really smart, and with only that single sentence, she quickly figured out the whole matter.

 

She stood up, her face contorted in sorrow and anger as her voice shook: “Yeah it’s definitely her, she’s been so sneaky these days, locked me up and told me it was for my own good.
She sounded like she was better than me, I’m so done with this, I want to sever my relationship with this bitch….”

 

“Drew, don’t.” Eric’s Asian roots couldn’t take it and he quickly stopped the girl from spouting out more vicious words, “Lass, no matter what, she’s your mother, you can’t say that.
She might not be exemplary, but she’s still your mother.”

 

Noticing Eric’s admonishing stance, Drew knew that if she kept going, he would certainly be angry.
Although it had become a normal thing to her as she quarreled a lot with Ildiko Jaid at home, since Eric said it was wrong, then it was definitely wrong.

 

“I’m sorry, Eric.” The girl weakly apologized.

 

“Alright, Drew.” Eric gently took the girl in his embrace and hugged her: “There has got to be people behind her pulling the strings, otherwise your mother probably wouldn’t do this.
After all, she wouldn’t benefit much from me being sent to jail.”

 

“I’m sorry, Eric, she…..
she probably did it for the money, she has already squandered the paycheck I got from 17 Again….
How can I help you ?”

 

“You don’t have to apologize, Drew, it has nothing to do with you and I’ve already asked Edward to handle the matter.
You’re still young, you don’t need to worry about these things.”

 

The two of them talked for awhile, and when Eric took a peek outside, the sun was about to set.
“You relax, I’ll go make dinner.
Is there something you’d like to eat ?”

 

“Pizza, steak, pasta…..” Drew enumerated a bunch of dishes.

 

She was still listing them when Eric flicked her forehead: “Do you think I can make all these ? Let’s order takeout then.
But you, always eating junk food, aren’t you afraid of becoming a little chubby girl ?”

 

“Nope, why, won’t you like me then ?” Drew pouted.

 

Eric had just picked up the phone, that the doorbell rang.
He handed it over to Drew and said: “You order, I’ll go.”

 

Drew took over the phone, opened the directory on the table and looked for a decent restaurant.

 

Eric walked in front of the door and inquired about the person’s identity in the intercom: “Mr.
Williams, I’m from the Los Angeles Police Department.”

 

He opened the door and was faced with a fat man in a police uniform and a thirty-year-old woman.
Just looking at the latter’s appearance, Eric instantly knew who she was; after all, she really looked like Drew.

 

The police officer was really reluctant to face the young man in front of him.
Although the lad’s current reputation wasn’t that good, his identity was nothing to be trifled with, and the police officer really didn’t want to get on his bad side.
However, he had no choice but to do this, otherwise the woman next to him would definitely make a fuss.

 

“Hello, Mr.
Williams, I’m Matt Bryson.” The fat police officer shook hands with Eric, then said, a little embarrassed: “Ms.
Barrymore claims that you kidnapped her daughter….”

 

Eric frowned, and sharply eyed Jaid.
When the woman saw the youth look at her, she slightly raised her chin and tried to appear more dignified.
However, faced with Eric’s oppressive bearing, her eyes wavered, it was obvious at a glance that even she wasn’t sure if her daughter was here.

 

“Drew is indeed here with me, however I did not abduct her, she came over by herself.
Ms.
Barrymore, I think we need to have talk.”

 

Once Eric admitted to her daughter being there, Jaid’s momentum immediately surged: “There is nothing to talk about, have my daughter come out, I’m bringing her back, you hateful rapist !”

 

Eric scowled as he coldly said: “Please watch your words ! Right now there is a police officer standing as witness, I can rightfully sue you for defamation.”

 

“You….” Ildiko Jaid drew back a little, she turned her anxious sights towards the police officer.

 

Before she could say anything, Eric took the lead: “Mr.
Bryson, sorry to have troubled you, things are not as serious as this lady has been claiming.
Drew and I are friends, and she came to my house this afternoon to hang out, it’s a very common thing, is it not ? Ms.
Barrymore’s reaction was simply over the top, and nothing else.
You can take your leave, we will privately settle this.”

 

Matt Bryson also didn’t like having the woman around, so when he heard Eric, he took the opportunity to back down without losing face: “Then so be it.
Mr.
Williams, Ma’am, farewell.”

 

“Mr.
Bryson, you can’t just go like this, he….” Idilko Jaid apparently didn’t want to face Eric alone, she stepped forward and clung to Matt Bryson.

 

The police officer thwarted the woman’s hands and said: “Ma’am, things have already been made clear, your daughter came to Mr.
Williams’ house to play, and if you keep behaving like this, I will sue you for obstructing official business !”

 

Looking at Matt Bryson driving his police car away, Ildiko Jaid, who had been deprived of her only backer, suddenly lost her confidence.
While Eric was still young, whether it was social status, wealth or backing he didn’t lack any.
Although Jaid’s daughter was a child star, she herself could barely be considered a middle-class woman, and even if you included her experience as a small-time actress, facing the prodigy in front of her, she found herself severely lacking.