Chapter 48: The Abduction

[Chapter 48: The Abduction]

The taxi pulled up in front of Eric's villa, and Drew paid the fare before getting out. The black driver, who bore a resemblance to Michael Jordan, noticed the bruise on Drew's knee peeking out from beneath her short skirt and couldn't help but ask, "Miss Barrymore, do you need help?"

Drew shook her head. "Thanks, but I'm fine."

With that, she limped toward the front door and rang the bell. The driver glanced at the tall surrounding walls, remembering the recent frenzy of tabloid gossip and the presence of a few parked paparazzi cars nearby. He quickly pieced together that this was Eric Williams' home, but as a taxi driver, he figured it wasn't his concern. He shrugged and drove away.

Upon hearing a familiar voice from the intercom, Drew felt a wave of pain in her knee and fought back tears. Only in front of Eric could she let her guard down and act like a vulnerable little girl, because only he would care.

"Eric, it's me," Drew said into the intercom.

"Drew, wait a moment; I'll be right there."

After a short while, the gate opened. Eric saw Drew, looking a bit disheveled, and immediately ushered her inside before shutting the door. He asked with concern, "Drew, what happened? How did you hurt your leg like that?"

Drew, sounding a bit petulant, replied, "My mom went crazy and locked me in the house, saying I couldn't go out. I had to climb down from the second floor, and the bedsheet wasn't tied tight enough..."

Eric quickly grasped that Drew's mother had truly lost her mind but chose not to voice that thought just yet. He crouched down to examine her, finding no serious injury, just some bruises and a few scrapes. "Come on, let's get inside; I'll help you clean up."

Drew nodded quietly, instinctively grabbing Eric's sleeve and limping along with him for a couple of steps.

Seeing the girl like that, Eric sighed softly, scooped her up into his arms, and carried her toward the villa.

In the living room, Eric retrieved a first aid kit, cleaning Drew's wounds as he chatted casually. "You really shouldn't do things like this again; it's dangerous. Luckily, this time it's just minor injuries. Your mom, even though..." At this point, he hesitated, unsure how to express his thoughts about Drew's mother and decided to leave it vague. "But she wouldn't really hurt you."

Drew extended her pale little leg, letting Eric tend to her. After a moment, she suddenly asked, "Eric, is something going on?"

Eric paused his wrapping of the bandage. "You noticed?"

Drew nodded. "I've felt something was off with my mom these last few days; she's been sneaking around making phone calls and locking me in the house for my own good. The papers have reported on my issues with drugs and alcohol before, but she never acted like this."

Finishing with a knot on the bandage, Eric organized the gauze and antiseptic back into the first aid kit. "Honestly, I'm not sure how to talk to you about this."

Drew fell silent, looking at Eric anxiously, waiting for him to continue, clearly realizing that this situation stemmed from her actions.

"This afternoon, Jenny called me from New York and said someone wanted her to testify against me... about our relationship."

With her sharp mind, Drew connected the dots in an instant.

She jumped to her feet, her face a mixture of sorrow and rage, her voice rising almost hysterically. "It's her! It has to be! I knew she was acting shady lately, locking me up for my own good. When has she ever really cared about me? I want to sever all ties with her... that bitch..."

"Drew, don't say that," Eric said quickly, stopping her from saying anything worse. "Kid, no matter what others say about your mother, you can't speak like that. She may not be perfect, but she is still your mom."

Seeing the seriousness in Eric's eyes, Drew realized that she couldn't continue her outburst without him getting upset. At home, during arguments with her mother, they could hurl insults at each other, but if Eric felt it was wrong, then it was wrong. "I'm sorry, Eric," she replied softly.

"It's okay, Drew," Eric gently hugged her. "There's definitely someone else behind all this; otherwise, your mom wouldn't react this way. Sending me to jail wouldn't benefit her in any way."

"I'm sorry, Eric. She must have taken money -- she spent my paycheck from 17 Again a while ago. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You don't need to apologize, Drew. This isn't your fault. I've had Edward prepare some things; you shouldn't get mixed up in this any further -- you're still young."

After chatting a little more, Eric glanced outside to see the sunset casting a red glow across the sky. "Drew, why don't you rest for a bit? I'll make dinner. What do you want?"

"Pizza, steak, Italian..." Drew showed no signs of holding back.

Before she could say more, Eric playfully tapped her forehead. "I can't make all that! I'll just order in. And by the way, don't you worry about becoming a little chubby eating all that?"

"Not at all! Don't you like chubby girls?" Drew giggled.

Just as Eric picked up the phone, the doorbell rang. He handed the receiver to Drew. "You call the restaurant; I'll go check."

Drew agreed and took the receiver, flipping through the thick phone book beside her to look up takeout numbers.

...

Eric moved to the front door and asked into the intercom. A male voice responded, "Mr. Williams, this is the Los Angeles Police."

When he opened the door, a rotund white police officer stood with a woman in her thirties beside him. A quick glance at her appearance made Eric realize she was most likely related to Drew, as she bore a striking resemblance to her.

The officer, clearly reluctant, faced the young man, knowing Eric's recent troubles. He didn't want to get entangled in this nonsense, but he had no choice due to the woman's insistence or risk being complained about.

"Hello, Mr. Williams, I'm Officer Matt Bryson." The officer extended his hand, shaking Eric's. "This lady, Jaid Barrymore, claims that you abducted her daughter..."

Eric frowned, narrowing his eyes at Jaid Barrymore. The woman noticed his gaze, trying to appear haughty, but her confidence faltered under Eric's somewhat overpowering presence. She seemed uncertain whether Drew was really with him, which diminished her assertiveness.

"Drew is here with me, but I did not abduct her; she came here voluntarily. Ms. Barrymore, I think we need to have a conversation."

Upon hearing Eric accept the premise, Jaid's energy deflated like a popped balloon. "What's there to talk about? Just hand my daughter over! I want to take her back right now, you rapist!"

Eric's expression grew serious. "Ms. Barrymore, please choose your words carefully. There is a police officer present. With that statement, I could sue you for defamation, and I have abundant proof!"

"You..." Jaid recoiled slightly, glancing at the police officer beside her, seeking help.

But Eric turned to the police officer first. "Officer Bryson, could you please take a moment? The situation isn't as grave as Ms. Barrymore suggested. Drew is my good friend; she came to play at my house this afternoon. That's perfectly normal, isn't it? Perhaps Ms. Barrymore is just overreacting. If there's nothing else, you're free to go; we can handle it privately."

Matt Bryson seemed just as uninterested in the woman's drama and quickly agreed, "Alright, Mr. Williams, Ms. Barrymore, I'll take my leave now."

"Officer Bryson, you can't do this! He..." Jaid Barrymore didn't want to face Eric alone and grabbed the officer's arm, trying to continue her protest.

Matt Bryson shook off her grip. "Ms. Barrymore, it's clear as day; your daughter simply came over to Mr. Williams' house to hang out. If you keep pushing this, I'll have to charge you with obstructing justice!"

As Matt Bryson drove away in his patrol car, Jaid Barrymore lost her biggest ally and found herself feeling minuscule against Eric. Despite being a young adult, he exuded a pressure due to his wealth and status that was palpable. Jaid, having had a child star for a daughter, found herself overshadowed when standing in front of a rising filmmaker like Eric.

*****

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