Chapter 16 Ashton sounded so genuine - and even a little humble that Briar couldn't bring herself to turn him down . After a moment , she nodded . " I'll do what i can . " " Thank you , " Ashton sald , clearly relieved . He gave her a small , respectful nod . After dinner , Ashton offered to drive her home , but Briar shook her head . " I've got something else to do . I'm not going home yet . Let's just say goodbye here . " Ashton paused by his car . " It's gonna be tough finding a cab around here this late . If you don't mind , I can still give you a ride ." Briar looked around and saw he was right . The place was too upscale - everyone either drove themselves or had a driver . Cabs were few and far between , and most were already taken . " Alright , thanks , " she said and walked with him to the car . Brandon , Ashton's bodyguard , was waiting . He opened the back door for them and greeted them with a nod . " Mr. Wade . Miss Jennings . " Ashton motioned for Briar to get in first , then slid in after her . Once Brandon got behind the wheel , he asked , " Should drop Miss Jennings off first ? " Ashton glanced at Briar , and she gave Brandon an address . Brandon didn't ask questions . He typed it into the GPS and started driving . Ashton didn't ask why Briar was heading to some random neighborhood late at night , and Briar didn't ask why Brandon was driving instead of him . But she saw it . There was something tucked into Brandon's waistband - and from the shape , it looked a lot like a gun . They were headed to an old apartment complex on the outskirts of the city - a far cry from the downtown lights . Briar had promised Sam she'd help him out with something there . It definitely wasn't the kind of place a girl like Briar usually went , and it was her first time in the area . When they pulled up to the entrance , she looked out the window and told Brandon to park outside . She would walk in alone . " Ashton , can you wait a bit ? I'm just meeting a friend . I'll be quick , " she said , glancing at him . Ashton nodded . " Take your time . " He watched her head into the dimly lit complex , her steps steady and confident . Brandon raised an eyebrow . " Does Miss Jennings really have friends living in a run - down place like this ? " Ashton didn't answer . He was wondering the same thing . She'd only been back in the country a few days , yet there were so many sides to her he hadn't figured out . Every time he saw her , it felt like she was hiding something new . or completely Most of the people living in this old apartment complex were seniors . It was only 9 PM , but the place was dead quiet . The buildings were just five stories high , and only a few of the streetlights actually worked . Briar followed Sam's directions through the dark . When she reached building 44 and saw that most of the windows were either cracked or broken , she frowned . ' How can he let a teenage girl live in a dump like this ? Sam's being way too careless , ' she thought . Chapter 16 It was a hot night , and by the time she climbed up to the fifth floor , her back was damp with sweat . The stairwell was stuffy and smelled like mold . The lights on the top floor were out . Briar used her phone flashlight to find apartment 502 , then kno on the door .. Over a minute passed , but no one answered , and there were no sounds from inside . Briar waited a bit and knocked again , this time more gently . " Ellen ? I'm Briar Jennings . I'm a friend of your brother's . He asked me to check in on you Finally , after nearly two minutes , a quiet , nervous voice came from behind the door . " My brother sent you ? " " Yes , " Briar replied . " Didn't he call you about it ? " The door cracked open just a little , and a pair of wide , anxious eyes peeked out . In the dim light , they looked almost tearful . Briar had always had a soft spot for pretty faces . She gave Ellen a warm smile . " Hey , Ellen . " " Hi . Please come in , " Ellen said , relaxing when she saw Briar was alone . She opened the door wider and let Briar in . Briar stepped inside and took a quick look around . The place was tiny - just a worn - out one - bedroom . Everything looked decades old . The furniture was chipped and faded . There wasn't even an air conditioner , just a creaky old fan in the corner trying its best . " Miss Jennings , please have a seat . Lonly have water - hope that's okay , " Ellen said , flipping on the main light . It brightened the room a little , but not much . There was no coffee in the house - she simply couldn't afford it . Since being kicked out by her adoptive parents and moving in alone , making sure she didn't go hungry had become the only priority . There was no room in the budget for anything else . " Water's fine . Thanks , " Briar said , sitting down without the slightest sign of discomfort . She wasn't the type to turn up her nose at someone's situation . To her , the sad part wasn't the shabby apartment - it was the fact that a high school girl was living here alone . Ellen hurried into the little kitchen and came back with a glass of water , The cup was plain , the kind one could see at a cheap diner , but it was spotless . Briar took a sip and gave Ellen a reassuring nod . " Come sit . You don't have to be so nervous . " " Okay . " Ellen sat down stiffly with her hands in her lap . Her shoulder - length hair slipped into her face , and she tucked it behind her ear . " Miss Jennings , did my brother ask you to come for something specific ? " she asked softly . She wanted to ask when her brother would come to see her , but she didn't know how to bring it up . Even though she was shy and unsure , she was happy . Just knowing she had a real brother out there gave her hope . " He's overseas and can't make it back right now , " Briar said gently , watching her face . " You know that , right ? " Ellen was very timid and innocent . Sam said she was only two years younger than Briar - sixteen this year - and currently a junior at Shoneport High School . Her right leg had a slight disability from birth , not very noticeable if she walked slowly . Sam had told Briar all this . lings had been Ellen's life hadn't been easy , Her parents had died when she was little . At one year old , she and her four - year - old brother , Sam , were sent to an orphanage . A year later , Ellen was adopted by a local couple . Not long after , a foreign family adopted Sam and took him abroad . separated for over a decade . Sam had spent years trying to find her . He only managed to track her down a few days ago . But he couldn't leave his work overseas , so when he found out she was living alone and barely getting by , he asked Briar to check in on her and help out for now . Of course , Briar wasn't doing this out of pure kindness - Sam had wired 1.6 million dollars to her . 1 million dollars was for Ellen's living expenses . The Chapter 16 I CO Ou remaining 600 thousand dollars was her payment . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!