When failed actress Chalcedony gives up on the neon lights and crowds to challenge the Orre League, it isn't just the champion title she's after. She's discovered she was adopted under strange circumstances. Her biological family must be out there s...
The police didn't care about Sherman's report, but they were sick of Alfie's lawyer, Libby. On her sixth visit to the police station, they finally released the scientists. It wasn't much consolation. The scandal booted the lab from science groups. Their books disappeared off shelves. Vandals attacked the lab itself. Windows were smashed and equipment stolen. The police caught and arrested three of them, but it wasn't the point.
An envelope landed on Michael's Eevee-face doormat. Jovi and Hop often opened mail addressed to the other, depending on who picked it up first, because most mail applied to both of them anyway. She saw 'Fayed' and wearily tore the envelope open. She wished she hadn't. Her heart might have stopped, or maybe time itself had, but she knew it hadn't because her hands violently trembled.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Why hadn't Hop spoken to her? Had she become that unbearable in her distress? Or had he just fallen out of love with her and this was the final straw? He did say he wanted to go home. Eventually, though, he would have to speak to Jovi. Without her signature and providing her ID in person, the application would be rejected unless she was known to be a criminal or mentally ill... which, she supposed, wasn't entirely far-fetched now.
'Jovi?'
Megg stood worriedly behind her. 'What's up?'
'Nothing...'
Though the problem was there, in bold text, in her hands. Megg frowned.
'But... after you got arrested, he was yelling about how you're respectable and they couldn't arrest you...'
'I guess he knows that's true... but... he can know that and not love me anymore...'
'I know this sounds crazy, but are you sure he ordered those? Your marriage can't be broken beyond repair without you even discussing it...'
'Yeah, but... I can kind of understand, Megg. He's super optimistic. He never gives up hope that we'll live to see Orre become a better place. It never will be. Cipher will never go away. No matter how hard we try. He might as well go home.'
'But you could go to Galar together. You spend half your time there anyway.'
'Hardly, since Zane grew up... and he knows I'll never leave Orre indefinitely. Although what's left for me, really? Now all my years of hard work are gone, like they never happened, just like that? Because Ein said so? Yet I'll still stay here. Not because I'm optimistic. Because I'm stubborn. Because I can't bear to lose. Megg... can you do me a favour?'
'Sure.'
'Can you... pretend you accidentally opened this? I can't cope with it right now...'
'Of course I will, Jovi. But honestly... I don't think Hop requested those papers. Ardos is probably tracking the envelope as we speak.'
