Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 162

17:14 Wed, Sep 24 G

Badass in Disguise

Chapter 162

58

Archer followed Linda toward a small, dilapidated house with peeling paint and a sagging front porch. Paint flaked from the wooden siding like dead skin, and the front steps creaked dangerously under his weight.

His assistant Dave followed with a leather portfolio tucked under his arm, carefully navigating the uneven walkway.

The house’s interior matched its exterior in neglect. The walls had once been white but were now yellowed with age and cigarette smoke. Cracked linoleum flooring peeked through worn patches in the cheap carpet. Tools and

miscellaneous junk were piled in corners, creating an obstacle course through the living space.

Oddly, a brand–new refrigerator and flat–screen TV stood out among the decay, looking as out of place as Archer

himself.

“Sorry about the mess,” Linda said with a nervous laugh as she unlocked the door. “If I’d known someone like you

was coming, I would’ve tidied up a bit.”

“Please, have a seat,” Linda gestured to a sagging couch. “Can I get you some coffee?”

Archer nodded politely, observing that despite the house’s condition, Linda wore relatively decent clothes and several pieces of fake gold jewelry. Her bleached blonde hair was freshly done, her nails manicured – priorities

clearly different from home maintenance.

“So, Mr. Sullivan,” Linda’s voice pitched higher with obvious excitement, “are you here about buying the building?

We’ve heard rumors about redevelopment in the area.”

“Not exactly,” Archer replied, accidentally bumping his knee against a laundry basket on the floor. Clean clothes spilled out, revealing that the cramped space wasn’t due to lack of square footage but rather extreme

disorganization.

Before he could explain further, a door down the hallway creaked open. A teenage girl with disheveled hair and a scowl emerged, rubbing sleep from her eyes despite it being nearly noon on a weekday.

“Mom, what’s with all the noise?” she grumbled.

Linda’s pleasant facade instantly cracked. “Emily, for God’s sake, go back to your room. Why are you still sleeping? It’s almost noon!”

Emily ignored her mother, eyeing Archer and Dave suspiciously. “Who are they?”

“Emily! Room! Now!‘ Linda’s voice rose sharply.

The girl stomped back to her room, slamming the door, though Archer noticed it didn’t fully close. A shadow remained in the crack, suggesting she was listening.

“I apologize for my daughter,” Linda said, her smile returning as she handed Archer a chipped mug of instant coffee.

1/4

17:14 Wed, Sep 24 B

Chapter 162

“Teenagers, you know how they are.”

“Shouldn’t she be in school today?” Archer asked casually, setting down the untouched coffee.

“Oh, she’s not feeling well,” Linda waved dismissively. “Stomach bug going around.”

“And your husband? Is he home?”

Linda’s face tightened. “Frank? No, he’s at work.”

🙂))

“I understand you have three children, Mrs. Morgan,” Archer continued. “Two daughters who are twins, and a son?”

Linda’s smile faltered. “You’re here about Jade, aren’t you?” Her tone had lost its enthusiasm. “What’s she done

now?”

58

“Nothing at all,” Archer assured her. “I simply met her recently and was… curious about her family.”

“Well, there’s not much to tell. We’re simple people, Mr. Sullivan.” Linda’s fingers nervously twisted her fake gold

bracelet.

“I noticed your daughter Emily just now,” Archer observed. “She and Jade don’t look much alike for twins.”

Linda laughed too loudly. “They’re what you call fraternal twins or something. That TV show said… what was it… dizygotic! That’s it. Plus, that bitch used to be fat. Just lost weight this past summer.”

“Bitch?” Archer raised an eyebrow.

Linda’s face flushed. “Mr. Sullivan, what exactly do you want? Why are you really here?”

Archer nodded to Dave, who opened his portfolio and placed several documents on the coffee table.

Max Morgan limped slightly as he made his way down the high school hallway toward his locker. Opening it, he pulled out his old phone, which he kept there specifically to avoid carrying it. The screen showed thirty–seven missed calls – twenty–three from his mother and fourteen from Emily,

‘Jesus,‘ he muttered, scrolling through the barrage of text messages demanding he call home immediately.

This was exactly why he’d bought a new phone with a number only Jade and Jade knew. The daily harassment had become unbearable.

The phone vibrated in his hand. His father’s name flashed on the screen.

“Dad? What’s going on? Mom’s blowing up my old phone.”

2/4

17:14 Wed, Sep 24 B

Chapter 162

:

🙂))

58

Frank Morgan’s voice sounded tired. “Max, I need to tell you something important. Your mother and I… we’re getting

a divorce.”

Max leaned against his locker, closing his eyes.

In her luxury apartment across town, Jade was working on her laptop when her phone rang. Seeing Max’s name, she answered immediately.

“Mom and Dad are getting divorced,” Max said without preamble.

“I see.” Jade closed her laptop. “What are the terms?”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify