When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 179

Jonah kept one hand on the wheel and the other on his phone as he made a call. Nicholas wasn’t the kind of man with obvious weaknesses. He had everything—money, power, respect, and no shortage of connections. But there was one person he owed, someone from his past he could never repay.

That person was Howard Phillips, the patriarch of the Phillips family in Riverdale. The Phillips family was a longstanding military family, deeply respected and almost untouchable back home. Years ago, Nicholas got caught up in something serious overseas. He stumbled into some high-stakes international business secrets and ended up detained by a foreign government for two years. It was Howard who stepped in, pulled the right strings, and got Nicholas released.

Howard never asked for anything in return. Nicholas tried to pay him back, but Howard always refused.

Jonah, who had gone to school with Teddy Phillips, Howard’s grandson, figured maybe Howard would listen if he asked for help. If Nicholas was willing to let this go for Howard’s sake, then solving Nelly’s problem might be within reach.

“Jonah, you said Howard is really strict and serious. Even though you and Teddy were classmates, it probably won’t be easy to get him on our side,” Nelly said, a little worried about showing up empty-handed. The Phillips family was way out of their league, and she honestly couldn’t think of a good way to ask for such a big favor.

“It’s worth a shot. Better than just sitting around,” Jonah replied, his voice calm. Noticing Nelly chewing on her lip, he reached into the glove box and handed her a chocolate bar.

“We’ve got a bit of a drive ahead. Wanna have some chocolate?”

Nelly took the chocolate, surprised. “You never eat stuff like this. Isn’t it against your gym rules?”

Jonah had handed her a super popular imported chocolate, the kind with a sweet, gooey center. She liked it, but Jonah was all fitness and discipline—she’d never seen him eat sweets. Yet his car was full of them.

He just said, “I just keep them around,” eyes fixed on the road.

Nelly raised an eyebrow, but she unwrapped the chocolate and popped the whole thing in her mouth anyway. She was a bundle of nerves, and honestly, the sugar helped.

It was a three-hour drive from Westhaven to Riverdale, even with Jonah pushing the speed limit. They’d barely make it by evening. He’d already talked to Teddy—Teddy and Howard were flying overseas first thing the next morning, so if they wanted to meet Howard, tonight was their only chance.

While they were on the road, Nelly called Carrie to let her know she wouldn’t be home. Carrie sounded annoyed, but she was used to her mom being busy. She just muttered a reminder for Nelly to come home soon.

Nelly promised she would.

When Nelly hung up, Jonah glanced over. “Things better with your daughter now?”

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