Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress

Chapter 455: Friends

The moment the call connected, Jamal’s and Mari’s faces occupied the screen. Both of them looked entirely too excited.

Jamal was lying on his bed, and his hair looked slightly messy like he’d only recently woken up.

Behind him, the curtains were open, and bright morning sunlight filled the room.

Mari looked no better.

She was still tucked beneath her blanket, with her hair falling around her shoulders.

The only difference was that she looked like she might explode from excitement at any moment.

The second she saw Callan and Emily together inside the car, Mari screamed.

“OH MY GOD!”

Callan winced, while Emily burst out laughing as she held the phone away from her ear.

Mari slapped a hand over her mouth dramatically.

Jamal pointed directly at the screen. “You two!”

Emily giggled. “Can you both stop overreacting? I’m exhausted from all the drama. I have no idea who Callan chose to pull something like this.”

Callan looked completely unapologetic. “What did I do wrong?”

“You brought all this attention. Do you have any idea how many times I had to hide away in the restroom to have room to breathe?” Emily asked dramatically.

Mari giggled, “It was the first news I saw when I woke up. And I wondered how you were going to survive the day.”

“Mari, you have no idea the torture I’ve been through today,” Emily said frantically.

All the while, Jamal grinned as he listened to them. “I’m proud of you, Cal. You’re learning well.”

Callan snorted. “Learning well from who?”

“From me, of course,” Jamal said, and they all laughed.

“Cal, I still can’t believe you did that. What possessed you? Who advised you? I was so convinced it was Jamal until I spoke with him, and he said he had no idea what I was talking about,” Mari said, and they all laughed.

“Why do I need anyone to advise me? I’m a man in love. And when a man is in love, he should be creative,” Callan said shamelessly.

Emily groaned.

“Oh my God,” Mari exclaimed.

Jamal threw his head back and laughed.

Mari slapped both hands over her mouth. “No, seriously,” Mari said. “Did Callan Quinn just say that?”

“I believe he did,” Jamal replied, still chuckling.

Mari narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Callan. “Who are you and what have you done with Cal the jerk?”

They all laughed.

“This is the real Callan right here,” Callan said with a grin.

Mari shook her head. “No way! This must be an Ai generated Callan.”

Jamal nodded immediately. “I agree.”

Everyone laughed again.

Callan shook his head. “Why are you two being dramatic?”

“We are being dramatic?” Mari cried. “You fed an entire hospital just to announce your relationship.”

“It’s called Charity, Mari. Everyone was happy,” Callan said defensively.

“Yeah. And I’m happy too seeing two of my best friends trending for all the right reasons, especially considering how you both were fighting yesterday,” Mari said, and Emily rolled her eyes.

“Did you have to add that part?” Emily asked irritably.

“Yeah. It’s not like Cal isn’t aware that I was aware of it,” Mari retorted.

“Aware of what? Why were you two fighting again?” Jamal asked, and Emily sighed dramatically.

“Why don’t we leave it to Mari to fill you in?” Emily asked dryly.

“Yeah. I definitely know it all. As a matter of fact, Cal, I was the one who helped her figure out why you were upset and I talked some sense into her. So you owe me,” Mari said sweetly, and Callan chuckled.

“Yeah. She told me. Thanks. You can call in the favour any time. Not that I need to owe you to come through for you anyway,” Callan said, and Mari blew him a kiss.

“Have I ever told you I love you?” Mari asked, making Callan chuckle while Emily scowled at her.

“Chill, Em. I have my own man. I’m not interested in Callan,” Mari said, winking at her.

Emily giggled. “Whatever.”

“So, is anyone going to tell me what I’m missing? You’re all making me feel left out,” Jamal complained.

“I’ll do the honours,” Mari said immediately.

Emily groaned.

Callan sighed.

Neither of them liked where this was going.

Mari ignored them.

“So, Cal visited Em at work. Then one of Emily’s female colleagues started flirting with him.”

Jamal blinked. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.” Mari continued. “Anyway, Emily got jealous.”

“I did not,” Emily said defensively.

“You absolutely did.”

“I was not jealous.”

Mari looked directly into the camera. “She was jealous.”

Jamal burst out laughing.

Emily pointed at the screen. “You weren’t even there!”

“I didn’t need to be there. Your whiny voice told me all I needed to know.”

Callan chuckled.

Emily immediately pointed at him. “Don’t you dare laugh.”

“I can’t help it. She’s telling the truth.”

Emily scowled at him.

Mari looked very pleased with herself as she continued. “Then they made up.”

“Yeah, we did,” Callan agreed.

“Then they fought again.”

Jamal stared. “The same day? How do you manage that?”

“They will have to answer that themselves,” Mari said.

Emily buried her face in one hand. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“It was worse,” Callan corrected.

Emily looked offended.

Callan laughed.

Mari continued happily. “This time it was because of Dan.”

Jamal frowned immediately. “The dinner party guy?”

“Yep.”

Jamal groaned. “Oh, for God’s sake.”

“Exactly,” Callan said.

Emily rolled her eyes. “Both of you stop.”

“Go on, Mari,” Jamal replied immediately.

Mari grinned. “Anyway, Em thought Callan was trying to control her life.”

“I did not think that.”

“You literally said it.”

Emily opened her mouth. Then closed it again. Because unfortunately, Mari was right.

Jamal laughed so hard he almost dropped his phone. “Em, you look like a fish breathing under water.”

Everyone laughed again.

“And then,” she continued dramatically, “Emily called me.”

Emily groaned again. “Mari…”

“And said some very unflattering things about Callan’s history.”

Jamal sat up. “Oh, this keeps getting worse.”

“It absolutely does,” Callan replied.

Emily looked at him in disbelief. “You’re enjoying this?”

“A little.”

Mari beamed. “The worst part was that Callan overheard everything.”

Jamal slapped a hand over his chest. “No!”

“Yes!”

Jamal looked horrified. Then immediately started laughing.

“Emily!”

Emily covered her face. “I don’t like this.”

Callan leaned back comfortably in his seat. “She’s telling it as you told her. If you don’t like it, don’t tell her next time.”

“You’re right.”

Mari was laughing now. “Anyway, they eventually made up.”

“We did,” Emily said.

Jamal laughed so hard tears formed in his eyes. “I wake up one morning and discover I’ve missed an entire season.”

Jamal looked at Callan and Emily, “Anyway, I’m glad you were able to resolve things.”

“Yeah. Now you guys should give us a break! Enough about us. Let’s talk about Mari who’s thinking about getting married to Jax,” Emily said, wanting to shift the attention to Mari.

Immediately, Jamal and Callan focused on Mari.

“Mari, you’re what?” Jamal asked in disbelief.

“This must be an Ai generated Mari,” Callan said and they all laughed.

Mari giggled. “Emily, you were supposed to keep that to yourself.”

Emily arched a brow. “Like you kept my misunderstanding with Cal to yourself?”

Mari pointed at Emily. “Wow. So it’s payback?”

“Mari, is Emily serious? You’re thinking of settling down already?” Jamal asked, and Mari giggled.

“You all should chill. I told Jax already that we are not taking that step until he meets my friends and you all approve,” Mari said defensively.

“You’re really thinking of settling down? What’s going on with everyone? First Stefan and Genevieve. Now you? Who’s going to be next?” Callan asked, and Jamal snorted.

“You do not have a right to ask that. You’re the one who just made a public declaration of love. That’s as good as walking down the aisle,” Jamal said, making Emily and Mari giggle.

Callan looked pleased by that. “Thank you.”

“That wasn’t a compliment,” Jamal muttered.

“I choose to believe it was.”

Mari and Emily giggled.

Then Mari’s eyes widened, and she suddenly sat up straighter. “Wait.”

Everyone looked at her.

“Did your parents see the news? What did they say?”

Emily smiled. “Yeah. My Dad called earlier. He approves. I also got a call from Cal’s parents.”

“Really?” Callan asked, surprised.

Emily grinned. “Yeah. Your Mum said I should try my best to put up with you for her sake.”

Callan laughed. “Really? She said that?”

Emily grinned. “Yeah. And your Dad said he’s giving me a blank cheque to ask for anything I want.”

Callan looked offended. “Your Dad basically told me he’d bury me if I hurt you again. And that was what my own parents said?”

Jamal burst out laughing. “Sounds fair to me.”

Mari nodded. “Very fair. Emily isn’t the one the whole world was waiting for to settle down. She deserves a trophy.”

Callan groaned loudly. “How did the conversation come back to us? I thought we were talking about Mari and her boyfriend?”

Before anyone could say a word, Josh’s voice echoed from Jamal’s side.

“Daddy!”