Jessica noticed Jonathan's sympathy toward her and remarked, "He's asked for me. How can I not go in?"Stunned, Jonathan couldn't fathom that Byron sought out Jessica to unleash his anger. He found Byron's behavior utterly unacceptable and deemed him unreasonably harsh. Byron was being a scumbag now. Despite his dissatisfaction, Jonathan felt helpless at the moment. "Just be careful, then.""Thanks." Jessica proceeded to open the office door after expressing her gratitude.Jonathan's heart weighed heavy as he watched her leave. He struggled to understand Byron's intentions, thinking that this wasn't the person he knew from before.Byron's demeanor had drastically changed after discovering he had a daughter. Jonathan recalled how Byron had once wanted to save Jessica. Now, it seemed like Byron considered Jessica's act of giving birth to his daughter a mistake.As Jessica pushed the door open, the chaotic state of the office became apparent.She approached Byron casually and plac
Jonathan firmly held the belief that Byron shouldn't push things too far, given his familial connection with Jessica through their daughter Kelly. He was convinced that the repercussions of their shared history would not allow for an easy resolution.A coldness flickered in Byron's eyes as Jonathan nodded. "Give it a try, then."Byron's tone held a subtle threat.Jonathan finally grasped that Byron was intentionally pushing the boundaries. He doubted the appropriateness of the situation but couldn't fathom Byron's motives.Under Byron's icy gaze, Jonathan reluctantly said, "I'll go and find Ms. Michaels now."He quickly turned away, leaving with a sense of urgency, as if escaping the place. Upon Jessica's return to her workplace, her phone rang. Jonathan hurriedly appeared before she could answer the call.Jessica's eyes reflected a coldness that concealed her emotions. Jonathan, however, appeared anxious. "Ms. Michaels, Mr. Hunt wants you to clean up his office."Confused, Je
Jessica swung open the door to the CEO's office, only to be met with a scene even more chaotic than before.Jonathan stood behind Jessica. "Mr. Byron just left. I will ask the cleaner to clear this up.""That won't be necessary," Jessica said indifferently. Without further ado, she entered the office and began cleaning up.Jonathan sighed at her. He wanted to say something, but words failed him. Years of working for Byron had taught him that Byron could be relentless.It was apparent to everyone how much Jessica loved Kelly, especially after the school bullying incident. With Byron sending Kelly somewhere unknown, Jessica seemed compelled to comply with every request.Deep in thought, Jonathan heard Jessica gasp in pain. Hurrying to her side, he asked, "Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"Jonathan believed that Jessica must have gotten hurt by the broken shards of glass. Jessica stared at her bleeding fingertip. She shook her head. "I'm fine.""I will get someone to bring
Despite Jessica's attempts to resist, Cindy's strength prevailed. Jessica's efforts to exert force only deepened the wound on her palm.Through gritted teeth, Cindy said, "I'm not married to him yet, but you want to take my place, huh? Where did you get the guts to do that?"Byron, having forgotten his phone, returned to his office and opened the door. His eyes widened at the scene before him. Meanwhile, Jonathan returned with the first-aid kit, witnessing the shocking events unfold.Breaking the tension, Jonathan addressed Cindy, "You're here, Ms. Neils."Cindy turned her attention to the office entrance, her body stiffening upon seeing Byron. She removed her foot from Jessica's hand, pretending nothing had happened."Byron, you're back. Where did you go?" Cindy's tone now resembled that of a gentle dove, a stark contrast to her arrogance toward Jessica.Byron frowned at Cindy, then shifted his gaze to Jessica, who was attempting to rise. A deep cut on her palm was visible, with
Jessica instinctively hid her hand behind her back and said, "I'm okay. I will handle it myself."Concerned, Jonathan deepened his tone, emphasizing, "Do you know how much blood you lost in there?"In that instant, Jessica keenly sensed the pain in her hand. There was a saying that even the smallest parts of a person's body were linked to the heart, and now, Jessica truly understood its reality. The pain in her palm seemed to reverberate in her heart, creating an unbearable burning sensation.Eventually, Jonathan escorted Kathryn downstairs.As anticipated, Jessica was severely injured. Jonathan urged her to extend her palm, but she could barely move it, already experiencing excruciating pain.They discovered fragments of shattered glass embedded in the wound. The sight was unbearable, prompting even someone as composed as Jonathan to gasp.He sighed and advised, "You should get this treated at the hospital. I think you need surgical pincers to extract the fragments."Uncertain
Jonathan felt a chill as he met Byron's icy gaze, but he pressed on, stating, "She is still the mother of your child."Even though Jessica was Krista's daughter, that didn't change the fact that she was Kelly's mother. Even if Byron had no desire to see Jessica or the still-unconscious Kelly, he shouldn't have crossed certain boundaries."So, you feel for her, huh?" Byron asked coldly.Jonathan froze at his question. How he felt for her wasn't the point. "Anyone would empathize with her situation, no?"Jonathan was right. No one in the Skyline Group thought Jessica's predicament was funny. What happened to Jessica and Kelly was no secret.When Jessica married Matthew, she was oblivious to the identity of her child's father, leading to her becoming a subject of mockery by some.Eventually, she discovered that Byron was the father, a truth that remained concealed for numerous years. Only those lacking compassion would find amusement in such a situation.Jonathan was right. Anyo
At a noon rendezvous in a restaurant, Jessica met with Kendall. Despite the passage of many years, she instantly recognized him the moment she entered the restaurant.Kendall spotted her, and a silent exchange of glances ensued, both seemingly at a loss for words. The prolonged separation made the reunion somewhat awkward.She smiled. "It's been years, and you haven't changed one bit.""Well, you have changed," Kendall remarked as he poured her a glass of water with care.Jessica expressed gratitude and reached for the glass, but her right hand, wrapped in a bandage, caught Kendall's attention.The smile on Kendall's face faltered. "What happened to your hand?""I injured it. Accidentally cut myself. It's a small matter," she said leisurely as if she was unbothered by everything that had happened in the office earlier.Kendall frowned. "What do you do for work? How did you hurt your hand?"Jessica said, "I'm a secretary. I'd cut myself while wrapping old utility blades for disp
Having been engrossed in an overseas experiment for several years, Kendall finally returned and headed straight to Everburns Highlands. The sight of two girls clad in tattered clothing pierced his heart like a needle, a haunting image from the years gone by."How is Kathryn doing?"What Jessica went through was too much to take in. Kendall didn't want to get into the details, so he asked about Kathryn.Jessica relaxed at the mention of Kathryn. "She is doing well.""Is she?" Kendall sounded doubtful by his tone. From what he remembered, Kathryn was a timid girl who always needed Jessica to protect her.Jessica nodded. "Yes, she married into the Albert family. Chris Albert is her husband.""Chris Albert?" Kendall was shocked.Jessica nodded, meeting Kendall's disbelieving gaze. "Do you know him?""Of course!" Kendall revealed their close friendship during their shared time studying overseas. Being from Harborlean, Kendall was familiar with Chris, hailing from one of the wealthie