Zander's POV I was irritated and restless as never before, and I paced the living room anxiously. I could not sit still in my chair. All the reasons seemed to have left me. I was less and less able to control myself. I wanted to destroy, I wanted to lash out. Jessica never disobeyed me. Even when I alienated her, she just looked at me sadly. How could she leave me without my permission? I dialed my assistant's number. "Mr. Harrison, how can I help you?" Dwayne answered the phone immediately. "Investigate Jessica's whereabouts today. No, this month, now!" I yelled. I continued, "Come to my house." I hung up and took a deep breath. There must be someone who incited Jessica. Who could this person be? Johnny's name came to my mind. I gritted my teeth. It had to be him! Jessica didn't know that her father had done those unforgivable things. And Johnny tried to manipulate me with Jessica? Anger and hate filled my brain. I hadn't hurt her because I loved he
Jessica's POV "Damn it!" I gasped, dropping my phone on the table. "What happened, Ms. Riddle?" Lucas asked. "That asshole Zander threatened me with Johnny," I said angrily. "He's gonna use Johnny's company against you?" Lucas asked, "I don't think that's a big problem for us." "That company is all he has. I don't want him bothered." I sighed, "I didn't think Zander would be so mean." "So what's your plan now?" "I'm going to the Harrison Group," I said, grabbing my bag and cell phone. I drove alone to the Harrison Group. When I entered the building, the scene of yesterday came over me again. A feeling of nausea welled up. I took a deep breath to calm myself. "Mrs. Harrison, good evening." The security guard greeted me with a smile. I smiled and ran to the elevator. The elevator stopped at the top floor. I walked quickly towards Zander's office. I wanted to talk to Zander thoroughly. Just as I was about to arrive at the door, a familiar voice sounded behi
Jessica's POV "Let's stop arguing, Jessica. Go home and put our house back together again, okay? I'll pretend I never saw this divorce agreement," Zander said, looking at me with the same tenderness as before. There was a slight smile on his lips. I had once found his smile deadly sexy, but now I found it bitterly ironic. "Zander, you're pathetic," I said, looking at him sympathetically. His smile disappeared and he suppressed his anger and said in a low voice, "Even if you're my wife, you should watch your words. Stop provoking me." "In fact, I have decided to give up the title of Mrs. Harrison," I said, spreading my hands and shrugging. Approaching him, I picked up the divorce agreement from the desk. I turned to the last page and signed my name. Watching him fight back his anger, I smiled faintly. This was the Zander I knew. "If you don't like this reason, I can change it. I'll send you another divorce agreement," I added. As I turned to leave, Zander's voice e
Zander's POV After Jessica left, I swept everything off my desk. Despite the mess around me, my mood didn't change. I couldn't understand why I was so angry. Was it Jessica's repeated defiance? Or was it the realization that her eyes lacked the adoring affection they once held for me? I didn't want to admit that her look filled me with panic. A kind of panic that she would leave me. "This is all Johnny's fault," I muttered to myself. Yes, it was all Johnny's fault. If he hadn't done that unforgivable thing, I wouldn't be tormented like this. I picked up the intercom and dialed, "Dwayne, come to my office. A few minutes later, Dwayne knocked on my office door. When he walked in and saw the debris and scattered items on the floor, he looked surprised, but he quickly composed himself. I liked his professionalism. "Inform the business department to cancel the contracts with Johnny's company," I ordered coldly. "Understood, Mr. Harrison," Dwayne nodded and prompt
Jessica's POV From the moment I entered the conference room, Zander's gaze had been fixed on me. I glanced at him and met his eyes full of surprise. It was the first time I'd seen an expression other than indifference or disgust on his face since our marriage had hit the rocks. A flicker of emotion stirred inside me. My gaze shifted to Serena, who was standing next to Zander with a suspicious look on her face. My senses came to me. If this had been before I discovered his infidelity, I would have been overjoyed, thrilled to have his attention again. But now it meant nothing to me. Without stopping at Zander, Lucas and I went straight to Arthur. "Welcome, you must be the CEO of Alpha Company?" Arthur greeted us with a smile. "Mr. Blake, this is Jessica, the project manager for Alpha Company," Lucas introduced me. "Am I late?" I greeted Arthur with a smile and shook his hand. "No, no, Mr. Harrison just arrived as well," Arthur replied quickly. Ju
Jessica's POV Reluctantly, I stopped and turned to face Zander at the sound of his voice. He had already secured the contract. I wondered what he could possibly want from me now. Was he here to gloat? I looked at Zander questioningly as he walked toward me. There's a hint of helplessness in his eyes, reminiscent of the past when he had acted adorable. Those cherished memories were briefly conjured, causing a momentary lapse in my concentration. But I quickly snapped back to reality. I took half a step back and then said coldly, "Mr. Harrison, what can I do for you?" "All right, this job cost me so much money, you must be satisfied, right? Now can we sit down and have a peaceful meal together?" Zander's voice was deep and pleasant, the same gentle tone I had once missed so much. My gaze flickered past him and landed on Serena, who was walking towards us. My heart slowly cooled. I didn't understand why he was still involved with me after ev
Jessica's POV "Dad," I tried to be calm. "I heard from Alvin that you attended a bidder's conference today. How did it go?" His soft voice came through the phone, just like his voice when I was a little girl. I couldn't help but let go of the facade of strength I'd been putting on. I lightly hummed and complained, "I gave up the bid, so the contract went to the Harrison Group." "What happened?" "That shameless jerk bid aggressively, offering a 4% margin," I said angrily, "I'm not as stupid as he is. Since he wants to operate at a loss, of course, I had to comply." There was a second of silence on the other end of the line, followed by Justin's laughter: "Jess, do you really think Zander is stupid? Remember, it takes more than stupidity to make the Harrison Group what it is today." "I..." I was momentarily speechless. Justin continued, "I think he did that because the person sitting across from him was you. He didn't want to use more forceful means to
Zander's POV Upon arriving at the Palace of Stars, I signed in at the entrance. Then, I greeted Maxwell. As I put down the pen, Tawny immediately linked her arm with mine. I instinctively frowned, not fond of her closeness. But for such occasions, it's customary to have a female companion. Since Jessica and I had that argument and she left home, I didn't have a suitable choice. Today, out of the blue, Warren called me, asking me to bring Tawny to the banquet. She's Warren's niece. Though we're relatives, we haven't had much connection. I made small talk with her and realized she had no experience with business banquets. She lacked proper etiquette. So, I had to instruct her not to stray far from me. Perhaps because of my advice or due to her first-time nervousness at such an event, Tawny's arm remained tightly linked with mine. "Alvin, thank you so much for coming. I was wondering how your father, Mr. Riddle, is doing?" I heard Maxwell's voice from the sign-in
Jessica's POV"Do you think I can't afford clothes like her?" Sybil glanced at me, her expression daring the clerk to challenge her.The clerk, seeing Sybil seemed ready to ignite, didn't dare to ask further questions and went to the fitting room to tidy up the clothes and brought them out, held a pile of clothes that reached half her height.Sybil's face froze at the sight of the towering stack of clothes in the clerk's arms.At that moment, Genevieve, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, mimicked Sybil and Tawny's tone, "Oh dear, can't you afford these clothes?"I couldn't hold back any longer and let out a chuckle.Sybil's face turned gloomy, saying, "It's just a few pieces of clothing, who can't afford them?"Holding her credit card between two fingers, Sybil handed it to the clerk, saying, "Check them out for me."The clerk hurriedly began to tally up the cost of dozens of items. After the clerk finished ringing up the clothes, she smiled at Sybil and said, "Miss Wickers, the to
Jessica's POVExiting the heavy doors of the courthouse, sunlight bathed me, yet I felt no warmth.Zander stood there quietly, his figure slightly forlorn. His lips trembled, on the verge of speaking, a look that left a bitter taste in my heart.I stopped and asked softly, "Anything you want to say?" Zander just stood in silence, as if time had frozen. After a long while, he shook his head gently.I let out a faint, bitter smile, "You're still like this, always keeping things to yourself. But from now on, I might not have the chance to hear what you want to say."Zander opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, no words came out.I didn't linger and turned to leave. I got into a taxi and messaged my best friend, Genevieve. "Dear Miss Woods, I've divorced. Could you accompany me to clear my head?"The message was barely sent when her reply popped up on my screen, "What? You divorced? What did that jerk Zander do?! I mean, of course, where should we meet?"I was amused by
Jessica's POVI immediately pressed the answer button on my phone."Jessica, we've been monitoring Mr. Wyatt's indicators, and they've just shown abnormal fluctuations, triggering the alarm. We'll arrange for a comprehensive physical examination. Just in case, you should come back to the hospital," the attending physician's voice echoed over the phone.Hearing this, my heart instantly clenched."What do you mean? He was fine when I left. Is it a sudden deterioration?""We're not sure of the cause of these fluctuations, so we need to conduct tests. It's just that if other treatments are needed, family members can make decisions directly," the attending physician replied."Okay, I'm coming right back!" I hung up the phone hastily and turned to rush to the hospital.However, Zander grabbed my arm at that moment.His grip was like a vise, preventing me from moving."Where are you going? Didn't you say you wanted a divorce?" Zander said in a deep voice.I twisted my wrist, but I couldn't b
Jessica's POVI sat quietly outside Johnny's hospital door throughout the night, watching as the sky gradually lightened.As I began to feel the weariness, a voice suddenly spoke from behind."Ms. Riddle? Is that you?" I was startled and turned to find Ned.He must have been coming for his shift. I straightened my clothes and stood up, "Yes, let's go in together." "Ms. Riddle, have you been sitting outside for long? You could have asked Emmett and the others. They're on duty and could have let you in," Ned said.I shook my head slowly, not wanting to disturb others' rest, and I needed this solitude to sort out my chaotic thoughts.Ned didn't press further. He silently followed by my side, but I could see the confusion and a hint of concern in his eyes.As a subordinate trained in the family, this was a rule set when Justin was still the mafia boss. They were not to question the arrangements and commands of their superiors. Although the Riddle Group has successfully transitioned into a
Zander's POVSunlight streamed through the window, gradually pulling me from a chaotic slumber.My consciousness slowly gathered in my mind, and sensing the bothersome light, I opened my eyes to find that it was already daytime. The lingering dizziness and headache made me instantly realize that I must have been drugged yesterday.I sat up abruptly and looked around. The room was empty, with no sign of anyone else. Only my suit and shirt were neatly folded on the bedside table.At that moment, a slight noise came from outside the bedroom, as if someone was walking cautiously.I frowned, and a name flashed through my mind, Tawny.The image of her handing me that glass of water last night replayed in my mind like a movie. I pursed my lips, got out of bed, and quickly put on the shirt placed on the bedside table. Usually, when I'm extremely angry, I become unusually calm.I strode to the door, flung it open, and saw Tawny coming towards me with a tray in her hands. The tray was filled wi
Jessica's POVAnger, grievance, and disappointment, a tapestry of emotions intertwined. I felt I couldn't bear any more, so I turned and left the villa. It was unknown how much time had passed before I regained my senses. The cold night wind played with my long hair, and the dull ache in my head made me realize I had been walking alone for quite some time.I couldn't believe that Zander, that jerk, believed Tawny wasn't capable of harm. He wouldn't even deign to listen to what I had to say. Tawny's hypocritical face lingered in my mind. At the business dinner, when she falsely accused me of splashing wine on her, I thought she was just a woman who loved to stir up trouble. But now, I realized she was far more sinister than I imagined.Just like a moment ago, I knew her admission was meant to provoke me, yet under those circumstances, my emotions were still affected by her. I couldn't help but sigh, turned around, and walked back, as my car was still parked near the villa. Cars rushed
Zander's POVI fantasized alone in the dark during countless silent nights.When I finally lay bare the truth about Johnny to Jessica, about how he killed my father, I imagined her reactions.I envisioned her being devastated, possibly accusing me of false accusations with anger, but I never anticipated the reality to be such a heart-wrenching situation—she simply refused to believe the evidence before her eyes.She persistently tried to exonerate Johnny, going to great lengths to clear his name, which filled me with frustration and helplessness.This was the situation I least wanted to face.Our relationship had become charged because of this.I was determined to have a thorough conversation with Jessica, to lay out all the facts so she could no longer argue.However, Tawny's sudden appearance disrupted my freshly made decision like an unexpected storm.At that moment, the telephone rang abruptly, breaking the tense atmosphere.I glanced at the caller ID. It was Dwayne.I took a deep
Jessica's POVI never expected Tawny to show up here at this time. Although I had moved out of the villa, it still held years of shared memories with Zander. Moreover, Zander and I are still legally married. What did she think of me, showing up so boldly with a key?My gaze bore into Zander, my anger burning fiercely. I demanded harshly, "Why does she have a key to this place? You owe me an explanation!"Zander just pressed his lips tightly, silent. His face was clouded, seemingly still angry about our previous argument, unwilling to explain further."Tell me!" I pressed loudly.Tawny stepped forward at that moment, a sly glint in her eyes. Yet, she forced a smile on her face and feigned innocence, "Jessica, don't misunderstand. I just came to..."I didn't want to hear her nonsense and interrupted her, raising my voice, "Fine, then tell me, where did you get the key to my house?"Tawny's gaze flickered, stealing glances at Zander but remaining silent. I was disgusted by her pretentiou
Jessica's POVI glanced at the pillow in her arms, not daring to agitate her, and nodded, "Who's trying to take your child?"At that moment, the sound of high heels echoed in the hallway. Upon hearing this, Vilda shrank behind the curtain, trembling in fear, "She's here! She's come to take my child!"Before I could say anything more, a woman dressed as a doctor strode in imposing air. She looked at me rudely and said, "Vilda's condition is unstable, and she doesn't meet the criteria for visitors. Please leave."I glanced at the name badge on her chest, which seemed to read "Attending Physician." I asked, "You're the doctor?"She nodded and said, "I'm Vilda's attending physician, Dr. Tamara Dickinson."I put down the fruit basket and explained, "I'm her friend, and I'll leave after seeing her.""There's no need. Strangers will only exacerbate her condition. You should go," she replied.I frowned and said, "I'm her friend, not exactly a stranger. Do you refuse visits from her family for