(Aiden’s POV) “You’re just like your dad,” Susan chuckled tensely, her face still red, and then she sighed. “But yes, I’m here to talk about my niece.” She rolled her eyes as if she were caught red-handed.Naomi’s mother is Susan’s cousin. If I had treated Naomi as a relative, maybe I would have avoided the complexity of our situation now. Instead, I used her, entertaining her despite Paige’s plea to leave her flirt and brat cousin alone. Perhaps I wouldn't be in this situation if I didn’t rebel against Dad. He would have chosen someone else's daughter. It would be easier to say no. Kyle whimpered when the music from his hanging toy stopped, but it was only for a while. When I pressed the remote control, switching it on, he returned his attention to the toys and listened intently to the music again.“Susan,” I sighed, facing her. “What else is there to talk about? I already agreed to marry Naomi,” I said irately. I gritted my teeth and then breathed out, realizing Susan was not my e
(Aiden’s POV) Gently, I pushed the door of the study room, Dad’s temporary office. I didn’t want to startle Jessamine if she were still inside talking with my father. Yet, when the door was opened, she was not there.Dad stood facing the window. I could not tell if he was enjoying the garden outside or was again imprisoned in his deep thoughts. I cleared my throat to get his attention. He glanced over his shoulder and creased his forehead before turning around.“If you’re looking for Jessamine, she’s -”I shook my head immediately. “I want to talk to you.”It was partly true. I hoped to talk to Jessamine, but we could talk later. I still have five days with her and our son, and I hoped it would be enough for me to straighten things out with her. With Dad, I was like always running after the Shinkansen train.Dad gestured his hand, pointing me to the empty chair in front of his table. I frowned and pressed my lips tightly, not wanting to express my disappointment. He could have offere
(Jessamine’s POV) “Love, you’ve gone mad. I’m still in shock. So, don’t talk to me, okay?”When Deborah chuckled softly, I knew she had forgiven me. It was a short laugh, and then she sighed. Yet I could not tell if this was about what happened earlier or because of the TV drama she was watching. Even if she denied it, I could hear the actors' voices in her favorite series. I wanted to laugh as I imagined her eyes wide at the screen, not blinking as she waited for what would happen next.“Did you tell Aiden? Don’t let him hear it first from Luke,” she added when I didn’t speak.I pouted, but then I remembered she could not see me. I copied her, sighing, but mine was more profound, and there was a hint I wanted to cry. After that brief conversation with Teddy, I had to escape into the garden with the hope of clearing my mind.“Should I?” I asked, my eyes wandering sadly at the vast garden, thinking it was like Adilene’s, a wasted property.The Adilene’s and the Knight Residence were b
(Jessamine’s POV) What was not to like about the pond? I came here to withdraw from the outside world, hoping this enticing pond would help clear my head. The trickling water was alluring and inviting, and the colorful Koi fish approached the tiny palm, perhaps thinking it held food.I bet the hearts of the three nannies who were supposed to look after Eliza had stopped beating. Even the eldest among the three women gaped, blinking horrifyingly as she watched me take the baby from the ground. Baby Eliza wailed, startled by my screaming. Perhaps she thought she did something wrong. I guessed all babies were like that. She eased back, her pink lips trembling before she cried her heart out again.“What were you thinking?” I growled, swaying my body, hoping the little girl in my arms would think I was no threat to her. “Naomi did not hire three pairs of eyes for you to talk about someone else’s life? Didn’t you all sign some sort of confidentiality agreement?”“I’m… I’m sorry,” the thir
(Jessamine’s POV) “Ouch!” I winced when Aiden pressed his finger on my scalp.It was a light touch, but the tingling on my scalp worried me that I would go home bald or I might be wearing a wig on my wedding day. Maybe my hair would have grown an inch or two at that time. Still, I would feel bad. I imagined having my hair loosely braided vertically and horizontally on that big day, but after what happened, I should think of another hairstyle.Aiden clucked his tongue, sighed, and sat on the edge of the bed, turning the chair I was sitting on to face him. I was still mad at him, but sometimes I tend to forget whenever I get stunned by his gorgeous face. I hissed, cursing inwardly and lowering my head to avoid his gaze.“Does it hurt?” He asked worriedly, lifting my chin to meet his eyes. “Tell me, Jess.” When I didn’t answer, he continued, “I’m bringing you to the hospital now.”I squinted, shaking my head. “I’m okay. This is nothing serious. Why don’t you check on Naomi?”He scoffed,
(Jessamine’s POV) I reached for the doorknob, but before I could grasp the exquisitely crafted knob, I clenched my hand and immediately concealed it behind me as if opening the door was a sin. I was reluctant to leave the bedroom for a few reasons, but Anne informed me that Susan was waiting for me in the family room and wanted to speak with me.If only there were another way to the staircase without passing Naomi’s bedroom.“She went out to see her doctor,” Anne muttered.“Huh?” I turned around, lifting a brow, pretending not to understand what she said.Anne’s lips curved into a shy smile. “If you were worried about seeing Ms. Naomi outside, she left to see her doctor,” she said, repeating the message, perhaps thinking I didn’t hear her the first time.“Ah,” I chuckled and sighed in relief. “Thank you for telling me, Anne. I don’t want to have part two of our encounter in the garden,” I joked. Partly.She laughed briefly. “Don’t worry about Kyle. I’ll ask someone to get you if he c
(Aiden’s POV) My heart was still racing, and my breaths came in ragged gasps after sprinting all the way from the driveway to reach Jessamine. My body was still buzzing with adrenaline, but when I saw her crying, I was like sucked into a vortex, returning me to the first time I saw my best friend.I was nine years old again for a split second, seeing a cute little girl in a braided pigtail, curled up in the swing, holding the same math book I had in her arms. At first, I thought she was hurt, but when I approached her, she was perfectly okay and told me, between hiccupping and crying, that she didn’t know how to answer her homework.Of course, she couldn’t. I doubted if she could even read the sentences in the book. She must be five or six years old. She should be in the preschool building, enjoying learning the alphabet or numbers instead of worrying about the word problems in the book.What was a little girl doing in front of the classroom of the third-grade class? She must have mi
(Jessamine’s POV) I caught Aiden wincing when I hissed, cringing as Colleen pressed her finger on my scalp. My sister must be waiting for us to be alone. I knew that my crying didn’t help, but she would understand why I wailed like a baby on the staircase. I would explain everything to her later.Colleen sighed and turned to Aiden.“Don’t worry, Aiden. She’ll live. Long enough that the two of you will probably see your ten to fifteen great-grandchildren, in case you get back together,” she muttered jokingly instead of giving him her prognosis of my condition.“When did you become a fortune teller?” I arched my head to see her face.Colleen shrugged and grinned. “It’s one of my many talents, you know,” she said, turning around and walking toward the crib. “Want to see the garden, Kyle? Let’s give mommy and daddy some privacy. What do you think?” she asked gently, scooping my son from the crib.As if it was Aiden’s cue, he held the door open and closed it gently as soon as my sister an