The announcement detailing Andromeda's release was now replaced with an apology letter.As Amy read the apology letter carefully, she felt suffocated. It took her a while to realize she had been fired from the company. What hurt her the most was that Thaddeus didn't notify her or send her an email to terminate the contract. Instead, he simply released a statement on the official website.The apology letter even stated that she had plagiarized. By doing this, the entire design industry would know about her scandal. In other words, her career was over.Amy tightly gripped her mouse with her right hand. She was stunned, as if her soul had left her body.She didn't believe that Thaddeus would do this to her. He was the one who recruited her to Holt Jewelry and handed her the employment contract. He even told her, "Amy, Holt Jewelry will be even better with you joining us."However, now that a scandal had befallen them, he had abandoned her. Why? Why did he change his tune?Amy wa
Amy's tearful rant didn't phase Thaddeus in the slightest. "Amy, you should be asking yourself if you've worked so hard just to give me a plagiarized design. Holt Jewelry doesn't need a plagiarist, and we don't resort to such despicable means. "Ask yourself this. How would you feel if someone took credit for something you made before you even published it?"Amy cried even more. She didn't think she was at fault. "Ted, why are you taking someone else's side? We've been childhood friends for over a decade!""Amy, be reasonable. I'm talking about your act of plagiarism. Your actions have upset me. Why did you plagiarize?""Do you hate me now? I've dragged Holt Jewelry's name through the mud. I'm sorry…"Thaddeus was speechless. They weren't on the same wavelength at all.Amy's face was wet with tears. Her eyeliner was also smudged, making her look like a panda.Thaddeus didn't dare to say anything harsh. He kept reasoning with her and advising her, fearing that she would try to ki
Besides, Amy had her own car. She arrived at the underground parking lot. As soon as she exited the elevator, she was splashed with a basin of unknown water. "Ah!" She screamed, and what followed were a bunch of punches and kicks.…Jessamine had been living in comfort in Quellville for the past few days. First, she went to a musical with Thomas. When she returned to the villa at noon, she planned to make some cheddar stew.Thomas liked her cooking very much. She wanted to take this chance to repay his kindness to her. She always remembered the things he had done for her. The future was uncertain, after all.After Thomas went to change, he saw Jessamine in a ponytail and an apron. She was hard at work in the kitchen with several household staff helping her.Thomas felt proud as he watched Jessamine walk back and forth between the dining room and the kitchen. Then, he thought of Thaddeus, his grandson who only knew how to scold his workers at work. Thomas found it a pity. How c
Things had been really nerve-racking for the past few days. The product that Holt Jewelry was about to launch was a plagiarized design. The company's employees had spent a lot of time and effort making the jewelry piece. They even released the news about it as early as last month. The entire industry had been looking forward to the visual masterpiece that Holt Jewelry would release. Fashionistas were lining up to be the first to snap up the jewelry.Now that something like this had happened, the company should announce that the press conference had been canceled, as well as the celebration dinner. But if they did that, Holt Jewelry wouldn't have any more credibility in the jewelry-making industry.With the little time they had left, they could only use a product that hadn't been completed to replace it. The best work they could use was the bracelet Jessamine had designed, the one she had won the design competition with.Even if Jessamine was giving him the silent treatment, Thad
Ariel understood her task. Since Thaddeus couldn't lay down his pride to call Jessamine back, she would do it in his stead."Don't worry, Mr. Holt. I'll call Mrs–I mean, Jessamine right away and ask her why she has been absent from work."Meanwhile, Jessamine was gardening in the yard in Quellville. The household staff had been taking good care of the yard. The vegetables and fruits were fresh, and even the flowers bloomed.When her phone rang, she thought Thaddeus was calling her again and wanted to ignore it. However, she was surprised to learn that Ariel was calling. Jessamine wiped her hands and answered the phone, "Jessamine, you haven't been to work for three days without asking for leave. Please come to the company within a da—"Ariel noticed Thaddeus giving her a sharp look and backtracked. "Please come to the company within an hour to give an explanation."Jessamine held a freshly picked tomato in her hand, her mind filled with confusion. "Ms. Zeller, I've resigned."A
Jessamine took the vegetables she had picked from the yard to the kitchen. Then, she went back inside to pack her things. She kept wondering if she really needed to go through this much trouble just to resign.After packing her things, she went to say goodbye to Thomas. When she arrived downstairs, she noticed someone talking to Thomas in the living room. He was slender and sounded gentle and elegant. The visitor was none other than Noah."Noah, good to see you!" Jessamine greeted him politely. Then, she said to Thomas, "Grandpa, I need to head back to Zenville, so I won't be here with you for a while. I'll come back after I'm done with work."Thomas narrowed his eyes, thinking that Thaddeus had listened to his advice. So, there was still hope for that brat. He was glad that his efforts weren't in vain. "Go ahead. I have Joe with me. Young people like you should be enjoying your lives. You don't need to watch over an old man like me.""Grandpa, are you annoyed with me?" Jessa
Jessamine scoffed internally and asked again, "Since the HR department has to be the ones to approve someone's resignation, do approvals by the other leaders not count?""No. Any leader in a higher position than the HR manager can also approve someone's resignation," Noah replied."Can Thaddeus handle an employee's resignation?"Noah smiled. "He even decides whether the HR manager can stay in the company. Do you think he has enough authority to approve an ordinary employee's resignation?"Jessamine was furious. That bastard actually used the HR manager to trick her into going back. She wouldn't give him what he wanted.Soon, the staff prepared a table of dishes. Since Noah was there, they made some seafood dishes for him.At the dining table, Thomas instructed the kitchen staff as he ate. "Bring them the snacks you made yesterday. They can eat them on the way home if they're hungry. Also, fill up a bottle full of hot water and prepare some fruits."Jessamine swallowed her food
At 10:00 pm, Thaddeus drove to his family's villa in Quellville.At this time, Jessamine had finished taking her shower and was lying on the bed, about to sleep. When she heard noises outside, a bad feeling overcame her. She got out of bed, and sure enough, she saw that bastard Thaddeus getting out of his car. The streetlights formed a long shadow under his feet, making him look even taller.Jessamine never expected him to come over so late at night. She was just an insignificant assistant he had assigned to the design department. He didn't need to go so far for her.At the end of the day, she was the one who hadn't kept her word. On the phone, she had promised Ariel that she would go back, but she ended up breaking her promise. Jessamine laid back on the bed, feeling restless. She couldn't come up with a good excuse, so she pretended to be asleep.Thaddeus went upstairs to Jessamine's room. He saw her lying flat in the middle of the big bed with the blanket covering her neck.
Thaddeus was dumbfounded. Why hadn't he considered using blood types to eliminate the possibility first?"My dad has type O blood."Jessamine's stroked his Adam's apple softly and deliberately. "My mom has type B blood, and I have type AB blood. Do you think it's possible that we could be long-lost siblings?"Thaddeus thought for some time and couldn't help but burst out in hearty laughter. It was impossible for someone with type B blood and someone with type O blood to have a child with AB type blood. What was he worrying about?At that moment, he couldn't believe how foolish he'd been. Biology was his best subject in school, yet he didn't think about this until Jessamine reminded him. His biology teacher would be furious if they knew."Why didn't you say so earlier, Jessie?" He regretted not talking to her about it sooner and ended up suffering in prolonged silence by himself.After Jessamine got bored touching his Adam's apple, she started playing with his rough chin. "I just
Jessamine lay still for a long time, aware that Thaddeus was also awake, battling insomnia just like her.This visit to Zenville to solve one mystery ended up bringing her an even bigger one.The gathering took place years ago in the restaurant owned by Benji's family. She had even asked Benji about it. The surveillance footage from over 20 years ago wouldn't be around now, and even the staff had changed several times. The restaurant's manager from back then had left the job many years ago.It wasn't easy to uncover the truth from back then unless they found the people who were directly involved. The closer they got to the truth, the more pressure she felt.By investigating this matter now, she was essentially peeling back the layers that had been hiding a much deeper issue. As she confronted the dark side of human nature, the ultimate victim ended up being her beloved mother.If Jessamine didn't look into this matter, she felt like she would be letting Elizabeth down. She wanted
Thaddeus frowned immensely at his request. "Don't be ridiculous!""I'm serious. You could help me rent one too. You know, the kind that charges by the day. I'll fool my dad first. We'll deal with everything else once he gets better," Benji said.Thaddeus cursed inwardly, "Dude, don't drag me into this, especially with my wife watching. It sounds like you're implying I have ways to get or rent women."Thaddeus glanced back at Jessamine and said, "I don't know about this. You should ask someone else. If you're at your wits end, go ask one of the assistants in your company to help you out."Benji seemed to come to a realization. He said, "It's getting late. You all should go back and rest. There are doctors here. I'll stay and keep watch."Jessamine asked, "Can you handle this on your own, Mr. Moore?""Sure, thank you… all of you," Benji replied.After saying a few more words of comfort, Jessamine and Thaddeus went downstairs to the car. Thaddeus' phone started ringing again."Mr.
Maya also knelt by the bed and started crying."Dad, don't speak for now. Please be okay."Benji zoned out. Seeing Carmen and Maya crying, his mind was in a mess. He realized that he couldn't continue to live aimlessly—his family needed him now."A girlfriend, a girlfriend..." he mumbled, not even sure of what he was saying.The doctor hurried to the room upon hearing the call, checked on Jonathan again, and then sent the family away."The patient needs rest and should avoid additional emotional stress. You all can wait outside for now. There's no need for everyone to be here, one would be enough. The room can be stuffy if there's too many people here, too."They then left the room. Benji was holding the X-ray images of Jonathan's brain, but he couldn't make any sense of it. He felt completely lost.Shane quietly slipped away from the crowd after watching from afar. He went to an empty hallway and called his father. "Dad, are you free to analyze some X-ray images? It's for a fri
Benji had always lived a smooth and pleasant life. It hit him hard after hearing what the doctor said, leaving him in a state of shock and bewilderment."Mom, hasn't Dad always been in good health? How did he suddenly..."Carmen's eyes were red and swollen from crying."He mentioned feeling dizzy a few times recently and said he'd go for a check-up but actually never did. Plus, he's been swamped with work lately and hasn't got any time. Today, he suddenly fainted at the office. His assistant called an ambulance right away and brought him to the hospital. By the time I got the call, he was already being examined inside."Benji's face turned pale. With Jonathan down, the burden of supporting his family fell on him. He had been free from responsibility for the past 20 years, and now, suddenly having to shoulder this heavy load, he felt completely lost.His father had been asking him to get familiar with the company's operations a long time ago. However, he was too lazy to bother abou
Benji never had any grand ambitions. From the day he was born, people always told him that he didn't need to worry about anything since most problems in this world could be solved with money, and his family had plenty of it. He just wanted to drift through life."I don't need to surpass him. As long as I can cover my daily expenses and not have to ask him for money, that's enough," Benji replied.As they were talking, Shane had prepared a table full of dishes. He set out four sets of plates and cutleries before calling everyone over to eat. "It's time to eat."The four of them hadn't seen each other in a long time, so they had to have a drink.Jessamine looked at the beautifully prepared dishes on the table and couldn't help but offer a compliment. "Shane, your cooking skills have gotten so good."Shane opened a bottle of red wine and poured some for everyone. "What can I do? There's a glutton at home."Benji was not happy with Shane's comment. What did he mean by saying there wa
"It's great that you came by today, Jessie. I'll pay you back the money. Friends who are willing to lend money these days are rare, so I want to thank you again," Benji said.He hadn't repaid the money he borrowed last time yet. Coincidentally, he received some money today, so he decided to settle the debt in person. With that, he picked up his phone to make the transfer.Jessamine's phone chimed, indicating that a payment had been received. The amount was a bit more than what she had lent out."Mr. Moore, I'm not here to ask you to settle your debt. You can keep it for now. I won't need the money for the time being," Jessamine said."If one borrows and returns promptly, borrowing again won't be difficult. You're much easier to talk to than Thaddeus. Despite knowing him for so many years, borrowing money from him is such a hassle. You saw it last time yourself. That scoundrel's attitude was terrible!" Benji complained.At this point in the conversation, Thaddeus happened to arrive
Thaddeus tightened his grip on Jessamine's slender waist. "What am I going to do with you, Jessie?"He thought to himself that if things really were just that coincidental, he would rather play the fool and pretend to know nothing at all. He just couldn't leave her.Jessamine asked softly, "How about you ask your dad?"Thaddeus paused for a moment and took out his phone to call Corey. He couldn't calm his mind at all.After a few seconds of hearing the dial tone, the call was answered."Dad," Thaddeus said.On the other end of the phone, Corey was about to go to sleep. He had been adjusting his routine lately, aiming to go to bed early and wake up early."What’s up?" Corey asked."Do you remember the gathering over 20 years ago with Mr. Hardy, Jacob Langston, Leon Lincoln, Paxton Loomis, and a few others?"After that, Thaddeus added, "That night, a beautiful woman came over. She drank some alcohol and was drugged."There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the ph
On the other side, Jessamine and Thaddeus got into the car.Jessamine and Beatrice were quite familiar with each other. However, it was Jessamine's first time meeting Sabastian. Surprisingly, she had a pretty good impression of him."Do the Hardy and Holt families have business dealings with each other?"Thaddeus drove as he answered her question, "We don't have much interaction. We would occasionally invest in small projects and conduct some charity work in Zenville together."Mr. Hardy is an upright and trustworthy person. He has a good relationship with Grandpa. Hayden would often come to my house with him when I was young."Jessamine paused for a moment and asked, "Does he have a wife?""Hayden's mother passed away from an amniotic fluid embolism during childbirth. Since then, Mr. Hardy has remained single and never remarried."Jessamine was deeply moved. In this era, who would remain loyal for a lifetime to their deceased wives? Most men like Sabastian, who had both power a