"Ted, what do you mean by that?" Amy asked."Don't overthink this. It's just how it is. Since the netizens have found this address, it's not safe for you to live there anymore. You should move out. It's best for everyone," Thaddeus said bluntly.Amy didn't listen to most of his words. She had only heard his last sentence."Ted, is Jessie forcing you to sell the apartment? Since she doesn't want me there, I'll move away. I can't upset her," Amy said with her usual false kindness.However, for some reason, Thaddeus felt unpleasant after hearing her words. "You have it all wrong. It's all my idea. Look for a house and move out on the weekend."Amy sobbed. "Why are you being such a heartless landlord now? You can't just sell it and only give me two days to move. Do you know how hard it is to find a home nowadays? Women have a lot of belongings, you know."She was heartbroken. She couldn't believe Thaddeus listened to Jessamine's orders and tried to drive her out of this home. The one
The next day, Thaddeus heard noises as soon as he arrived at his office. The 19th floor of Holt Jewelry's building was always quiet. Who dared to cause trouble in his office? He could tell the voice in his office belonged to Sasha."Why are you making a ruckus so early in the morning?" he questioned.Sasha quieted down when she heard Thaddeus' voice. "Ted, I like this dress. Tell Jessie to buy a new one. I want to take this one with me."The workers who brought the dress looked at Thaddeus as if he was their savior. It seemed that Sasha had caused a lot of trouble for them before he arrived. Sasha had never learned to control her temper. She would say the nastiest things to people who didn't obey her.Thaddeus' eyes landed on the dress. It was white with a simple and elegant design. It suited Jessamine's vibe. Since the dress didn't expose too much skin, the dress met his requirements as well.Jordan found a good designer for this dress. Thaddeus looked at him in approval.Af
"You have to help me out here, Sasha. Jessamine has framed me. Holt Jewelry was supposed to release the jewelry I designed, but now she has taken my place," Amy whined.Sasha was furious upon hearing this. "Are you serious? Why didn't you tell me sooner? I would've ripped her to shreds. How dare she bully my best friend! She's truly bold."Amy sobbed miserably on the phone.Sasha tried to comfort her but to no avail. "All right. Meet me outside. We'll talk about this face-to-face. Don't worry, I'll help you get revenge."They scheduled their meetup at a classy cafe. Sasha arrived first and ordered two cups of iced Americano.After a while, Amy arrived at the cafe. She was wearing a headscarf and sunglasses, concealing her entire face. She looked like a celebrity who had run away from the set to take a break.Sasha was about to laugh when she saw her funny getup. "What are you doing, Amy? Are you trying to be a celebrity?"Amy cautiously looked around the cafe. There was no one a
Amy breathed heavily, her eyes red. She felt a little suffocated when she remembered Thaddeus' attitude toward her.She had flirted with him, faked her illness, and attempted to jump off a building. She even cut her wrists. However, she had only gotten his temporary companionship in return. She knew very well that Thaddeus was straying away from her grasp and was getting closer to that bitch Jessamine. But she didn't want to admit it.Sasha walked her back to their seats.Amy felt resentful. She needed to find a way to drive Jessamine away from Thaddeus for good. "Sasha, can you contact the media company you contacted last time?"Sasha wasn't aware of what her friend was up to. "Well, Ted's people have already kicked my journalist friend out of Zenville. The company he worked for was also disbanded."Sasha didn't want to bring up her failures. Her plans had failed, and even her friend had to bear the consequences of her actions. Back then, she had reassured him that it'd be fine
Jessamine had no interest in diamonds. Instead, she really only liked jewelry.However, she couldn't refuse a gift. Thaddeus made it clear that he was giving her something, and so she couldn't be ungrateful. Jessamine walked over and opened the intricately packaged box. That bracelet looked even better than when it was as a sketch.Those diamonds weren't just for show. When Jessamine picked it up, they glittered brightly. They would shine even brighter under the sun."It looks pretty good," she praised sincerely. Although this wasn't her first time keeping a piece of jewelry she had designed herself, she couldn't help but feel a little excited.Thaddeus was the one who supervised the factory's creation of this bracelet and brought it to her. Jessamine thought his actions were significant. She would probably cherish this bracelet so much that she would be reluctant to take it out and wear it.Thaddeus put down his pen and asked, "Do you need help?""Huh?" Jessamine was confused.
The CEO's office had never been so lively. Thaddeus had actually let the stylist into his office and turned it into Jessamine's fitting room.Jessamine felt a warmth in her chest when she saw the dress in his office lounge. That bastard was usually rude, but even he could do nice things for people.The two stylists were amazed by the elegant dress and couldn't help but admire it."Ordinary designers can't make this design with this material. It must have cost a lot of money," one of them remarked.The other stylist smiled. "Money isn't a problem for someone like Mr. Holt. He has so much money that he can never spend it all."The first stylist nodded. "You're right. But not many men would hire someone to make a dress for his wife and hide it from her as a surprise.""Enough. He's already married. We should mind our business," the other chided.After a brief conversation, the two stylists got back to business and said, "Mrs. Holt, you should put it on now."Jessamine nodded. She
"Here's the dress, Mr. Noah," the assistant said as he passed the box to Noah.Noah took the box and handed it to the stylists following Jessamine. "Go and change, Jessie. Don't worry. You can see me if you need help," Noah assured."Thank you." Jessamine didn't dare waste more time and hurried back to the CEO's office to change.She didn't publicize the matter of her dress being ruined. It would cause an unpleasant scandal and damage Holt Jewelry's image.Noah had given her a black dress embellished with pearls. It looked as good as the dress Thaddeus had prepared for her. After Jessamine put it on, she felt a tinge of regret. She preferred the white one.Noah seemed to like black. He had also given her a black dress last time.Jessamine left the lounge after she was done changing, prompting sighs of relief from the stylists.The stylists stood outside the door in shock. "Mrs. Holt, this black dress looks good, too. I think it suits you better than the white one.""Nonsense!
The reporters asked a string of questions, their attentions focused on the bracelet on Jessamine's wrist.Holt Jewelry's seasonal products have always been infamous in the design world for being difficult to obtain. Whoever got their hands on Holt Jewelry's products could flaunt their fortune everywhere they went. But their products weren't so unique this time because an unknown designer was wearing them. That wasn't fair to everyone who wanted to get the jewelry pieces.Jessamine felt sweat forming on her palms as she faced the reporters. She wouldn't have worn that bracelet if she had known that these reporters would be so sharp. Thaddeus, a principled man who had been impartial to anyone, was now branded a man who pulled strings for his employees. Something like this could ruin his reputation in the industry.In contrast to Jessamine's nervousness, Thaddeus remained calm. He smiled, and his next actions shocked everyone present.Facing the cameras, he took Jessamine's hand a
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