"We're here, Mr. Holt," Jordan informed them. Along with him was the doctor, Gavin, a man in his 50s. After a brief greeting, they entered the elevator.Jordan led the way, and when they were almost outside of Amy's ward, they heard crying from inside the room.Everyone paused and looked at each other.Thaddeus strode to the room and opened the door. Amy had already woken up and was sitting on the bed with disheveled hair. She held the corner of the blanket with both hands, and her eyes were unfocused.When she saw the group of people at the door, a frightened expression appeared on her face. "No, get away from me! I didn't hurt you! Go bother someone else…" She was talking nonsense, just like Margaret.Colin burst into tears. "Amy! Why did you end up with the same condition as your mother? Don't scare me!"The director noticed the grave situation and asked Thaddeus, "Mr. Holt, do you want to get a psychiatrist to check on her?"Thaddeus nodded. "Hurry!"He then walked into t
The psychiatrist used his expertise to comfort the insane Amy, and soon, she calmed down.When Thaddeus returned to the ward, Amy was already lying on the bed and looking at her phone.Amy relaxed upon seeing Thaddeus return without anyone else in tow. She put down her phone and slowly sat up on the bed. "Ted, I had a terrible dream. Both of us fell into the sea. The waves were so strong that I couldn't swim, no matter how hard I tried, and I couldn't bring you to the shore."Thaddeus was afraid of water and couldn't help but tremble upon hearing her explanation."Ted, you said you would marry me when I'm finally legal at 20, right?" Amy counted her fingers and said, "I'm 19 now, and I'll be 20 in half a month. Why don't we get our marriage certificate on my birthday?"She looked at him expectantly with bright eyes.Thaddeus felt a pang in his chest. He figured out that Amy thought she was 19 years old. Back then, he had promised to marry her.If Jessamine hadn't shown up, he
After giving the agent's daughter some design classes, Jessamine went back to work on the new design she had been creating. She was so busy that she forgot about the time and fell asleep on the table.When Thaddeus returned, he knocked on the door, but no one opened it. He tried calling Jessamine, but she didn't answer his calls either. He waited outside the door for a few minutes, trying to enter the password. He tried inputting Jessamine's birthday, but it was wrong. He tried inputting his birthday, but it wasn't right either. Then, he tried typing in the date of their wedding anniversary, and the door clicked open.After driving Jordan away, Thaddeus strode into Jessamine's home, kicking the shoes off his feet.The living room was quiet, and he didn't see her in the bedroom. Then, he noticed that the lights in the study were still on. He slowly walked over, stopping at the door.At this moment, Jessamine was lying on the table with a pencil in her hand. Her hair was tied into
Jessamine felt nervous for no explicable reason. She didn't know why she felt this way. After all, she didn't sign her pen name on those sketches.Thaddeus looked at her bare feet and held out a hand toward her. "Come here."Jessamine looked at him with narrowed eyes. Then, she followed his orders and walked over to him. With a hook of his arm, he lifted her onto his lap. "Aren't you tired? Why aren't you sleeping?"Jessamine was a little distracted when she felt his breath tickling her neck. She tried to compose herself and stay rational. "I haven't tidied up my papers."She didn't mention what she had been doing but simply called her work "papers". She had always been low-profile, so it was no wonder that Thaddeus had only believed she was making mindless scribbles."I won't lose them," he said. Thaddeus hugged her with one hand and turned on his laptop with the other. Upon hearing the gentle tilt in his words, Jessamine couldn't believe he was the real Thaddeus.Just like th
Right now, Thaddeus was sincere. He was even acting coquettish.Jessamine moved her head away, trying to avoid his hot breath. But then, Thaddeus leaned over."Jessie…" he whispered pleadingly. There was a hint of pity in his tone, a huge contrast to his usual cold and aloof demeanor.Jessamine felt a tug in her chest at his voice. She turned her face and pushed him away. "Your stubble is prickly."Thaddeus touched his chin and remarked, "Really? I just shaved this morning."Jessamine was about to run away while his grip on her was loose. As soon as she thought of this, he pulled her into his arms and turned her around. This time, they were facing each other. Their current position was very suggestive.Jessamine couldn't stand his tempting charm, especially since his demeanor was a little gentler under the influence of alcohol."Jessie, you haven't promised me not to get another arranged partner!" He stared at her intently. Then, he lifted her chin with one hand and shoved his l
Jessamine got out of bed and changed her clothes. As she washed up, she heard a knock on the door. She opened the door only to see Jordan with a bag of food."Mrs. Holt, here's the breakfast Mr. Holt ordered for you. Eat it while it's hot," he said.Jessamine took the bag. "Thank you, Mr. Rhodes. About Mr. Holt…"Jordan said with a smile, "Mr. Holt has to sign a very important contract this morning. No one can do it in his place. He asked me to tell you to pack up your things, and I'll bring someone to help you move them at noon."Jessamine asked doubtfully, "We're moving?""Yes, Mrs. Holt. The villa that Mr. Thomas bought for you is ready. The house only belongs to you. You call the shots on whether Mr. Holt can enter your home. You can let him in when you're happy or kick him out when you're not. That was what Mr. Thomas said," informed Jordan.Jessamine awkwardly hummed in assent. That was really something Thomas would say.…In the ward, Thomas got a call from Thaddeus earl
Upon hearing a knock on the door, Jessamine returned to her senses and opened it.Thaddeus stood outside the door in a neat suit, with Jordan and several movers in tow. "Jessie, we're here to help you move."Then, he led everyone into her home.Jordan directed the movers to pack up the items and move them. Meanwhile, Thaddeus carried Jessamine downstairs and got into the car.Jessamine hadn't been to the new villa Thomas had bought for her, so she looked around throughout the entire journey. As Thomas said, this area had more greenery and fresher air, making it suitable for raising her babies.The villa here was much bigger than the one in Jardin Estate. The nannies and nutritionists the Holts hired had already tidied up the house. As soon as Thaddeus and Jessamine arrived, they stood in two rows to greet them.Jessamine was shocked by such a grand display. When she and Thaddeus lived in Jardin Estate, they only had Lana to cook and clean for them. Thaddeus wasn't a people person
Heather didn't look happy. She sat on the couch with a frown.Sasha glanced at Jessamine and scoffed. She muttered, "She thinks she's so great just because she's pregnant now. Amy is pregnant, too. It's still a mystery on whose babies will arrive first."Thaddeus was angry to hear that. He went over and grabbed the back of Sasha's shirt. He warned, "Either shut your mouth or get the fuck out of here." This time, he swore.Heather was also upset. "Be nice to your sister. You have been bullying her since she was a child. You're not playing your part as her older brother."Sasha roughly placed their gifts on the coffee table, making a lot of noise. The box opened under the impact. There were two pairs of bracelets and lucky charms in the box, which Heather bought as a gift for the babies.Sasha was fearless with Heather around. She ignored Thaddeus and took off her slippers. She placed her bare feet on the edge of the coffee table as if she were waiting to be served in her own home.
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