"Let me borrow your phone for a moment," Thaddeus said.At that moment, Jordan felt his heart race. He prayed that Jessamine would stop saying harsh things. He didn't think he could bear it any longer. He unlocked his phone and handed it over before leaning back cautiously in the passenger seat.Thaddeus opened the chat box that had just been active, looking at the message that hurt his feelings. He thought about many things along the way and realized that her disappointment in him stemmed from his past actions. It would take a while to build that trust again.His fingers lightly touched the screen. Soon, a message was sent in Jordan's tone."Mrs. Holt, there are many confidential company files on Mr. Holt's computer. Could you please help keep them safe? There's also a PowerPoint dated for today on the computer. Could you please send it to Mr. Holt's email? The computer's startup password is unchanged."After the message was sent, Thaddeus breathed a sigh of relief. As he waited
Jessamine wiped away her tears and calmed herself down. Then, she opened the folder at the top of the list.Inside were the names Thaddeus had chosen for the two babies, including names for two boys, two girls, and even twins. He considered all the possibilities with more than ten names each. Below it were also some notes on unsuitable names, listing the names of both Jessamine and his relatives to avoid any naming confusion.Jessamine felt her heart sink. It turned out Thaddeus wasn't against these two babies. He also wanted to be a dedicated father.She closed the file and clicked on the next one.Inside were detailed lists of things pregnant women needed to pay attention to, each itemized one by one."Pregnant women in the second trimester can exercise appropriately to prepare for childbirth.""Pay attention to counting fetal movements regularly to assess the fetus' health.""Regularly take multivitamins. Get plenty of sunlight for calcium. Pay attention to adding dietary f
Amy stood there, feeling so scared that it made her turn pale. She had experienced Thaddeus' ruthlessness from the moment he forced her to take the medicine. Since then, she had fled overnight and dared not appear in front of him again, nor even set foot in Zenville.She knew that after Jessamine and the two babies in her belly had died, Thaddeus wouldn't let her off lightly. Even when Amy learned that her biological mother had been killed, she didn't dare enter Zenville. However, she was forced by circumstances this time. She needed to return to Zenville to handle the company Colin had left behind. It was her parents' lifelong efforts, and she couldn't just watch the company get divided up by a group of people. It was her property.What Amy didn't expect was her luck to be so bad. She had learned that Thaddeus was out of town, but on the third day of entering Zenville, she was blocked by him at the door.Amy was extremely afraid. She feared that she would end up like her mother
"Teddy…" Amy mumbled.Amy felt herself go numb when she heard the word "divorce". She had always wanted to be Mrs. Holt, but she hadn't been happy at all during these four years as "Mrs. Holt". She was even rotting away in the pits now. Amy had never enjoyed the glory and wealth that belonged to Mrs. Holt. Instead, she lived in hiding like a rat on the streets.When she ran away four years ago, she still had a glimmer of hope for Thaddeus. When she was earnest, Thaddeus was someone who would always be infinitely tolerant and understanding toward her. No matter what Amy did, Thaddeus would ultimately choose to forgive her. After all, she had saved his life. That was what he owed her.She believed that Thaddeus was just angry for a moment. As long as she stayed away from him and stopped provoking his anger, he would surely calm down over time. Then the day would come when she could live a good life.Amy took a step back. "No, I don't want a divorce. I'll do anything you ask, but
Thaddeus hadn't been back to Holt Manor for some time. Ever since Jessamine left, Thomas had turned against him, declaring that Thaddeus wouldn't be allowed to enter Holt Manor unless he brought Jessamine back. Although he said so, Thaddeus was still Thomas' grandson. Initially, Thomas had refused to let him in for the first two years. Later on, after learning that Thaddeus lived in endless regret and torment, Thomas couldn't bear to see him suffer like that. Thomas felt sorry for him. During festivals and holidays, he would relent and allow Thaddeus to come home for dinner. Apart from meals, Thomas didn't care to interact with him. Sometime later, an idiot leaked the news of Jessamine's death to Thomas, and the shock caused Thomas to fall seriously ill. He barely survived that illness. Since then, Thomas had completely ignored him.Thaddeus knew he had committed grave sins and dared not hope for Thomas' forgiveness. However, he still came back every weekend and never stayed ove
"Grandfather, here. Wipe your sweat," Thaddeus said as he handed the towel to Thomas.This was the first time in four years that he had taken such an initiative and dared to speak to Thomas.Thomas took the towel and gave Thaddeus a sideways glance. Lately, he had heard many rumors about how Thaddeus was once again neglecting his duties and was considering giving up managing the company, just like four years ago.Thaddeus hadn't set foot in the company for over half a month, not even for meetings, and opted for remote work instead.Thomas had cursed at him many times in his mind. "If you don't want to work, step down early and don't ruin my company," Thomas snapped.Thaddeus was puzzled. "Grandfather, what are you talking about? How could I ruin Holt Jewelry? It's the result of three generations of hard work."Thomas snorted disdainfully. "I may be old, but I'm not blind. How long has it been since you visited the company? Is this how a CEO should behave?"Thaddeus raised an eye
As Thaddeus and Thomas chatted, Noah came out from the house carrying a cup of hot tea."Dad, you seem to be in a good mood today. Did Ted find a new girlfriend? He should bring her home one day and let everyone meet her. Let's quickly set a date for the wedding," Noah said. Although his words sounded well-meaning, they were laced with darker intentions. Everyone knew how much Thomas cared about Thaddeus' private life. After losing Jessamine and his two grandchildren, he couldn't stand the thought of Thaddeus having a new love interest. Even when Heather introduced women to Thaddeus, she did it behind Thomas's back. If not, Thomas would surely have gotten mad and scolded Thaddeus himself.But today, Noah's plans had gone awry. Instead of getting angry, Thomas' face wrinkled even deeper with a smile."You're right, Noah. Ted has found a wife, it's Jessie. She's alive and well!" Thomas revealed.Thomas was excited and eager to share the news with everyone in the house.Noah was
Corey didn't dare directly refute Thomas' words out of fear that it might upset him, so he subtly expressed his disbelief. Thomas slammed his fork on the table with a serious expression. "You two act like spouses, but when your son's marriage is in trouble, you turn a blind eye and don't help resolve it. What kind of attitude is that? If Jessie comes back this time and you still behave like this, then move out of this house," Thomas snapped.After the scolding, Thomas glanced disappointedly at Sasha, who was eating and drinking without regard for others."What kind of example have you two set for your children? If you can't educate them properly, you might as well not have them," Thomas said disappointedly.Heather kept her head down, not daring to speak. When Thomas was angry, he wouldn't show anyone mercy; it was best to let him speak in such situations.Corey coughed a few times. He was obsessed with the antique market and usually left everything in the house to his wife to ma
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