He made a deal with the kids on the mountain, and they agreed to sleep in a tent when they got home.Jessamine couldn't help but sigh. They had beds but didn't want to sleep in them. Instead, they had to sleep in a tent, and she even had to accompany them. The two children had also specifically requested for their father to join them.However, a promise made to the children couldn't be broken.Jessamine was starting to worry about what would happen at night.In contrast, Thaddeus was in high spirits. It seemed as though he was almost about to stamp his forehead with a sticky note that showed his excitement.Thaddeus entered through the door with a gentle and fatherly smile on his face. "Where should we set up the tent?" he asked.Layla pointed to a spot near the balcony and replied, "There, so we can see the stars."Thaddeus said dotingly, "Alright. We'll listen to Layla and set it up there.""Mommy likes the floor-to-ceiling windows.""Yes, Mommy likes it…"Jessamine stood o
After Jessamine cleaned up the kitchen, she went straight upstairs. Her assistant Judith had sent her a message and complained, "Jacinda, when are you coming back? We have a lot of documents here that need your personal review, and the design department's drawings require your final approval. If you don't return soon, the team's morale will drop."Jessamine knew that during these days when they had been relying on Judith to coordinate the work, the team's work morale was low. While she was away, the working pace at Kama Jewelry had indeed relaxed a lot. If it dragged on any longer, there would be soon no brand to speak of. It would simply be considered good enough if the company didn't collapse."I will come back next week. Hang in there," Jessamine texted back.Judith replied, "Jacinda, please come back soon. We are all waiting for you! Sob!"Jessamine handled some work emails and then, out of boredom, logged into her personal email. She found an overseas email written in full
"Being a bit chubbier is good. You and your mom have the same face shape, and looking a bit fuller makes you look better," Gloria replied.After some small talk, Jessamine got straight to the point and asked, "Grandma, do you know how to make perfumes?"Gloria raised her eyebrows and replied with a smile, "You've asked the right person. Grandma studied it for a while when she was young, but only at a beginner's level. Your mom was the amazing one. "I only taught her some basics, and she mastered the craft by herself. Your grandpa planned to set up a separate company for her to showcase her skills, but she…"Gloria started wiping her tears when she mentioned the sad part. If her rebellious daughter hadn't insisted on marrying that deceitful Colin, she might have achieved great success in the perfume industry by now.Jessamine felt both sad and shocked. According to Gloria's description, perfume-making seemed to be a family tradition. She herself knew that she had a very sensitive
An hour later, Jessamine took Layla downstairs. Thaddeus and Lucas were waiting eagerly downstairs, straining their eyes wide with anticipation.Thaddeus warmed up four cups of milk, one for each family member. He watched Lucas and Layla finish their milk and clean their cups. When they returned, he tentatively asked, "Is it time to go to bed?"The two children didn't understand what Thaddeus was thinking and assumed he wanted them to go to bed early. They obediently crawled into the tent and lay down in their spots.After entering, Layla emphasized with concern again, "Mommy, I want both you and Daddy to come. I want us to be together."Jessamine reluctantly went inside, sticking close to Layla. The living room lights were switched off, and a soft moonlight glow streamed in through the large windows.Lucas was tired from playing for a whole day, so he closed his eyes and soon began to breathe evenly, falling into a slumber.In contrast, Layla seemed a bit excited. She usually st
At that moment, Lucas turned over and mumbled indistinctly in his sleep. The two of them stayed still in their positions, afraid that they would wake him up. Jessamine could feel her heartbeat syncing with Thaddeus', quickly forming the same rhythm.After staying like this for a few minutes, Lucas finally stopped tossing around and fell asleep. Jessamine propped one hand against Thaddeus' chest for support. "Thaddeus, you can't!"Thaddeus' gaze was intense, and after a long pause, he asked in a low voice, "Jessie, can I get a kiss?"Before she could answer, Thaddeus leaned in and kissed her. It was a kiss that started gently and then deepened. Jessamine initially wanted to push him away but couldn't, fearing that making too much noise would wake the two children. In the end, she accepted her reality and stopped resisting.Thaddeus didn't intend to rush things, but when Layla asked for a hug and his arm fell on her, he couldn't restrain himself. A desire that had been suppressed for
As soon as Thaddeus finished speaking, Jessamine refused him almost simultaneously, "Absolutely not!"Thaddeus wasn't discouraged by the rejection. Her reaction was exactly what he had expected. He just stood there motionless, quietly watching her. "Jessie, you said you would seriously think about getting back together with me. Hasn't it been a few days already?"He lifted one hand and tucked the stray hair on Jessamine's forehead behind her ear, gently brushing her brow and eye with his thumb. "I want to sleep next to you and the kids every night, even if we do nothing at all."Jessamine's mouth twitched. What kind of nonsense was he saying? Even if he did nothing? If she hadn't reacted strongly just now, who knows what he would have done next? And now he had the nerve to say something like that? Was he not embarrassed by his own words?Thaddeus lowered his head and gave her another quick kiss on the lips. While resting his forehead against hers, he spoke tenderly, "How about we
Thaddeus raised his eyebrows, wondering what was the point of her warning."It's okay. I'm a considerate person. It's enough as long as one person in the family is considerate. I'll make snacks for the three of you, I'll call you eight times a day to remind you to come home, and I'll buy the latest season's fashion for you. Do you have any other requests? Speak up now."After finishing what he said, he added, "Even if I'm just a trial boyfriend right now, you can treat me like a husband and enjoy the benefits early. Not only that, but I'd even be willing to give myself to you if needed."Jessamine gave him a disapproving look. "Is that really what you wanted to say? Do you not have anything serious on your mind?"Thaddeus shouted like he was wrongfully accused, "I just said a whole lot, but you only listened to the last sentence, right? Which one of us isn't thinking seriously?"Jessamine was rendered speechless and unable to respond.Thaddeus lowered his head and planted gentle
The experiences she went through in the past made it difficult for Jessamine to fully trust someone again, and rebuilding trust wasn't an easy task. However, Thaddeus' recent thoughtful gestures in their everyday life truly moved her. She felt scared but couldn't help wanting to get closer. If it weren't for that slight flutter in her heart, she wouldn't have let him have his way in the tent just now.Jessamine knew that, to her, Thaddeus was like a beautiful poppy flower—dangerous yet enticing.She had never fully moved on from their past relationship. Even when she tried to leave everything behind and start anew, seemingly carefree, she would wake up in the middle of the night. She would remember that they were no longer together and feel a pain so sharp that it left her struggling to breathe. Having loved someone for so long and then wanting to completely separate from them was incredibly difficult. It was almost like peeling off a layer of skin.Thaddeus answered with great