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
She carefully thought about whether they had said anything that wasn't child-appropriate while they were in the tent yesterday. Her mind felt foggy, and she suddenly couldn't remember anything.She had once come across a topic online about unexpected shocking things people have seen. The replies were all over the place, but the most upvoted ones were mostly about accidentally seeing their parents being intimate when they were kids. They didn’t understand it at the time but still remembered it, and as adults, they felt embarrassed whenever they thought about it.Jessamine never expected that she would become the kind of parent the people were discussing in online posts.In contrast to her reaction, Thaddeus remained calm and composed. "Lucas, come here."Lucas didn't obediently go over. instead, he looked as if he had some leverage over his father.Thaddeus took a step forward, effortlessly picked Lucas up with one hand, and carried him into the study.The study door was left op
Lucas peeked his head out the door and saw Jessamine carrying a basin of water to water the flowers outside. Just as Thaddeus had said, she didn't seem upset at all. In fact, she looked more cheerful than usual."Alright, I won't argue with you this time," Lucas relented.Thaddeus sighed in relief. "This is a secret between Mommy and Daddy. Now that you know it, you have to keep it to yourself and not tell anyone else. If others find out, Mommy will be unhappy."Lucas nodded, somewhat understanding the situation. He certainly didn't want to make Jessamine unhappy, so for now, an agreement was made.Thaddeus held Lucas' chubby little hand and gently squeezed it. "Daddy has something to ask you and your sister. Can you call her over now?""Sure."Lucas slid off Thaddeus' lap and went to the living room to find Layla. Soon, the two children squeezed into the study together, with Layla looking very curious."Daddy, why are you looking for us?" she asked.Thaddeus held his legs apar
"Then how about we go visit Great-grandpa today?" Lucas asked.Thaddeus felt relieved about Lucas' grasp on the situation and then turned to ask Layla, "Lucas has agreed. Do you have any different opinions, Layla?"Layla grinned. "I'd like to play with Great-grandpa too. Why don't we set off now?"Thaddeus pulled the two children closer and rubbed his chin on the tops of their heads. "We still need to ask Mommy if she's willing to go.""Okay. Mommy!" Layla shouted.Jessamine came back from watering the flowers. As soon as she stepped through the door, she heard Layla calling out. She put the can back in the bathroom and went to the study to look for Thaddeus and the children."Layla, are you calling for me?" Jessamine asked.Thaddeus stood up from the chair, his eyes filled with a pleading look. "Jessie, I just discussed with the two kids about visiting their great-grandpa today."He stood there looking at her intently, his demeanor clearly pleading to her, waiting for her answ
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