"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 called Joe and asked a few questions, but didn't mention anything about bringing the children over.In the past, he had often upset Thomas during hospital visits. Eventually, Thomas explicitly banned him from visiting, saying that seeing him would only make him feel worse. So, whenever Thaddeus went to the hospital, he didn't dare show his face. He would only sneak a peek in the hallway and have a chat with the doctor about the patient's condition.This time, he felt confident he could earn some favor from Thomas. The idea of elevating one's status through kin was well-received by Thomas.The car stopped at the hospital.Thaddeus opened the door and helped the children out of the car. He reached out to take their hands. Layla cooperated and allowed Thaddeus to hold her hand. Lucas, however, resisted and ran over to Jessamine. In the end, both parents each held one child's hand as they walked toward the hospital.At that time, Thomas had just finished his IV treatment,
Thomas wondered if his hearing had gotten worse as he aged, making him confused in broad daylight. He sat there feeling lost after adjusting his blanket. He laughed at himself with a sigh, questioning why he was getting worked up for nothing. Thaddeus had promised to arrange a suitable time to meet, and if the children were coming, he would've definitely called in advance.Thomas picked up his phone and stared at it blankly for a moment before deciding to call Thaddeus. He wanted to ask when he would bring the children over. Before he passed away, he wanted to enjoy his time with his great-grandchildren. Otherwise, how would he explain it to his late wife in the afterlife?As the call connected, the doorbell rang outside.Thaddeus didn't hang up or answer the call. He simply held Layla's hand with his left hand and walked through the door.Thomas lived in a suite within the hospital, separated from the main corridor by two doors. The sound of the doorbell echoed, and even though
Thomas laughed heartily. "Great-grandpa is already so old. How can I still grow taller? If I did grow any more, I'd turn into a monster."Lucas sat on Thomas' lap and touched his arm. "Great-grandpa, you're too thin. You need to eat more."Thomas, after hearing what Lucas said, smiled even more happily and hugged the children tightly with both hands."Oh dear, you two little ones are so smart. You know that eating well helps you grow taller and stronger. Great-grandpa doesn't want to turn into a monster, but I'm already too old to grow taller. I'll just have to wait for you two to grow up."Joe pushed the lunch box forward again. Since Thomas didn't want to give in, he set his sights on the children instead. "Mr. Lucas and Ms. Layla, would you two like to join your great-grandpa for a meal?"With a small grin, Layla said, "Of course! I like Great-grandpa the most."Joe smoothly opened the lunchbox and placed the dishes on the table one by one, then took out the utensils.Lucas w
"Grandpa, I heard some news here and there. Noah used to have a very good relationship with his wife, but then there was an accident and his wife went missing," Thaddeus explained.Thomas' expression froze momentarily. He realized he had misunderstood earlier. Upon hearing about his daughter-in-law's accident, a trace of regret appeared in his expression. "Did that person… pass away?"Thaddeus shook his head. "I'm not sure. There was an avalanche and the person just disappeared."Thaddeus didn’t dare say that the person was gone. Firstly, he was afraid that Thomas would be heartbroken. Thomas was quite a faithful believer and couldn’t bear to hear about such cruel things. Secondly, he felt that the person going missing might not necessarily be a bad thing. Perhaps the person was living well somewhere else in the world.This was especially what he felt after reuniting with Jessamine—that nothing was absolute. Of course, he hoped that the mysterious young aunt, whom he had never me
As people aged, they often wanted their children and grandchildren to stay close by. However, Thomas wasn't that stubborn. As long as his children did well, he didn't mind much. He indeed wanted Thaddeus to go to Hajera with Jessamine, and it was also true that he felt a bit upset about it.Thaddeus wasn't stupid. Of course, he could see what Thomas was thinking. The older people got, the more they became like children in some ways, and he could tell that Thomas held back his true feelings."Grandpa, you can come with me to Hajera. I've told you before that I've bought an apartment there. It's a big, waterfront place. The air quality in the south is also better for your health, making it a good place for you to recuperate."When he recalled what Thaddeus had said last time, Thomas finally understood what Thaddeus meant when he said Thomas also had relatives in Hajera. It turned out there was a deeper meaning behind his words.Thomas turned his head away from the children in his arm
Noah covered his mouth and nose, coughed lightly, and spoke gently, "I've been taking the medication, and I'm feeling much better. The air quality in Zenville isn't very suitable for my condition. When the time comes, we're planning to go abroad…""Noah!" Jessamine couldn't help but shout, cutting off anything else he might have said. She knew Noah was evading the main issue and hadn't listened to her."I can't go abroad with you, so stop thinking about it. Let me tell you one more time. I am not the person you think I am. Your wife is missing, and I'm also very sorry that I never got the chance to meet her, but I am not her. How long are you going to keep deceiving yourself?"Noah froze for a moment, then suddenly let out a low chuckle. He looked at her steadily, his expression neither angry nor happy. "Jessie, stop messing around."For the first time, Jessamine felt that communicating with someone could be so difficult."Noah, put aside the matter of my current relationship stat
Noah didn't stay in the hospital room for long, as the children made him feel uncomfortable. He was feeling insanely jealous."Dad, since you have someone with you, I'll go take care of my things. Call me if you need anything," Noah said.Thomas waved his hand. "Go ahead. There's nothing much going on here."All he needed now was to see his precious great-grandchildren nearby. Everyone else was an unnecessary presence.After Thomas finished speaking, Noah gave Jessamine a meaningful look and then turned and left.He had just left when Thaddeus followed him out. Noah stopped at the elevator. He had heard the footsteps behind him but chose to ignore them.It was a firm decision for him to take Jessamine away, and others' opinions would only annoy him and wouldn't change his mind.The elevator doors opened, and Thaddeus asked in a cool, detached tone, "Want to chat for a bit?"Noah adjusted his glasses, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. "Is there really a need to chat?
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