"You have a home, but you choose to stay in a hotel and eat cheap takeout. Are you trying to say I'm not feeding you enough?"Thaddeus was as sharp-tongued as ever.Jessamine was eating her empanadas and wasn't in the mood to argue with him. It would only ruin her appetite. She would never win against that sharp-tongued man. Why bother putting herself through the misery?Thaddeus immediately lay down on the bed, taking up the space where Jessamine had been sleeping. He casually picked up her phone and started to scroll through it.Jessamine felt a sense of peace as she ate her meal, no longer having to hear his voice. She turned to look at him and saw him staring intently at her phone. She immediately felt a sense of unease.There were too many secrets in the phone that she couldn't let him see."What are you looking at?"She tossed the fork aside and instinctively lunged onto the bed to grab the phone.Thaddeus wasn't about to let her succeed that easily. He was quick to rea
Jessamine's words made Thaddeus feel like he was doused with a bucket of cold water. The woman before him no longer resembled the proper housewife she used to be.What a scumbag of a woman!What kind of scummy words was this woman spouting?"What are you playing at? Are you having fun with Malcolm? What makes him so special? If you're feeling lonely, you can always come to me. I can give you anything you want, be it money or company."He was confident that he wouldn't lose to Malcolm, whether in terms of financial ability or certain aspects of a man's skills.He pinned her hands above her head, completely taking control of her. Then, his slightly calloused hand roamed over the sensitive areas of her body, sparking arousal with every touch.He knew exactly how to tease her, making her succumb to him.Jessamine suddenly felt parched, and she instinctively swallowed."Thaddeus, please stop …"She frowned slightly and turned her head away to avoid his kiss.Her reaction instantly
Thaddeus hung up the phone and glanced at the person in his arms. Eventually, he removed the arms wrapped around his waist."I'll make it up to you."With that, he got out of the bed and quickly got dressed.Thaddeus' response immediately snapped Jessamine back to reality. What was she hoping for? She was so naive to actually think that he would give up Amy for her.Reality once again slapped her hard in the face.As long as Amy needed him, he would always run to her. Even if he was in the middle of something important, he would drop everything to be with her.Jessamine loathed herself. How much pain did she have to endure before she would let him go?Her love had plummeted to the point where it couldn't even earn a single regard from him.Thaddeus quickly tidied himself up and glanced back before going out the door."Jessie, remember to lock the door."As the door closed, Jessamine's sobs broke out. Tears streamed down her face, and she was unable to stop them.She knew th
She was Thaddeus' wife, or more precisely, just his bed partner. A tool for relieving desires in the silent hours of the night.Did she even have the right to expect him to give her a bouquet of flowers?Romantic acts were only expressed to the one you loved. And she clearly didn't deserve it.Jessamine had no intention of attending that birthday party.She had no intention of making a career in Holt Jewelry anyway. Besides, she would be leaving Zenville soon, so she didn't care who she loved.As the workday drew to a close, Amy sent a WhatsApp message with a photo attached.Jessamine clicked on the message and looked at the photo. It was a photo of a necklace with a fine platinum chain carrying an emerald pendant.Jessamine's heart lurched. She instantly recognized that necklace. It had belonged to her mother.It wasn't a valuable piece of jewelry, but Jessamine remembered her mother wearing it every day since she was a child. It was clearly something very important to her.A
Amy had deliberately steered the conversation in this direction with a clear hint of provocation. Her gaze carried an arrogant confidence.Jessamine was taken aback for a moment, but then she replied calmly, "I'm not a fan of celebrities, and I don't really pay much attention to entertainment news." She added, "I do know a few male celebrities, but they're all married. Ms. Quilton's boyfriend shouldn't be a married man, right?"Amy's face instantly paled. Everyone noticed her discomfort, and the conversation immediately came to an end.When they arrived at the Hawthorne Hotel, Amy told the waiter Thaddeus's name, and the waiter immediately led them to the top floor.The luxuriously decorated top floor of the hotel, which covered several thousand square feet, was completely rented out that day. With the arrival of dozens of people, the atmosphere instantly became lively.An assortment of high-end red wines, cocktails, beverages, and delicate desserts were laid out in a dazzling a
Jessamine glanced at the entrance, and her heart immediately sank.Thaddeus actually showed up at Amy's birthday party.Jessamine was well aware that Thaddeus disliked these kinds of gatherings, especially those filled with women and rampant gossip. Yet, he actually showed up, proving how much he cherished Amy.Habits could change if you love someone. There was no point making a big deal out of it.Amy went to great lengths to get her to come. It turned out that she wanted her to see them announce their relationship.Although their divorce hadn't even been finalized, they were so eager to make their relationship public in front of the employees of Holt Jewelry.Wasn't it a bit too cruel to do that in her presence?During the three years of marriage, he forbade her from revealing their marital status at the company, yet he publicly announced his romantic relationship with Amy in front of all their colleagues.Was Thaddeus trying to repeatedly break her heart just because Amy had
Amy huffed. "Relax, I will give it to you. You're the only one who cares so much about that crappy necklace anyways. Even if I tossed it onto the streets, I'm sure no one would even pick it up.""I'm warning you, Amy. I draw the line when it comes to my mom. If you ever say anything bad about her again, there's no telling what I'd do next," Jessamine warned.Amy scoffed as if she had just heard a particularly funny joke. To her, Jessamine was someone she could push around easily."Your threats mean nothing to me. I'm not scared of you at all," Amy replied mockingly.Just then, Thaddeus exited the hall. Jessamine raised her head to look at him as he walked over, and Amy must've also noticed his presence because she immediately plastered on a cheerful smile as she latched herself onto Jessamine's arm."Jessie, my birthday wish this year is for you to celebrate my birthday with me! I hope you can grant it!" Amy exclaimed.Thaddeus walked toward them with long strides and asked, "W
"What did you say?" Thaddeus growled.His presence was overwhelming, and his words were laced with anger, so just one sentence was enough to make everyone tremble in fear.Those who had been lining up behind Jessamine looked away. To go up and wish Thaddeus and Amy well right now would be like a death sentence.Jessamine was used to Thaddeus' temper so she knew this outburst was barely the tip of the iceberg. She gave a light smile and refilled her cup before she said, "If you aren't happy with my well wishes, I can do it again."Though she was nursing a broken heart, she maintained a cool composure. She let her gaze linger on both Thaddeus and Amy for a while before smiling and saying, "I hope that the both of you have a child together soon."Thaddeus' answering glare was dark and he slammed his wine glass onto the bar. The resulting thud was sharp and filled with anger.The room descended into silence. Some of the more timid people even averted their gaze, afraid that if th
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