Jessamine was on a roll today for some reason, as she won five games in a row.The other three players were constantly complaining, saying they had lost everything, and even exaggeratedly saying they lost their clothes.Of course, Jessamine wouldn't actually take their money. After playing a few rounds, she returned all her winnings to them.On the other end, Thaddeus and Thomas had just got off the plane. Thaddeus quickly sent a message to Jessamine. They didn't even have time to go home before Thomas forced them to go rescue Noah.Two officers took Noah's medical diagnosis before leaving to go find someone else. After some difficulties, they managed to lead Noah out.When Noah came out, his expression didn't change at all. He didn't show any relief or relaxation from being released after being confined; instead, he looked indifferent.Thomas understood his son well. Noah appeared indifferent to everything, as if he had no interest in anything. It was as if he was a stagnant poo
Very soon, the ladies seemed to have formed two lines, with neither side willing to back down.Judith stood by watching the commotion but didn't say anything. She just smiled. These people probably didn't know that Jacinda's adorable twins' father was actually Thaddeus! When they would eventually find out about this, it would undoubtedly cause an uproar again.Jessamine was listening to everyone arguing and didn't even get a chance to speak up.At that moment, her phone rang. Jessamine took out her phone from her bag, and the caller ID "Thaddeus" flashed on the screen.Her colleagues who were close to her could see it clearly, and soon everyone quieted down.Thaddeus' slightly tired voice could be heard from the speaker. "Where is it?" he asked.Jessamine replied, "We have a team-building event today, and we're still playing games.""Send me the address, please," Thaddeus said.Jessamine paused and then asked, "Aren't you home yet?""After getting off the plane, my grandpa too
After thinking back to it, Jessamine felt like a dream had come true. She thought she could shape him into a down-to-earth CEO. That way, all the ladies at the company would root for him and no longer find him distant and unapproachable.The weather was fast approaching autumn, and it was no longer so stiflingly hot. A gentle evening breeze started blowing, causing the hem of Jessamine's skirt to flutter against her legs, making a rustling sound.Thaddeus let her lead the way as they walked into the bustling street.Even though this was a small street dedicated to local food found in Hajera, it offered a wide variety, featuring street food from all over the country.Jessamine immediately noticed the flashing sign for chicken wings filled with stuffing. As soon as she saw those words, she felt as though she could already smell the aroma of the chicken wings."Sir, can I get two orders of chicken wings?"After Jessamine finished speaking, she turned to glance at Thaddeus. The two o
When Jessamine came to him with a box of blue cheese, Thaddeus was still lost in thought.The pungent smell made him wince. He hesitated, unsure of what to do. Should he move away? He did not want to upset her, but he really couldn't tolerate it.Unlike him, Jessamine was enjoying the blue cheese. She even offered him a piece. "Want a bite?"Startled, Thaddeus took a step back, then quickly realized he had overreacted. "Jessie, I'm full."She burst out laughing. "Are you that scared of blue cheese? If I had known, I would have sneaked some into your meal every time we argued."Thaddeus pouted. "You wouldn't do that, would you?"As they talked, Jessamine had already finished half of it. She thought it was a shame that Thaddeus treated the delicious treat like poison."Are you sure you don't want a piece? You'll regret it for life if you don't," she said.Thaddeus face-palmed. "Nah, it's all yours.""Fine, it's your loss." Jessamine quickly finished the remaining blue cheese. T
Trying to secure some perks for himself, Thaddeus forced a smile. "Pick me up too!""Aren't you a grown man? Why would I pick you up?"Jessamine responded too quickly without thinking. After she spoke, she saw Thaddeus staring at her with his piercing gaze."You know well whether or not I am a man, don't you?" he asked in a grave tone.It started to rain as they spoke. They had left in a hurry without an umbrella, but fortunately, Jessamine's company was nearby.She pointed to the building ahead and proposed, "My company is just over there. Let's go that way."Thaddeus glanced around and realized that they were closer to his home.He had bought the house for its proximity to her company, thinking it would be convenient to visit her. Little did he know it would also provide a place to take cover from the rain. "We have a closer place to take shelter," he said.Jessamine was puzzled. The next second, Thaddeus wrapped his arm around her and ran toward his home.When they arrive
Jessamine wondered if Thaddeus wanted her to stay by giving her the nightdress.She never agreed to stay overnight. With this in mind, she asked, "Do you have any other pajamas?""Yes," Thaddeus replied with his eyebrows raised.More than half of the walk-in closet at home was filled with women's clothing. Taking Jordan's advice, Thaddeus had gradually filled the place. In fact, the items he had prepared for her already outnumbered his own even before he had won her back.Following him, they moved toward the closet.The moment they stepped inside, Jessamine was stunned. She had imagined he might have prepared some women's clothing for her, but she did not expect this much.There were plenty of sets of tops, dresses, shoes, socks, and even underwear. The variety of styles was dazzling. She could find any combination she wanted, with just as many options as her own closet.Hanging on the other side were his clothing, mostly in black, white, and gray. The ties were the only splash
Thaddeus walked over to Jessamine. He took the towel from her hands to help dry her hair.Her hair was thick and smooth. Water droplets slid down the tips of her hair and landed in his palm. Though it was cold, it created a burning sensation within him.He brushed through her hair mechanically, with each strand seeming to have a life of its own, burrowing straight into his heart. His emotions were a tangled mess."Jessie…" He called out.Jessamine could hear the obvious hoarseness in his voice—a seductive tone laced with desire. Memories from four years ago suddenly crowded her thoughts. Vivid images flooded her mind. She recalled the countless intimate nights when he pinned her under him, calling out her name repeatedly."Jessamine…""Jessamine, why aren't you crying?""Just bear with it one last time. I promise I won't tease you again after this.""Jessamine, don't be shy. It's sweet."…Adults did not need things spelled out to understand them. A simple glance or a call
Thaddeus gazed into her eyes, feeling the pleasure her hands were bringing him. He felt happy. It was as if she had just filled his heart with joy, enough to keep him feeling content for a while.It took a while before the two of them finally came out of the bathroom.Jessamine went to the wardrobe to find a new set of clothes to change into. The clothes she was wearing earlier had been hand-washed by Thaddeus and now hung on the balcony of the master bedroom.Jessamine got herself ready. Thaddeus too finished what he had to do."It's getting late," he said.Jessamine's hair was almost dry. It was indeed time for her to go home. She wondered if Layla would be waiting for her to tell her a bedtime story.Thaddeus walked over and pulled her into his arms, unable to hide his reluctance."Jessie, when will you move in? I want to hold you every day," he said.Jessamine suddenly remembered him saying Thomas had already moved in. All of a sudden she was nervous, wondering if he might
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