As the two stepped out of the office, they were met with dozens of pairs of eyes staring at them intently.Jessamine thought it was necessary to give Judith a heads-up. She couldn't let her speak carelessly.She needed to maintain her cold and authoritative image at work, so she couldn't afford for it to be ruined over this one matter.She went downstairs and got in the car.Thaddeus didn't bring Jordan along, so he naturally took on the role of the driver himself. Jessamine sat in the passenger seat, holding her phone as she texted Judith."Don't talk about today's matters, or you'll have your pay docked!" Jessamine's assistant was quite simple-hearted, and they usually joked around with each other. Jessamine completely treated her like a younger sister. She'd never put on airs as her boss in front of Judith.Jessamine sent her a message with a warning tone. She expected Judith to reply with some crying emojis, swore that she had blinded and muted herself, and would never spea
Judith stared blankly at her phone screen that was making her dizzy. She hadn't expected the situation to get completely out of control. If she had known everyone would react so strongly, she would never have said anything!"The consequences will be severe if Jacinda finds out," Judith thought.Judith nervously exited the interface and found an unread message. She was completely stunned when she read the content.She reopened the group chat and scrolled up for a long time to find the message she had sent. However, the time limit had already passed when she tried to delete it.She muttered to herself, "I'm done for. I'm totally screwed now!"On the other side, Jessamine was waiting for Judith to respond. Then, she temporarily forgot about the matter when Thaddeus talked to her."Has Lucas received the robots yet?" Thaddeus asked.Jessamine hummed in acknowledgment and said, "Yes, it took ages to open the package. But the eyes are still a little damaged. You should ask Lucas lat
"Get in the car," Thaddeus said.The family got into the car and played some upbeat music. Thaddeus first drove to the supermarket near their home and bought some vegetables and meat. This time, he didn't bring the nanny along. So, they would need to make their own meal, just like when they were in Hajera.Thomas kept saying he didn't need anyone to take care of him and could make his own meals. When Thaddeus saw him wearing an apron and bringing out a plate of pasta from the kitchen that morning, the joy on his face was unmistakable.In these few days before he got really busy, Thaddeus decided he would make the most of his time to treat Thomas well.When the family of four arrived at the door carrying lots of shopping bags, Thomas was wearing an apron and washing some vegetables. He hadn't been in the kitchen for many years. The last time he cooked was probably back when his wife was still alive.Thomas was usually taken care of by a bunch of servants and didn't need to lift a f
He started thinking about his late wife again. He had eaten pelmeni for so many years, but no one could recreate the taste of how she made it. It was a pity that he would never be able to taste it again.His wife had passed away when she was just in her early 50s. At that time, Thomas was so preoccupied with his business empire that he didn't have time to pay attention to her health. It wasn't until the doctor handed him the test results that he found out it was late-stage lung cancer.That moment he felt was truly one of despair. The doctor said that her illness was difficult to cure with medicine. It was only four months from the time she was diagnosed until she passed away.Even though modern medicine was advanced, there were still diseases that could not be cured. From that moment on, his life was filled with endless regret. If only he had spent more time at home and not left his wife so exhausted from taking care of their two sons.If she had been monitored to go for regular c
"Mr. Holt, I've been tracking Burry over the past few days and noticed she goes to the hospital every two days. I'm unsure what's wrong with her health, but she doesn't look well and seems sick. Alex treats her well and always accompanies her during hospital visits," said the private detective."Is it possible to obtain the medical records?" Thaddeus asked.The detective hesitated and said, "I've tried to, but it's confidential.""Send over the name of the hospital where she received treatment," Thaddeus instructed.Shortly after hanging up the phone, the detective sent the name of what seemed to be a private hospital.Thaddeus sent the hospital's name to a friend from Frence whom he met while studying abroad. "Do you know anyone at this hospital? I need you to do me a favor."After sending the message, there was no reply for a long time. It was probably because his friend was busy, unlike a private detective who worked around the clock and was always ready to respond immediately
Thaddeus took out his phone, opened the photo album, and swiped through a few pictures sent by the detective to show Jessamine.Jessamine was astonished when she saw the photo for herself. She thought she looked quite similar to Burry, but she didn't expect them to look this similar. Their appearance and expressions were almost identical.At first glance, she almost thought that she was in the picture if it weren't for the unfamiliar surroundings.Jessamine believed it this time. Even without an expert's assessment, she trusted that the woman, who looked exactly like her, was indeed Noah's wife.With a worried expression, Jessamine asked, "Is she in a lot of danger right now?""Not necessarily. But it's very difficult for us to get close to her for real. Jessie…" Thaddeus said her name with a meaningful tone before continuing, "I suspect that Colin is not your biological father. I've taken hair samples from both of you for a DNA test, and the results should be available soon."Je
After dinner, Lucas led Thomas to the couch. "Great-grandpa, I have a gift for you."Layla took her small bag and said, "Great-grandpa, I prepared a gift for you too.""Oh?" Thomas asked with intrigue. He was filled with anticipation. He was very curious about what gifts these two children, who weren't even five years old, had prepared for an old man like him."Hurry. Take it out and show it to me," he said eagerly.Layla drew a portrait that included herself, Jessamine, Thaddeus, Lucas, and Thomas. Although the drawing didn't look very polished and the brushstrokes are somewhat childlike, it didn't affect the message the portrait conveyed."Great-grandpa, this is our family. I wanted to make you look a bit more handsome, but I haven't quite learned how to do that yet. Next time, I'll do better and make sure to draw you as the most handsome great-grandpa in the world," Layla promised.As Thomas grew older, his eyesight began to deteriorate. He held the painting up and examined it
"Hmm?"Jessamine stood up and followed him out the door, then headed upstairs.Jessamine let out a sigh of relief. She finally felt a bit more freedom to breathe. She had almost died of embarrassment just now, and Thaddeus clearly shared her sentiment.It was now just the two of them again.Thaddeus took out a ruby from the safe, the same one he had won at the exhibition last time. It was the gemstone that had made Layla quite envious for a while.When Thaddeus recalled it now, he thought it was quite interesting how fate worked. At that time, he and Layla were fighting over the gemstone, which was kind of unfair to her since he was much older. The funny thing was that they both wanted to give it to the same person.No matter what, the gemstone rightfully belonged to Jessamine.Jessamine looked at it for a long time before saying, "I like it. Thaddeus, when did you start the habit of collecting jewelry?"Jessamine was the one with this habit. Whenever the two of them traveled tog
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