Chapter One Hundred EighteenHarvey smirked mockingly and sneered; he found it quite amusing. This woman really had a big ego, perhaps she had been pampered so much that she didn't know her place."True, if you hadn't reminded me, I might have forgotten that we once had a wedding ceremony. But, as you know, this marriage was never my intention. Don't delude yourself any further," he said.Before being forced into marrying Quinn, a wealthy family head had told Harvey that she was a highly skilled woman, adept at handling social situations, and knew how to please others, which was why she made it onto the list of heirs to the Reed family. However, now Harvey thought that the family head should reconsider the words he had spoken. Harvey found this woman to be nothing but a nuisance and trouble, and he couldn't see any positive qualities in her.Compared to his beloved Emma, Quinn was like a tiny ant underfoot.[What do you mean by that? Are you now trying to cancel the marriage? I won't
Chapter One Hundred and NineteenAs Gemma played the piano, she glanced over at Clement, who had never had direct contact with any musical instrument before, making him feel both new and thrilled. The melody she played was incredibly gentle and tender, just a little listening to it brought comfort, dissipating any worries.Clement looked up at his mother just as their eyes met, and in that moment, he was awestruck by Gemma's ethereal beauty. He knew his mother was beautiful and admired her looks, but at this instant, he couldn't bring himself to look directly into her eyes.Feeling embarrassed, Clement quickly turned his head away, and his face flushed red like a tomato. He clumsily tried to conceal his embarrassment, not wanting his mother to see it. Gemma chuckled softly, seeing her son in such a state.As the music came to an end, Gemma raised her hand and turned to ask her son, "What do you think? It was lovely, right?""Yes, it was beautiful. You never told me you could play the
Chapter One Hundred TwentyClement remained expressionless when mentioning the scars on his father's wrists. It wasn't because his father brought it up or told him about it; rather, Clement accidentally caught a glimpse of them during dinner. At that moment, he was taken aback by the numerous crisscrossing scars.However, due to Jethro's malevolent gaze, Clement dared not speak up and ask. The mere thought of it sent shivers down his spine. Gemma was still stunned by her son's words. Jethro always wore long-sleeved, dark-colored shirts and had never revealed such severe wounds in front of her."Could you have mistaken it, Clement?" Gemma forced a laugh, hoping that Jethro wasn't so mad as to harm himself like that.Clement tilted his head, pondered for a moment, and replied, "It's possible... but that was a long time ago, about two years ago."Clement stared at Gemma intently and continued, "After Mom committed suicide on that cliff."Gemma shuddered as she met Clement's cold and pier
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-OneJethro was very annoyed, but he had to suppress his irritation, not letting it show outwardly. Now he had to pretend that he had changed, that he was a good man so that Gemma would change her perception of him."All day, I had important matters to attend to, so I couldn't be by your side and Clement," Jethro said, smiling.Gemma raised her hand to stop Jethro. She wasn't here to listen to his explanations, and she didn't care about where he went."Your work is not related to me, and I have no interest in hearing about it," Gemma stated bluntly.Recalling the early days of their marriage, Jethro always used work and his company as excuses to avoid being at home with her. Every time Gemma asked about his work or how his day went, he would get annoyed and tell her it was none of her business, instructing her not to care.After so many years, he seemed to have forgotten it all quickly, but as her memories returned, Gemma became more vividly aware of things f
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-TwoGemma screamed loudly, the agony had reached its peak early on, but she managed to suppress it by thinking that one day she would escape Jethro and his watchful eyes, or at least patiently wait until he grew tired of her and stopped chasing her.But Gemma was wrong; Jethro seemed to be obsessed with her. He wouldn't let her go. Now, she had nothing left, and he still wanted something from her."Jethro, what is there left for me that you haven't taken? Speak up! I'll give it to you," Gemma yelled, not realizing that tears were streaming down her face as she spoke.Jethro wanted to approach and wipe away her tears, seeing her cry pained him deeply, and his heart felt constricted witnessing her like this. However, Gemma pushed his hand away forcefully, repulsed by his touch. Every time he touched her, a chain of painful memories from the past resurfaced. The awful and traumatic experiences he had inflicted upon her made her feel disgusted and haunted."Don'
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-ThreeGemma was momentarily taken aback by Jethro's words. She never thought that he would have such thoughts and feelings. Could this be his sincere confession? But even if he wanted to deceive her, there was no need for him to kneel and plead with tears and pain like this.Gemma trembled slightly, but she wouldn't allow herself to falter. "Then tell me why you brought a woman who looks like me home and bullied me together with her."Jethro jerked and anxiously grasped the corner of her coat like a desperate child. He lowered his head and remained silent for a long while before finally speaking, "After your father passed away, you stopped paying attention to me. You ignored me and tried to avoid me... I thought if I brought a woman who looks like you home, you would pay more attention to me."Gemma frowned, not seeing any connection between bringing that woman and Jethro wanting her attention. "What does bringing that woman home have to do with you wanting
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Four In the early morning, Gemma couldn't sleep a wink. She felt the person beside her move, indicating that he was awake, so she immediately pretended to be asleep. She didn't want the first sight of the day to be the face of this perverted and villainous man. Jethro tenderly gazed at the woman lying in his arms, and his gaze lingered on her without moving away. Gemma thought that if he kept looking at her like this, she wouldn't be able to pretend anymore. Just as she was about to push him away, Jethro lightly kissed her forehead and buried his head in the nape of her neck, causing Goosebumps to rise all over Gemma's body. She had to suppress any sound and continue pretending to be asleep. Jethro, however, persisted in his inappropriate and disrespectful actions, even daring to slip his hand inside her clothes. At this point, Gemma couldn't pretend to sleep any longer and was about to push him away when... Fortunately, right at that moment, there was a
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-FiveJethro looked at Gemma with an earnest plea in his eyes, anxiety and tears welling up, his hands trembling as he gently grasped Gemma's hand. His hands were large, robust, with strong fingers and firm muscles, but they bore small scars on the surface. In contrast, Gemma's hands were delicate, smooth, and pale, a striking difference from Jethro's.Using both hands, Jethro held Gemma's petite hand tenderly and softly. He was afraid of gripping too tightly, fearing that he might hurt her. He wanted to hold her hand, but he had to restrain his strength."I don't know when you started saying 'I'm sorry' like this," Gemma tried to pull her hand back, but she lacked the strength.Seeing the man appearing agitated, with tears welling up in his eyes, made Gemma feel stunned. In the past, he would have been cold and walked away or made her regret making him uncomfortable. But now, Jethro abandoned his aloof demeanor and beseeched Gemma earnestly.Gemma's gaze shi