Rowan sheepishly set down the cookie and chuckled twice."The little cake is just too adorable, I couldn't resist," she admitted.Jessica lovingly tucked the quilt around Rowan and asked in a hushed tone, "I heard James mention that you two first crossed paths because of cookies.""Yes!" Rowan confirmed.Rowan finally managed to sneak the cookie away, stepped into the house, and gently closed the door. Initially, she had intended to assist Jessica with some tasks, but upon scanning the room, it seemed there was nothing needing her help. Consequently, she opted to sit on the edge of the bed and engage in a hushed conversation with her friend."At the outset, my love for cookies was so intense that I shamelessly tagged along with him every day when he walked his dog."Jessica wore a warm smile as she listened, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She had the distinct impression of indulging a child proudly sharing their accomplishments. Something was endearing about Rowan's unwarranted se
It’s your son anywayJessica hung her head and remained silent.The stranger and Jessica stood there, locked in a heavy silence. In contrast, James, standing to the side, displayed a pleading expression and softly called out, "Sister Jessica..."Jessica seemed momentarily taken aback, then smiled quietly, almost as if resigning herself to the situation. In a hushed tone, she whispered, "Go ahead and see him; he's your son, after all. I can't stop you."The man gazed deeply into her eyes and extended his right hand, clasping her slender hand that hung by her side."Come with me," he said decisively.Jessica reacted as if she had been shocked, swiftly attempting to pull her hand away, but the man's grip was firm, and she struggled unsuccessfully."Let go!" she demanded.Instead of releasing her, the man extended his left hand, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and held her close.Rowan watched the scene with wide eyes, torn between wanting to intervene and understanding that if Jessi
The atmosphere between Rowan and James was becoming increasingly ambiguous. Rowan turned her face away, avoiding eye contact with James, fearing she might see the expectation in his eyes, something she wasn't ready to face.James, being as considerate as ever, didn't press her for an answer. Instead, he smiled good-naturedly and said, "Go to bed early. You have to get up early for work tomorrow morning."Rowan practically leaped up from her seat as if she had been granted a reprieve. "Okay!"James escorted her to the guest room, a reasonably spacious room conveniently located next to his own bedroom. Rowan glanced around and noticed, as he had mentioned, that the bed was neatly made, and everything she might need had been thoughtfully prepared.This small act of consideration warmed her heart. She didn't know how a grown man like James could be so meticulous in just a few minutes. She softly thanked him.James had never entered the room from the beginning. He stood with his arms cross
James took the initiative to stand up, telling Rowan in a deep voice, "You continue eating, I'll go check."Rowan had lost her appetite at this point, so she also got up and followed him towards the door.James led the way, and Rowan followed a couple of steps behind, trying to keep her composure.When James opened the door, he paused, and Rowan caught up, standing a few steps away from him.From the front, it appeared as if they were standing shoulder to shoulder, closely together. Thus, when the door opened, the person on the other side narrowed his eyes dangerously upon seeing this scene.After scrutinizing them for a moment, his brows furrowed even further.To be precise, there were three individuals outside the door: Jessica, Steve, who had unexpectedly arrived last night, and David, wearing a stern expression.The sight before Rowan was beyond her wildest imagination. She remained in a state of shock for a few seconds, staring blankly at the people outside.Steve, who stood outs
Rowan hesitated to speak and glanced at James, who had paused to pay attention to their conversation.James interrupted her, a hint of concern in his voice. "What's wrong, are you still hungry?"Rowan opened her mouth to reply, but before she could say anything, James continued, "You really still want to eat? Alas, I really can't do anything with you. I'll heat it up for you! You wait here."With that, James stood up, collected the plates from the table, and made his way toward the kitchen."James," Rowan called out, suddenly halting him.James reluctantly stopped, his hands poised with the dishes.Rowan raised her head, gazing up at him as she spoke slowly, "James, I still want to talk to him."James put down the plates, looking at her with a furrowed brow. "Why?"Rowan explained, "He already knows about it... We can't let this linger in uncertainty. I'm afraid it will only become more complicated in the future."James, being a man, had a different perspective on the matter. His thou
Rowan felt a growing unease within her.Initially, when David had taken the initiative to approach her, she had hoped it signified his willingness to reconcile with her. But David's recent behavior had left her feeling apprehensive.She feared that he might suddenly declare, "I will never break up with Flora, and I don't want the Thompson family's children to follow you outside. Just abort the child!" Such words could easily drive her to the brink of madness.So, after David fell into silence, Rowan hesitated to speak. Instead, she sat in silence, grappling with her thoughts.Outside the car window, James had been waiting patiently for some time, but he saw no sign of Rowan getting out of the car. He decided to take measured steps towards the silver car and leaned against a nearby flower bed.Though his movements were calm and composed, his slightly furrowed brows and the flicker of eagerness in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.David couldn't tear his gaze away from James.Suddenl
"When you came to visit me today, I initially thought you had already considered alternative solutions," Rowan remarked with a subtle smile.David lowered his gaze, hoping to conceal the hint of embarrassment that had momentarily flashed in his eyes.Rowan continued, her surprise evident in her tone, "I never expected to see you hesitate like this, David. It's a new side of you."David sighed in response, realizing that even he had never anticipated facing such a predicament.He should have remained steadfast in his commitment to Flora, who had been lost and then found. Yet, inexplicably, he kept finding himself drawn to Rowan.After a moment of silence, David spoke, as though trying to explain both to Rowan and himself, "If this child is mine, I can't let them grow up without me."Rowan's lips curled into a more pronounced sarcastic smile."Yes, you've said that before. But now you're uncertain about how to explain it to Flora, and you're unsure how to handle both me and the child gr
When Steve heard this, he first glanced at Jessica, who was seated to his left. Jessica appeared composed as she quietly began clearing the dishes.In a deep, measured tone, Steve replied, "About a month."Curiosity piqued, Jessica inquired, "Have the hotel arrangements been made? Where is it?"Steve delicately served a piece of meat from Jessica's favorite dish into her bowl before answering casually, "I'll be staying here."The three other diners at the table suddenly halted their chopstick movements. Jessica acted swiftly and objected, "There's no room for you to stay here."Steve lifted his gaze to meet hers, calmly asserting, "I stayed here last night."Jessica hesitated for a moment before retorting, "Ryan and I both live here. There's no room for you." She glanced at the homeowner, Rowan, and added, "I suppose you could sleep on the sofa."James, unable to contain himself any longer, interjected, "You can come stay at my place; it'll be more convenient."After a moment's though