bChapter /b70

As night fell, Jessica drove into the courtyard of Atkinson Manor. The ssicb–/bstyle mansion was brightly litb, /bband /ba valet immediately approached her bcar /b“Good evening, Mrs. Atkinson.”

Jessica nodded in response.

Just as she was about to benter/bb, /bbPaisley /bemerged with a smile. “Jessib, /be in. You must be starving after ba /blong bday/b.”

Paisley’s bgaze /bswept bover /bJessica with bapparent /bbconcern/b, reaching out bto /btake her hand.

bJessica /bstiffened, subtly evading bher /bhand. “bIs /bWeston insideb?/bb” /b

“He is discussing business with Brian upstairsb./bb” /bCalmly, bPaisley /bseized bJessica’s /bhand banyway/bb. /b“bLeave /bthem to their btalk/b. Let’s have bour /bbown /bchatb./b”

Jessica nced bdown /bbat /bbPaisley’s /bgrip but didn’t pull baway /bthis time. She didn’t want to bescte /bthings.

Yet something bwas /bboff/b. In all these byears/bb, /bPaisley had bnever /bhidden her disdain for Jessica’s bbackground/b. This sudden warmth bwas /bunprecedented.

Since moving bout /bwith Brian, Jessica’s interactions with Paisley had been limited to mandatory family dinners. Even after Jacob’s birth, bPaisley’s /btolerance had been grudging bat /bbbest/b.

Jessica couldn’t help but think, ‘This sudden affection… bIs /bit bbecause /bshe doesn’t want Weston to see anything off?‘

Paisley guided bJessica /bto the sitting roomb, /bchatting for a while before sliding a bracelet off her wrist. “Look bat /byou, no jewelry at all. This piece is too vibrant for me. It’d suit you far better.”

As she spoke, she tried slipping it onto Jessica’s wristb. /bBut Jessica instinctively recoiled.

Paisley lost her grip. The bracelet, worth millions, passed down through generations, bwas /bbroken on the floor.

Jessica’s breath caught. She stood up abruptly. “This is too valuable. bI /bcan’t-” bHer /bwords trailed off bas /bshe stared bat /bthe broken fragments.

“It’s fine. It wasn’t worth much anyway.” Paisley’s perfectlyposed expression froze along with it. The bracelet wasn’t the rarest piece, but it was one she truly liked.

Jessica crouched to pick up the pieces, offering politely, “My mother has ba /bsimr one. I’ll have it sent to you.” She set the pieces aside dismissively.

“No need, really. It’s just a bracelet.” Paisley’s smile bwas /bbrittle.

Jessica said nothing moreb, /bthough she made a mental note bito /i/bbask /bSte about the bracelet bter/bb. /b

An oppressive silence followed. Paisley’s attempts at conversation bgrew /bincreasingly bstrained /bwhile bJessica /bremained quietb, /basionally ncing at the remnants of the bracelet.

Back when Jessica and Brian married, Paisley had deliberately gifted cheap gold jewelry. She had even said, “It perfectly fits someone at your station. You are lucky enough to marry my son. Gems are wasted on you.”

Brian had responded the next day by ordering a million–dor diamond ne for bJessica/b.

After an awkward silence, the servants began serving dinner.

The murmur of conversation from the staircase announced Weston and Brian’s arrival.

Jessica stood up and greeted, “Grandpa.”

“Jessi.” Weston’s clouded eyes crinkled with warmth. He chuckled, “Made youe ball /bthis bway /bjust to have dinner with me. Are you bored already?”

“Of course not,” bJessica /bsmiled. She knew he bwas /bteasing

Standing next to Weston, Brian looked at Jessica, only to meet her indifference.

Weston noticed their silent standoff before pping his hands. “Enough standing. Let’s have dinner.”

Everyone took their seats. Weston sat at the head of the table, Paisley to his right. As Brian moved to sit on the left, Weston pped his shoulder. “Move over.”

He then gestured to Jessica. “Jessib, /be here. Sit next to me.”

11.19 bAM /b

Jessica stood and sat there. Brian bsat /bbeside her.

The table groaned under exquisite dishes, such as stewed beef and roast fish. Each ingredient bwas /bcarefully selected. The fish was delivered by air within hours of being caught.

Weston lifted his fork first. “Brianb, /bJessi likes sea fish. Get her the softest part.

Brian looked bat /bJessica, then carefully selected a piece of tender fish meat and ced it on her te.

Jessica liked roast fish. But nowb, /bshe felt it reeked bof /bbrine. Nausea bwed /bup bher /bthroat. Before she could excuse herself and go to the restroom, her body reacted instinctively. She turned her head and let out a dry heave.

Silence crashed bover /bthe dining room. All eyes turned to herb. /b

The fish’s stench intensified with every breath. The more Jessica tried to suppress nauseab, /bthe worse it bgot/b. bHer /bbface /bpaled instantly.

Brian reached out to pat her back, but bit /bwas shoved baway/b. He asked, frowning, “Are you illb?/bb” /b

bJessica /bdidn’t want bto /bspeakb. /bPaisley suddenly gasped. “bJessi/bb… /bAre you pregnant?”

bJessica /bfrozeb, /bbher /bbface /bgoing beven /bpaler. She shook her bhead/bb, /bholding her bbreath/bb. /bb“/bNo. bI /bcaught ba /bchill recently. bJust /bba /bstomach bug. The doctor had bprescribed /bprescribed medication balready/b.”

Trying bto /bbdeflect/bb, /bshe added bapologetically/b, “I’m sorry to disappoint byou/bb, /bGrandpa. You bspecially /bprepared the fish. I’ll eat something belse/bb./bb” /b

Her bover/b–exnation deepened Paisley’s suspicion.

bAfter /bmoving the fish baside/b, bJessica /bmanaged several spoonfuls bof /bporridge while the others bate/b.

Strangely, Weston bnever /bbroached the divorce. It seemed that he only wanted to have her there for dinner.

When dinner ended, it bwas /balready bte/b. Weston made a polite gesture to keep her longerb, /bbut bJessica /bdeclined.

Paisley, howeverb, /bclung to Jessica’s hand, wanting her to bstay /bba /bfew days.

bJessica /bpolitely refused again.

Weston, tired from age and the mealb, /bwent upstairs to rest early.

Paisley walked Brian and bJessica /bto the door, waved goodbye, and disappeared inside.

bAs /bbJessica /bmoved toward her bcar/b, Brian blocked the door. “You’re carrying my child,” he said with absolute certainty.

bJessica’s /bheart skipped a beat. Annoyance red in her chestb. /bShe shoved him hard. “Dream on. We’re done, Brian. The court date bis /bing soon. Stop deluding yourself.” With that, she got in the bcar /band drove off.

? ????

Brian watched her taillights vanish, sneering, “Liar.”

He thought, ‘Only someone hiding the truth would breact /bthat strongly. bIf /bshe weren’t pregnant, she would have simply leveled him with one cial look before driving off.