?Chapter 1055:


    Even as they protested, Alicia had already poured a generous ss of the deep red wine.


    As she saw her fingers curl around the stem, Linsey’s hand shot out to circle her wrist. “This particr wine has a high alcohol content, and you’re well into your second trimester. It could be dangerous.”


    Alicia’s gaze swept over their worried expressions before she broke into delightedughter.


    Without warning, she slid the ss directly in front of Jeffery and dered, “Naturally, I won’t be drinking this. Jeffery will.”


    Her handnded firmly on Jeffery’s shoulder as her tone turned deadly serious. “Real apologies require more than pretty words. True remorse demands action. If earning forgiveness were so simple, every person would assume they could wound others and walk away unscathed.”


    Alicia let the silence stretch meaningfully before adding, “Though naturally, a single drink won’t suffice. How can we trust you won’t return to mistreating Linsey the moment our backs are turned?”


    Jeffery had been ready to agree without hesitation, but her final words gave him pause.


    Drawing himself up to his full height, he proimed with fierce conviction, “I swear on my honor—from this day forward, I, Jeffery Lawson, will nevery a finger on Linsey again!”


    “Prove it. Drink this first!” Aliciamanded, her voice brooking no argument.


    Jeffery seized the ss without a moment’s hesitation and threw back the burning liquid in one decisive gulp.


    Within seconds, crimson heat bloomed across his cheeks.


    “Excellent! Here’s another!” Alicia announced, already refilling his ss to the brim. “Keep drinking and keep promising. That’s how we’ll know you mean every word.”


    Jeffery never wavered, draining the second ss just as quickly as the first.


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    Linsey watched the entire spectacle with her mouth hanging open in disbelief.


    “Jeffery, you…” Linsey tried to halt this increasingly surreal situation but didn’t know what to say.


    At that precise moment, Jeffery brought his ss crashing down against the table with a resounding bang, his face transformed by unexpected gravity.


    Their eyes met across the table, and though alcohol had clouded his gaze, every word emerged with crystal rity. “Linsey…”


    Having spoken her name, he faltered momentarily before adding in a voice thick with emotion, “My precious sister.”


    Something twisted painfully in Linsey’s chest as conflicting emotions churned within her heart.


    “I have no right to call myself your brother,” Jeffery whispered, his eyes sliding shut. “Everything I did was unforgivable.”


    His head bowed under the weight of shame, regret etched into every line of his face. “You have Mom’s eyes, her delicate features. You even look like me in some ways. The instant Iid eyes on you, recognition should have struck like lightning. Instead, I was too consumed by my own arrogance to see the truth staring me in the face. That’s why all those terrible things happened, things that should never have been allowed to pass. Every mistake, every cruel word, every moment of blindness stems from my pride and willful ignorance!”


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