<b>Chapter </b><b>12 </b>
Reba answered by biting his finger hard.
She put all her pent–up anger into the bite, mping down with surprising force.
Jeffrey winced but didn’t let go. <b>Instead</b>, he cradled her face, <b>his </b>voice still gentle. “Since when did you get so feisty?”
Reba responded by biting down even harder.
Jeffrey tightened his hold on her face <b>just </b>enough to make her <b>release </b>his finger.
“Keep that up and I’ll return the favorter,<b>” </b>he warned, his tone deceptively soft as he tilted her chin up. “I’ll have you crying and begging me to stop.”
“Let me go!” she demanded, struggling against him with tears of frustration in her eyes.
Her resistance only made him want to see her defiant attitude crumble into pleading submission.
He pulled her firmly against him, and when she began struggling again, he leaned close to whisper, “If you keep squirming like that, I won’t wait untii we’re somewhere more private.”
Reba froze as she felt his body tense up and his skin grow warm against hers. After five years of <b>marriage</b>, she knew exactly where this was heading.
“We’re in a hospital,” she said, her eyes widening with <b>rm </b>at what he might try “Have you lost your mind?”
“Nobody’sing in here without my permission,” Jeffrey said, his intense gaze never leaving hers as his hands grew more daring. “I’ll give you time to think about whether you’re going to apologize.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Reba protested, trying to stop his roaming hands. “Why should I be the one to apologize?”
Jeffrey lowered his head and nipped at her neck, leaving a faint mark behind. “Just think about it. I’m not asking for an answer right now!
Reba pushed against him with all her strength, but he didn’t budge an inch.
“You can’t even scrape together fifteen grand right now,” Jeffrey said, his hand sliding higher on her waist while keeping a straight face. “How are you gonnae up with <b>a </b>hundred fifty? Unless you don’t really want <b>your </b>mom to wake up.”
Trapped against him, Reba bit hard into his <b>shoulder</b>.
Jeffrey caught her chin, forcing her to release him and look at him.
“You’re not the only one with money in this world,” she shot back, her chin throbbing but her defiance unwavering. “I may not have the money<b>, </b>but I’ll
find someone who does”
“Is that so?” Jeffrey’s voice turned icy.
“Yes,” Reba <b>shot </b>back, <b>her </b><b>eyes </b>rod but zing.
She was sure her harsh words would make Jeffrey storm off. He’d <b>always </b>been possessive, never allowing anyone else to matter more in her life <b>than </b>he
<b>did</b><b>. </b>
But she’d misjudged the situation. Jeffrey was afgry, yet he kept holding her tight.
<b>His </b>eyes dropped to <b>her </b>mouth, which <b>always </b>seemed to form the words that infuriated him most. Releasing her chin, he gripped the back of her head <b>and </b>captured her lips in a fierce kiss.
Reba bit down hard<b>, </b>and the coppery taste of blood immediately filled her mouth,
Instead of pulling back, he only kissed her more intensely. His free hand slid downward, pausing to squeeze her waist before continuing its exploration
Frustrated tears welled up in Reba’s eyes, but against Jeffrey’s overwhelming strength, her struggles were pointless.
He knew her body too well–chery spot his fingers
“Jeffrey!” she gasped, pushing against him with all her might just to steal a breath.
touched seemed especially sensitive to his touch.
“Hey, now, why the tears?” he murmured, gently wiping them away with his thumb.
“You know what this is, right?” Reba asked, her voice shaking with humiliation,
Jeffrey stayedpletely calm. “What are you calling it now?”
“Rape.”
shot back without hesitation.
serious
*Since when is flirting with my own wife considered rape? We’re not divorced yet,” Jeffrey said smoothly, doing what he always did–making se things sound trivial. “You’re misunderstanding the meaning of that word, Ms. Jensen.”
She wanted to retort, but she knew Jeffrey’s talent for twisting words too well. No matter what she said, he’d find a way to spin it his way.
“Time’s up,” Jeffrey <b>said</b>, checking his watch and finally letting her go: “What’s)
your decision?”
The second she <b>was </b>free, Reba scrambled away from him like he was something dangerous she needed to escape.
Jeffrey didn’t even som to <b>notice</b>.
“I decided a long time ago, Reba said firmly. There was no way in hell she was getting back with him.
Jeffrey looked at his fingertips, still warm from her <b>touch</b><b>. </b>“So you’ve made up your mind.”
Reba stayed silent, her stubbornness speaking for her.
Jeffrey stood up, looking asposed as if they’d just had coffee instead of what actually happened,
“There are other rich men in Jsburg,” Jeffrey said, straightening his cuff. “But none will loan you money. Not even your best friend.”
“What are you trying to do?” Reba asked, her heart suddenly pending.
“<b>Nothing</b>,” he said, moving closer. “But we’ll have a problem if you try to borrow money from her
Reba’s hands tightened <b>at </b>her sides. She actually had been counting on borrowing from Jessica as emergency help.
“One more thing.” Jeffrey drawled, making Reba’s heart clench with worry.
He deliberately nced down at his wrinkled shirt with a meaningful look.
The resentment <b>Reba </b>had been suppressing finally overflowed, and she swung her hand to p him <b>across </b>the face.
But Jeffrey caught her hand firmly in mid–air. She tied to pull back, but he maintained his tight grip on her wrist.
“Losing your temper doesn’t solve anything,” Jeffrey remarked, holding her hand for a moment longer before releasing it. As he turned <b>to </b>leave, he added, “You should focus on how to arrange payment for your mother’s surgery instead.”
“That’s none of your concern, Reba retored, her voice sharp with anger and cleliance.
Jeffrey adjusted his suit jacket, his expression returning <b>to </b><b>its </b>usual detached demeanor. “We shall see about that,” he responded coolly.
He walked away without looking back, as if the intimate moment they had shared never urred
<b>2/3 </b>
61%6
As he passed by the doctor’s office, Timothy called out to him, “Mr. Hanson!””
Jeffrey nced over at him.
“There’s something I should ntention,” Timothy said after careful consideration. “Before Ms. Jensen’s mother’s condition worsened, an unfamiliar man entered her room and stood by her bedside for a few moments<b>, </b>and I felt you should <b>be </b><b>aware </b>of this.”
“<b>Did </b>you recognize him?” Jeffrey asked.
“No, I’ve never seen him before,” Timothy replied while pulling up the security footage on his phone. “But judging by his appearance and clothing, he seemed like an important person.”
Jeffrey erged the image <b>to </b>get a better view.
The footage showed a distinguished–looking man in his forties or fifties, He walked directly to Reba’s mother’s bedside and stood there motionless with his back to the camera for over ten minutes, exactly as Timothy had described.
Jeffrey handed the phone back. “You didn’t tell Reba about this, did you?” Something about the man in the security footage looked familiar, though he couldn’t ce where he’d seen <b>this </b>man before.
“No,” Timothy answered simply.
“Let’s keep it that way for now,” Jeffrey said.
“Got it.” Timothy nodded.
Jeffrey saved the surveince video and quickly sent it through a messaging app to one of his contacts. He added a <b>short </b>message: [Find out who this guy is and how fie’s connected to Reba’s mom.]
The reply came almost instantly: [Got it.]
Completely unaware of the investigation, Reba made her way to her mother’s hospital room after Jeffrey left. The sight of her mother’s kind face against the hospital pillows filled her with a deep, aching sadness.
She silently promised herself she’d find the money for her mother’s surgery and get her the care she needed.
The whole way home, Reba kept wondering how she could possiblye up with 150 thousand dors quickly,
A loan was impossible–she had nothing to put up as coteral after her father had swindled her out of everything she owned.
She hadn’t taken any jewelry when she left, so there was nothing valuable to sell,
Then it hit her–there was one thing that was truly hers, something even Jeffrey couldn’t take back.
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