<b>Chapter </b><b>202 </b>


    Andrea was fuming inside.


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    But she couldn’t risk making Ben an enemy. She had no clue if it was Jeffrey who sent someone after him, <b>or </b>if someone else was snooping around.


    “Give me some time to raise the money,” Andrea said after a moment’s thought. “Once I pay you, keep your mouth shut, and send me a photo of the person who came to you.”


    shut,


    Ben agreed, “No problem.”


    Andrea made it clear, “This is a buyout, not an installment n. Even if someonees to you with a bigger offerter, you can’t say another word about this to anyone. The deal’s done, and you stay quiet.”


    Ben said, “Understood.”


    Andrea hung up the phone.


    Standing in her room, Andrea’s face was clouded with worry.


    1 million dors…


    She couldn’t just go to Jeffrey and ask him for the money.


    If he decided to track the payment, it’d be way too easy for him to dig up those old secrets.


    Worst of all, even if she paid Ben, there was every chance he’d turn around and sell her out if someone else dangled a bigger offer in front of him. After all, she’d already bribed him with 3,000 dors to keep his mouth shut back then.


    While Andrea was mulling things over, a memory from the hospital shed in her mind.


    Jessica may have promised not to look into it anymore, but Andrea couldn’t be sure Jessica hadn’t already shared what she knew with someone else before talking to her.


    If the person snooping around was sent by Reba, then Andrea knew this secret had to stay buried at all


    costs<b>. </b>


    Andrea thought to herself, ‘The only ones who can truly keep a secret are the dead!‘


    [Meet me at this ce over the weekend and I’ll have your money ready.] Andrea dropped Ben a pin with a note: [Since you broke our deal before, I’m making sure I get some proof this time.]


    Ben texted back almost instantly: [No problem.]


    Andrea closed the chat with Ben and sent Jessica a text: [Did you forget your promise?]


    Jessica was on the phone with Reba when Andrea’s message popped up.


    <b>10:44 </b>Fri<b>, </b>Oct 3


    She immediately mentioned it to Reba.


    :


    “Why’s she suddenly texting you about that?” Reba asked, sprawled out on Samuel’s couch.


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    “Who knows what she’s thinking,” Jessica said, her words muffled by the face mask. “My guess? Ian probably found out something and now she’s panicking.”


    Just as she finished speaking, Jessica suddenly sat up straight.


    “Oh, right!” Jessica eximed.


    Reba looked at her, confused.


    “Ian must’ve dug up something big–that’s why Andrea’s freaking out anding to me,” Jessica said, suddenly energized. “I’m gonna check in with Ian and see how things are going. You do your thing.”


    Reba nodded. “Alright.”


    Not long after the call ended, Samuel came out of the bathroom, all clean and ready for bed.


    Reba tucked him in and gently coaxed him to sleep.


    Before Reba could even head for the shower, Jessica shot her a voice message: “Ian said the doctor he found is some kind of scar specialist. Do you happen to know if Andrea’s got any scars?”


    Reba responded quick: [Far as I know, there aren’t any on her arms or legs. No clue about anywhere else.]


    “What about her stomach? Maybe she’s got a scar there?” Jessica wondered aloud.


    Reba paused and sent back a voice message: “If it’s only about scars, there’s really no reason for her to be nervous about Jeffrey knowing. Whatever scars she’s got, Jeffrey honestly wouldn’t care.”


    “Now that’s strange,” Jessica muttered.


    “Forget it, let’s stop guessing. We’ll just wait for Ian to dig up the truth–no matter how much we talk, it’s not gonna help,” Jessica said, waving it off.


    After wrapping up the chat, Reba took a shower. That night, she shared a bed with Samuel, and in the middle of the night, Jeffrey quietly slipped in beside them. Both Reba and Samuel were fast asleep and didn’t notice a thing.


    The next morning, when Reba found out, she didn’t even care.


    Maybe she was growing stronger now that she was about to move on–or maybe Jeffrey just mattered so little to her now, she couldn’t even be bothered to get angry.


    “Need me toe with you and Samuel to the hospital?” Jeffrey asked between bites of breakfast.


    “No,” Reba replied, not even ncing his way. “Go mind your own business.” <fn66f3> Content originallyes from FindN0vel</fn66f3>


    Jeffrey didn’t push it. The rest of the morning passed in silence until Reba was getting Samuel into the car


    for the hospital. That’s when Jeffrey finally said, “If you need anything, just call me?


    On the way to the hospital, Samuel snuggled closer next to Reba


    “Mommy,” he said softly.


    “Hmm?” Reba replied.


    Samuel looked up at her, his little face full of hope. “I have a small request


    Reba gazed at him gently. “Tell me, sweetie.”


    “Can I sleep next to Daddy starting tonight?” Samuel asked softly. Daddy could be a real pain sometimes, bur Samuel knew he wouldn’t be around much longer. ‘Maybe I can give him a little warmth before he leaves. Samuel thought to himself.


    “Of course you can,” Reba replied, gently ruffling his hair. “It’s totally up to you, sweetie. Whatever makes you happy.”


    But the warmth Samuel tried to offer…


    Some people didn’t want it one bit.


    When Samuel showed up in his adorable pajamas and hopped onto Jeffrey’s bed, Jeffrey didn’t even blink- he instantly booted him out.


    Samuel tried to protest, but Jeffrey just tapped his little forehead and said, “Only my wife gets to sleep here. Anyone else? Scram.”


    And just like that, the warmth Samuel wanted to give him vanished into thin air.


    Jeffrey understood perfectly why Samuel was acting out—it had to be that he and Reba <i>had </i>made up their minds to leave together, and now Samuel was trying to make up for it, give him some kind offort before going. But that was never what Jeffrey was after; he was never the type for patching things up, and there’s no way he’d ever let them actually leave him.


    Taking off for a couple of days was one thing.


    But sooner orter, they’d have <i>to </ie back home.


    Over the next few days, Reba spent her days at the hospital, helping Amelia with her rehab exercises, while Jeffrey was buried in work at the office, pullingte nights. Before they knew it, their lives had slipped right back into the old routine.


    No more shouting matches, no more arguments, no more drama.


    Then Reba sent him her resignation.


    Jeffrey called her right away. “You’re quitting?”


    Reba was still at the hospital with Amelia, helping her through rehab exercises. When the doctor was done,


    10:44 Fri, Oct <b>3 </b>


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    she stepped aside to take Jeffrey’s call. “Yeah, I’ll pay the penalty. I just want to focus on looking after my


    mom.”


    “You don’t want to finish the first game you ever worked on?” Jeffrey’s voice was low.


    “I do,” Reba replied truthfully. “But some regret is just part of life.


    Originally, Reba thought she’d get the divorce with Jeffrey and then build a steady career at Primey Technologies. But after everything that happened, those ns went out the window–now she had no choice but to walk away.


    Jeffrey could tell she was hinting at him. “Just like we talked about, let’s wait till the month’s up and then-”


    Reba cut him off, not even bothering to y nice for once. “I sent you a resignation notice, not a request. Once my time’s up, I’m out of here.”


    She’d already tried reaching out to Elmer and Mr. Smith, but both of them just told her to deal with Jeffrey about it.


    So in the end, she had to handle it herself and go talk to him directly.


    “Come in tomorrow and handle your resignation paperwork,” Jeffrey said, his voice cold and all business. “Your work still needs to be handed over.”


    “Alright,” Reba replied.


    Reba hung up the phone.


    She let out a sigh of relief. ‘Finally, a little breathing room, Reba thought to herself.


    Reba was about to head back to the rehab center to be with Amelia when she suddenly caught sight of Richard Jensen strolling up the corridor. Instinctively, she tensed, her guard shooting up. “What are you doing here?” Reba demanded, her voice edged with suspicion.


    “Your mom asked me to drop by,” Richard said smoothly, acting like it was the most normal thing in the world.


    Reba shot him a skeptical look, not even pretending to hide her confusion.


    ‘Yeah, right,‘ Reba thought, narrowing her eyes. She definitely wasn’t buying it.


    “So, where is your mom?” Richard asked, his voice so steady and calm it was like he’d just stepped out of the old Primey offices, before thepany crashed and burned.


    That was when Reba really noticed–he’d obviously dressed up for this, freshly shaven, looking sharper than ever, and his mood was way better than thest time she’d seen him.


    ‘Seriously, what does Mom want him here for?‘ Reba frowned, feeling even more suspicious.