Reba felt a sudden ache in her chest, but kept her cool. “You keep bringing this up. Do you want me to leave?”
“No,” Jeffrey replied, his dark eyes full of sincerity. “I’m just… scared.”
“I’m not sure if I’ll be free that day,” Reba said, avoiding his eyes. “I have to go with my mom to get her divorce finalized, and then I’ve got a few things to take care of. I’ll let you know when I’m done.”
“Okay,” Jeffrey responded.
Reba gave a soft hum and turned to leave.
“Reba,” Jeffrey called out, wrapping his arms around her from behind and resting his chin in the crook of her neck. “Don’t lie to me, and don’t leave me.”
Reba pressed her lips together.
‘Does he know?‘ she wondered.
“When I get angry, even I don’t know what I’ll do,” Jeffrey murmured, his warm breath brushing against her ear and making her shiver. “You wouldn’t want Jessica or Ian to get dragged into something bad because of you, would you?”
“What do you mean by that?” Reba turned to face him.
“Last night I dreamed you just up and left without even saying goodbye,” Jeffrey said, half–joking but also clearly hurt. “Honestly, I was mad about it.”
Reba felt her nerves,tighten, so she snapped back to hide her swirling emotions. “It’s just a dream–why me me for something like that? What if I dream about you marrying Andrea and having a bunch of kids- should Ie after you about that too?”
“I’ll never marry her, and I’ll never have feelings for her,” Jeffrey said, looking straight into her eyes. “What about you? Can you promise you’ll never leave me?”
Reba’s hands, hanging at her sides, grew cold and mmy with sweat.
‘Should I lie to him?‘ Reba fretted. <fndd36> This update is avable on Find_Novel(.</fndd36>
‘If I don’t, he’s bound to start doubting me.’
‘But if I do, who knows how he’ll get back at meter?‘
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Jeffrey’s voice was tinged with hurt. “Are you really nning to leave me?”
“No,” Reba lied, thinking she couldn’t even make it past the first hurdle–so why worry about everything else? “I just feel like we’re going in circles here. What I told you before still stands.”
10:44 Fri, <b>Oct </b><b>3 </b>
Jeffrey wasn’t having any of her evasion. “I want a straight answer from you.”
Reba frowned at him.
“After your mom divorces Richard, are you going to leave me?” Jeffrey asked, dead serious.
For the first time, Reba lied to him. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Really?” Jeffrey pressed, not letting it go.
Reba brushed past him, already heading for the door. “Believe whatever you want.”
“I believe you,” Jeffrey answered.
And he really did.
(75<b>) </b>
55 vouchers
That very night, Jeffrey called Tommy and told him to call off all the surveince. He said that on the neenth, Tommy didn’t need to shadow Reba–just keep watch from a distance to make sure she was safe.
The next day, when Stanley caught wind of it, he called Jeffrey. “Did you seriously call off all your people?”
Jeffrey was in his study, working. “Yeah.”
Stanley pressed, “Aren’t you freaking out she’ll bail?”
“She promised she wouldn’t,” Jeffrey said, never missing a beat as he handled the Hanson Group’s business.
Stanley scoffed, “And you’re just gonna trust she’s not ying you?”
“She won’t,” Jeffrey replied without missing a beat.
Stanley nced over at Riley, who was just chilling on the couch, totally not interested and barely listening to any <i>of </i><i>it</i><i>. </i>
Jeffrey tossed out a quick “Busy, gotta go,” and hung up.
“Why don’t you help him out and check?” Stanley nudged Riley. “See if Reba or her family have booked any flights in the next few days.”
“He didn’t even ask for it, so why bother?” Riley replied, totally unfazed.
“I’m just worried Reba might be lying to him, and he’ll totally lose it if he finds out,” Stanley said, rubbing his temples. “He even told me to keep an eye out and let him know the second Reba tried to leave.”
Later, though, Jeffrey said he didn’t need to keep watch anymore.
Everyone knew Reba was nning to leave–they just didn’t know when.
“You don’t want to be stuck dealing with his cold vibes if things go south, do you?” Stanley said, just trying to get Riley on his side.
10:45 Fri, <b>Oct </b><b>3 </b>
<b>75 </b>
al 50 vouchers
“If you really don’t want to deal with him, you could alwayse up with an excuse to go overseas for work, Riley said, cutting straight to the point. “Like, there’s tons going on at the international office anyway.
Stanley just stared at him.
“But if I leave, what happens to him?” Stanley asked, genuinely concerned.
Riley smirked, “And you say you’re not into him.”
“Come on, it’s just pure brotherhood!” Stanley protested, not wanting anyone to think he was into Jeffrey like that. “But seriously, if something actually happens while I’m gone, I can’t just leave him to deal with everything alone.”
Back then, he only feltfortable heading overseas after seeing Jeffrey and Reba finally settle down.
Now, if things really blew up between those two, Stanley couldn’t help but worry–would Jeffrey’s whole world just fall apart again?
“You really think the guy can’t make it without you?” Riley pointed out, seeing right through it all. “He’s tougher than you give him credit for. He’s not just himself anymore–he’s a husband and a father now, too.”
Stanley just gave him a look. “<b>?</b><b>” </b>
“And then what?”
Riley raised an eyebrow. “Are you?”
Stanley shot back, “Of course not!”
Riley just hummed.
Stanley was even more confused.
Just as he was about to ask what Riley meant, she waved him off and told him to leave.
But Stanley wasn’t about to leave. He was nning to crash at Riley’s ce for the next few days, just in case things went south–he could always use her as a human shield against Jeffrey’s icy moods.
Riley couldn’t be bothered with him, so she just headed back to her room for some serious sleep.
On the neenth, Reba headed out with Samuel and Amelia to pick up the divorce certificate for her
mom.
Richard didn’t make any trouble at all–barely ten minutester, it was all done and they walked out, paperwork in hand. Reba honestly didn’t expect things to go so smoothly.
Richard stared down at that little booklet in his hand, a bitter smile ying at his lips. He looked over at Amelia and said, “Can I ask you something?”
Amelia, holding Samuel’s hand, said, “Ask.”
Richard nced at Reba, hesitated, and finally asked, “Who’s Reba’s father?”
“At least until ten minutes ago, she only ever had you for a dad,” Amelia replied calmly–she always kept things clear. As for whates next, I can handle being both her mom and dad myself.
Richard paused, a flood of emotions rushing through him. “If I’d listened to you back then, maybe the Jensen Group wouldn’t have crashed. Do you think we could’ve made it as a happy family?”
“Nope,” Amelia said tly. She’s just not the type to dwell on ‘what could’ve been!
Richard’s eyes flickered, feeling the sting.
Amelia was honest, crystal clear: “Even if you did everything my way, sooner orter, folks would whisper you only made it because of me. With your ego, you’d feel insulted and eventually blow up at me and the kids.”
Richard said nothing. He didn’t deny it.
He knew Amelia was right.
Back then, he really did love Amelia. He thought she was smart, capable, independent, strong–nothing seemed to faze her, she could handle anything. Every time someone told him how lucky he was to have such an amazing wife, he felt genuinely proud.
But as time went on and he became the CEO of the Jensen Group, those samepliments started to rub him the wrong way.
The longer it went on, the more it got under his skin.
Eventually, he just stopped listening to her advice, convinced he could make it on his own without her.
“We’ve got a ne to catch, so we’re leaving,” Amelia said, ncing at the time. “I’m letting you off the hook for what happened before–only because you used to treat Reba right. But if you ever go after her again, trust me, I don’t forgive or forget.”
Richard went rigid, then managed, “Alright.”
Amelia nodded, then left with Reba and Samuel by her side.
They headed straight for the airport without stopping.
Reba nced in the rearview mirror. Richard seemed to stoop all of a sudden, as if he’d aged several years in an instant.
She felt no sympathy and no pity–in this moment, her mind was set on one thing: leaving.
10:45 Fri, Oct <b>3 </b>