<b>Chapter </b>229


    “I know that already!” Tommy huffed, sounding proud and a little impatient.


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    “And except for Ms. Jensen, don’t let anyone from the Guzman or Quinn family see you,” Barry reminded him, worried Tommy might do something stupid on his own. “Ms. Jensen’s safety is on the line…”


    Tommy rolled his eyes and said, “You’re way too naggy.”


    Barry just stared at him, speechless.


    He thought, ‘Forget it, whatever.


    Even if Tommy isn’t the most reliable when ites to talking, Barry knew he could count on him when there was real work to do.


    After a few more warnings about staying safe, Barry hung up the phone.


    Meanwhile, Reba headed straight home. Jessica looked a bit surprised to see her so early. “You didn’t grab dinner with Ms. White, Attorney?”


    “She had another dinner appointment,” Reba answered, tossing her keys aside while ncing around. “Where’s my mom?”


    “She took Samuel out,” Jessica replied with a big yawn, clearly only just getting up. “She said she was meeting some people and told me I didn’t need to wait for them to eat.”


    Reba sat down and poured herself a ss of water.


    Jessica caught the odd look on Reba’s face and gave her a second nce. “So, was it smooth sailing or did things go sideways?”


    Reba paused, choosing her words carefully. “It went okay.”


    Jessica raised an eyebrow. “Then why do you look like the world’s about to end?”


    “Turns out you were spot on,” Reba said bluntly. “Andrea’s whole ‘savior‘ story? It’s fake. She made the whole thing up.”


    Jessica was floored, jaw practically dropping. “No way!”


    She shook off her sleepiness, suddenly alert. “Wait, you’re absolutely sure?”


    Reba put down her ss. “Yeah. I heard it straight from her. She admitted everything.”


    She told Jessica all about the conversation she’d had with Andrea in the car, then shared her own thoughts. “What I’m still not sure about is how Andrea knows that person, and what’s really going on between them.”


    But the biggest issue is Jeffrey–how did Andrea manage to trick him?


    Getting him to buy that she was his savior… that’s no easy task.


    “That’s not what you should be focusing on,” Jessica shot back, her sleepiness gone in an instant.


    Reba blinked. “So what’s actually important then?“–


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    “Your divorce from Jeffrey,” Jessica said, sounding like she saw the whole bigger picture. “If she’s dead sure that person can pull it off, then just agree. Go with the flow and let it happen.


    Reba’s brows knitted together.


    She still felt a stubborn reluctance deep inside.


    She just couldn’t let go of what had happened before–all these years, she’d genuinely disliked Andrea and honestly couldn’t stand being around her.


    “I know what you’re thinking, but you’re forgetting one important thing,” Jessica said.


    Reba looked up at her.


    Jessica ripped open a bag of chips. “Don’t underestimate Jeffrey–if he thinks someone crossed him, he won’t let it go.”


    Reba paused, letting that sink in.


    “Even if you do everything in your power to hide her, Jeffrey’s the kind of guy who’ll use any means necessary to track her down and get his revenge,” Jessica said, slipping a snack into Reba’s mouth. “By then, you’ll already be divorced–just let the two of them battle it out without you.”


    Reba ran everything through her mind.


    No matter who this person was, the fact that Andrea was so afraid of being exposed meant their rtionship had to be either strained or distant–otherwise, she could’ve just kept up the act without any worries.


    Jessica’s idea might actually work.


    “Just call her,” Jessica said, practically grinning—she couldn’t wait to see Jeffrey’s reaction once the truth came


    out.


    Reba unblocked Andrea’s number.


    She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and pressed the call button.


    Andrea was at Jeffrey’s hospital when Reba’s call popped up. Rolling her eyes, she declined and fired off a text: [Busy right now. Talkter.]


    As soon as she hit send, Andrea silenced her phone and walked straight into Jeffrey’s hospital room.


    Seeing him half–reclined in his hospital gown, busy on hisptop, Andrea showed no trace of emotion. She just asked coldly, “Did you get the 200 million?”


    13:37 Mon<b>, </b>Oct 6


    Jeffrey nced up from his screen. “Yeah.”


    Andrea pressed. “When will you give it to me?”


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    “If everything’s in order, I could transfer it to you right now, and that’ll be the end of us,” Jeffrey said, his tone cool, authority shing in his eyes.


    “Then wire it over,” Andrea replied, not about to let herself get taken advantage of. “And draft up a contract to prove the money’s legit. Once I leave Honn, we’re done.”


    Jeffrey looked right at her, that natural intensity in his gaze. “I’m talking about if nothing gets in the way.


    Andrea furrowed her brow. <fn5969> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find{n}ovel</fn5969>


    She had a bad feeling–her gut told her something was wrong.


    “Do you know Dr. Cole, the one in the ICU at Jsburg General Hospital?” Jeffrey asked.


    Andrea stiffened, her voice quick and defensive. “No, I don’t.”


    Jeffrey called her out. “Really? You just randomly ask a stranger to meet you alone on a mountain?”


    “You’ve been digging into my business!” Andrea finally realized what was going on. ‘Of course–how could the CEO of the Hanson Group, the richest guy in the country, not have two hundred million in cash just lying around?‘


    ‘So this whole “no money” act was just a cover for him to check up on me.’


    ‘And here I was, actually dumb enough to believe he really tied up all his money in investments!‘


    “When something doesn’t add up, you know there’s trouble beneath the surface,” Jeffrey said coolly. “Avoiding risks <b>is </b>instinct for someone in business.”


    Andrea’s hands balled into fists at her sides, struggling to keep herself together.


    ‘Jeffrey!‘ Andrea seethed silently.


    “Because you saved me once, I won’t call the police,” Jeffrey said, his tone chillingly indifferent and making the threat heavy in the air. “Either you turn yourself in, or you wait until Dr. Cole wakes up and tells everyone what happened. It’s your choice.”


    Andrea’s chest rose and fell rapidly–her loathing for him had never been stronger; she couldn’t hide just how much he disgusted her.


    Jeffrey added, his tone icy and unmoving, “But I won’t be your aplice.”


    “Yeah, I did ask Dr. Cole to meet me on the mountain,” Andrea said, making sure her voice stayed cool–no way she’d let Jeffrey catch her slipping. “But something came up, so I never showed. Whatever happened to him, I had zero part in it.”


    She’d alreadyid her ns, covering herself from every angle.


    <b>13:37 </b><b>Mon</b>, <b>Oct </b>6


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    Even if the police started poking around, there was no way they’d ever get to the truth.


    “Did I ever say he was in aa because he fell?” Jeffrey’s voice was sharp, the pressure in his tone making Andrea’s heart skip a beat.


    Andrea held her breath, thinking, ‘Honestly, what is with these two? They just love ying mind games and setting traps for each other!‘


    “I’m telling you to leave,” Jeffrey said, voice cold as ice. “Until Dr. Cole wakes up, you’re not going anywhere, and you’re not getting a single cent. If you really are a criminal, then helping you escape would make me your aplice.”


    “Aren’t you afraid I’ll keep haunting you, wrecking any chance you and Reba have at happiness?” Andrea shot back, her grip tightening.


    Jeffrey met her eyes, icy and unwavering. “You think you still have even a shot at that?”


    Andrea’s fingers curled into fists at her sides.


    He’d once promised her that as long as she didn’t cross the line into breaking thew, he’d indulge her every whim and temper.


    But now…


    “Of course I still have a chance. I had absolutely nothing to do with what happened to Dr. Cole,” Andrea snapped, stubbornly refusing to admit anything–nobody saw a thing that day anyway. “If you don’t pay up now, trust me, this is just the beginning. You’ll be dealing with a hell of a lot more trouble than what you’ve got right now.”


    “How about you check this out?” Jeffrey said, coolly turning hisptop to face her.


    Andrea’s gaze, sharp with suspicion and wariness, briefly shed with confusion–she couldn’t figure out what he was up to.


    She stepped closer, and as soon as she caught sight of the screen, her eyes narrowed in shock, heart skipping a


    beat.


    ‘No way… what the hell?‘ Andrea’s head was spinning, disbelief crashing over her.


    “Riley found this,” Jeffrey said, watching her face closely. “Honestly, I don’t care if you went for scar removal or a full makeover–but hurting someone just because of it? That’s where I draw the line.”


    “I told you, I didn’t do it!” Andrea shouted, unable to hide the panic in her voice.


    Jeffrey’s eyes narrowed, scrutinizing her every move.


    If this was just your run–of–the–mill drama, she should’ve been able to y it cool–but right now, she was obviously freaking out.


    Chances are, there hadn’t been anything criminal or deadly between her and Ben–at least, not until this blow–up.


    <b>13:38 </b><b>Mon</b><b>, </b><b>Oct </b><b>6 </b>


    “I’m giving you a chance to confess,” Jeffrey’s tone was cold and unyielding. “Years ago–why did you go looking for Dr. Cole? What were you after?”


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    <b>13:38 </b>Mon, Oct 6