After the divorce, he begged

Chapter 159

“Hold on,” Samuel called out.

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Jeffrey didn’t hang up. He sounded way more relaxed now that Samuel was healthy again. “Let’s talk about it when we get back tomorrow, Your mom and I have an early flight.”

He hung up right after he finished, not waiting for any reply.

Instead of knocking on Rebecca’s door right away, he waited a minute, watching his screen. When Samuel didn’t text back, he figured Samuel had bought his story.

He stuffed his phone in his pocket and made his way to Rebecca’s room.

He knocked twice on the door. Rebecca didn’t answer.

Rebecca stood before the floor–to–ceiling window, her gaze lost in the cityscape and the relentless flow of traffic below. A heavy, suffocating cloud of despair pressed down on her. Her mind drifted into a sea of uncertainty about what came next.

The lock clicked, and Jeffrey pushed the door open. “Why didn’t you answer?” his low voice rumbled.

Rebecca didn’t even turn from the window, her voice flat. “It’s not like a locked door ever stops you.”

Jeffrey came up behind her. He slid his arms around her waist, pulling her back firmly against his chest. “Don’t punish yourself for someone else’s mistakes. Anger only hurts you.”“

Rebecca just kept gazing out the window, her expression cynical. He always has to have the last word, she thought.

“Once we’re back in Jelasburg, you can punish me any way you see fit. I’ll accept it all. Jeffrey murmured, his large hand enveloping hers. “But for now, let’s just get washed up and go to sleep, alright?”

Rebecca didn’t trust a single word coming out of his mouth.

He had promised anything now, but if she told him to sleep in another room or leave her alone, he would suddenly have a thousand reasons why that punishment was bad for their marriage.

He was all talk. When it came down to it, he was full of excuses, always finding a way to weasel out of what she

wanted.

Tll take your silence as a yes, Jeffrey said, gently turning her to face him.

Rebecca said, instinctively taking a slight step forward. But his hold was firm yet gentle, an inescapable anchor. “You go ahead if you need to.”

“Alright,” Jeffrey replied, letting her go. He turned and headed for the bathroom, not worrying that Rebecca might try to leave.

of running water filled the room, Rebecca stayed

10:30 Mon, Sep 29

Chapter 159

that had

down, but the more she replayed everything in her mind, the more she sensed something was off. Tonight’s whole mess

from leaving,

nature, he knew there were countless pressure points

into place. Hearing the shower still running, she walked to the bedside table, picked up Jeffrey’s

call logs, but nothing seemed out

he might have deleted something. She opened Timothy’s chat and sent a message: [If Rebecca asks about what happened tonight, just tell her the truth. No need

sure everything was as it should be, she hit

Even after all that

head insisted that Jeffrey just wasn’t that type of guy. No matter what he wanted, no matter how desperate he was, he

came to a stop. In a flash, Rebecca deleted the message she’d just sent to Timothy and slipped Jeffrey’s phone back

echoed through the room. Jeffrey’s phone screen lit up

down a surge of panic, she snatched the phone back up, her fingers flying across the screen

bathroom door swung

any texts from Timothy in case he saw them. But if Jeffrey

at the top of the screen was a message from Andrea: Jeffrey, are you still awake? I’m

onto the message. She was just about to put the phone back when it was suddenly

my messages. Should I

“In

the couch and flopping down. She whipped out her own phone and immediately texted Timothy

10:31 Mon, Sep 29

Chapter 159

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reply to her first. As long

found out afterward.

scrolling through his phone with the other. His thumb paused when he saw Andrea’s message, and his eyes flicked instinctively toward Rebecca,

have the

Andrea: [Okay.]

no time making the

and go talk to Rebecca, a thought occurred to

rifling through his phone just because she was angry with him. She must have been looking

on her,

buzz. Rebecca’s