After the divorce, he begged

Chapter 183

I’m not rejecting you. I just want to stay close to Mom, Rebecca replied, refusing to take the bait. “Even though she’s been awake for days now, sometimes it still feels like a dream.”

What if it wasn’t real? What if she imagined it? What if she stepped away for too long and her mother slipped

back into a coma?

Sensing her fear, Jeffrey reached over and took her hand. His grip was firm, steady, and real. “It’s not a dream,” he said gently. “She’s awake. This is real”

“Jeffrey, Rebecca said softly. Maybe it was because the car was so small, or maybe it was the way he’d just spoken to her, so gently–either way, she couldn’t help but want to ask him something, even though deep down, the already knew the answer

“Yeah Jeffrey replied gently

“If I hadn’t kept the deal,” Rebecca asked, staring at that ridiculously good–looking face of his, “would you really have gone after my moven?”

Jeffrey met her eyes. He wanted to say no–but he knew that if he ever let her see him soften up, she’d think she could leave whenever she felt like it. So he meeled himself and let his voice go cold. “Thinking of running

Rebecca quickly shook her head. “No, just asking”

“If Jessica’s warning wasnt chan enough for you, I can make it even more obvious,” Jeffrey murmured, softly tracing her slender hugens–his tome gentle, but his words sharp. “And just so you know, lan’s been slipping out of his bodyguards sight lurex?

“That’s not necessary” Rebecca said, pushing down her feelings. “I’ve got the message”

“Good girl,” þeffrey teased, playing with her pale fingertips. “Don’t go dreaming up ways to wreck what we’ve

Rebecca fell silent. If I leave, what happens to jessica? To fan? she thought. I know Jeffrey wouldn’t actually killi shemu. Bant when he’s angry, he’s terrifying. Could I really trade their safety for my freedom? What kind of person would that make me?

The neat day. Amelia picked up on Rebecca’s off mood. At lunch, she eyed her daughter, who looked perfectly monal and asked directly. “What happened when you got back last night?”

“Tah” Rebecca froze for a second, caught off guard,

“You’ve been distracted all morning” Amelia said. No one knew her daughter better.

Jest didn’t sleep weil Rebecca uid, a rare lie for her I was having nightmares all night.”

“bun about?” Anita prewed

10:46 Wed, Oct 1

Chapter 183

35Voil

dreaming that you waking up was just a dream. That I open my eyes and you’re still lying there,

was the fear that had been haunting her, making everything feel fragile

tone full of affection. “Sweetheart, you really do

it were just bad dreams, her daughter wouldn’t carry such a weight in her

afternoon rehab session, Amelia revisited the topic. “When you

replied, feigning

with your friends if you ever thought about leaving?” Amelia asked,

she

Rebecca’s reaction confirmed her suspicion. “Turns out they’re all the

She’d believed Jeffrey

loved ones and talking about moving money? It was weak. Thank god I never signed

echoed, Rebecca echoed,

sign he’s desperate. As

she didn’t know about Amelia, like the orphanage, a topic that had always been

“Back then, did someone

was gentle but firm. She didn’t want her daughter stuck in a

“What?” Rebecca responded.

trust

a second thought.

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Chapter 188

moving forward, I’ll handle the rest, Amelia promised. “Let me take care of

was her precious daughter, the one good thing that came after all the pain. All the wanted was for

back then, would things have been easier? Rebecca asked, her voice soft with

her mother. Even though Amelia rarely spoke about her past, Rebecca could tell it hadn’t been easy. ‘How much has she endured to bring me into the world?’ she wondered. And where has my father

the end, it was just Amelia learning to get back up and trust

was actually really happy back then,” Amelia said with a grin, gently brushing Rebecca’s cheek. “If someone crossed me, I’d give it right back. After Leo

own terms. I never held back, whether I was returning a favor

my own money, aced my classes, learned all kinds of crazy skills, and pulled off some pretty wild stunts, too. Back in Honnala, everyone called me