Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption by Lilyheart

Chapter 146: The Santiagos

As the car made its way home, Jessica’s thoughts were tangled. The weight of the situation pressed heavily on her mind. She had to plot out her next steps carefully, figuring out how best to handle the mood and the timing.

Then, a thought came to her mind —dinner. A casual setting. Everyone would be home, and she could ease into the conversation.

She quickly grabbed her phone and dialed Bella’s number. It rang just once before Bella picked up.

"Hello?" Bella’s voice sounded distracted.

"Bella," Jessica said, keeping her tone neutral, "Come home early tonight. We need are having dinner together"

Bella raised an eyebrow. Jessica was never one to call people home without a reason. She tried to dig for more details, but Jessica wasn’t budging. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"Just come home," Jessica replied, her voice firm. "We’ll talk later."

Bella, though curious, didn’t push it further. Who was she to question her elder sister?

Next, Jessica called Ethan. He had been discreetly sent back to keep a close eyes on situations outside.

Though he had began to treat this place as home, because the place he called home had never treated him like one but here he felt alive and at home.

But when he saw Jessica’s name on his phone, he picked up, surprised. "Ethan, come back home. We need everyone here for dinner," Jessica instructed.

back for dinner when they have days where everyone returns for family dinner. He cannot

had seen their kindness, their warmth and wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to chat, laugh and

had been managing the household in her absence, and to be

the business side of things. When Jessica called, he simply

her. He had no idea what was going on, but he could

was, he knew it was important. He pulled her in for a

as he pulled back,

smiled faintly, nodding. "I’m

dinner. The food had to be just right for the conversation she was about to have. The staff would prepare the meal exactly as she wanted it, and she made sure they knew

the couch, her mind still

greeted the man

personally as their attending doctor," the dean said. His

skipped a beat. This was not good. For twelve years, she had kept a low profile. Every surgery she performed had been arranged carefully by her subordinates, always planned and executed without anyone knowing her identity. No one ever saw her face. But for someone to request her specifically

though she already had

is Matilda Santiago," the dean answered, his voice casual

cross: the Santiagos, the Ravensdales, and the Allens. The Santiagos were notorious for their influence and power. If they

her mind whirring. She didn’t want to be involved with the Santiago family. She had already seen what their reach could do. But at the same

she

could," the dean said, though his tone made it clear that it wasn’t a real option. "But

involved with them again. She had a feeling that this was more than just a simple medical case—it was a web of