Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption by Lilyheart

Chapter 376: I won’t let you have it all...

After a while, Jessica pulled the door open. Cassandra looked up, meeting her gaze. Her face bloomed with a smile, yet her eyes glistened with an unknown light, one that did not escape Jessica’s notice.

Jessica’s lips curved into a cold arc. Casting a fleeting glance at Cassandra, she stepped into the hallway.

"Lead the way," she murmured, a smirk playing on her lips.

Cassandra quickened her pace toward the garden, her face bright with a falsely warm smile.

"Bernice will be happy you agreed to meet her," she said. "You don’t know how guilty she’s felt since that incident. And with Lady Matilda blaming her, she’s really been sorry."

Jessica glanced at her quietly and then her eyes swept the corridor, her gaze lingering briefly on corners, shadows, and door frames.

A few subtle details were out of place, no too obvious, but enough to make her click her tongue softly.

"Did you say she’s sorry?" Jessica’s voice was low, edged with mockery. "Then why wasn’t she bold enough to face me?"

If they truly wanted to play the family-ties game, she would happily play her own version, playing along with them .

"You wouldn’t understand her," Cassandra said quickly. "She’s so outspoken she sometimes offends people without realizing it."

Jessica’s smirk deepened. "She really is your daughter."

By the time they reached the garden, Jessica’s eyes had already catalogued every little detail of the path they took and the subtle arrangement of keeping people away from there.

Taking a look around, Jessica smiled lightly.

The pool, glistening under the moonlight, had the crescent shape of the moon dancing on it.

The light evening breeze made the water ripple, sending small, dancing waves toward the edges.

At the far side of the pool stood a slender figure ...Bernice. From behind, her frame seemed delicate, almost too soft to belong to someone capable of hurting a fly.

Jessica halted in her footsteps a few distances away from her. She carefully studied the lady before her. Her eyes darted around the dimly lit garden.

A faint, sharp scent of fuel, mixed with some acidic substance hit her nose.

Her eyes narrowed.

Bernice slowly turned around to meet her gaze. The coldness in her expression was unmistakable, confirming what Jessica had already suspected.

She had regarded Jessica as an arch-enemy, and her purpose in bringing her into the garden she understood wasn’t simple in any way.

Jessica schooled herself "Be cautious to understand their purpose," she thought to herself.

"Our dear granddaughter," Bernice said, her lips twisting into something that wasn’t quite a smile. "Welcome home."

to find Cassandra now

you were

she glanced

lifted one shoulder in a

sharpened. "Then she must have been mistaken. Or perhaps she didn’t hear

her head. "She didn’t hear you

you returning to the Santiagos to reclaim what

in amusement. "Bernice, aren’t you making a

escaping her lips "You are definitely channeling your anger wrongly,"

ready to play by the rules, she wouldn’t mind

correctly.

your presence, that old hag will definitely be feeling proud of

months of festering resentment, loss and humiliation

decided not to take

how then would she be able to navigate through the

thought, she made a decision, a simple conclusion of the matter;

Jessica’s return, Bernice had been the shining

Lady at all times, subtly turning conversations to

sometimes she suggested in favour of herself

with Jessica’s reappearance, those privileges seem to have slipped away and she

her, Bernice felt her patience snap leaving only rage

gaze slid to Cassandra. "So... is this the meeting? Or is this the trap you both planned

thin. "Jessica, you’re too

naive," Jessica agreed, "to

subtly until her back was toward

this scene was staged for something far more dangerous than a conversation. And this

was faint yet undeniable, seemed to come from the

possible the pool

be

she had her gaze trained on

her

we did plan

do you think you can do if by

on time since all of the guests are just there in the

think you can

heard pregnant women are prone to respiratory distress and dizziness

ripple as she battled with another wave of dizziness that was both sudden and unnerving.

herself on the verge of collapsing on

to check my blood and sugar levels tomorrow morning," she muttered

worst of the symptoms

was still droning but Jessica’s mind was