Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption by Lilyheart

Chapter 389: How the hell was she able to pull this off?

Despite his answer, Davis felt a wave of emotion crash over him.

He hadn’t expected that, in the end, it would be outsiders who cared for his well-being, while his own blood kin sharpened their knives against him.

Josh Anderson sighed, studying him quietly before gesturing toward the nearest seat as he sat back on the recliner.

A maid entered with a tray of juice, placing it carefully on the side table. "Thank you," Davis murmured.

He lifted the cup, took a sip, and set it down again. His gaze remained fixed on Josh. "How have you been?"

"I have always been," Josh smirked, "and much better these days. At least there is a headway."

"You sent more people?"

"No. I only asked Julian to investigate. For some reason, there was a breakthrough. He located her in Country Y."

"That’s great news."

"Julian left just hours ago. A pity you two haven’t met, even after all these years."

Davis nodded, though the thought unsettled him and was more baffling. For reasons beyond logic, his path and Julian’s never seemed to cross.

Since his teen years, Julian had been made to remain abroad. Each time Davis returned, Julian departed. At best, they missed each other by a few minutes, at worst, by hours.

At some point even Josh had jokingly told Julian about it. In his words, "Julian, Dave is a good young man, well nurtured and mannered, but I don’t understand why your paths never meet."

Julian had blinked in confusion. "How?"

"Because as you are returning, he is leaving."

"Well, maybe not the time ordained by fate," Julian had said with a half-smile.

Josh had once tried to break the strange pattern. So on one of Julian’s return to Country Z, he had called Davis to visit. Yet, no matter how he tried, he couldn’t reach him.

At first, he thought it was simply a matter of connection But as months passed, dread gnawed at him.

It was unlike Davis to spend a full year without checking on him.

Some time ago, Julian had even asked his father why his friend Dave Raven no longer paid visits.

He could recall that anytime he came, he would always be told, "Dave Raven visited," but in a year and a few months now, he hadn’t called, texted or even dropped by.

Finally, Josh had asked his son to investigate that name. There had to be something wrong.

Otherwise, why did he never visit, never call? And why did every attempt to reach him end in voicemail?

Unbeknownst to him, it was during the time of the accident.

"So," Davis asked suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts, "finding her in Country Y...how is she, and with what family is she living?"

But

his brow.

man. How could a cripple be

lurched violently. His

specifics. I begged Julian to bring her home,

thumping against his chest. His thoughts spun with questions as he tried

deliberated on the some of the key

"A crippled man?"

"Julian Anderson?"

banquet seems to refer

is really

and more

know the man’s

to the Allen family’s crippled heir,"

mind went blank,

can’t

for giving me that extra

my father-in-law

marry her? What will he do when he

forced a small smile and asked, "Mr. Anders, what sort of

he stared into the blue sky. A

he said quietly, "that when she is found, if you aren’t married,

had been disqualified

back to memory, it seemed his fate and path with Jessica in this life had long been tangled. At first, it was their mothers hoping

was their paths crossing in an unexpected circumstance. Later, she became his

now, she was not just an unknown girl from the countryside but the goddaughter of the Ravensdale family, granddaughter of the Santiagos, and

into cold sweat. He stared at the man who had unconsciously become a part of

unraveling as it dawned on him

Josh had begun years ago,

Davis, exiled abroad by

first day of lectures, Davis had felt drawn

turn, admired his diligence and made him his protégé. Mentor and student grew close,

Josh’s calm exterior lingered grief. He had always lamented and grieved for the loss of his daughter. He had always blamed himself for not

and name of

together, spent hours planning, strategizing every step to search for this missing

daze. "Do you wish to marry her?" His voice was sharp, his gaze piercing as though he wanted to see through any

a deep breath. "Mr. Anderson, isn’t it right to wait for her return and then

this moment, he couldn’t. Not until he knew for

easier to reveal the complications of identity

~Elsewhere~

a large mahogany table, files sprawled across it, a laptop displaying a stock

of books lined the wall, the chandelier’s light illuminating

stared into the distance, an hourglass before him reflected the

stood a subordinate, back straight. He had arrived just minutes ago, yet it felt like he’d been in an ice cellar

he gave his report,