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?"

calm and not anxious. But the more he says that, the more anxious I feel." Josh’s voice carried a trace of

his

"He once mentioned seeing her with a crippled man. How could a cripple be worthy of my

heart lurched violently. His

grimly. "I don’t know the specifics. I begged Julian to bring her home, but he insisted on giving her

his heart thumping against his chest. His thoughts spun with questions as he tried to piece together answers

on the some of the key

"A crippled man?"

"Julian Anderson?"

at the banquet seems to refer to

Jessica is really

and

the man’s

to the Allen family’s crippled heir,"

mind went blank, his gaze

this can’t be

my mother for giving me

be meeting my father-in-law in

qualified to marry her?

asked, "Mr. Anders, what sort of man do you hope

his gaze gentle and soft as he stared into

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

It felt ridiculous and ironic how he had been disqualified because of the Allen name yet as

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

goddaughter of the Ravensdale family, granddaughter of the Santiagos, and the biological daughter of the

stared at the man who had unconsciously become a part of

unraveling as it dawned on

had begun years ago,

Economics, while Davis, exiled abroad by his grandfather,

had felt drawn to him, as though they

in turn, admired his diligence and made him his protégé. Mentor and student grew close, their boundaries blurring

calm exterior lingered grief. He had always lamented and grieved for the loss of his daughter.

luxury and name of the Anderson

and Davis had made countless efforts together, spent hours planning, strategizing every

to marry her?" His voice was sharp, his gaze piercing as though

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

he knew for certain.

easier to reveal the complications of identity and

~Elsewhere~

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

the wall, the chandelier’s light illuminating the

expression was blank, his eyes cold as he stared into the

straight. He had arrived just minutes ago, yet it felt like he’d been in

his report,