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

raised his

with a crippled man. How

heart lurched violently. His

begged Julian to bring her

with questions as he

deliberated on the some of the

"A crippled man?"

"Julian Anderson?"

at the banquet seems to refer

that mean Jessica is really from this Anderson family...or

He needed answers, and quickly and

the man’s name?"

seems connected to the Allen family’s crippled heir," Josh

went blank, his

can’t be

for giving me that

meeting my father-in-law in this

her? What will he do when

and asked, "Mr. Anders, what sort of man

and soft as he stared

you aren’t married, maybe you could consider her...or possibly arrange a

bitter smile. It felt ridiculous and ironic how he had been disqualified because of the Allen name yet as Dave Raven, he was

it seemed his fate and path with Jessica in this life had

in an unexpected circumstance. Later, she became his wife from

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

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

it dawned on him

bond with Josh had begun

while Davis, exiled abroad by his grandfather, sat among his

day of lectures, Davis had felt drawn to him,

him his protégé. Mentor and student

for the loss of his daughter. He had always blamed himself for not taking a

luxury and name of the Anderson

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

daze. "Do you wish to marry her?" His voice was sharp, his gaze piercing as

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

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

it would be easier to reveal the complications of identity and

~Elsewhere~

study, a man sat behind a large mahogany table, files sprawled

wall, the chandelier’s light illuminating the

blank, his eyes cold as he stared

minutes ago, yet it felt like he’d

he gave his report, he silently prayed