Chapter 23

The house needed a few new things, so Jessica spent the whole afternoon shopping, only returning home after dark.

She had just finished putting everything away when someone knocked at the door.

How odd.

Who would come looking for her at this hour?

Jessica went to open the door.

To her surprise, it was Herbert Wheeler.

They hadn't seen each other in years.

If it weren't for the tiny beauty mark between his brows, Jessica might not have recognized him.

Back when they were twelve or thirteen, Herbert's birth father had come to take him and his mother away to Aetherion.

Even then, they'd managed to stay in touch every now and then.

But seven years ago, after that terrible fire when Jessica lost her phone, she changed her number, and their contact faded to nothing.

Herbert leaned casually against the doorframe, his gaze warm and steady, a hint of amusement lifting his brow. "Little Mute, don't recognize me?"

Jessica's eyes trembled with surprise.

remembered had been tempered into someone sharp yet gentle, the gold-rimmed glasses catching the

last year's gardenia cologne on him-one

kid, Herbert had grown up in a single-parent home, his father's identity a mystery, which always

protect his mother's reputation, he'd started

the little boss

hadn't exactly gotten

been just like the others, teasing her with that

over time, he'd started looking out for her, and wouldn't

never stopped calling her

Time really does fly.

ever, signed a greeting: "When did you get

now. Aren't you going to

Timothy had just landed.

His phone rang-the secretary.

you're

me about," Timothy replied, irritation

Do you want

it was probably about him being

He couldn't care less.

"No need."

Timothy closed his phone.

of Timothy's hands, Sheila held the

happily

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