Rebirth of Billionaire's Wife (Eveline)

Chapter 373 373: Missing piece of bigger puzzle

Erna pursed her lips, her gaze drifting away from his. There had always been lingering doubts—whispers about Jedrick's uncanny resemblance to Uncle Gerald—but she had never dared to voice them. Not to Jonathan. Not to anyone.

Jonathan's chest tightened as he caught the hesitation in her eyes.

"Oh, so you do believe it," he murmured, a tinge of sadness lacing his voice.

Erna exhaled, her fingers curling slightly at her sides. "It's not just me, Jonathan. Even the people around us have mentioned it at times. No one could ever find a difference when they saw Uncle Gerald and Jedrick together. And we… we simply took it as a compliment, just so Jedrick wouldn't feel out of place."

Jonathan's breath hitched. Now that Erna had brought it up, he couldn't ignore the gnawing thought in his own mind. He had never questioned it before—never given much thought to how Jedrick and their father looked nearly identical, while he, on the other hand, bore an undeniable resemblance to their mother.

And now, that small, overlooked detail suddenly felt like the missing piece to a much bigger puzzle.

"But Father… he wouldn't—" Jonathan's voice trembled, his emotions clawing at his chest. The mere thought of it made his stomach churn. His father, the man he had always trusted—could it really be possible?

Yet, as much as he wanted to dismiss the idea, the memory of Jedrick's merciless act gnawed at him. How could a son kill his own father without a flicker of hesitation? The pieces didn't fit, and that uncertainty was tearing him apart.

Erna, seeing the turmoil in his eyes, stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"Relax, Jonathan. It's just a suspicion—we haven't confirmed anything yet. Please don't stress yourself," she whispered, her hands soothingly rubbing his back.

But no matter how gentle her touch was, no matter how reassuring her words sounded, they did little to quiet the storm inside him.

[Hospital—Marcus' Room]

Meanwhile, Ella and Stefan arrived at the hospital to visit Marcus. She had been looking forward to seeing her boss, but after learning the truth behind his accident, shame weighed heavy on her chest.

She couldn't stop apologizing, even though deep down, she knew she wasn't at fault.

you, Ella?" Marcus asked, his

lowered her head, shaking

don't have to feel guilty. I thought you knew your boss better than that," Marcus said with a hint of his usual firmness.

swallowed the lump in her throat. "Still, I feel like… it's because of me. I may never accept him as my father, but his blood still runs

you're to blame," Nancy interjected, gently caressing Ella's back. "The day we accepted you, it was with our whole

her sorrow. With their support,

they sat together, Marcus turned his

he reached out to you

up the deal soon," she

shifted his attention to Stefan. His sharp eyes studied his son for a moment before

for what comes next. And I believe you'll

of his father's statement, the responsibility that came with it. After a moment,

thing was clear—none of them could afford to be

brushing against them. As they reached their car, Ella instinctively

She still hasn't tried to call me

the type to

and felt a rush of relief mixed with frustration when she saw Michelle's name

nearly scared me with your silence," Ella blurted out the moment she answered. Her concern overpowered her irritation, her heart still racing from

be met with silence. That wasn't like Michelle at all—and that alone was

didn't speak right away, and when she finally did, something

sorry... it just slipped my mind to call

"Mom, are you okay? You

pause before Michelle replied, "I have a cold… maybe

left her lips,