Liam’s POV
"You’re quite a hard nut to crack, aren’t you, Kristen?" a smile that didn’t seem genuine played on my lips, as I waited his response that took a long while to co, as he looked ’confused’.
"I, I don’t understand what you an, Brother-in-law."
My annoyance was shooting higher by the second. But I didn’t want to lash out, so I turned to the ladies, "Leave." They quickly scurried out of the house. It seed they were ready to leave as their luggage was right beside them. Perhaps, Kristen threatened them. But if they think I was rciful, believing they could betray and go scotfree, then they must be living in a fantasy.
After the living room beca empty, I expected Kristen to drop his facade, but he didn’t. He remained tight-lipped.
"Where is Maddie?" I asked. His pupil dilated but it lasted for split seconds before they beca confused again.
"Who is Maddie?"
An unamused chuckle reverberated in my chest. "Right, you wouldn’t know. That’s fine." As I turned to leave, I casually stated, "Since you’ve lost your intellect and are plainly useless as it is, my team shall be negotiating for your company."
He probably thought I was bluffing because a small smile seeped onto his lips, but he wouldn’t speak.
However, he would realize by tomorrow that I ant every word I said.
Entering our bedroom, Jessica was sitting on the bed. And just when I entered, she began. "Liam, you said he was pretending. I waited all through your conversation but I didn’t hear him speak like one who was pretending."
I was expecting her to eavesdrop. And Kristen would likely think the sa, reason he didn’t give himself away.
"Do you believe he wouldn’t know that you were eavesdropping?" her brows furrowed slightly as she thought about it. Closing the distance, I pulled her off the bed and led her to the walk-in-closet.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"You’ll find out soon."
Entering the walk-in-closet, I led her to a wall and placed my palm on it. The white walls split open, revealing a spacious control room.
Jessica gasped audibly, clearly surprised that such a thing existed in the house.
"What is this?"
"A control room."
"I know. I an, why is this here?" she turned her head towards , waiting.
Taking a deep breath, I explained. "I installed invisible CCTV caras around the house, including Kristen’s room –"
"That’s unlawful. It’s a breach of privacy."
"Kristen has malicious intentions against you, Jessica. He knows you won’t believe a word I said. Jessica, he told so himself at the hospital. He called you a jinx he made."
Jessica flinched at the ntion of jinx and my brows creased lightly. Was she scared of that word? Maybe not.
"All I’m doing right now is for you to see his true colors. I already know him. He doesn’t put on a fake front for , but he only does that with you."
"But why?" She asked. "Why is he deceiving ? Why is he going through so much trouble to make feel sorry for him?"
"Because he’s into you, Jessica. He feels you did him sothing to him, and he’s out to get revenge on you."
"That’s ridiculous." She stepped away from and entered the control room.
Indeed, it was ridiculous. I’d used my network to look into things relating to Kristen and Jessica but I found nothing. Even my brain couldn’t comprehend this matter.
What I found was that Evelyn was adopted from an orphanage that doesn’t even exist.
That’s right. Before the accident that befell her adopted mother, I approached her, wanting to know about Jessica’s adoption. I didn’t know that Jessica was adopted until recently. What a ’good’ husband I was... I truly don’t deserve Jessica’s forgiveness.
Jessica’s adopted mother didn’t want to tell anything at first, but after pressuring her, she finally opened up. She claid that her husband was forced by so stranger to adopt Jessica.
That stranger kept a close eye on them. They didn’t want Jessica to be loved, but Jessica was too cute as a child to be mistreated. Occasionally, they forgot that Jessica wasn’t their biological child, and tried to shower her with love, but whenever they did that, the stranger would appear again, threatening to do sothing to them.
One of those tis, they killed her husband, only because he married Jessica into a powerful family like mine.
Mrs. Marshall claid that her husband took advantage of the secret he had against my family, and proposed marriage between his adopted daughter and I. My grandfather didn’t agree at first, because he knew I was already in love with Zoey, but Mr. Marshall promised to expose our family’s secret.
Left with no other choice, my grandfather had to arrange a marriage between Jessica and I.
The revelation left in shock. I didn’t even know that my family was hiding so supposed secret that could bring us to our knees. I wanted to know what it was, but Mrs. Marshall refused to tell .
She gave a condition. If I could find that person who was after Jessica’s life, she would tell everything I needed to know.
I asked about the orphange and the woman gave the na and address of the orphange and told to be discreet.
Afterwards, I had my people look into the orphange but surprisingly, such orphange didn’t exist. In fact, the piece of land where the orphange was allegedly located, was replaced by a prosperous mall.
At first, I thought Mrs. Marshall was playing with , but after what happened to her, I realized sothing was off.
"This..."
Jessica’s voice pulled back from my thoughts and I walked in to see her watching a footage of Kristen crying in the living room. He looked extrely pitiful. I rolled my eyes - that bastard.
"What’s wrong with him?"
"He wants you to see him in that condition. That way, you’d spend the night with him."
"Does that an he knows about the caras?"
"It wouldn’t be farfetched, considering how twisted his mind is."
"Then, isn’t this all for naught?"
I shook my head. "How long do you think he can pretend without a slip? Knowing there are CCTV caras would put him on edge. And soon enough, he will make a big mistake."
Jessica stayed silent for a mont. I could see that she was struggling to co to terms with everything. She mustn’t have understood what was going on. And I didn’t bla her.
"You have classes tomorrow, no?" catching her attention, I smiled faintly at her, "You should go to bed already..."
"Bang!"
A sound reverberated on the screen. Our gazes shot in the direction and saw Kristen throwing a tantrum in the living room.
"Jessica, co out! I’m scared!"
"He..." Jessica’s finger quivered. She was pointing at the screen.
I held her finger and pulled her into a hug. "Don’t listen to him. I’ll kero him company." Although I sounded calm and reassuring, my chest heaved with fury. That guy was calling for a beating.
She quickly pulled away from and gave a distance, then turned her face back to the screen. "What’s he doing?" It didn’t sound like a question, because the next mont, her eyes widened when Kristen hurled an object at the huge TV. "Had he gone insane?" Her voice was riddled with panic.
I wanted to hug her again, but just now, she didn’t receive my hug well, so I held myself back. "Don’t panic, he is wealthy. He’ll replace everything he damaged my dawn," I smiled, trying to calm her nerves.
"But–"
"It’s okay. Co, you need so sleep."
Jessica was hesitant to leave, but I pulled her away and tucked her in bed. It took a couple hours before she finally fell asleep. Watching her sleep peacefully was like therapy to my restlessness. But unfortunately, I didn’t see this blessing when we were married. I could only regret it for the rest of my life.
My phone vibrated. Looking at the caller ID, I glanced at Jessica’s sleeping face once more before going to the balcony to take the call.
"Speak."
’Boss, she’s been found, but in a terrible condition.’
My gaze drifted back to the bed, "Send them in for treatnt." After a pause, I asked, "And Hilda? Did you find her?"
’She escaped. Our people are chasing after her.’
"Hm." I ended the call and stood there, watching the night city. Everything is strange. Why would Hilda kidnap Maddie and torture her to the point of death?
Perhaps, she’s one of those people keeping an eye on Jessica, but why? Is Kristen part of this too?
Liam hissed when his head throbbed. He’s been thinking too much lately, agitating his illness.
Perhaps, it was ti to talk to Kristen about what he claid at the hospital. With that thought, he left the room and headed downstairs.
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