Ethan stepped further into the room, his voice low and slightly raspy as he responded with two simple words: “Of course.”
Jessica rose from her seat, moving toward him, her brows knitting together in concern. “Your brother returned so suddenly, claiming he wants to stay in Owathe instead of pursuing opportunities abroad. You gave him a position in a subsidiary, and he accepted without hesitation. Don’t you think that’s odd? He clearly has an ulterior motive, likely aimed at you. And yet… you just agreed to it?”
Ethan met her gaze steadily, his expression devoid of concern. Instead, a faint, teasing smile tugged at his lips. “Are you worried about me?”
The question caught Jessica off guard. Was she?
Maybe she was.
The memories of their past came flooding back—the bitter rivalry between Ethan and Kane, the lengths Ethan had gone to secure his position, and the toll it had taken on him. She recalled the sleepless nights, the relentless strategies, and the two assassination attempts Ethan had narrowly survived.
Though the true mastermind was never found, both she and Ethan had always believed Kane was behind them.
Lowering her eyes, Jessica replied evenly, “I’m just curious.”
“Curious, huh?” Ethan chuckled softly, his disbelief evident in his tone.
His eyes glimmered with something unreadable. “Of course, I know he has an agenda. But I’m curious too. It’s been three years—I want to see what new tricks he thinks he can pull on me now.”
Jessica said nothing, the worry that had briefly flickered within her fading.
Ethan wasn’t the same man he had been three years ago. The confidence in his voice and the calm in his demeanor reassured her. If he had allowed Kane to return, it was because he had already calculated the risks and prepared for whatever might come.
Raising her eyes to meet his, she shifted the topic. “One more thing—does your dad already know about what happened that night at the Wright family estate?”
She had meant to ask him this the previous day, but Ethan hadn’t returned home until late, long after she had fallen asleep.
“Yes,” Ethan said, his tone neutral. “Your father went straight to mine, dragging Kylee along to complain.”
Jessica sighed inwardly. She had suspected as much.
Jonathan’s reaction during their last conversation had made it clear he was aware of something. Still, it surprised her to hear that Baker had brought Kylee to stir up trouble.
What a “wonderful” father Baker is, she thought bitterly.
It was painfully obvious that to Baker, only Kylee mattered. Whether Jessica found happiness or was mired in misery seemed utterly irrelevant to him.
Ethan, noticing the bitterness clouding her expression, furrowed his brows slightly. His voice was calm but firm as he continued, “My dad wrote them a check for five hundred thousand. Medical expenses and a bribe to keep their mouths shut about the matter.”
Jessica’s eyes widened. “He did?”
She hadn’t expected Jonathan to take such a step.
For a moment, she was at a loss for words. The icy resentment she had carried since the incident began to thaw, replaced by a warmth that spread through her chest, softening the edges of her anger.
A subtle smile touched her lips.
Ethan noticed and snorted in mild disdain. “Your emotions are so easy to sway,” he muttered.
Jessica glanced at him, but she didn’t respond.
________________________________________
The next morning, at Grand Plains General Hospital in the Cardiac Surgery Department, an urgent meeting brought every doctor in the department together.
The previous night, a high-risk elderly patient had been admitted in critical condition. Now, the team was gathered to review the case and determine the best course of action.
The atmosphere in the conference room was tense, the weight of the situation heavy on everyone’s shoulders.