She was already one of the top talents in her field.


    If Jessica returned to the scene now, and with Ines paving the way and mentoring her... in the future-


    No. She couldn''t let herself lose.


    Timothy''s heart was slipping further and further away, stolen by Jessica.


    Her hard-won career-she couldn''t let Jessica beat her again.


    Timothy had practically dragged Jessica back to his room, pressing her against the door as he locked it behind them.


    "You still haven''t answered my question," he said, his voice low.


    He was so close, she could feel his breath on her cheek.


    She shoved him away, annoyance shing in her eyes as she signed furiously, *"And what if I do? When have you ever respected my choices?"*


    Jessica''s expression was full of stubborn defiance.


    Timothy let out a soft, humorlessugh. "So this is the real you, huh? All that meekness before it was just an act? You kept so much from me. Was it supposed to be a surprise?"


    He moved in closer, eyes narrowing. "Tell me what is it you really want?"


    Some things he didn''t want to hear from anyone else. He wanted to hear it from her.


    But faced with Timothy''s relentless questions, Jessica felt all her words dry up. What could she possibly want? Everything she had ever done was out of love for him.


    And what had he given her in return?


    Because of his coldness and indifference, everyone in the Lawson family believed she wasn''t good enough for him. Even her own son, after nine months of carrying him, was beginning to look down on her.


    In this marriage, she hadn''t found the love she''d hoped for. Instead, she''d ended up with cancer-her life almost over.


    She''d wanted to tell him, but he''d never given her the chance. And maybe that was just as well. Even if she did, he probably wouldn''t believe her.


    She was dying. There was nothing left she wanted to fight for.


    Hands trembling, she signed, *"I know you want Ines to take She on as her apprentice. Don''t worry, I won''t stand in their way. I''ll tell Ines I have no ns to go back to work."*


    Jessica''s eyes were dull, her face the picture of resignation.


    Timothy felt a tightness in his chest, something heavy and suffocating.


    It was as if he and Jessica spoke differentnguages; every time he tried to reach out, she refused to meet him halfway.


    "You really don''t want to work?" he asked, his gaze sharp and searching.


    Lately, Jessica''s mood had been off-maybe she''d just been cooped up at home too long. She was gifted, and Ines saw her potential. Timothy had been in the dark, but now that he knew, he wondered if letting her work again might help. Maybe it would even lift her spirits.


    Ines was right. Jessica was living with a disability; she needed to prove herself even more than most.


    When Henry was little, he hadn''t cared that Jessica couldn''t speak. But now that he was older, he wanted his mother to be more aplished-what child wouldn''t?


    If Jessica could seed in animation, maybe Henry would look at her differently, stop treating her with that quiet disrespect.


    She''d given up her career for him. If Ines hadn''t brought it up, he never would have known.


    He had to admit-he''d been distant with her these past few years.


    If she wanted to work again, maybe, just this once, he couldpromise.


    Jessica pressed her lips together. It wasn''t that she didn''t want to it was that she couldn''t.


    With heavy hands, she signed, *"I don''t want to."*


    It was like a bucket of ice water sshed over Timothy''s head.


    All his good intentions, all his carefully prepared words-gone in an instant.


    As for She''s future, he could find another way to help her.


    But Jessica... she just brushed aside everything he was offering.