Jessica lifted her gaze to meet Timothy''s eyes.


    Timothy, for his part, seemedpletely unfazed-his expression was as calm andposed as ever.


    On the other end of the line, Ines was still speaking. "Anyway, I talked to Mr. Smith, and he''s hoping you''ll take on the role in his new film. Since Timothy is there too, why don''t you both discuss it and let Mr. Smith know what you decide?"


    Timothy saw no need for Jessica to say anything further-Ines hadid everything out clearly.


    He replied for Jessica, "Alright. We''ll get back to you as soon as possible."


    "Great. It''s gettingte, so I''ll let you go."


    With that, Ines hung up.


    A heavy silence settled between them before Timothy finally spoke. "Ines told me tonight that you''ve been preparing seriously for this-wanting to take on the character in Mr. Smith''s new movie."


    Jessica shot Timothy a cold, measured look, her hands moving in practiced signnguage. "So you came all the way out here tonight just to talk this over with me?"


    "More or less," Timothy admitted without hesitation.


    He didn''t realize that his honesty was like a knife, digging deep into Jessica''s heart.


    He cared so much about She''s career, her future.


    And now, once again, he was asking Jessica to make a sacrifice.


    "Alright, then tell me what do you want?" Jessica''s signing was calm, her movements steady.


    She wanted to see just how far Timothy would go to negotiate on She''s behalf.


    Part of him was here to talk about She''s role. The other part-he was here to bring Jessica home for the holidays.


    It was a time for family toe together, not stay apart.


    "I''ve got three proposals," Timothy said.


    Jessica''s lips curled into a barely-there, mocking smile.


    How thoughtful of him-three options, no less.


    "First, your situation is better than hers. You have me. You don''t need to work hard to seed; whether you choose to work or not, you''ll be fine."


    "Second, for reasons I don''t quite understand, both Ines and Mr. Smith are convinced you''re the perfect fit for this character. She''s talent isn''tcking, but if you agree, I can talk to Mr. Smith and have you guide her let the two of you work on the project together."


    "Third, you take the role, and I''ll finance a new animated film for She, something tailored entirely to her own style."


    Timothyid out the three options, speaking slowly and deliberately. "So what do you choose?"


    Jessica stared at him for a long moment, then suddenlyughed.


    Timothy''s handsome features froze, his brow furrowed in confusion as he studied her.


    He thought he''d been reasonable, offering her choices.


    But Jessica''sughter carried a chill.


    She raised her hands again. "Why are you so good to She?"


    "She''s my aunt. She grew up with me," he replied.


    For much of his life, She had always been by his side.


    Jessica lowered her gaze, a hint of sardonic amusement lingering at the corner of her mouth.


    Of course. He was the consummate businessman-calm, clever, in control. Even when he lied, he did it so smoothly, not a hint of guilt showing on his face.


    If she hadn''t seen that piece of paper scrawled with She''s name over and over, if she hadn''t realized just how much he loved She, she might have believed him.


    She might have kept ying her part as the loyal wife, working alongside him, treating She as nothing more than his aunt, tirelessly paving the way for She''s "brilliant" career.


    Thank God she''d found that note.


    Otherwise, she''d have lived out her days as nothing but a joke.


    For all his intelligence and cunning, Timothy became blind and foolish when it came to She.


    He had no idea how deeply his "proposals" wounded her.


    After all, what woman would willingly stand by her husband''s side-no, not just for an aunt, but for a mistress-helping pave the way for another woman''s sess?