<h4>Chapter 245: If she is married...</h4>


    By the time the g ended, it was already several minutes past midnight. The news of theunch dominated every tabloid and trended across all social media tforms in Noveria.


    Families discussed the products overte dinner, considering them perfect gifts for their loved ones.


    Lovers, intrigued by the romantic line, pre-ordered matching sets.


    Friends browsed online stores, couples shared their excitement, and even children had something to look forward to as samples of the new skincare candy packaging was rolled out.


    It was safe to say that every living soul in Noveria had been considered in the creation of the J&D product line.


    Lady Bright, ever elusive, slipped away from the event without a trace. By the time investors turned to schedule meetings with her, she was nowhere in sight and had vanished as always.


    Alex, having experienced this disappearing act of hers several times at simr functions, resolved that tonight would be different. After all, she had stepped into his territory and surely, that had to count for something. He took it as a sign that his prayers were finally being answered.


    Before the guests began dispersing, he hurried out to catch up with her. Davis, noticing his friend’s anxious movements, sighed quietly, torn between telling him the truth or letting him chase a fantasy.


    Outside the hotel, Alex spun around repeatedly, scanning every vehicle for signs of the one she had taken but it was a futile effort.


    As the hotel was under his name, he quickly turned to the surveince system to locate her exit. Yet even the 3D surveince footage showed no sign of her departure. He reviewed every exit point, every timestamp. Nothing. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.


    Frustration gripped him. He marveled at her skill in evading detection, her tactics far beyond what one would expect of a mere designer.


    "She’s more than just a designer," he muttered to himself, returning to the hall with a storm cloud on his face, as if the whole world owed him something. Davis, seeing his friend’s expression, already knew what had happened — or rather, what hadn’t.


    "She’s gone," Alex said, his voice low and bitter. "I even left early to find her, but somehow she disappeared. It’s like she dissolved into the night..."


    Davis took a deep breath. He wanted to steer Alex away from this path, but doubts crept in. Was he doing the right thing by staying silent? Jessica’s presence in his life felt threatened, especially with Alex’s growing interest in her and for this only light in his life, he wouldn’t let go.


    He decided to test the waters.


    "Alex... have you fallen in love with her?" Davis asked, his gaze fixed intently on his friend’s face.


    The question hit Alex like a jolt. Alex’s hand trembled briefly, his breath hitched and a flicker of mixed emotion coursed through his eyes before he steadied himself, but these series of emotions didn’t go unnoticed.


    "Shouldn’t you ask if she’s already married?" Davis added, smirking, a mix of amusement and unease crossing his face.


    "Do you think she is?" Alex asked, his voice cracking as he imagined the worst-case scenario.


    "Shouldn’t I be asking you that? After all, we all saw the ring on her middle finger," he replied calmly, though his heart surged with quiet pride and happiness. He hadn’t expected Jessica to wear the ring to public events—yet she did.


    Alex remained silent for a few moments, his gaze distant. He couldn’t afford to make assumptions—not now.


    "If she’s married... then I’ll let go," he finally said, his voice low and reluctant.


    Yet even as the words left his lips, a dull ache settled in his chest. It was a truth too painful to embrace.


    A long silence followed. The tension between them was thick enough to cut.


    Alex eventually ran a hand through his hair and muttered, "I don’t know what’s happening to me."


    Davis gave a dry chuckle and turned away.


    He knew exactly what was happening. And it terrified him.


    Because it wasn’t just Alex falling, it was him too.


    Davis studied him for a long moment. "A short pain is better than a long one," he thought. Perhaps it was better to tell him the truth — to help him put an end to this fantasy.


    But not here, not like this. It had to be a conversation with closure, in a setting that allowed room for eptance.


    ~ Davis’s Bungalow ~


    A sleek ck car pulled into thepound, headlights cutting through the quiet night. As the gate opened smoothly, Deborah stepped out of the house to wee them home. Her eyes sparkled with worry, pride, and maternal relief.


    She had watched theunch’s live broadcast until the very end. After the whirlwind of scandals and rumors, she hadn’t expected it to be such a resounding sess.


    Becky alighted first, then Jessica. She gripped the car door for support as she stepped down, her movements sluggish and unsteady.


    Sensing her fatigue, Becky quickly moved to support her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.


    Jessica had clearly burned through whatever energy the nutritional drink had provided earlier — she hadn’t expected to be this drained.


    Deborah, rmed at the sight of her pale face and trembling steps, rushed forward. She didn’t need anyone to tell her that Jessica had been pushing herself far beyond her limits.


    "Madam, You pushed too hard. You shouldn’t have stayed that long. Come, let’s get you upstairs. I made something light for you. Just a few bites, then your medicine," Deborah said softly.


    Jessica’s eyes softened and she nodded,a faint smile touching her lips. There it was again—that warm presence she never asked for but hade to quietly rely on.


    Deborah had been aforting presence these past few days, quietly filling a void she had felt ever since the start of her pregnancy.


    <i>Would her mother have said the same thing? Would she have fussed like this, nagged gently, supported silently?</i>


    "I’m fine," Jessica insisted gently, straightening herself. "I can manage. I’m not that weak."


    Her head pounded, her veins pulsed erratically, and her legs threatened to give way but she held on and walked with determination.


    Every step was a test of her will but she made it through the door with a quiet grace that concealed the storm inside her.


    In her room, the soft lighting weed her. Deborah was alreadyying out a tray with exquisite dinner and a ss of milk.


    Jessica didn’t touch it immediately. She quickly changed and dragged herself into the bathroom, drew a bath, and sank into the warmth, letting the water wash away the weight of the evening.


    When she emerged, Deborah had made sure everything she needed is within reach. Before she sat, she gave onest instruction:


    "Please make sure Becky isfortable. She’ll be staying with us for a while."


    Deborah nodded and left.


    Jessica picked up her phone and dialed a number. Her voice was cold and firm.


    "Get me everything on Tricia. I want the dirty details — and I need the full operational record of the Watts Group."


    A voice replied, hesitant. "That may beplicated, ma’am. This is Noveria—"


    "There’s nothing tooplicated," Jessica interrupted. "Trying to sabotage myunch? That was their mistake. I want an invitation into theunch tomorrow."


    On the other end, her subordinate hesitated. The worry in his tone was obvious, but Jessica wasn’t fazed.


    She then called Richard. After a brief conversation about the night’s events, she gave a finalmand:


    "Prepare the necessary documents. We may be initiating an acquisition."


    "Whichpany are you going after?" Richard asked, skepticismcing his tone. He knew Jessica well—she never moved to acquire apany unless she was thoroughly provoked.


    Managing the vast empire she already had was exhausting enough. Taking on more wasn’t something she did lightly.


    As Richard mulled over which unfortunatepany had made its way into her cklist this time, her voice came through, cold andposed—like ice slicing through the air.


    "The Watts Group."


    There was a stunned silence. Richard could barely imagine what the Watts Group had done to deserve this level of retaliation.


    With her affairs in order, Jessica took her medication andy down for a well-deserved rest.