Chapter 503 Are You Jealous? Pepper smiled


    and nodded. “Adrian, you''ve been hoping for a reunion with my sister every single year. Even I''m moved by your sincerity, so how could she not be? Maybe this will be the year she finallyes around. I''ll try t Gianna immediately linked one arm through Pepper''s and the other through her father''s, tugging them both


    toward the car. "Come on, let''s go!"


    "You''re a grown woman now. Why are you still so impatient?" Adrian scolded her gently, though there was nothing but


    affection in his tone. He pulled his arm free from her grip.


    Gianna scrunched up her nose. "What a boomer! Don''t you think so, Aunt Pepper? Dad''s such a stick-


    in-the-mud-no wonder Mom doesn''t like him."


    Pepper nced at Adrian and chuckled softly. "Your father isn''t old-


    fashioned; he''s steady and dependable. You, on the other hand, have no


    sense of respect.


    "But your mother''s work does put her around a


    lot of young people. Thest time I saw her, she was personally helping a few young male models adjust their suits. They were chatting andughing, and she said she liked the youthful energy they brought." Adrian''s expression immediately darkened.


    When


    Anneliese picked up Jessica, she noticed right away that her friend didn''t look well.


    "Are you okay? You look pale, and it seems like you''ve lost weight."


    Anneliese nced sideways at her as she drove.


    Jessica gave a smallugh. “I''ve just


    been running around a lottely, and I''m kind of worn


    out. My stomach''s been acting up, so I haven''t been eating properly.


    You and Grandma better feed me well during the holidays."


    "Do you still have an


    upset stomach? We should get you checked out," Anneliese said, already starting to steer the car toward the hospital.


    Jessica''s eyes flickered, and she hurriedly stopped her. "It''s fine! If


    I really needed a doctor, I would''ve gone already. I''ve been in and out of hospitals


    enough these past few days. I''m


    fine, really. Let''s just go home. I don''t want to keep Grandma waiting."


    She thought of Old Mrs. Goodwin''s warning earlier, and her mood soured again.


    Thest thing she wanted right now was another doctor''s visit.


    It''s just stomach trouble, she told herself.


    Perhaps it was exhaustion.


    A few quiet days over the holiday would probably fix everything.


    When the two of them got home, they joined Nishay in the kitchen to make pies together.


    The house filled withughter and chatter, a rare moment of warmth.


    Anneliese was mixing the filling when her phone started vibrating nonstop in her pocket.


    She had a sudden feeling about who it was. Quickly, she washed her hands.


    "I''ll get that," she said, stepping away to answer the call.


    After speaking, Anneliese nced over at Jessica.


    Her friend quickly jumped in to cover for her, still kneading the dough.


    "Yourb must be keeping you really busytely," she said, trying to sound nonchnt.


    Anneliese hurried out of the dining room.


    Nishay took over stirring the filling and turned to look at Jessica suspiciously.


    "Jessica, are you two hiding something from me?"


    "Of course not! Grandma, I''m on your side— I..." Her words cut off suddenly. "Ugh!"


    Jessica had leaned closer to soothe the olddy, but the smell of the filling hit her, and a wave of nausea rolled through her.


    She bolted toward the sink, her hands and feet going cold, her face draining of color.


    In the bedroom, Anneliese finally got the call she''d been waiting for.


    She''d been expecting Jonathan''s call for two whole days, but now that it was here, an inexplicable heaviness pressed against her chest.


    All of a sudden, she didn''t feel like answering anymore.


    She held the phone and considered not picking up, but before she could, the call disconnected on its own.


    Startled, she instantly regretted not answering sooner.


    So when the phone rang again, her fingers moved faster than her thoughts, and she answered in one quick motion.


    A flicker of annoyance crossed her eyes at her own reflex, but she lifted the phone to her ear without saying anything.


    On the other end, Jonathan hadn''t expected her to pick up so quickly.


    He froze, and for


    a moment, silence filled the line. It was so still they could hear each other''s breathing.


    Hearing the soft rhythm of her breathing through the line, Jonathan finally felt a bit of peace.


    The longing that had been pressing in on him eased so much so that he didn''t rush to speak. Anneliese, however, felt very differently. The longer he stayed silent, the more her nose stung. What was this? Was he really too guilty to say anything?


    "If you''re not going to talk, I''m hanging up!" She snapped first, her tone sharp and impatient.


    The moment the words left her mouth, she bit her lip, annoyed at herself.


    She''dpletely lost the upper hand.


    "Baby." His low, husky voice finally came through, smooth and


    warm like smoke. "I''ve missed you so much."


    It didn''t even sound like a line meant to coax her, more like a quiet confession from deep inside him. His tone barely shifted, but somehow she could hear the emotion beneath it. Just like that, the irritation and restlessness in her chest shattered into pieces.


    Anneliese bit her lip again, scolding herself for being so weak, and forced down the lump in her throat before replying coolly,


    "I don''t believe you. You''ve ignored my messages and my


    calls. You''ve got someone verypatible by your side, so why would you miss me?"


    A soft chuckle rumbled through the speaker.


    It was only then that Anneliese realized what she''d just said.


    Her face flushed hot with anger and embarrassment. "You-”


    Before she could finish, Jonathan cut in, voice low and teasing.


    "I can smell the jealousy from miles away. Are you jealous?"