"It understood me!"


    Jonathan looked at the dog. Meatloaf saw the mistress was on its side, flicked its head proudly, then retreated.


    Jonathan wiped Anneliese''s face with a tissue, then checked his watch.


    "It''s been nearly forty minutes. Jessica must be asleep. If you go up, you might wake her. Should I bring you over in the morning?"


    Anneliese remembered how drowsy Jessica looked, yawning as shey down. She is likely asleep.


    She hesitated, then took out her phone. "I''ll message her to see if she''s asleep."


    What if Jessica is still waiting for me?


    She unlocked her phone and saw Jessica had sent a WhatsApp message half an


    hour ago.


    ''I know your man distracted you. I''m going to sleep, don''t text.''


    Anneliese looked amused and exasperated. Jonathan nced at her. "What''s wrong?"


    She handed him the phone, squinting. "Are you deliberately staying in the car to flirt with me?"


    He shook his head. "I just fell asleep by ident. How was I supposed to know you''d see my car downstairs?"


    I can''t admit it was on purpose. If she mes and avoids me, it''s a disaster.


    Seeing his sincerity, Anneliese remembered how hard it was to get his attention through the car window. With half-lidded eyes, he looked almostical.


    If Jonathan could act, he''d be a movie star.


    She shook off her thoughts and patted his face.


    "Let''s go home."


    Jonathan smiled, opened the car door, and stepped out. Finally, I can take my wife home. Jessica is thoughtful-a good girl. Zane will regret it.


    By the time the car entered The Banyans, Anneliese was slumped in the back seat, already asleep.


    Jonathan drove slowly. The forty-minute trip stretched to an hour and a half.


    When the car stopped, Margot waited in the courtyard with a cashmere nket. She had been notified.


    Jonathan got out, took the nket, opened the rear door, wrapped Anneliese, and lifted her out.


    He closed the car door with his knee and walked toward the vi.


    In the passenger seat, Meatloaf looked out, confused. No one opened his door. Both humans had ignored him.


    Woof! I just licked my mistress once, and now the master wants to trap me in the car. How cruel.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    Luckily, Meatloaf''s pounding caught Margot''s attention, saving him.


    Upstairs, in their room, Jonathan ced Anneliese in bed.


    Exhausted by all that had happened, she fell instantly asleep.


    Jonathan helped her undress. She cooperated, eyes closed, curling into the nkets once naked, her small face nuzzling to the side as if searching for something.


    Not finding it, she furrowed her brows.


    Jonathan returned his hand. She sniffed his familiar scent and pressed against it. Satisfied, she wrapped his arm and rxed into deep sleep.


    He knelt by the bed, her hands holding his arm. He leaned over, watching the subtle changes in her sleeping face, his eyes tender.


    He stayed like that a long time, withdrawing his arm only once she was deeply asleep. He tucked the nket over Anneliese and left the bedroom.


    His phone had vibrated several times. In the study, he retrieved it.


    It was Zion who had called twice.


    Jonathan returned the call, put it on speaker, and unbuttoned his cuffs.


    The call connected. Zion got straight to the point.


    "Mr. Fullbuster, we''ve made progress on the fire investigation."


    Jonathan had ordered an


    investigation into the Baytree fire Because it happened during the New Year


    two key investigators had


    returned home, leaving only records for reference.


    All files recorded the fire as idental, ruling out arson.


    Jonathan told his team to keep digging. Hearing about new leads, he paused mid- cuff, ncing at the phone with interest.