Chapter 23 The Man from The Past


    Jessica could help wondering who the woman was.


    Lorenzo was a very mature man, and would never let anybody touch his phone, except that they were


    close enough, never to mention let someone answer the phone for him.


    Moreover, the woman said he was taking a shower.


    Jessica wondered if he was with his mistress, or maybe just a good friend.


    Jessica''s mind went into chaos, and she heard ringings in her ears.


    The woman''s identity haunted her, and she couldn''t help wondering why Lorenzo was with her.


    Jessica was married to Lorenzo on conditions that they signed a contract as soon as they met. It was


    supposed to be no surprise if he had a mistress.


    Jessica''s palm was soaked in cold sweats. When she was young, she had suffered a major change in


    her life and was abandoned by her family. They deserted her in the remote ce for years, during


    which she learned to grow up independently. She had also learned how to live with loneliness and be


    tough.


    She no longer dared to expose her true feelings to anyone else, except for Amara.


    Being betrayed by the closest and most trusted person, being muted and mistreated brutally... That


    was Jessica''s biggest nightmare, and she didn''t want it to happen again.


    Many years after that, Lorenzo suddenly broke into her life suddenly and overwhelmingly. In a very


    short time, he easily stirred Jessica''s usual calmness and independence, letting her feel extremely


    clingy to him.


    Being clinging could be a nightmare, for it always made people vulnerable.


    Jessica felt numb in her hands and feet. As she slowly calmed down, she took out her phone and sent


    a message to Preston. She decided to meet him right there and at the right time.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the presidential suite of a hotel in St He...


    Hana Brown, manager of the marketing department of Lorenzo''spany, was looking at a cellphone


    with her brows lifted. She looked a bit confused.


    "Hana, who let you in Mr. Fletcher''s room and picked up his phone?"


    Lorenzo''s assistant, Levi, was standing behind Hana and asked coldly.


    "Levi, Mr. Fletcher needs the document. It''s urgent. I mustn''t hold him up."


    Hana waved the thick stack of documents in her hand, and then put it on the desk beside her.


    "Mr. Fletcher wouldn''t be happy if he finds out you got in here without his permission, let alone that


    you''ve touched his personal belongings. Next time, just hand over the papers to me, and don''t do this


    again. Now please show yourself out."


    "Okay, Levi."


    "Who called him just now?"


    Levi asked.


    "I don''t know. The person didn''t say anything till hanging up."


    Hana said as she shook her head. She really had no idea who that was.


    "Mr. Fletcher will get back earlier than our n. You should wrap up what you''re working on as soon as


    possible."


    Levi didn''t care about this much. He motioned Hana to let her leave.


    "Why is Mr. Fletcher leaving earlier? I thought we still had lots of branchpanies to inspect."


    "Just do your job. Don''t specte his will."


    Hana then turned away. Levi couldn''t help recalling how Lorenzo was distracted by a photo. He knew


    Lorenzo must have kept a gorgeous mistress in his love nest.


    ...


    The next day.


    When Jessica arrived at the appointed ce, Preston had already arrived half an hour earlier. After the


    bell rang, and the door was opened from inside, Jessica saw Preston leaningzily against the door


    frame.


    "I want to see Rosa in person. Where is she? I need to see her now! Or I''ll take this as a fraud."


    Jessica got straight to the point and didn''t want any time to be wasted.


    "Since when you became so quick-tempered? Juste on in! Do you really want to talk about this in


    public and let everyone know it?"


    Preston turned slightly to one side to invite Jessica in. Jessica then walked into the room without


    looking at him.


    "Okay, I''ll prove it to you now."


    Preston took his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number. Soon, someone picked up the phone.


    "Hey... Is that Mr. Saunder? You promised to let me meet Miss Jessica, so where is she now? Please


    say something!"


    Preston raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Jessica. Jessica''s face didn''t look very well. Preston


    then handed over the phone to Jessica, and then she heard a familiar voicee from the other end of


    the phone.


    "Miss Jessica..."


    Rosa always called Erica Ms. Erica, and she called Jessica Miss Jessica.


    Time went by fast. Jessica had already grown into a big girl, yet Rosa still called her Miss Jessica like


    she used to.


    "Hey, Rosa, it''s me. It''s Jessica, in the flesh!"


    Jessica''s eyes welled up with tears. Everything has changed, and so has everyone. However, only


    Rosa, who had taken care of her since she was little, remained unchanged to her.


    "Miss Jessica, is that... Is that really you? Cough, cough, cough..."


    Rosa coughed so violently. It seemed that she might not have much time left.


    Jessica knew medical skills well. As soon as she heard the cough, she knew Rosa was totally wrecky


    and wouldn''t be able to live long.


    "Rosa, I..."


    Jessica spoke anxiously, and she started to sob.


    "Now you know that I didn''t lie to you, did I? I think we''ll have enough time to catch up."


    Preston suddenly grabbed the phone away from Jessica''s hand and hung it up.


    After that, he lifted his feet and started to step closer to Jessica.


    "Don''te closer! We agreed that I''m here today just to make sure if you really have Rosa here. This


    isn''t about our personal rtionship, and we have nothing to catch up with!"


    Jessica looked very tense. She had to always be on guard against the man''s sudden insult.


    "Jessica, I don''t think you know what is going on here. You should really change your attitude because


    you''re in need of something from me. It''s you who''s in urgent need to see Rosa, not me."


    Preston snorted coldly with a disdainful look on his face.


    "Preston, you''re the one who should know what is going on here! I know you couldn''t wait to sleep with


    me. That''s your urgent need, not mine.''


    "Jessica, you''re no better than a bag of discarded trash. You don''t get to be so condescending!"


    "I know you''ve slept with Juliette, but you still called me in the middle of the night and made this


    appointment. You just can''t help yourself, right? That''s why I get to be so condescending!"


    Jessica sneered and talked back.


    Preston narrowed his eyes and pursed his thin lips. Part of his face was frozen.


    "That''s it for today. I''ll give you some time to think about it. By the day you''re willing to let me see Rosa,


    I''ll give you the chance to discuss what you want. It is meaningless for us only to make mere verbal


    statements here."


    Jessica gave Preston a stern look, and then she turned over to leave.


    "Jessica, I''m warning you. Don''t push me over and over again!"


    Preston stepped forward and grabbed Jessica''s arm."


    "Preston, listen to yourself! Aren''t you the one that''s always pushing me? Back then, your perjury in


    front of everyone made me a target of public criticism, and today you''re using Rosa as the leverage to


    make me sleep with you. I''ve been trusting you, and that''s your way to pay me back? Is that your way


    to pay my mother''s trust back? I once called you Brother Preston! Have you no shame?"


    Jessica had been mentally prepared before she came. She grabbed over the ss on the table and


    poured all the wine on Preston''s face.


    Suddenly, Preston''s mind went nk. He stood frozen.


    Jessica stared at him angrily, wishing she''d never known him.


    "Don''t make yourself so condescending. You''ve been sleeping around since you''re young. I know any


    man can have you in his bed easily. Why can''t I?"


    Preston suddenly pushed Jessica''s head done and roared.


    "You always say that I''m a wh*re that slept with all kinds of strangers when I was young. When did that


    happen?"


    Jessica knew that Preston was having a violent mood swing. She didn''t want to argue with him.


    Instead, she brought this up calmly.


    "God will be your judge, Jessica! You really think no one knows the dirtyundry you did? I''ll tell you


    what! I know everything you''ve done! When we were young, you always went out alone and didn''t


    danger. I used all my connections and couldn''t find your trace, until Juliette came over and told me to


    stop looking. She said you were sleeping with another stranger. You just couldn''t get yourself off him,


    and you were still making out when Juliette took me to the ce!"


    Preston didn''t want to bring this up again, but Jessica seemed to force him to. He had been holding a


    grudge for so many years, and finally, he decided to make things clear today, so that Jessica would


    make up sophistries again and again.


    Jessica finally knew the reason. He always wondered why Preston believed she had hooked up with


    strange men when she was young. The actual case was that during that winter, Jessica once went into


    the mountains in search of a rare herb, and she happened to save a man on her way.


    The man lost consciousness and looked like he was about to die in the wilderness. It was already too


    dark to get back home by then, so Jessica had no other choice but to save the man and take him to a


    hunter''s lodge. They spent the night there.


    When Juliette found Preston and said Jessica was hooking up with that man, Preston chose to believe


    in Juliette.


    "Pfft, ha...hahaha..."


    Jessica couldn''t helpughing so hard that tears came to her eyes.


    "What''s so funny?"


    Preston couldn''t understand.


    "You want to know why? I''m afraid You still wouldn''t believe me even if I told you the truth! I''m going to


    N?velDrama.Org content.


    stick to what I told you just now. I''ll tell you the truth as long as you let me see Rosa. Stop your


    daydreaming now. You''d better take the time and think about it carefully. Don''t do stupid things that


    can''t be undone ever again!"


    Jessica spoke coldly as she ditched away Preston''s hand. Then she walked out of the room without


    looking back.


    ...


    Back at the private estate, Jessica and Amara were chatting. Amara was a very quick-tempered


    person. She couldn''t stop cursing Preston for what he had done.


    "The man must have lost his mind to believe Juliette. How could he believe in Juliette? The woman is a


    witch! What kind of person would be so stupid to believe in her words? Now that Preston has bought


    Juliette''s version of the story, I think he may need to have his brain examined to see if it is going


    through something wrong. After all, as retarded as his brain was, he''ll still need it to carry on his


    life."