After the divorce, he begged

Chapter 23

Unsure what Jeffrey meant, Timothy chose his words carefully. “It’s fairly deep. If it were in a different location, it

would've required stitches.”

Jeffrey glanced at him, his eyes deep.

On the surface, Timothy remained calm. But inside, he was sweating.

$47%

“Make sure the surgery goes smoothly,” Jeffrey said, rising to his feet. His gaze drifted over the medical

instruments nearby. “I don’t want anything like today to happen again.”

“Got it,” Timothy replied, quickly putting the medical tools aside.

Jeffrey stepped out of the hospital and dialed Gregory. “What's Rebecca doing now?” he asked.

“She's looking for a place,” replied Gregory.

A shadow crossed Jeffrey's eyes. He quickly gave a few orders over the phone.

Gregory acknowledged and got to work.

Rebecca had no idea Jeffrey was having her followed. With the surgery funds secured, she'd begun apartment

hunting. Fortunately, she found a reasonably priced place in a safe neighborhood, not far from Samuel's school.

After confirming the apartment was in good condition, Rebecca signed the lease with the landlord-paying three

months’ rent and a security deposit upfront.

She spent most of the day cleaning and unpacking. Once everything was in order, she texted Jeffrey: [Maple

Garden, Building 1, Unit 1802. Bring Samuel's things here.]

No reply came, and Rebecca didn’t follow up.

Around 4 p.m., there was a knock at the door. Rebecca opened it and saw Jeffrey standing there in a sharp,

tailored suit.

He glanced around the less-than-1,000-square-foot apartment before stepping inside. The living room, which

had felt fairly spacious, suddenly seemed cramped with his presence.

“You expect Samuel to live here?” Jeffrey’s tone was cool as his eyes settled on Rebecca. “His walk-in closet in

my villa is bigger than this entire

apartment.”

“I asked you to bring his things, not to critique my place,” Rebecca shot back.

She knew it wasn’t much compared to what Samuel was used to. But she was determined to build a better life

for him-one she could provide on her

own terms.

“Put Samuel's things in this room,” Rebecca said, opening one of the bedroom doors. Then she gestured to

another. “The pillows go in here.”

Jeffrey's gaze swept over the layout. These were the two largest rooms in the apartment. The only other space

was a small study, barely over 100 square

feet.

‘Is she planning to stay in that tiny room herself?’ he thought.

Rebecca didn’t notice his gaze. She was busy arranging the items the bodyguards had brought over for Samuel.

The apartment had three rooms. One would be Samuel's walk-in closet, another his bedroom, and the last-the

smallest-would hold her things and also be where she slept.

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Chapter 23

Jeffrey took a few steps further and paused when he saw the clean, neatly organized kitchen. ‘Rebecca doesn’t

know how to cook, does she? he thought.

“You can go now,” Rebecca said once she finished organizing and noticed Jeffrey still standing in the living room.

“To make sure Samuel stays healthy until he grows up, I'll have someone handle his meals,” Jeffrey said coolly.

“Don’t feed him anything questionable.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned and left with his team.

Rebecca shut the door firmly behind him, not bothered by his remarks. Jeffrey knew everything about her, except

for one thing-she knew how to cook, and she was pretty good at it.

Back when they first married, she’d excitedly prepared a meal for him once. But she'd accidentally cut her

finger-a one-in-a-million mishap-and from that day on, he never let her near the kitchen again, convinced she

was helpless.

But none of that mattered anymore. Now, all Rebecca cared about was making money.

Since none of the résumés she'd sent out had gotten any replies, Rebecca suspected Jeffrey was behind it. Left

with no other options, she started looking into part-twork.

That safternoon, she managed to schedule an interview for a private dance instructor position. Even though

she'd been a stay-at-hwife during her marriage, she'd never given up on her lifelong passions-dancing and

painting.

The interview was set in Jelasburg’s most upscale neighborhood. A resident there was looking for one-on-one

tutors for their children. At least here, she figured, she wouldn't have to worry about Jeffrey pulling any tricks.

The person who'd hired her wasn't Jeffrey, but he was pretty much cut from the scloth.

Following a servant inside the villa, Rebecca stepped into the garden. There, she saw a refined, gentle-looking

man playing with a child around four or five years old. Her mind went blank for a second.

“Stephen?” she blurted out, wondering, ‘What is he doing here?"

“You're here. Please, cin,” Stephen greeted her warmly, a soft smile on his strikingly handsface.

Rebecca felt a wave of awkwardness but nodded politely.

Stephen handed the little girl, Emily Reed, over to a servant and walked inside with Rebecca.

He was wearing a light gray suit today, silver-rimmed glasses resting on his nose-the picture of elegance and

sophistication.

But Rebecca knew better. The kinder he appeared on the surface, the more ruthless his methods were behind

the scenes.

“Have a seat,” Stephen said, gesturing toward the living room sofa. Once Rebecca was seated, he asked

casually, “Would you like something to drink? Sjuice, perhaps? | remember you used to enjoy fresh-

squeezed juice at home.”

Rebecca tensed slightly. “Anything is fine.”

Stephen instructed a servant to bring drinks.

An awkward silence fell over the room.

Rebecca held her breath for a moment. Trying to ease the tension, she spoke up, “Is it your child who needs a

dance teacher?”

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“I see,” Rebecca nodded. ‘That makes sense. Stephen isn’t married. How could he have a child?’ she thought.

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20:27 Sun, 14 Sept ***

Chapter 23

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Stephen's gaze drifted to her hands, which were subtly fidgeting. With a light, almost teasing tone, he remarked,

“You seem a bit nervous.”

Rebecca forced an awkward smile. She wasn’t just nervous-she was downright scared.

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smooth and reassuring “Don’t worry.

Rebecca's heart was still racing. “Thank you.”

“I heard about you and Jeffrey,” Stephen brought up the divorce. “This time, he went too far. If you need any

help, just letknow.”

“Okay, thanks,” Rebecca replied, keeping her responses brief and guarded.

Stephen reached into his coat pocket

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through this rough patch.”

“Thanks, but no need,” Rebecca said right away.

Taking money from Jeffrey would only lead to more humiliation, while accepting anything from Stephen could

bring unexpected trouble. She didn’t dare