After the divorce, he begged

Chapter 293

A 448

55 vouchers

Jason pecked into the hospital ward, silently thinking to himself, ‘Let's hope things really turn out okay!

When Rebecca arrived in the afternoon, Jeffrey was sitting up in bed, scrolling through his tablet and handling

swork. The moment he saw her, he immediately put the tablet aside, his eyes glued to her, unable to look

away.

Rebecca sat down in the chair next to the bed.

Jeffrey waited for a while, but Rebecca didn’t say a word. Finally, he broke the silence. “What do you want for

dinner? | can have Jason order something.”

“No need,” Rebecca replied, not taking the bait. “I’m only staying for half an hour. I've got things to take care of

at home.”

Jeffrey asked, “Work?”

Rebecca nodded. “Yeah.”

Jeffrey offered, “I can help you with it.”

Rebecca refused without a hint of emotion. “I can handle it myself. You just focus on getting better.”

Jeffrey barely got out half a word before Rebecca’s phone started ringing.

She checked the caller quickly, then stepped aside to take the call.

Even without catching everything, Jeffrey could immediately recognize lan’s voice from Rebecca's end of the

conversation.

He couldn’t make out what lan was saying-he could only catch Rebecca's replies.

Rebecca said, “Yeah.”

“At the hospital.

“Not me, it's Jeffrey.”

“No, Stephen askedto check up on him. We had a deal before-I'm just paying him back.”

“Probably about half an hour. Ill let you guys know when | leave.”

Even without hearing anything lan said, Jeffrey could easily piece together the questions from Rebecca's

answers. When she hung up, he asked, “Something's cup?”

Rebecca replied truthfully, “Just a friend reached out.”

Jeffrey said, “lan?”

16:20 Fri, Oct 10

Chapter 293

Rebecca nodded. “Yeah.”

Jeffrey kept quiet.

He couldn’t bring himself to tell her to leave, not when she’d finally cback to him.

48

55 vouchers

“Samuel toldlan Yeats confessed to you,” Jeffrey said bluntly. He really needed to understand why Rebecca

was still talking to lan after all that. “Did you turn him down?”

Rebecca didn’t seem surprised at all. “Yeah.”

Jeffrey kept his eyes on her. “Why not give it a shot?”

Rebecca put on a straight face, making up an excuse without missing a beat. “We've just been friends for so

long-it’s hard to flip the switch. | need stto adjust.”

Jeffrey's eyes stayed fixed on her.

‘So that’s what she means,’ he thought.

‘She didn’t really turn him down.’

“Is he chasing after you now?” Jeffrey asked.

“That's my private business,” Rebecca replied, keeping things vague. She was only saying this to make sure he'd

finally give up and stay away. “I don’t owe you an answer.”

“lan might be a good friend, but that doesn’t make him boyfriend material,” Jeffrey said bluntly, not even

bothering to hide his feelings. “He’s way too easygoing and thoughtless-he wouldn't know how to take care of

you.”

“That's really none of your business, Mr. Hawthorne,” Rebecca retorted.

“I'm not trying to interfere,” Jeffrey defended himself, “just offering sadvice as someone who cares about

you. The decision is always yours.”

Rebecca didn’t even blink. “Of course it is.”

‘Rebecca... Jeffrey started, his voice soft.

“We're not close enough for nicknames anymore,” Rebecca said, her expression cold and distant. “Just call me

Rebecca from now on.”

Whenever Jeffrey used that name, it still held a gentle warmth, lingering with memories and affection from the

past.

Hearing him like that made it way too easy to fool herself, to forget the wounds and fall for the illusion that

nothing had ever hurt.

“Alright,” Jeffrey replied quietly, accepting it without a fight.

16:20 Fri, Oct 10

Chapter 293

Tticked by in silence.

448

55 vouchers

Rebecca kept glancing out the window, trying to distract herself, while Jeffrey's eyes never left her. The air

between them was awkward, but a sense of calm and nostalgia seemed to settle in-a moment so gentle and

fragile, neither of them dared to break it.

Half an hour slipped by, and Rebecca sent Stanley a message: [How much longer till you get here?]

Stanley: [Two minutes.]

Rebecca set her phone down and kept waiting.

Just like he said, Stanley arrived right on time. Rebecca didn’t stick around—she quickly handed everything over

and headed out without lingering.

Stanley shot Jeffrey a look-he hadn't tried even once to keep Rebecca around. Shaking his head with a smirk, he

jabbed, “Seriously, sometimes | wonder if you're a genius or just hopelessly naive. If you'd at least faked being

weak, maybe she wouldn't have just glanced at you and walked out.”

Jeffrey ignored him, snatched up his tablet, and buried himself in work, all cold indifference.

“No, | mean it,” Stanley pressed down on Jeffrey's hand, determined to get through to him. “Ever thought of

pulling the sympathy card for once?”

“Get out,” Jeffrey snapped, his tone sharp. He was mostly back to normal mentally—even if his body still felt

drained and needed tto recover.

“I know what you're thinking, but things aren't like they used to be,” Stanley said, genuinely worried. “If you

don’t play the sympathy card and make Rebecca feel sorry for you, you can forget about her ever coming back.

Seriously, do you really want to watch her marry someone else?”

Jeffrey was unfazed, sounding completely certain. “She’s not gonna marry anyone else.”

Stanley stared at him, speechless.

“You sure about that?” Stanley raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Jeffrey. “Yeah, you treated her well for five

years, but those two months after the divorce? You really put her through hell.”

Anyone with a bit of sense wouldn't bother going back to someone who made them suffer like that.

“Besides-she’s loaded, gorgeous, and her dad runs one of the Big Four Families in Honnala,” Stanley went on.

“You're great and all, but what if she suddenly decides stwenty-something guy’s got more appeal?”

Jeffrey shot him a look so cold it could freeze the room.

Stanley instantly clammed up.

“Doesn't matter how amazing sother guy is, Rebecca’s not marrying anyone,” Jeffrey declared, rock solid in

his conviction. He wasn’t just guessing-he knew her better than anyone. “At least not for the next few years.”

16:21 Fri, Oct 10

Chapter 293

Stanley's brows shot up, a string of question marks floating above his head.

He honestly had no idea where Jeffrey got all that confidence from.

48

55 vouchers

“Dude, where does all that cockiness even cfrom?” Stanley muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

“It's not just confidence-it's more like she’s afraid now,” Jeffrey admitted, his gaze darkening. “After all the stuff

that went down between us, she’s scared to get married at all. She’s worried that if things go wrong, she'll be

trapped and unable to walk away.”

The mess we went through made her wary of marriage.

It wasn’t what he ever intended, but in the end, that’s exactly what happened-and he couldn't help but blame

himself for it.

Stanley was taken aback for a moment.

After a brief pause.

Stanley tried to lighten the mood. “Hey, you never know-it's love we're talking about. It's the wildest thing,

seriously. Give it enough tand people get swept up in that lovey-dovey filter, and suddenly they forget all

the hurt and leap right back in.”

Jeffrey's lips formed a tight line, mind racing.

“Let's drop it,” Stanley said, steering the conversation away before they said something they'd regret. “I bumped

into lan in the hospital on my way up. Was he here for Rebecca?”

Jeffrey's eyes darkened. “Yeah.”

Stanley's eyes lit up playfully. “Wantto snoop around and see what lan’s up to?”

Before Jeffrey could respond, Stanley suddenly remembered his deal with Rebecca. He quickly switched gears,

“Wait, never mind-I'm just heading out anyway, might bump into lan. Want the scoop if | hear or see anything?”

“That's your business, not mine,” Jeffrey said flatly, his face giving nothing away.

Stanley finally let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

He realized that, from this moment on, Jeffrey's wall of promises wasn’t flawless anymore-a small crack had

appeared. Given enough tand enough changes, that little flaw might well turn into an open doorway, one

Rebecca could cand go through as she pleased.

16:21 Fri, Oct 10

Chapter 294

Chapter 294

word

word

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWLHI0RAO&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWL1i10f1ifl0&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

word

word

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWLHI0RAO&1

mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1

mmMwWL1i10f1ifl0&1

mmMwWLIiI0fiflO&1