After the divorce, he begged

Chapter 114

Noticing Jeffrey's irritation, Stanley lowered his voice. “Stop it. Don’t you see he’s upset?”

“He needs my help, so he won't do anything to me,” Riley said calmly.

Stanley fell silent.

Jeffrey glanced at Riley, suppressing the mixed feelings stirring inside him.

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After dinner, Riley, bored, couldn't resist gossiping. “Why did he divorce Rebecca? Didn't he love her like crazy? |

thought they'd be together until the end of their lives.”

“You're far too optimistic about marriage,” Stanley muttered, his lips twitching.

“It doesn’t matter,” Riley said lazily, leaning back in her chair and tilting her chin toward Jeffrey. “I just want to

know what really happened between them.”

“Why don’t you just Google it?” Stanley regretted joining the conversation. He found that even after all these

years, Riley was still annoying. “Why do you have to make him angry?”

“I can’t,” Riley replied with a straight face.

Stanley was stunned and instinctively looked at Jeffrey, assuming he had set sstrange rule for Riley.

“My laptop doesn’t like him,” Riley said, taking her laptop from her bag and caressing it like a treasured object.

“Searching for news about him online would crash it.”

Stanley tried to leave. He really didn’t want to be with these two weirdos. “I just remembered | have something

to take care of at home. I'll leave you alone.”

He rose to walk away, only to feel a tug on his clothes. He turned and saw Jeffrey holding onto his jacket.

He looked up and saw Jeffrey’s composed expression. Having no other choice, he said, “Whatever. | haven't seen

Riley in ages. | guess I'll stay a bit longer.”

Riley glanced at both of them, her eyes brimming with disdain.

Hours went by, and Rebecca was still in Amelia's ward. With nothing to do, Riley flopped onto the couch and fell

asleep.

Stanley looked at how she was sprawled out. “Seriously? Does she think she’s at home?”

Jeffrey shot him a sharp glance.

Stanley raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Jeffrey said casually, “No need to be so surprised. She’s been this upfront since she was a kid.”

Stanley paused, then nodded in agreement.

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Chapter 114

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Just then, a message from Timothy popped up. [Ms. Jensen has left her mother’s ward and is heading to Mr.

Stephen Hanson's ward.]

Jeffrey put down his phone and kicked Riley's foot. “Get up. Tto work.”

Rebecca had no idea her phone was about to be tapped. She climbed the stairs with a swirl of emotions, pausing

at the door before entering the room.

In the room, besides Stephen, stood a young girl Rebecca had seen before at the Hanson residence. It was his

younger cousin, Nicole Hanson.

Nicole looked at her with disdain. “What are you doing here, bitch? Aren't you married to Jeffrey? How dare you

chere trying to seduce Stephen? You're shameless.”

Stephen barked, “Stop, Nicole.”

Nicole snorted. Spoiled by her family, she had always disliked Rebecca. “I'm just telling the truth. If it weren't for

her, you wouldn’t be hurt.”

Stephen said, growing increasingly impatient, “I saved her of my own accord. This has nothing to do with her. If

you keep up this nonsense, get out.”

“Why?” Nicole snapped, her anger simmering. She couldn’t understand why Stephen was so protective of

Rebecca.

She thought, ‘Rebecca is merely a girl from a fallen family. Why are you always protecting her? And why does

Stephen keep taking her side? Con, Jeffrey usually doesn’t talk much to anyone, not even us.’

“Take her out,” Stephen said to the bodyguards seriously, leaving no room for debate. “And don’t let her in again

without my permission.”

“Got it,” the bodyguards led Nicole away.

Nicole tried to resist but failed and ended up taking her anger out on Rebecca. Soon, the room finally settled

into silence.

Stephen murmured, looking apologetic, “Sorry about that. She's been spoiled since she was a child. Ill talk to

her later,”

“It’s fine,” Rebecca said, not bothered at all.

She had met Nicole the year she married Jeffrey. That time, Jeffrey had scolded Nicole harshly, and since then,

Nicole had only dared a grunt around her. In the past five years, their encounters had been painfully

few.

“Are

you

here just to visit me, or have you changed your mind after hearing my request last time?” Stephen asked as his

expression softened.

Rebecca looked at him. “I cto see you, and | also want to have an honest talk.”

Stephen raised an eyebrow, slightly confused. “Talk about what?”

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Chapter 114

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Rebecca said straight out, “I'm not like you, or Jeffrey, or any of your friends. | don’t like people beating around

the bush.”

Before Stephen could respond, Rebecca continued, “I'm sure you have other motives, and you don’t care for

Jeffrey as much as you show.”

“Is this how you see me? You don't trustat all, do you?” Stephen asked calmly.

Rebecca answered decisively, “No, | don’t.”

Stephen suddenly found himself at a loss. He could handle schemes and intrigue in business, but he didn’t know

how to deal with her.

Facing someone this straightforward and sincere for the first time, he felt a bit flustered, as if all the things he

had worked hard to hide were suddenly exposed.

Rebecca didn’t want to repeat herself because it would make her less confident. “I don’t believe you can be this

good to Jeffrey. By dragginginto this, you're makingpart of your plot against him.”

Stephen began, attempting to mislead her. “I only saved you because-"

“I'm not saying this again,” Rebecca said seriously. “If this conversation doesn’t meet my expectations, I'll forget

everything that happened that night, as if it never occurred.”

Stephen's plan suddenly becuseless.

He saw her insistence on the truth and sharp logic. He realized that if he couldn't give her a convincing reason,

she would really treat everything as if it never happened. By then, he would never have another chance to

manipulate her.

For the first time, he understood she was not so easily fooled.

“Of course, you don’t have to answerright away,” Rebecca said, giving him tto think. “We can talk once

you've made up your mind.”

Stephen noticed her determined look without saying a word. His usual methods weren't working, and suddenly,

he thought maybe it was tto just be upfront with her.

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