She looked away, unwilling to confront her reflection.
Albert chuckled and intertwined their fingers, urging her to sign the share transfer agreement.
âOnce you sign, Iâll have Alexis notarize it.
Then youâll be the majority shareholder of the Waston Group,â he proposed.
As Jessie composed herself, she grew more rational.
While she didnât dismiss the value of money, she couldnât accept what Albert offered.
She couldnât bring herself to accept it, convinced that it wasnât out of love or generosity on his part.
Instead, she saw it as a ploy, a means to ensnare her.
Bluntly put, he desired both her and his money.
She considered him to be greedy.
Albert didnât pressure her.
He glanced at the share transfer agreement and advised, âTake your time to think it over.
â
Taking Jeslynâs feelings into account, Albert decided not to spend the night in the master bedroom.
Instead, he left promptly.
As he departed, he simply touched Jessieâs shoulder and spoke gently.
âGo wash up.
You really made a mess down there.
â
Jessie flushed.
She feigned indifference.
âYou offered willingly.
I didnât coerce you,â she replied.
Albert offered a meaningful remark.
âJessie, as long as youâre happy.
â
Jessie felt she was no match for Albert.
Sooner or later, she would be consumed by him in this house, both physically and emotionally.
Consequently, over the next two weeks, she consistently made excuses about feeling unwell, avoiding visits to the villa to give Jeslyn language lessons.
Strangely, Jessie remained unaware of how Albert explained her absence to Jeslyn.
Surprisingly, Jeslyn didnât react with anger but instead comforted Jessie, saying, âDad mentioned that women often feel unwell for a few days every month.
You just need some rest.
â
Jessie felt an urge to strangle Albert.
After ending the call, Lettie asked awkwardly, âWas it about Albertâs daughter again?â
Jessie nodded in affirmation.
Lettie paused before commenting, âIt seems sheâs quite attached to you.
Doesnât she know anything about you and her father? Jessie, children grow up too, you know.
â
Jessie pondered for a moment before softly saying, âSheâ¦â
Jessie hesitated but finally confided in Lettie about Jeslyn not being Albertâs real daughter.
Lettie was taken aback by the revelation.
She never expected Albert to be so generous as to raise a child for his wife, who had betrayed him, and to treat the child as his own daughter.
Lettie found herself caught in a whirlwind of complex emotions.
Yet amidst her confusion, she could comprehend why Jessie had accepted Albert so readily.
Even though Jessie didnât explicitly articulate it, Lettie understood her daughter well.
Jessie had been distracted when she returned that day, and Lettie sensed that something significant must have happened between her and Albert.
As they conversed, the doorbell rang.
Jessie had assumed it was Albert, being his cheeky self, but to her surprise, it was a graceful lady who stood at the door when she opened it.
The woman turned out to be Albertâs mother, Helen.