Mandy glanced down at the ring on her finger, lost in thought.
Out of her sight, Jackâs hand, kept at his side, clenched tightly, revealing his
inner anxiety.
Even though he didnât want to pressure her, he sincerely hoped they could
have a more stable and lasting relationship.
Mandyâs gaze fell on his tightly gripped hands, and she chuckled, âSuch a
pityâ¦â
Jackâs eyes dimmed momentarily before hearing her continue, âMaybe if you
had insisted, I might have said yes?â
Jack quickly looked up, catching the teasing glint in her eyes, and
immediately embraced her.
âDo you mean it?â
A broad grin spread across his face, making Mandy laugh as well.
âI never said yes,â Mandy replied with a playful smile, her tone dripping with
jest.
How could Jack not understand her hint?
âGuess Iâll just have to make you agree then,â Without hesitation, Jack kissed
her passionately, and they both lost themselves in the moment.
The next day, everyone at Smith Group could tell that there was something
different about Jack.
Even Joe, raising an eyebrow when Jack handed him some paperwork,
remarked, âYou seem pretty happy today, huh?â
Jack laughed, touching his face. âIs it that obvious?â
Joe rolled his eyes. âItâs like youâre wearing a sign that says âI am thrilledâ. So
yeah, thatâs obvious.â
A bit sheepishly, Jack replied, âI proposed last night, and Mandy said yes.â
Only after saying that did Jack belatedly recall that Joeâs romantic life had
been a bit rocky recentlyâ¦
Sure enough, Joe went silent for a moment after hearing this, then inquired,
âIsnât your girlfriend Charlotteâs assistant and bodyguard?â
Jack gave an awkward smile, âYes, she is.â
If Jack had a second chance, heâd never bring up this topic in front of Joe,
whoâd been having relationship troubles.
But to his surprise, after a brief silence, Joe handed him a check.
âIf youâve chosen to be with her, treat her right, or you might regret it,â Joe
said, looking into his eyes, and Jack wasnât sure if he was referring to himself
or Jack.
Accepting the check, Jack sincerely said, âMiss Clinton will surely see your
sincerity.â
While they were conversing, Jackâs phone suddenly rang sharply. The
unexpected sound made his heart skip a beat, and he quickly turned to look
at Joe.
âAnswer it,â Joe nodded slightly, his gaze falling back to the documents
before him.
Jack quickly picked up the phone. On the other end, a middle-aged manâs
voice rose, âHello, is this Mr. Jack Bacon?â
âItâs me,â Jack noticed his throat felt tight, and an inexplicable anxiety made
his voice slightly rushed.
âThis is Officer Carter from the Riverside. There was a shooting in our
jurisdiction, and the victims were Charlotte Clinton and Mandy Swiftâ¦â
With a buzzing sound, Jackâs mind went blank momentarily. All the color
drained from his face, and his dazed eyes landed on Joe.
In Joeâs memory, Jack had always been the epitome of professionalism and composure, never looking at him with such a lost expression as if lost in a
desert.
Joe, puzzled, looked at Jack. âWhat happened?â
By now, Jack had hung up the phone with huskily. âMiss Clinton and Mandy
were shot atâ¦â
Joe immediately stood up. âWhatâs going on?â