Chapter 206



Jake maintained a calm exterior, but when Kallie wasn’t looking, his grip on his knees tightened imperceptibly.

As Kallie turned away, a fleeting sadness shimmered in her icy eyes.

Edgar observed the subtle exchanges between the two. Here were two people, clearly fond of each other, yet caught in a web of misunderstandings.

Yet, Edgar couldn’t reveal the truth. Revealing to Jake that the child Kallie was carrying was indeed his would likely prompt Jake to act recklessly. Deception, it seemed, was best served by deceiving Jake first.

After Kallie ascended the stairs, Jake felt the dishes lost all their appeal. He signaled to Edgar. “Have the kitchen whip up something for her. She loses her appetite when she’s down. Tell her she’ll be grounded if she skips her meal.”

Edgar, unable to resist, questioned, “And if she wishes to cook for herself?”

Jake answered nonchalantly, “That’s fine. As long as she’s eating and sleeping well. Keep an eye on her daily routines, and report anything unusual directly to me.”

While Jake issued his directives, Edgar’s phone erupted into a ring.

Without hesitation, Edgar answered the call. After absorbing the details from the other end of the call, his expression darkened immediately. “I’ve got bad news, Mr. Reeves. There’s been an incident with your mother.”

Shirley had suffered a car accident while descending the mountain.

Jake preferred solitude, choosing to reside in a villa nestled in the mountain’s embrace on the city’s outskirts.

The mountainous path, though intimidating, was well-equipped with safety features and generally posed no threat.

Your next story begins at galnovels . com It was reported that Shirley, feeling uneasy, had opted to drive herself. Tragically, the brakes malfunctioned.

Shirley was now in the hospital, her condition unknown, with the police conducting inquiries.

This news unsettled Jake deeply. After all, Shirley was his mother.

A nagging suspicion tugged at Jake. Something about this didn’t sit right. Even if the investigation absolved him of any direct involvement, his adversaries would undoubtedly exploit this tragedy to undermine him.

Observing Jake’s troubled expression, Edgar suggested, “Mr. Reeves, perhaps we should announce that you’ve been unwell and confined to bed these last few days? That way, if they try to slander you, there won’t be any grounds to sustain their accusations.”

Jake exhaled deeply, his voice low. “It seems the mastermind might actually prefer me to react exactly like that.”

Jake found himself caught in a complicated dilemma. Shirley’s car accident seemed to be more than just a coincidence. But who would dare to orchestrate such a thing? It must have been someone with considerable skills or a member of the Reeves family. Could Dean be involved?

A shiver ran through Jake as he considered the possibility. After all, Shirley was their mother. Besides, Shirley had always shown nothing but kindness toward Dean. He hoped it was all just in his head.

In the VIP ward of the hospital, Shirley had undergone resuscitation for the third time.

The doctor assured everyone she was stable now but needed close monitoring.

Dean seemed lost in thought, barely responding even as the doctor called out to him repeatedly.

When finally informed that Shirley was no longer in critical condition, a fleeting look of disappointment crossed Dean’s face. Nevertheless, he asked cautiously, “Is there a risk of concussion or memory loss?”

The doctor, noticing Dean’s furrowed brow, spoke with a reassuring calm. “There’s no need for alarm. In a car accident as severe as this one, if she had sustained a head injury, survival would have been unlikely. The real concern now should be her rehabilitation. Without proper care, she could face long-term consequences, possibly even disabilities.”

Dean, visibly agitated, waved off the doctor’s concerns with a brisk gesture. “I got it.”

The doctor eyed Dean suspiciously. Dean was acting strangely. His mother had just been in a serious accident, yet he appeared remarkably composed.

Seizing a moment alone, Dean slipped away to the stairwell where a tall, somewhat gaunt man in a suit awaited him.

A grotesque scar ran across half of the man’s face, twisting his mouth into a sinister semblance of a smile that could unsettle anyone at a mere glance. His presence in the dimly lit stairwell was unnerving.

Dean, his voice laced with a hint of desperation, approached the man. “Shirley survived, and the doctor mentioned she won’t have any memory loss when she regains consciousness. What are we going to do if she wakes up and identifies me?”

The man, finding Dean’s sudden panic almost amusing, responded dryly, “Worrying about that now seems a bit late, wouldn’t you say?”

Dean felt a wave of irritation wash over him. “You’re the one who put me up to this. If I end up getting caught, you’re not going to get off the hook!”

The man remained calm, lighting a cigarette and turning to face Dean with an unflinching gaze. His left side, unmarred by injury, had a handsome quality, but his gauntness lent him an eerie air.

The man retorted, “I warned you before you went ahead with it. The risks are high, but so are the potential rewards. You chose to proceed. I merely gave you my advice. Whether I get caught doesn’t concern me. For someone like me, life holds little value. But you? You hail from the esteemed Reeves family. You can’t afford to throw your life away.”

Dean’s mix of anxiety and anger surged as he looked at the man’s undaunted demeanor. Yet, he realized that this man was his only real support in this predicament.

Despite his reluctance, Dean knew he needed to swallow his pride. “I apologize. Just tell me what to do next. Don’t worry about the reward. You’ll get what’s promised. I’m a man of my word.”

The man’s smile twisted unnervingly, yet under Dean’s desperate gaze, he finally relented and said, “Stick to our initial plan. If all goes smoothly, you’ll stand as Shirley’s sole son hereafter. Didn’t the doctor mention her probable disability? Facing a future confined to bed, all she’ll have to lean on is her son. After that…”

The man trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid, but Dean grasped his implication immediately.

This plan was harsh, no doubt, but Dean saw no alternative at this juncture. His expression hardened with determination. “Understood. I’ll take care of it.”

Relieved of a significant burden, Dean’s spirits lifted noticeably. He regarded the man with newfound respect tinged with appreciation. “I used to think you are heartless and brutal, but it turns out you do possess some cunning. Keep working for me. You’ll find it worthwhile.”

With a few reassuring pats on the man’s shoulder, Dean turned to leave.

Watching Dean’s retreating figure, the man’s eyes shimmered with icy disdain and scorn.

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