Chapter 779



Jake’s silence only made Lacey more suspicious. She assumed there might be some conflict between Jake and Kallie. Why else would Kallie leave the country so suddenly after hearing the fake news of Jake’s death? And why hadn’t Kallie even held a funeral for him?

Lacey was itching to give Jake a heads-up, but she hesitated. It felt wrong to interfere in his personal life. All she could do was drop subtle hints and hope he caught on.

But Jake wasn’t picking up on it. “I can’t find her just yet,” Jake explained. “I’ve got some unfinished business to take care of first. Once that’s settled, I’ll go to her.”

The thought of Kallie and their three kids softened Jake’s expression. Jake was usually a closed book when it came to his feelings, but he didn’t even try to hide how much he loved and missed Kallie. “I miss her like hell. She’s the only thing that’s kept me going these past few days.”

Jake had been doing some digging and uncovered some disturbing information. He discovered that several members of the Morgan family were currently working within the Reeves Group. Jake suspected Clayton had probably convinced Kallie that he was looking after the Reeves Group for her while she was away.

But in reality, Clayton was keeping tabs on Jake. If Jake showed up in Burmoos, Clayton would know instantly. That would make it nearly impossible for Jake to get close to Kallie.

Jake’s deep love for Kallie was driving Lacey crazy. She couldn’t keep it in any longer and blurted out, “Mr. Reeves, don’t you think it’s weird that your wife and Clayton went abroad at the same time? What’s that about?”

Jake’s eyes narrowed. “What are you getting at?”

Lacey felt a nervous flutter in her stomach. Under Jake’s intense stare, her words caught in her throat, and her palms started to sweat. But she pushed through her fear. “I think it’s pretty damn obvious,” she said. “I just hope you’re not fooling yourself.”

Bang! The bowl of medicine slipped from Jake’s grasp and shattered on the floor. He hadn’t meant to break it. He’d just jumped to his feet so quickly that he’d knocked it over.

But Jake didn’t even seem to notice. He was staring at Lacey, his eyes cold and hard.

“Lacey, I know you’re worried about me, and I appreciate that,” Jake said, his voice tight. “But you’ve got my wife all wrong.”

Lacey’s heart sank. Jake didn’t seem to care about all the trouble she’d gone through for him. She felt a surge of anger and frustration. She was about to blurt out everything she’d been keeping inside.

But Lacey took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She looked down, trying to hide her disappointment.

Jake’s expression softened slightly. “My wife means everything to me,” he said more gently. “I hope you can understand.”

Jeanette, sensing the tension between them, suddenly started to cry. “Jake, don’t fight with Lacey! She almost got hurt when she was finding those herbs for you!”

“Jeanette, be quiet!” Lacey hissed, trying to cover Jeanette’s mouth, but it was too late. The words were already out.

Jake looked at Lacey in surprise. “You got hurt?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.

Lacey instinctively hid her hand behind her back. “It was nothing,” she mumbled. “I’m fine.”

“It wasn’t nothing!” Jeanette sobbed. “A snake bit her when she was looking for that herb! She only knew what to do because she knows a lot about herbs. She could have died! And after all that, you just spilled the medicine! You’re mean to her! You’re a bad guy!” Jeanette’s cries filled the room. Jake felt a headache coming on. He took a deep breath and looked at Lacey, his eyes filled with remorse.

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