After the divorce he begged novel Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

“The door password is your birthday,” Jeffrey said to Samuel gently. “Everything inside is set up just like home.”

“Home is wherever Mommy is,” Samuel replied protectively.

Jeffrey raised an eyebrow, his eyes settling on Rebecca.

Feeling uneasy under his gaze, Rebecca pulled out a chair, sat down at the table, and said dismissively, “If there’s nothing else, you should go. We’re having dinner.”

“Didn’t you eat earlier? Why eat again?” Jeffrey asked Samuel.

“Mommy’s cooking is delicious,” the boy answered softly.

Jeffrey glanced at the dishes on the table–they did look good, Still, he said, “Even if it’s tasty, don’t overeat. You’ll upset your stomach.”

Rebecca’s grip tightened around her fork. ‘He’s referring to me, isn’t he?‘ she thought.

“Big meals after dark will wreck your health,” Jeffrey added, noticing her irritation. “Understand?”

Samuel nodded but kept eating.

Even after the dinner was over, Jeffrey remained in the living room. He sent Samuel to his bedroom to study, then settled onto the couch, watching

Rebecca.

She cleared the table and carried the dishes to the sink. Just when he expected her to leave them, she turned on the water and carefully washed each

dish.

Watching her tender hands sink into the soapy water, fingers brushing against greasy bowls, Jeffrey frowned. Those hands ought to be holding a paintbrush or gliding across piano keys–not scrubbing dishes.

He watched as long as she washed. After putting everything away, she came out of the kitchen and met his steady gaze. She paused for a while and asked, “Why are you still here?”

Instead of answering, he asked, “Have you gotten used to life without the Hanson name?”

“Yeah, very much,” Rebecca replied coolly.

Jeffrey didn’t challenge her. He thought she had been used to a life where she didn’t have to cook, clean, or do chores–she couldn’t have adjusted so quickly to doing it all herself.

“Quit the job at Lucas’s place soon,” he said. That was why he had stayed. “You should know that position was tailor–made for you by Stephen.”

Rebecca’s brow furrowed slightly. ‘But the job was posted by the Reed family.‘

Jeffrey leaned back lazily against the sofa arm. “Emily has always taken ballet. Why would she suddenly need a classical dance teacher?”

Rebecca paused, her mind raced as she tried to search her memory for the Reeds. But her knowledge was mostly limited to Jeffrey’s friends, and she knew next to nothing about Lucas.

“Samuel has martial arts all day Saturday,” Jeffrey added calmly. “Emily has dance class on Saturday morning. You think that’s a coincidence?”

Rebecca was almost convinced. Stephen could easily arrange something like this. Shortening the schedule to just the morning to avoid raising suspicion sounded exactly like something he’d do.

“If you don’t want to fall into his trap, quit now,” Jeffrey said, reading her hesitation perfectly. “You know how he operates.”

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20:27 Sun, 14 Sept

Chapter 25

Rebecca’s thoughts churned bitterly ‘Yeah, I know. But what choice do I have?

If I quit, how do I make money? Play piano on the street? Jeffrey will make things difficult for me. Find another job? I still remember those interviews i missed because of his interference.

She met Jeffrey’s eyes steadily. “I’ll take whatever comes.”

“Stephen is a nightmare, Jeffrey another minefield. Neither option is good. I might as well choose the one that pays–cash is all that matters now,” Rebecca thought.

Jeffrey fixed his gaze on her, searching for any hint that she might be joking.

“Besides,” Rebecca added, “that’s just your version. Stephen has nothing on me. Why would he even set a trap for someone like me?”

Jeffrey’s gaze intensified. He couldn’t tell her the trap wasn’t meant for her–but for him.

“Even if he is using me, it’s to get to someone else,” Rebecca went on, shifting gears. “He’s offering good money for easy work. So what if he uses me?”

“What if he goes after Samuel?” Jeffrey asked, surprised by her response.

“Stephen plays dirty and can be pretty intense,” Rebecca said, each word landing like a trigger on Jeffrey’s nerves, “but he wouldn’t harm a child.”

Jeffrey’s eyes turned cold, his aura heavy with menace. “How much have you interacted with him? How well do you know him?”

“Why would she defend Stephen? What has he done to win her trust?‘ he wondered, a bitter edge to his thoughts.

“He won’t,” Rebecca insisted firmly.

Jeffrey’s grip tightened around his phone.

Rebecca checked the time and said calmly, “If there’s nothing else, you should go.”

Just as she finished speaking, a flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed by a loud crack of thunder that rattled the windows.

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