After the divorce he begged novel Chapter 52

“Weren’t you sleeping?” Jeffrey sat up, his composure unshaken.

“Sleep can’t compete with juicy gossip,” Stanley motioned for the staff to bring two glasses and a bottle. After the staff left, he added, “Especially when it’s about you.”

Jeffrey stayed silent as the drinks arrived.

Stanley poured two glasses, dismissed the staff, and slid one across the table. “You’ve got the stories, and I’ve got the liquor. Spill.”

Jeffrey’s gaze was unreadable, filled with layers of hidden emotions.

“Stop staring at me like that. It’s freaking me out,” Stanley joked.

Jeffrey picked up the glass but set it down without drinking.

Stanley’s curiosity grew. “What exactly happened?”

“Last night, Samuel asked me two questions. He got angry after I answered,” Jeffrey said calmly. “He even told me to treat

him like he’s dead.”

“What two questions?” Stanley asked, sensing these weren’t ordinary questions.

Despite his rare visits back home over the years, Stanley knew Samuel was a sensible boy who wasn’t the type to make

such dramatic statements unless deeply hurt.

Jeffrey glanced at him without replying. His distress wasn’t just about the questions themselves but what they hinted at in

other areas.

“I won’t press you,” Stanley said, though he had an idea. “But this probably has something to do with Andrea. If you know she’s manipulative, why are you still involved with her?”

He thought, ‘She plays tricks and twists the truth, yet Jeffrey surprisingly indulges her instead of cutting ties with her. That’s very unlike Jeffrey.‘

“Because of a promise,” Jeffrey confessed for the first time.

“Even though it’s a promise, shouldn’t…” Stanley paused, realization hitting him. He kept his mouth open, no longer lighthearted.

The room fell into silence as neither of them spoke.

After a long pause, Stanley downed the glass of wine on the table, his voice slightly hoarse as he said, “What happened back then wasn’t your fault. You shouldn’t blame yourself.”

Jeffrey kept his head down, his hands resting limply on his knees.

“Alright, handle things however you want,” Stanley said, stopping his attempts to persuade. “Matters of the heart aren’t like other problems. No one else can truly understand or judge. As your friend, I’m here whenever you need support.”

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Chapter 52

“Tell Eugene that Jessica can return if she wants,” Jeffrey said, breaking the silence. “I won’t interfere as long as she doesn’t offer financial help.”

Stanley pressed further, “What about lan?”

Jeffrey shot him a sideways glance. “What do you think?”

Stanley immediately understood–Jessica could help Rebecca, but lan couldn’t.

Jeffrey stood, picking up his car keys and phone. His eyes lingered on the empty wineglass. “Need a ride home?”

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“Obviously!” Stanley’s usual carefree attitude came back, as if their serious conversation had never happened. “Next time,

don’t call me this late. I’m exhausted.”

Jeffrey simply responded with a quiet hum, and the two left the private room together.

Stanley tossed his car keys to the club manager and instructed him to have someone drive the car back at dawn. Then he took the passenger seat in Jeffrey’s car.

During the drive back, Stanley kept glancing at Jeffrey before speaking up. “Why bring Jessica back all of a sudden? You never liked her whispering criticisms about you to Rebecca.”

“She’s Rebecca’s friend,” Jeffrey replied plainly. “I cut off Rebecca’s financial support. At least let her keep offering emotional support to Rebecca.”

Stanley paused for a moment before chuckling in understanding.

Forty minutes later, Jeffrey arrived home and smoothly got out of the car.

As he was about to drive to Harmony Estate, Stanley called out, “Jeffrey!”

Jeffrey paused with his foot on the accelerator and turned to look.

Before he could ask, Stanley added, “Don’t tie yourself to the past. If he were still here, he wouldn’t want you carrying that

burden,”

Jeffrey’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, his lips pressed into a thin line. He didn’t respond.

“Drive safely and take it easy.” Stanley waved with a smile. His cheerful gesture was a contrast to the weight of their

conversation,

Jeffrey pressed the gas pedal and drove off. As he made his way back, memories from the past flooded his mind with the bright smile of that optimistic boy who had faced everything with positivity.

The young prodigy who achieved fame early, dazzling the world, would forever be frozen at his brightest moment- seventeen years old.

A loud honk snapped Jeffrey back to the present. The traffic light in front of him had turned green without him noticing.

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Chapter 52

Shaking off the thoughts, he restarted the car. Whether it was exhaustion from an all–nighter or the weight of his memories, his whole demeanor felt distant as he returned to Harmony Estate.

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