"Take a close look at this," Jessica smirked, sliding the file across the table toward Davis. "I believe it will clear your doubts and answer your questions about the events going on in the Allen Group—things you need to know."
Richard leaned back in his chair, his lips curling in amusement, while Jessica toyed with her phone absentmindedly. Her fingers traced invisible patterns on the screen, but her mind was elsewhere. Thoughts swirled like a vortex, relentless and consuming.
Davis stared at the file in front of him, his chest tightening. He hesitated before picking it up, feeling as though he was holding a hot potato. His grip on the folder was firm, but his hands were slightly clammy. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he lifted his gaze to meet Jessica’s.
"Can you give me a brief rundown of its content?" he asked, his voice calm yet laced with trepidation.
Jessica’s smirk widened, her eyes gleaming with unspoken knowledge. "No, you can carefully study it in your own time," she snickered.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t summarize it for him, but he needed to read and process the information on his own. He needed to face the truth, analyze the situation meticulously, and decide his course of action.
She wasn’t just handing him a file—she was pushing him toward responsibility. Davis had spent too long avoiding the weight of his name, allowing others to dictate his fate.
It was time he reclaimed his place. She wanted him to be the Davis Allen everyone once respected, the man whose story would be a lesson for generations to come.
Before he could probe further, Jessica smoothly changed the subject. "Now, about the attack," she said, shifting forward. Her fingers tapped lightly against the wooden surface of the table, a steady rhythm as she calculated her next words.
"I instructed Richard to dump the car in an unknown area—somewhere it can eventually be traced," she explained lightly.
Davis’s brows furrowed, his gaze unwavering. "And then?" he pressed.
Jessica met his stare head-on, her expression unreadable. "Well, it’s simple. Your family will discover the vehicle—battered and destroyed. Then, they’ll declare you missing. From there, we move to the next phase."
Davis stilled. His mind struggled to grasp her words. "Missing?" His voice held disbelief, the weight of the plan sinking in.
Jessica nodded, her expression as indifferent as if she were discussing the weather. "Yes. This will give you time to recover and heal and keep the mastermind in a state of calm uncertainty."
"Calm and uncertain?" he muttered under his breath. His breathing grew heavier as he processed the implications. Of all the possible outcomes, this wasn’t one he had anticipated. He never thought he would be declared missing.
Davis shook his head. Jessica never played by the rules.
"Why the sudden change of plans?" he asked, his voice steady despite the turmoil within.
Jessica exhaled, almost as if she were explaining a simple concept to a stubborn student. "Think about it. The attack wasn’t random. Someone wanted you dead," she said, her tone darkening. "But if they believe you’re gone, they’ll lower their guard. It gives us time to strategize while keeping the mastermind off balance."
"Do you really think that’s possible?" he asked, trying to understand how she could be so certain of her deductions.
Jessica met his gaze with eerie calmness. "Yes. This is our best move right now," she said nonchalantly.
The people behind this had always been greedy and impatient. Why not give them what they wanted on a silver platter? Why not let them think they had won? Why not create the illusion of victory, just to watch them grow overconfident?
His fingers curled into a fist. "Are you certain about this?" A part of him wanted to argue, but he had already decided—this was his chance for a fresh start.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption