Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption novel Chapter 376

Chapter 376: I won’t let you have it all...

After a while, Jessica pulled the door open. Cassandra looked up, meeting her gaze. Her face bloomed with a smile, yet her eyes glistened with an unknown light, one that did not escape Jessica’s notice.

Jessica’s lips curved into a cold arc. Casting a fleeting glance at Cassandra, she stepped into the hallway.

"Lead the way," she murmured, a smirk playing on her lips.

Cassandra quickened her pace toward the garden, her face bright with a falsely warm smile.

"Bernice will be happy you agreed to meet her," she said. "You don’t know how guilty she’s felt since that incident. And with Lady Matilda blaming her, she’s really been sorry."

Jessica glanced at her quietly and then her eyes swept the corridor, her gaze lingering briefly on corners, shadows, and door frames.

A few subtle details were out of place, no too obvious, but enough to make her click her tongue softly.

"Did you say she’s sorry?" Jessica’s voice was low, edged with mockery. "Then why wasn’t she bold enough to face me?"

If they truly wanted to play the family-ties game, she would happily play her own version, playing along with them .

"You wouldn’t understand her," Cassandra said quickly. "She’s so outspoken she sometimes offends people without realizing it."

Jessica’s smirk deepened. "She really is your daughter."

By the time they reached the garden, Jessica’s eyes had already catalogued every little detail of the path they took and the subtle arrangement of keeping people away from there.

Taking a look around, Jessica smiled lightly.

The pool, glistening under the moonlight, had the crescent shape of the moon dancing on it.

The light evening breeze made the water ripple, sending small, dancing waves toward the edges.

At the far side of the pool stood a slender figure ...Bernice. From behind, her frame seemed delicate, almost too soft to belong to someone capable of hurting a fly.

Jessica halted in her footsteps a few distances away from her. She carefully studied the lady before her. Her eyes darted around the dimly lit garden.

A faint, sharp scent of fuel, mixed with some acidic substance hit her nose.

Her eyes narrowed.

Bernice slowly turned around to meet her gaze. The coldness in her expression was unmistakable, confirming what Jessica had already suspected.

She had regarded Jessica as an arch-enemy, and her purpose in bringing her into the garden she understood wasn’t simple in any way.

Jessica schooled herself "Be cautious to understand their purpose," she thought to herself.

"Our dear granddaughter," Bernice said, her lips twisting into something that wasn’t quite a smile. "Welcome home."

Jessica stepped back, only to find Cassandra now behind her, cutting off her retreat.

"Your mother said you wanted to see me... because you were sorry for what happened before," Jessica said evenly.

Bernice’s gaze was unreadable as she glanced at her. "Did she?"

Jessica lifted one shoulder in a shrug.

Bernice’s eyes sharpened. "Then she must have been mistaken. Or perhaps she didn’t hear me right."

Jessica tilted her head. "She didn’t hear you right?"

"Of course. She may be comfortable with you returning to the Santiagos to reclaim what was never yours ...but I am definitely not."

Jessica’s lips twitched in amusement. "Bernice, aren’t you making a mistake?"

A helpless sigh escaping her lips "You are definitely channeling your anger wrongly," Jessica felt a bit light-headed but quickly composed herself.

Since Cassandra and Bernice weren’t ready to play by the rules, she wouldn’t mind playing along.

"My anger? I channeled it correctly. Bernice shot back, stepping closer.

"Everything was fine until you came. It was all your fault, and with your presence, that old hag will definitely be feeling proud of her decisions..." Bernice fumed.

Her voice grew tighter, betraying months of festering resentment, loss and humiliation she felt since Jessica stepped into the Santiagos family.

This humiliation she had decided not to take laying down.

If she didn’t solve this problem, how then would she be able to navigate through the Santiago family in the future?

After much thought, she made a decision, a simple conclusion of the matter; remove the source of the problem.

Before Jessica’s return, Bernice had been the shining presence in the Santiagos’ household.

The one seated beside the Old Lady at all times, subtly turning conversations to her advantage.

Sometimes she instigated against Donald and sometimes she suggested in favour of herself or her mother...Cassandra.

But with Jessica’s reappearance, those privileges seem to have slipped away and she felt her position was threatened.

When the position of Vice President was handed to her, Bernice felt her patience snap leaving only rage and wounded pride in its wake.

Jessica’s gaze slid to Cassandra. "So... is this the meeting? Or is this the trap you both planned together?"

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