As the evening approached, Jackson’s car slowed down and came to a stop in front of Madam Ester’s residence.Now, the four of them sat facing each other — Madam Ester beside Mr. Andreas, while Jennyfer sat next to Jackson.“Jenny... I’m sorry about what happened before. I was confused and didn’t know what else to do to help your sister, dear.”Before Jackson could even open his mouth, Madam Ester had already begun by apologizing to her youngest daughter.It wasn’t without reason. A terrible fight had broken out earlier between Madam Ester and Mr. Andreas — right after the kidnapping of Jennyfer, which had been orchestrated with the help of Madam Ester’s own siblings.Mr. Andreas had been furious — truly furious. He couldn’t take it anymore and finally brought up everything his wife had done to their youngest daughter. Yes, he loved their eldest too, but he knew not every means could be justified, not even to free Brielle from prison.“I understand, Mother,” Jennyfer replied softly.“S

Jennyfer’s heart pounded faster and faster. For some reason, Jackson’s gaze tonight felt completely different — warm, tender, and filled with affection. She felt like a queen being cherished by her king.After finishing dinner, Jackson began pouring the blood-red wine into the two tall, slender glasses before them. It was only a light alcohol, with just 2 percent content, something Jackson believed would never make his young lady tipsy like before.Cling!Their glasses clinked softly as they toasted without saying a word, just smiling faintly at each other.This time, Jennyfer didn’t ask or say much, which made Jackson even happier — she wasn’t rejecting him at all, even though she surely knew what they were drinking contained alcohol.The small, elegant bottle emptied quickly after filling both glasses. They sipped slowly, letting time pass unhurriedly.Jackson was gathering his courage. He had something very important to tell the girl he adored. He had wanted to say it since yesterd

Jennyfer protested in a slightly annoyed tone, commenting on Jackson’s recent behavior.“It’s because I was afraid you’d avoid me again, Honey,” Jackson replied with a teasing chuckle, his lips still glistening.“You’re so mean, ugh!”Before Jennyfer could finish her words, Jackson leaned in again and captured her lips once more. This time, his kiss was gentler, softer than before.The moment lingered—long enough for Jennyfer to stop turning away, even after Jackson released the hand that had been resting on her head.Soon, Jackson ended the kiss before his growing desire got the better of him. He didn’t want a repeat of what had happened earlier that morning. He knew she wasn’t ready, and he didn’t want to push her.Jackson gave her a moment to catch her breath, just as he took his own time to calm himself down. He gently fixed her slightly messy hair and straightened her wrinkled dress.“Let’s go home, Honey.”“Hmm.”With one arm around her shoulders, Jackson guided Jennyfer out of

There wasn’t much hair on his chest, but right now, Jennyfer could feel it clearly against her palm.Gulp!Jackson swallowed hard. His heartbeat became irregular, and his breathing grew uneven.“Darling…” Jennyfer called softly.She moved her hand and wrapped her arms around Jackson’s strong waist again.“Hmm?”Jackson only hummed, trying to control the storm of emotions rising inside him.“Do you really love me, Darling?”The question slipped out from her lips — a question she had asked countless times before. Jennyfer’s mind seemed to drift farther away, as though she wasn’t fully grounded on earth anymore.“You don’t need to ask that again, Honey. I love you more than you could imagine. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved this deeply — after my mother.”Jennyfer smiled softly at his words.“It’s getting hot. Let’s take a bath,” she said, stepping toward the large bathtub.“Alright.”Jackson helped her carefully — washing her shoulders and down to her feet. But each time he tried

“You lied to me again, Brother?! So, all this time everything has just been a lie? You’ve gone too far! What good does it do you to deceive me like this?!” Jennyfer snapped angrily, realizing that everything she had known about Jackson had been nothing but deception.It meant that the love Jackson had confessed to her might have been nothing more than a lie—something fake. Or perhaps there was another hidden motive behind it? Then why had he agreed to marry her sister back then?!Oh God, what should I do? Jennyfer’s mind screamed in despair. Of course, their social class was completely different. Jackson’s father would surely accuse her of only going after his son’s wealth.Jennyfer’s eyes began to well up with tears, too shocked to accept everything she had just learned—right when she was about to meet Jackson’s father.“Ehhhhh, don’t jump to conclusions like that. Please, listen to my explanation first,” Jackson pleaded, panic creeping into his voice. He had never seen his lover’s f