Davy was suddenly filled with fighting spirit too. He was feeling extremely uplifted. “Okay! The auction will start at 2PM. I’ll make preparations at once!”When they arrived outside the auction venue, Aristotle was fast asleep. Mark told Mary to hold onto him in the car. It would be inappropriate to bring a baby to such a stiff event.His guess was right. Alejandro came too, and he had Jett attend the event. Alejandro waited outside in the car.The auction this time was a clear struggle between two elites and no one else. Mark had given a price that no one else dared to raise, from the very beginning. Only Alejandro’s lackey, Jett, was willing to contend against him. He looked at Jett and continued raising the price, showing no signs of emotion.He wasn’t the impulsive type. If Alejandro, in a bid to release his frustrations, were to raise the price to sky-high rates, then sell it to him, that would undoubtedly prove that he had been cheated. He would give up if the price reached
Jett paused. “But… I’m afraid that Master Smith may come down here and visit you if this continues…”Alejandro’s eyes flew open. “Are you saying… that the old man might take a trip, all the way here to see me? Looks like his sickness isn’t so bad after all. He’ll probably survive a few more years then. This is so irritating… Are you afraid that he might realize that I’m not the real Alejandro? Actually… Wouldn’t discovering the demise of his last heir to the Smith fortune be the most cruel thing?”Jett was too afraid to expand on the topic. He knew that the real Alejandro was probably dead when he began suspecting this Alejandro. Now, he had confirmation.Jett felt diffident when Alejandro mentioned the words “he’ll probably survive a few more years then. This is so irritating.” This was because Summer had been working hard on getting Tiffany and Jackson back together, so Alejandro had orchestrated a car accident. It wasn’t life-threatening, but the warning seemed too menacing. He w
Arianne felt helpless at the sight of him in this manner. Only two things worried him now — Eric’s illness and Alejandro. She couldn’t help with Eric’s illness, but there was still a chance with Alejandro. She remembered Tiffany’s friendship with Alejandro and wondered if she could get a breakthrough from there. Perhaps Mark would be in a better mood once the issue on land was settled…Suddenly, Mark grabbed her hand. “Is Mary taking care of Smore? He’s not fussing?”“Mm.” She nodded. “He’s a good boy now. Aren’t you tired? Get some rest. I’m going downstairs. I don’t want to bother you.”He pulled her into his arms and buried himself into the unique fragrance of her breasts. “No, you’ve already disturbed me, so you have to take responsibility.”Arianne sat on his lap, her cheeks flushed. She knew what he wanted to do. It was a rare opportunity for peace and quiet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.Just as they were kissing passionately, Mary pushed the door ope
Tiffany felt troubled. “Oh? You want me to talk to him about that? That’s not a good idea. The last time we had a meal, I told him about my pregnancy. He left without eating a single bite. I haven’t spoken to him in days, and you want me to talk to him about this? I don’t think I can. I had a suspicion that he was interested in me, but now, it’s pretty much confirmed. We’ve stopped talking. I can’t seek him out…”Arianne wasn’t discouraged, despite hearing this. “Fine. It really doesn’t seem like a good idea for you to see him now. I’ll find another way. I want to meet with him. It shouldn’t be a problem for you to set up a meeting for me, right? I’ll speak to him in person.”“Sure.” Tiffany agreed. “Setting a meeting should be fine. I’ll contact him for you later.”Tiffany turned around after ending the call and nearly stumbled into Jackson’s arms. She jumped from fright and stumbled backwards. “How long have you been there?” He couldn’t have heard about her pregnancy, could he?J
Summer was appeased. “You should have done this long ago. I’ve told you, the relationship between you and Jackson doesn’t matter. This is between us. We should talk more often. Your mother and I agree. Come, sit down. We’ll be eating very soon.”Tiffany nodded. She had just sat down when Jackson walked in. The weather was too hot outside, so there were a few extra droplets of sweat on his smooth forehead. He let out a sigh of relief when he felt the air-conditioning in the house. “Mom, I need a glass of water. Do you have any ice?”“Get it from the kitchen yourself,” Summer said, annoyed. “Get Tiffie a glass of fruit juice while you’re at it. You know what she likes. Make it slightly warm; girls should avoid having too much ice.”Jackson shot Tiffany a begrudging glare, then headed straight into the kitchen.Tiffany was feeling slightly pleased and very grateful at the same time. Summer was so nice to her…Suddenly, Summer eyed her tummy and asked, “Have you been sitting around a
Jackson blinked a few times before he helplessly rose to his feet. “For the love of God, can’t the two of you just stop? Or must I be out of here to make y’all shush? Let me be clear. You two better not run around like monkeys after dinner so as to not bring me any trouble, you hear?”Watching him relent made Summer and Tiffany exchange smiles. In that split moment, it felt like they were family again.Tiffany was downright voracious. She appeared to have developed particular cravings. She loved every dish Jackson made but rejected anything that was made by the West family’s hired cook. It was moments like these that helped her growing awareness on the evolution of her taste buds and food cravings. Thankfully, it seemed that she was spared from other less pleasant changes pregnancies typically brought.Jackson seized the chance to jab at her. “Well, well, well! Have you been trapped in a closet under the stairs without food for ages?”Tiffany scowled at him. “Excuuuuse me, mistah!
Jackson was in such a downer mood that he ignored Tiffany’s question. Instead, he hastened his pace, leaving the baffled woman behind.Something finally clicked in Tiffany’s mind, prompting her to quicken her steps and catch up. “You’re referring to what I said at the dinner table, aren’t you?” she called out. “The answer is no. I didn’t say it because I didn’t want dinner to be awkward. I said it because I meant it.”Jackson halted, his steps falling into place as a gust zipped past him and billowed his hair, disrupting both of their hearts.He did not dare to look back, as though he was unsure of the statement’s veracity. “What did you say?”“I said, I didn’t say anything because I was afraid of some awkwardness around the table. I said what I said because I meant it. You and your cooking are alike. They’re both delicious and exactly my type.”Tiffany had always fancied herself a relatively thick-skinned person, but when those words left her lips, she could feel her cheeks warm
Jackson did not release his grip. Instead, he held her more tightly, as though Tiffany was a treasure he had taken too much time to recover. “I can’t sleep, babe. And who says you have to sleep just because you’re tired, huh? Don’t move. I wanna hold onto you a little longer.”Tiffany may say no outwardly, but her body was already submitting to his demand. It changed into a more comfortable position in his embrace for maximum comfort while she continued watching her drama. It was then that he suddenly clapped on her bouncy stomach and remarked, “You’ve gone a little bigger.”Tiffany froze before kicking him away in a sheer act of reflex. “Are you crazy?” she cried.Her reaction startled him. “W-What’d I do?”His action shocked her too much. His force might not have been a lot, but it was not at all light, either, especially when he hit too close to where the baby was. After calming herself, she finally said, “Can you please not hit my stomach like that anymore?”Jackson thought it