You Tainted Our Love, I Took Back All

After that night, Sawyer no longer set foot in the master bedroom. His excuse was that Vanessa had been plagued by recurring nightmares after getting hurt. She would feel so ill at ease whenever Sawyer left her sight that she would attempt suicide.A week later, the negotiations with a company from a neighboring city reached a crucial point. As Jessa prepared to fly to Soverna, Sawyer went to her with Vanessa by his side.“What’s your plan for the negotiations?”“The proposal is fine, but I’m going alone. The company has a complex background, so having more people would only complicate matters and jeopardize the negotiations.”“Alright, but bring Vanessa with you so she can learn a thing or two.”Jessa looked up abruptly. It was a long-established rule that Jessa would not intervene in the group’s management, while Sawyer would not interfere in its business negotiations. Sawyer was breaking that rule because of Vanessa. “We’re going to negotiate, not fight in a ring. I can go

Due to the tense relationship between Sawyer and Jessa, things for the upper management in the company became tense as well. For half a month, Jessa lived at the office, working through the night with her team.“Ms. Darling, I’m done here.”With the last Enter key pressed, everyone relaxed. Jessa stood up and said, “I ordered takeout for everyone. Handle any leftover work while I bring the food up. We’re having dinner together.”As everyone cheered, Jessa went downstairs. However, when she returned, she saw her team sitting dumbfounded as they looked at their laptops with their blue screens. Vanessa was sitting next to her desk. “What’s going on?” Jessa’s heart started racing. Vanessa sent a pitiful look in Jessa’s direction. “Mrs. Pitt, it’s all my fault! It’s my butter fingers! I only wanted to strengthen security and clear up the trash in the system, but then… But then this happened.”Clear the system’s trash?A buzzing started up in Jessa’s head. She did not have t

When Jessa opened her eyes the next morning, she found Sawyer sitting next to her. “Jessa, I heard that you’re better now? Here, have some food while it’s hot.”A warm sandwich was shoved into her hand. Feeling the warmth of the gesture, Jessa looked at Sawyer. How could he be so sincere in his care for her this morning when he had been in Vanessa’s bed just last night? How could he have called her a fake and devious woman?“Are you still feeling unwell, Jessa? About the negotiation today…”“I’m fine. I’ll go.”Jessa put the sandwich aside. When she looked down, her gaze was filled with contempt. Sawyer had not come home so early out of concern for her. It was because he needed her to be at the negotiation. The sandwich went cold and limp the moment it left her hand. On the way to the meeting, Sawyer kept asking about her, but Jessa did not respond. She watched the scenery speed past outside her window. She did not know when they had come to this point in their relationsh

The call was cut, but then a video was quickly sent over. In the video, Vanessa could be seen barely hanging onto life. She had been strung up from the rafters of an abandoned factory. Below her was a vat of some sort of green chemical. At the end of the video came Alvin’s voice. “If you’d like to save your loyal little bodyguard, Sawyer, you’ll have to trade Jessa for her.“Also, I left you a gift in your email inbox. The password is 250367.”Sawyer quickly opened his laptop. Indeed, he had received an encrypted email in his inbox. It held another video, but this one was of Jessa. She saw in the semidarkness, but her voice was calm and crystal clear. “Mr. Rucco, I want you to frame Vanessa Rivera as a corporate spy. Once everything’s done, I’ll give you half of the Pitt Group’s shares.”Alvin laughed. “Why should I trust you, Ms. Darling?”“No woman can handle her husband having a mistress. Besides, between letting Vanessa snatch the Pitt Group away and giving you the shar

“Jessa, I will always trust you.”“Jessa, I will always protect you.”All those sentiments and more were nothing but lies. Sawyer’s men arrived swiftly. Before Vanessa left, she stood by Jessa and asked, “What will happen to her once I leave?”The men were expressionless. “Mr. Pitt only said to bring you back. As for Ms. Darling, this is what she deserves.“Mr. Pitt said that Ms. Darling was able to escape the bandits back in Mejika, so she should be fine this time too.”Jessa froze, and her eyes lost focus. She could hear Vanessa’s delighted laughter beside her. “Don’t cry, dear. Your makeup’s all ruined. Don’t worry, the baby and I will take good care of Sawyer for you.”With that, Vanessa left. Her departure brought an end to her absurd relationship with Sawyer. When the front door closed, it shut out the last thread of light.Alvin leered as he stood up. “It’s time for us to have a good ‘talk,’ Ms. Darling.”Jessa slowly turned her head around. Her eyes were glazed