The Prison Bride のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 41 - チャプター 50

The sudden ring of Henry's phone ended the silence. He glanced at the caller ID and hung up without showing any emotion. He then looked at Jack."Who exactly did you come to my company for, Mr. Gerome?"He stressed 'my company', which hinted at sarcasm.Jack's expression didn't change. His tone remained cold. "Jessie."Henry's expression changed instantly. "What's your relationship with Jessie? Why are you looking for her?" He blurted out.Jack gave him a strange look. "Mr. Lawson, are you saying you don't know Jessie works for my company?"Henry remembered then, but it still shocked him that Jack would come here in person for Jessie. That alone made him suspicious about what kind of connection the two of them had."Well, that's a surprise. Running over to my company just for an employee? Tell me, what exactly is your employee doing here in the first place?"Henry snorted. A thought occurred to him, and he seemed a little sullen."Mr. Lawson, are you refusing to admit you drag

"Paid already? By who?"The receptionist smiled politely. "A gentleman with a mask."Jessie frowned. Wasn't it supposed to be her treat?Confused, she sent Jack a text.Right after that, the waiter came down with her takeout.Jessie accepted it and glanced at her phone. There was still no reply. He probably hadn't seen it yet.She took a cab to the park near the office.It wasn't completely dark yet, and the park was quiet. Jessie walked to the spot where she usually saw stray cats and called out.The tabby with the collar was the first to appear. It leaped gracefully onto the stone table. Its amber eyes locked on her steadily.Jessie lifted the takeout bag. "Big kitty, just you today? Where are the others? I brought plenty of food for everyone."Being a coastal city, Rossenville was known for its seafood—lightly seasoned, mostly fresh and natural.Most importantly, it was perfect for cats.The tabby didn't answer, of course. To Jessie, though, it always gave off a proud, a

Denise had just finished her errand and stopped by for coffee. The moment she walked in, she spotted Mia standing there and looking oddly out of place."Denise, you're back," Mia said calmly. She seemed composed again. "What kind of coffee do you want? I was tied up just now. I only came over to order a minute ago."Denise didn't think twice about it, though the barista who had seen everything just pursed his lips and kept quiet.The two ordered their drinks and headed back to the Creative Design Department. Mia was distracted the entire time.Her thoughts were tangled up in what she'd overheard Henry saying to Jessie. The more she thought about it, the more she felt knots in her stomach.She couldn't shake the sense that Henry wasn't indifferent toward Jessie at all.A heavy wave of unease washed over her, and with it came a sharp sense of danger.That afternoon, after work, Mark pulled up as Mia walked out of the building. His smile froze halfway when he saw her expression."

[No.]Jessie sent the reply and put her phone down to take a shower.When she came back out, a few new messages had popped up. She skimmed through them and typed a short response.[I'm not planning to work in design for now.]Someone once told her she had more talent in computer science.With practiced ease, she logged out of the old account and switched back to her main one.Almost immediately, a message came through from Jack.He was asking if she had time tomorrow.Jessie recalled she was supposed to visit Joe tomorrow. What did Jack want with her tomorrow? Was it something work-related?"Mr. Gerome, is this about the company?""No. It's personal."Jessie blinked in surprise but answered honestly, "I don't have time tomorrow.""Alright."Since it wasn't business, she didn't think much of it. She was just a little curious about what Jack wanted with her privately.Either way, she really had no time.That night, she slept soundly.Her body clock woke her at the right t

Mia suddenly cut Henry off."Henry, I really like chess too. I haven't learned how to play yet. Will you teach me?"Henry nodded, ready to agree, but he still wanted to finish what he'd been saying. Before he could, Jessie was already rising to her feet and speaking to Joe instead."Grandpa Joe, looks like we can't continue today. I'll come back when I have time to play with you again."Joe's eyes showed a hint of disappointment, but he nodded.Everyone else was part of the conversation, but Jessie only spoke to Joe.It was clear Jessie was only paying attention to him, ignoring everyone else completely.Henry's expression darkened at being brushed off like that again.Mia had an irritated look in her eyes, but when she lifted her head, she looked aggrieved. Seeing this, Mark immediately jumped in."Jessie, Henry and Mia were talking to you. Why don't you answer them? Where are your manners?"Jessie didn't bother responding. She'd greeted Joe, played her game, and that was en