All Chapters of Who Will Grow Old With Me?: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

As soon as the words left her mouth, Tessa realized how they might have sounded. She cleared her throat and added, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to look down on you. It's just that your performance has been so impressive. You even spotted an oversight by the legal department. You need a certain level of expertise to catch something like that, and your educational background..."She trailed off without spelling out what she meant, but her implication was unmistakable. She was convinced Ash was hiding something, yet she was still willing to give him a chance to come clean. After all, he'd turned out to be even more impressive than she'd expected.No secret could stay hidden forever.Ash knew full well that if he wanted to establish himself in Norvale, he couldn't keep hiding the knowledge and work experience he'd gained in the past. But using Nathaniel Scott's identity was out of the question. So he said earnestly, "Ms. Harper, please believe me. I haven't hidden anything I shouldn't have."

Jessica had phrased it as a question, but deep down, she already knew the answer. She hesitated only because the person before her was York.But York reacted far more strongly than Jessica did. He dropped to the floor and burst into tears. "I can't believe even you don't trust me. If I'd known things would turn out this way, I never should have come here with you. I would've been better off staying in the village and raising our child on my own..."He sobbed as he spoke, looking as though he'd suffered some terrible injustice. Yet he still made sure to bring up the baby. No matter how much Jessica doubted him, she couldn't bring herself to voice her suspicions.Helplessly, she said, "I'm going back to the office. Surely you can let me do that much?"York wouldn't stop crying. His tears were more show than substance, but he certainly put on a convincing performance.Jessica had no choice but to relent once more."I have something urgent to take care of at the office, so I can't go with

A freshly prepared investigation report was placed before Jessica. It clearly documented Ash's flight details, along with a photograph of him taken as he left Zelvania.That face unmistakably belonged to Nathaniel.Seeing this, Jessica finally understood everything. Without hesitation, she left her bodyguards behind to deal with the aftermath, even putting aside her plans to return and settle the score with York. All she wanted now was to see Nathaniel and beg for his forgiveness.The following afternoon, Jessica boarded the same flight Ash had taken and finally set foot in the same country as him.Meanwhile, unbeknownst to her, Ash had already changed into formal attire and arrived at the ballroom with Tessa.If he really were just a fisherman's son, even if he wasn't intimidated, he should still have felt at least a flicker of nervousness. Yet he remained perfectly composed from beginning to end.Tessa looked Ash up and down, taking in his smoke-gray tailcoat, which matched the color

Jessica had never built up a network of her own in Norvale, nor had she ever cultivated ties with anyone there. As a result, she was just an ordinary person with no influence or connections. If she wanted to find someone, she would have to start from scratch.But just when she finally managed to track down Ash, she unexpectedly learned that he was about to get engaged to someone else. She rushed to the venue without a moment to spare.In an instant, every eye in the room turned to Jessica, everyone wondering what on earth she was up to. The question asked during the ceremony was merely a formality. Who could be so socially clueless as to interrupt and object at a time like this?Jessica had worn herself ragged trying to find Ash, but she couldn't have cared less about how she looked. She looked at Ash, whose face had gone pale as though some terrible memory had come flooding back to him. Stepping forward, she said, "I'm sorry, Nathaniel. I've come to take you home."When she saw that h

The bodyguards stationed outside the ballroom were quick to read the situation. They had already brought the car as close to the entrance as possible. One now held an umbrella while the other opened the car door, making sure Tessa and Ash could get inside without getting soaked.But before the car door could close, someone rushed up to Ash through the wind and rain. It was Jessica, looking utterly disheveled.The bodyguards hadn't expected Jessica to return so soon after being thrown out once already. They hurried forward to stop her several yards away, but even that couldn't keep her desperate cries from carrying through the pouring rain."Nathaniel! It's me! Have you really forgotten everything we've been through together? We grew up together, and we've known each other for over twenty years. No one knows you better than I do, and no one knows me better than you. I was wrong about what happened before, but I didn't know it was you. Please, forgive me..."Jessica was drenched from hea