After taking a while to suppress his anger, Wyatt poured a bowl of mushroom soup and fed her one mouthful at a time.
Given that her stomach was already close to empty, Jessica stopped puking after having one bowl. Only then did the scowl on Wyattâs face fade.
After they were done with dinner, Wyatt helped Jessica upstairs.
As the two of them settled down on the couch, Wyatt held her hands and asked softly, âJessie, tell me. Were you planning on aborting the twins? Or was there some other reason?â
At that moment, he felt her squirm abruptly in his hands. He looked up and noticed the uneasy expression on her face.
Convinced that something was amiss, he probed further, âCan you tell me how you lost the babies?â
The anxiety within Wyatt grew when silence was all he got from her.
Tightening his grip, he said, âIâll let your uncle and aunt go if you tell me.â
Jessica questioned him at once, âDid you really hide them?â
âYes...â Knowing that she wasnât behaving normally, Wyatt tried hard to keep himself together. âTell me, please. Where did you go on my birthday? How did you lose the babies?â
âI...â Jessicaâs lips moved, but her voice was soft. Wyatt edged closer to listen. âI went to Raynaâs motherâs shop, hoping she could tell me where Kristie was. After that, I bumped into Gianna when I was about to leave...â
Wyattâs breath hitched. âAnd then?â
âWe went to the stairwell to talk. She told me she knew the reason I was trying to get close to you and threatened to expose me.
I told her to go ahead and attempted to leave, but she grabbed me and shoved me.â
Tears of agony and resentment streamed down her cheeks as she relived the traumatic incident.
Her eyes had turned red, and her voice began to choke. âI had no intention of aborting them and pleaded with the doctor to save them. However, the doctor told me she had done her best. Iâm sorry. I-I failed to protect them.â
The revelation sent Wyatt into a long state of shock.
âWhy didnât you tell me?â
âI wanted to when you found me, but you didnât give me the chance.â Jessicaâs eyes turned misty while her voice grew raspy from sobbing. âI know you hate me, so I figured it was better for us to go our separate ways now that the children are gone.â
With guilt swelling within him, Wyatt buried his head in her hands. âIâm sorry. I didnât know...â
His rage clouded his judgment, causing him to assume that Jessica had aborted the babies as an act of vengeance.
It turned out that she had wanted to give him a surprise and the thought of abortion had never crossed her mind.
The thought that he had imprisoned, tortured, and disparaged her over a misunderstanding overwhelmed Wyatt with guilt.
âI swear Iâll never vent my anger on you ever again,â he declared as he kissed away her tears. âIâll make sure your eyes are cured, and weâll take care of this baby together.â While speaking, a vicious glint flashed across his eyes. âJessie, donât you worry.
Iâll definitely make sure that woman grovels at your feet and begs for your forgiveness. Sheâll pay in blood for what she has done!â
Unfortunately, his words failed to reassure her. She asked carefully, âNow that I have told you everything, will you let my uncle and aunt go?â
Staring at her, Wyatt replied in a bitter tone, âYes, I will.â
Only then did the frown on Jessicaâs forehead smoothen alongside the tension in her heart.
With that, Wyatt helped Jessica bathe. While she was in the tub, he slipped out to give his assistant a call.
He ordered his assistant to investigate Jessicaâs abduction. If footage of it couldnât be found, they would resort to bribing the police. All that mattered to him was finding a lead, and he didnât care how much it cost. Next, he tasked his assistant to locate Gianna.
How dare she stop me at the club to tell me about Jessicaâs plan after killing my children? And yet, I was stupid enough to believe everything she said. I swear my name isnât Wyatt Lopez if I donât kill that woman!
Wyatt paced back and forth by the window, emanating a murderous aura. Finally, he tried his best to calm himself down for fear of scaring Jessica.
It wasnât until he regained his composure that he put away his phone and returned to the bathroom.
When she was done, Wyatt helped her change into her nightgown and settled her in bed. After that, he took a shower of his own.
By the time he emerged from the bathroom, Jessica was already asleep.
Wyatt dried his hair with a towel and tiptoed over to the bed.
Just as he pulled the sheets aside, Jessica opened her eyes and stared in his direction. Nevertheless, she couldnât see him. âAre you coming to bed?â
âMm-hmm.â Wyatt leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. âGo to sleep now.â
Jessica wrapped her hands around his neck, refusing to let him go.
Pulling herself up, she felt for his lips and planted a probing kiss on them.
With both of them in close proximity, Wyatt could smell the citrus fragrance emitted from her hair and the faint scent of her body, both of which caused his heart to race.
Noticing his lack of reaction, Jessica leaned in and kissed him again.
Finally, Wyatt let his urges take over as he carefully pinned her on the bed and reciprocated with a passionate kiss.
As the fragrant scent from her body drove his senses wild, he could feel her tender yet taut skin in his palms.
All of a sudden, Wyatt came to his senses.
Raising his head, he saw Jessicaâs hair strewn across the pillow while her brows were tightly knitted. Even though she was clearly in pain, she bit her lip and refused to make a sound.
The sight of her tormenting herself to the extent of biting her lip till she bled caused the lust within him to dissipate immediately.
He pried open her lips to stop her from biting.
The scowl on his face was evidence of how he hated the way she was behaving.
Just like a puppet, she let him have his way with her as if making him happy was all that mattered.
âWhat are you doing?â His chest heaved as he gnashed his teeth in exasperation. âJust look at yourself now! You donât seem to have a soul anymore!â
Jessica closing her eyes in silence ended up intensifying Wyattâs unease.
Afraid that he would lose control if he stayed, Wyatt got out of bed and slammed the door on his way out.
After moving to another room, he grabbed a pack of cigarettes and smoked one after another on the balcony.
The thought of Jessicaâs behavior earlier simply filled him with frustration.
What he needed was a human being. Someone who would rage, laugh, scold, and hit him. The last thing he wanted was a soulless puppet who would only lie down in absolute obedience and not tell him even when she was in pain.
After having one too many cigarettes, he began to cough so violently that even his organs hurt.
He squatted down and buried his face in his hands as a sense of devastation took over him.
Despite his apology and vow not to throw his tantrum at her, he didnât know how to bring her vibrant and bubbly old self back.
Even when he softened his tone to coax her, he failed to stop her from suppressing her emotions.
Wyatt remained on the balcony alone, allowing the chilly breeze to blow across his skin.
It wasnât until he heard the housekeeper speaking downstairs that he was snapped out of his thoughts and realized it was already dawn.
Peering out through the gaps of the balcony railing, Wyatt saw two housekeepers chatting as they worked.
He couldnât hear what they were talking about. All he saw was the older housekeeper showing off the ring on her finger to the other.
Because of her age, the ring she wore had a traditional design and was made of gold.