《The Robin Hood Society (Jacob And The Heiress)》 Chapter 1 - The Nurse Time check, 6:30 PM. J has been standing beside the OR table for almost 5 hours now. No water, no food, no bathroom break. Every now and then she''s lifting her foot one after another to prevent her from having leg cramps. In the cold OR Theatre where she can only hear the continuous beeping coming from the anesthesia machine and once in a while the sound of the suction machine, everyone is feeling tensed and exhausted. She is the Scrub Nurse of Dr. Carlos Gonzales, one of the best Cardiothoracic Surgeons in the country. A Scrub Nurse is a registered nurse that works closely with the surgeon and other surgical staff during operation. Every time Dr. Gonzales is having an operation at Camila Lopez Parker Hospital, he always requests for J to be his assistant. She is considered one of the most outstanding nurses in this hospital and most trusted by the surgeons. Dr. Gonzales and his wife are so fascinated with her that they even wanted her for their son and be their daughter-in-law. Finally, by the time the clock strikes six, the operation ended. It was a successful operation indeed. Everyone in the OR Theatre sighed in relief. "Congratulations Dr. Gonzales for a successful operation," J said to Dr. Gonzales smiling behind her face mask. "Thanks to you Nurse J." he replied. "Thank you, everyone, for your hard work." facing every other nurse and doctors inside the OR theatre. Dr. Gonzales exited the OR Theatre followed by everyone after the patient is transferred to the recovery room. It was a long and tiring day for J. Her duty usually starts at 7 am and ends at 3 pm, however since the operation started at 1 pm and take up to 5 hours, she has to work overtime. She had no choice. But she loves her job. This is her passion. Upon exiting the hospital, she heard someone calls her name. "Nurse J!" she saw Diana running towards her carrying a couple of patient''s charts. "Did you just got off duty?" she asked. "Yeah," she responded half irritated since she wanted to go home as soon as possible and lie to her bed. "I heard that you and Dr. Gonzales had another successful CABG. You two are a really great tandem!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a type of surgery that improves blood flow to the heart. Surgeons use CABG to treat people who have severe coronary heart disease (CHD). She just smiled and said her goodbyes. Diana is her best friend. She is one of the few people who can tolerate and ignore her coldness and aloofness. J is an introvert and comfortable being alone. She will never approach you unless you do and never befriend you if she doesn''t want to. She is confident and knows who she wanted to spend time with. Off she walked to her apartment which is just 100 meters away from the hospital with her earphones on her ears. Ahh... it feels good to be home. She thought to herself upon entering her home. Her apartment is a 50sqm floor area unit on the 5th floor or Jade''s Apartment. She just takes a quick warm shower, drinks a glass of milk then lies to her bed. Due to her tiredness, she falls asleep in just a couple of seconds. Chapter 2 - The Surgeon Ladies and gentlemen, we are now arriving at Lotus City International Airport. Local time is 21:00... he was awakened by the flight attendants'' announcement. He stretched out his legs, he has been asleep all throughout the flight. It was an 8-hour flight. He looked around seeing everyone getting ready with their baggage then he noticed a girl looking at his direction. She is a beautiful girl with the looks of a supermodel. She smiled at him. Obviously, she''s flirting with him, he doesn''t have the heart to disappoint her so he smiled back at her making her blush. Yes, he''s a playboy. With his looks, tall, dark and handsome every girl would want to be his girlfriend, some even wanted to be his wife. Unfortunately, that''s not possible. He hates commitment, he never had any serious relationships and never plans to get married. He carefully chooses the girls he wants to spend his time with but they don''t usually last a week. And barely a few of them he takes to bed. At the arrival he noticed a familiar figure holding a placard with a name Dr. Jacob Parker written on it. He shook his head while approaching him. "James, do you really need that?" while pointing at the placard. "Dr. Jacob, without this there is a possibility that you may not notice me or purposely ignore me," James said smiling at him. "Ha-ha. Do you think I would do that?!" James replied "Yeah" with a poker face. James is a close friend of his. They grew up together so it''s no wonder he knew Jacob more than anybody else. James'' father used to be the Executive Assistant of Jacob''s father. Now he''s Jacobs Executive Assistant. "It''s been a while. If it wasn''t for Madam''s instruction to pick you up and bring you to the mansion, I would never have known that you are coming back." James said now smiling at him. Jacob has been overseas working in one of the top hospitals in the world for 5 years as a General Surgeon. 5 years ago, he decided to work overseas to gain experience. Now he''s one of the top surgeons in that hospital. His parents didn''t stop him. They believe that his experience overseas will make him more capable once he takes over the position as the CEO and President of the CLP Group of Hospitals that his grandfather founded 55 years ago. "Urgh... can''t I have a peaceful homecoming?" Jacob was disappointed that he''s not going to his own home yet. James laughed, knowing Jacob''s mother, she will definitely chastise him about not going home for 5 years, not having a serious relationship yet, about when he''s going to get married or when he''s going to give them a grandchild. At the Parker''s Mansion, it was just as James anticipated. Jacob received his mother''s hugs with scolding, nagging and questions. This is too much for him to handle so he just gave his parents a quick hug and a goodnight kiss. He eventually went straight ahead to his room and lock the door. ''Finally, a moment of silence.'' Jacob thought to himself while undressing before taking a quick shower. Before going to bed Jacob called James. "Can you call Dr. Aaron Choi? I don''t have his contact number yet. Ask him if they have a major operation tomorrow where I can fill-in? Yes, first thing in the morning. Okay. Thank you." and with that, he hanged up the phone and went into his bed. Chapter 3 - The Meeting 1 "Good morning!" he greeted his parents with a wide smile. "Good morning Jacob, sit down and have breakfast." Madam Kelly ordered Jacob with a questioning look on her face. "You''re leaving?" "Yes mom, I have an 8 am Major operation at the hospital," he answered excitedly as he sat beside his mom. "Jacob!" he almost got choked while his father accidentally spits out the coffee in his mouth. Madam Kelly shouted at Jacob and smashed his arm. "Mom!" "You just got home last night after working for 5 years in a foreign country and the first thing you do is schedule an operation! How could you do this to your mother who missed you so much! Can''t you just stay here for a day?!" He looks at his mom. She looks half-angry half pleading with tears starting to form in the corner of her eyes. "Oh, come on mom! Don''t be too hard on yourself. This is my job. It''s been 3 days since my last operation. My hands are trembling now. I miss blood, scalpel, the action!" he said while hugging her and looking at his father asking for help. "Hon, don''t give your son a hard time. You knew this is going to happen once he took over the hospitals. You should at least be happy that he''s home. Because of his work here he won''t be going back abroad for a long time." he felt his mom loosen up a bit. He gave his father a smile and a thumbs up. "Well then, I have to go. James is waiting for me outside. I''ll make it up to you mom some other time." He stands up and kissed her mom goodbye. He waved to his dad, he nods at him in return. Jacob quickly gets out of the house before his mom could stop him. Outside the house, he saw his brand new black heavy tinted luxury SUV with James beside it. "Thank you, James." He quickly gets behind the wheels and drives off to the hospital. At the hospital, J does her usual routine. Punch in at 6:15, head over the Department of Surgery, receive the endorsement from the outgoing nurse, arrange the nurse'' station the way she wants it to, put her ball pen on the left front pocket of her scrub suit and put her phone with headphones attached to the right front pocket of her scrub suit. She put the earphones to her ears then she heard Kane Brown''s Heaven playing. She heads out of the Nurse''s Station and checks out the OR''s Schedule Board to see if there are any major operations, she will be scrubbing in. Staring at the whiteboard she noticed an unfamiliar surgeon''s name scheduled at 8 am. Dr. Jacob Parker, General Surgeon, Case: Mini Gastric Bypass. Jacob arrived at Camila Lopez Parker Hospital, the main branch of the CLP Group of Hospitals. He instructed James to go ahead to his office as he will go straight to the Department of Surgery. When he enters the Department, he was stunned in place to see a girl looking at a whiteboard. She is wearing a white scrub suit, her hair is in a ponytail, she has a fair complexion, both her hands in the front pocket of her scrub suit. She was facing the wall so he can only see half of her face but enough to say they she is a beauty. Chapter 4 - The Meeting 2 "Jacob!" suddenly Dr. Aaron Choi called his name. He is the Head of the Department of Surgery. Also, a surgeon and a close friend of him. Jacob and Aaron went to the same medical school and the Choi''s were a close friend of the Parkers. He felt a disappointment when the girl turns to look at Aaron instead of him. But that was just for a short while because she then turns to look at him. Their eyes met. Her eyes are hazel brown, nose in perfect shape, she''s got a rosy cheek. She has a pale lip but it doesn''t matter, she still looks perfect. A few of her hair strands were on the side of her face. She is not wearing any makeup but for him, her simplicity and elegance are way beyond compare to any girls he has met and dated before. "I thought James was playing tricks when he called me last night and said that you''ll do the operation today. It''s so good to see you!" Aaron talking while walking to him, when he got close to Jacob, he noticed that his attention is not into him but to the nurse behind him. A smile appears in the corner of his mouth. "Oh!" Suddenly Aaron grabs Nurse J''s shoulder and pulls her close to him. Jacob''s eyebrows furrowed while looking at Aaron''s hand on her shoulder. "This is Nurse J, one of the best nurses in this hospital. Nurse J, this is Dr. Jacob Parker. He is also a surgeon, the son of Chairman John Parker. Dr. Jacob here will now take over as CEO and President of CLP Group of Hospitals." Dr. Aaron introduces them to each other. Jacob raises his hand, J takes off the earphones from her ear and reaches for Jacob''s hand. She looks into his eyes and felt a bit uncomfortable under his gaze so she glanced sideways. Dr. Aaron removed his hand from her shoulder then place his other hand in Dr. Jacob''s shoulder. "C'' mon, I''ll tour you around the Department of Surgery," said Aaron while dragging Jacob away from J. Jacob felt a little annoyed with Aaron. "And oh! By the way, Nurse J." Aaron seems to remember something then turns to look back at J. "Can you put on a little lipstick? You look a bit pale." J glared at him, raise her right brow, put on her face mask then thought to herself ''what for?'' She put her earphones back to her ears then walked pass them back to the nurse''s station. The two men look at her with astonishment. "Ok, never mind. Good thing she has a rosy cheek." Aaron mumbled to himself. Jacob can''t hide the spark in his eyes. He was so amazed by this girl''s attitude that he wants to get closer to her. "Ok guys! We have a series of operations today. Let''s see... at 8 am we''ll be having MGB with Dr. Jacob Parker at Theatre One, he is the son of Chairman Parker and will be taking over as the CEO of the CLP group of Hospitals. You might want to assist him and take this chance to show off." Head Nurse Jing fervently announced to four nurses at the station. "Then at 9 am Caesarian Section with Dr. Amelia Jones at Theatre Two. At 12nn we have two Cataract Surgeries. One with Dr. Yves Tan at Theatre One and the other one with Dr. Vince Brown at Theatre Three. Now choose which one you want to scrub in." then she noticed Dr. Aaron and Dr. Jacob approaching them. Chapter 5 - The Temper 1 "Good morning Dr. Choi, Dr. Parker. Are you done with the tour?" Head Nurse Jing greeted them. "Yes, so what do we have here?" asked Dr. Aaron. "Oh, we are just having a briefing. By the way guys, this is Dr. Jacob Parker the new CEO and President of CLP Group of Hospitals. Dr. Jacob, this is the nurses on duty this morning. This is Nurse Simon, Nurse Pete, Nurse J, and Nurse Maggie." Jacob turns to look at the group of nurses at the nurse''s station. His gaze focused on J, whose eyes are looking down at the clipboard in her hand reading whatever it is that''s written in there. "Right! Since Dr. Parker is here, who wants to assist him in his operation?" Head Nurse Jing asked her nurses. Everyone looked at each other except J. No one seems to have the courage to be in the same Theatre room with the CEO of the hospital. Afraid that they might commit an error and get the bad side of the CEO. They are not yet familiar with the attitude of the new CEO. So, it is better to play it safe. Head nurse Jing looked at J. "How about you Nurse J? Since you have extensive surgical experience." she looked at her. J raised her head and asked. "Head Nurse Jing, I thought Dr. Gonzales will be having 3 CABG for 3 consecutive days before his vacation out of town. The first one we did yesterday. So, the second and third one should be scheduled today and tomorrow. Did he canceled it or rescheduled it since it is not on the board?" "Oh God, I forgot to write it there. Right, you will be assisting Dr. Gonzales at 12nn so you should prepare the patient and family this morning." Jacob frowned, although he knows that it is unintentional and she has a valid reason but why does it feel like he was snubbed. Eventually, Head Nurse Jing insists that Nurse Pete and Nurse Maggie should assist Dr. Jacob at his operation. After an hour, the operation is done. Jacob came out of OR Theatre One and head over to the nurse''s station to write down his orders on the patient''s chart. A smile appeared on his lips when he saw J reading a book called Dr. Pestana''s Surgery Notes. This time she is not wearing a face mask. Just one look at her beautiful face makes all his vexation earlier disappear. J felt someone''s gaze so she lifted her head and find Dr. Jacob looking at her with a smile. He is so handsome especially when he smiles, that makes her heart beats irregularly. And she doesn''t like that feeling. It makes her uncomfortable chiefly when she looks at his eyes. So as much as possible she tries to not look into his eyes. She knows by the look of Dr. Jacob that he is a playboy. Suddenly her phone rang. It was placed on her table in front of her so Jacob can see that the name of the caller is Lance. His brows furrowed as he felt like something is clenching his heart. Is he jealous? No. That''s not possible. He never felt that way before. J excuses herself as she answered the call. "Hey! Uhm...hmm... yeah... I can''t. I have an operation at 12nn. It will take 5 to 6 hours before it is done. By the time it finishes, that would probably 5 pm or 6 pm... Okay... Yes, please... I''ll call you when I got home. Okay... Bye." As soon as she finishes the call she was startled when Dr. Jacob deliberately drop the patient''s chart on her desk then walked out without a word. She even heard the door slammed. Chapter 6 - The Temper 2 ''Hmm¡­ what is wrong with him? Looks like they got a toxic CEO.'' she thought. She wonders how did it go inside the OR theatre. She saw Head nurse Jing and Dr. Aaron came out of theatre one followed by Nurse Pete and Nurse Maggie. Did she hear them laughing? Yes, they are. "I can''t believe it, I thought Dr. Jacob would be like his father. So serious, no emotion, you never know when he''s angry or not." she heard Head Nurse Jing''s high-pitched voice. Back then when Chairman John Parker was in position, everyone is scared of him. He is a Cardiologist. He is a toxic doctor. It was so hard to please him. "Oh no no no!. Dr. Jacob is different. He is the exact opposite of his father. He is jolly, friendly, easy-going and a playboy." She heard Dr. Aaron said. Well, at least she was right on the playboy part. "But don''t you dare mess with him or don''t get into his nerves. His temper is worse than that of his father," warned Aaron. Well, looks like she just witnessed that temper a while ago. He felt his blood rising. He is so irritated. He clenched his fist while walking out of the Department of Surgery. By the looks on his face, you can see that he''s in a bad mood. He reaches for his phone and called James. "Meet me at the lobby. We''ll be having a surprise ocular." James hurriedly meets him at the lobby. He saw Jacob, dark clouds around his face. What happened? He thought to himself. He was in a good mood earlier when they arrive. Did something happen at the Surgery? He dared not to ask. Not yet. They started their ocular. Not everyone in the hospital knows that he is the CEO. So, everyone was surprised. He visited each department. Soon words spread throughout the hospital that the CEO is having a surprise ocular with his bad temper. He scolded some of the staff that he finds annoying. He frowned as he passed by 2 nurses giggling in the corridor. He turned back at them and said. " You two! Don''t you know that this is a hospital, not a mall? I don''t want to hear any fuckin'' noise in the corridor. You''ll disturb the patients!" then he continued to walk away from them. At one of the nurses'' station. He saw a couple of doctors and nurses. They were panic-stricken when he saw him. They already heard the news about him scolding some of the staff. They greeted him in a chorus. Jacob glared at them. "What are you doing here?" they each looked at each other. "Aren''t you supposed to be with your patient? Damnit! I don''t want to see people crowding the station! From now on I want more nurse-patient interaction, not nurse-nurse or nurse-doctor interaction! You are paid here to take care of your patients not your co-worker!" Everyone rushed out of the station and went to their patients. There are two doctors who were shocked at the scene and then make an excuse to exit the station. Soon the Director Manager meets them. "Dr. Parker. You should''ve told me that you are going to have a surprise ocular so that I could assist you." The hospital''s Director Manager is a 55 years old short and chubby man with eyeglasses. He has been working at the CLP Hospital for over 30 years now. And just five years ago, he was promoted as the hospital''s Director Manager. Jacob eyed him. "You said it yourself. It''s a surprise ocular. Would you still call it a surprise if I told you ahead of time?" he looked at him blankly. Chapter 7 - The Marriage Contract The Director Manager''s jaw dropped as he heard that. He looked around and saw a couple of staff looking at them. He ignored them and follow the President. At a corridor, they saw a guy in a white uniform talking over the phone. They heard someone call his name. "Lance!" another guy in a white uniform approach him then they entered a door. Jacob frowned, the guys'' name is Lance and he''s talking on the phone. He had a sudden urge to punch the guys face. He turned to the Director Manager and ask. "Where is that door heading?" "President that''s the laboratory". He walked towards the laboratory and looked around. The Director Manager introduced him then everyone greeted him. He scanned the area and found the Lance guy still talking on the phone. "You! You''re fired!" he suddenly exploded with anger then turned to look at everyone who was shocked by what happened. "From now on, no phones are allowed while working!" He left leaving everyone speechless. James looked at his watch. It''s now 2 pm, they are not done yet. They already missed lunch. More and more staff getting scolded. He sighed, with his temper looks like it''s going to last for a couple of days. He reminds Jacob about their 3 pm, Board meeting. Then they head back to the office. Ah the board meeting, James hopes that it''s not going to be a catastrophe. At the office, James looked at Jacob questioningly. He asked him. "What happened at the Surgery?" Jacob replied with "Nothing." with a pissed look. "That doesn''t look like nothing to me." "Damn that girl!" Jacob mumble. James heard it with astonishment. All this temper is because of a girl? James could not believe it. This never happened before. "Let''s go to the meeting room," Jacob said. Urgh¡­ It looks like no lunch for them. James thought to himself. They arrived at the meeting room. Jacob gets more and more pissed as the other shareholders appeared late. Well, technically they''re not late. Jacob was just earlier than them. Plus, the non-appearance of the 2nd biggest shareholder made his temper worse. That''s not unusual. Even his father never met this shareholder once. This act makes Jacob feel disrespected. To sum it up, Jacob''s day started good and ended up with a catastrophe. Well, everyone''s day ended up in a catastrophe. Jacob went back to his own villa which is an hour away from the hospital. His Evergreen Villa is a combination of white and black interior. The addition of wood elements and plants gives it a relaxing atmosphere. He heads over his bathroom to take a shower. After taking a quick shower he changed into a comfortable white shirt and pants. He went to his library adjacent to his room. As he sat down to his chair, he thought about what happened the whole day. Today he felt like he was not himself. Did he just felt jealous over a phone call to a girl he just met a couple of hours ago? Did he just fire a staff named Lance because he has the same name as the one who called the same girl? The whole day, a lot of scolding and shouting happened. He laid his back at his chair as he brushed his hair with his fingers. He took out some of the documents from his bag, opened the drawer to put them in when he noticed a brown envelop. He took it out from the drawer and try to remember what''s in that envelop. Ah.. this was the envelope his grandfather gave him 5 years ago. He was not able to open it because during that time he was busy preparing for his flight abroad. He opened the envelop curious as to what is inside it. He unfolded the paper inside it. His eyes were wide in surprise. His hands are trembling, he doesn''t know what to do. Not even sure if what he read was real or it was just his grandfather playing a prank on him. It'' a marriage contract! Chapter 8 - Jenny Do In that marriage contract, written in his name. And the other name is Jenny Do. Who the heck is Jenny Do? It looks like he is married to this girl. He looked at the date, and his eyes were wide in disbelief! The date was 5 years ago! His grandfather married him off to some random girls 5 years ago! What the hell was he thinking?! He scanned again the contract. All the signatory is complete. He even has a signature! Did his grandfather forge his signature? The girls also have a signature. Does this mean that the girl knew all about this? But how come no one approaches him this past few years? If this girl knew about our marriage, she should have come looking for me. Or maybe she did, it just so happens that he was abroad. But why didn''t his grandfather tell him about this all this time? Ahh! So many questions! Wait! Did his parents know about this? With this thought in his mind, he suddenly gets up. Grab the key to his car and rush over the Parker''s Mansion. At the mansion, he found his parents in the living room. "Mom! Dad! Did you know all about this?" he asked them raising the contract. "Jacob, what''s that?" his father asked him back. "Take a look for yourself!" Jacob answered then throw the contract at the table. His father reached for it and was shocked when he found out what''s in it. "Where did you get this?" he asked. "Grandfather gave it to me 5 years ago. It just so happens that during that time I was preparing for my flight abroad so I was not able to take a look at it. It was just earlier when I got home when I saw that envelop again and realized that it was a marriage contract!" Chapter 3. The Search After hearing that Madam Kelly was surprised. "What?! A marriage contract?!" she exclaimed then reach out for the paper. "Indeed, it''s a marriage contract. How did this happen? You have a signature here. Did you got drunk in a bar and get married to some random girls then forgot about it?! And who is this Jenny Do?" "Of course not! I will never do such an outrageous mistake! And I don''t even know who the hell is that Jenny Do!" said Jacob getting pissed off. "Damn it! Grandfather how could you do this to me! All this year I never got into any relationship coz I hate commitment! Just to find out that I''m already married for 5 years! Fuck!" Jacob is pacing back and forth in the living room brushing his hair with his fingers. "Jacob! Watch out with your words! And please calm down." his mother warned him. "I can''t mom! Grandfather just ruined my life!" "Jacob, I''ll try to contact your grandfather and inquire about this. As for now, you should get some rest. Tomorrow check it out at the civil registrar if this marriage is real. Then find out who Jenny Do is." His father was still calm about this. While Jacob almost lost his sanity because of this horrible news. He grabs the marriage contract then rushes out of the mansion. "Jacob! Wait! Where are you going?!" his mother called out to him but her husband stopped her. "Hon, did you know about this?" she looked at him. "No." he answered shortly. "Then why did father did this?" she asked. "I have no idea." Chapter 9 - Married "Something''s not right. Father gave the envelope to Jacob 5 years ago before Jacob left to work abroad. After that, he disappeared and went nomadic. Why hasn''t he told us about it every time he calls us. Not even inquiring about it?" Madam Parker thought. "And this Jenny Do. Who do you think she is? Do you think father chose her to be Jacob''s wife? Do you think she is suitable for Jacob since father chose her? Do you think she knows about this? If she did? Then why hasn''t she''s showing up?" Madam Parker continuously asked questions to her husband while his husband was deep in thought. Kelly Parker is the kind of person that always does the talking while John Parker does the thought and action. The more they talk about it the more the idea is sinking into their mind. Jacob is already married. When Jacob turns 25, they started urging him to find a wife and have a child. But Jacob always refused. He believes that marriage life is not for him. He enjoys the company of different girls. But he seldom goes all the way with them unless he knows the background of the girl. Unlike other rich and handsome playboys, he is not a sex maniac. He just enjoys the company of the girls. Let''s just say that he doesn''t know what kind of girl he wants. That''s why every time he met an attractive and interesting girl, he will eventually date them but later on leave them because he either got bored because the girl is not exciting enough or got irritated because the girl is too clingy. Now that Jacob is 35, Mr. and Mrs. Parker almost gave up on Jacob getting married and having children. But destiny has another plan. It turns out that Jacob is already 5 years married and only the Elder Parker knows about this. Something excites Madam Kelly. She has to find out who is this Jenny Do, her daughter-in-law. It doesn''t matter what her background is as long as she is a good person and good to her son. She will tolerate her father-in-law''s craziness. She smiled as the thought of having grandchildren cross her mind. This was noticed by her husband and looked at her questioningly. Madam Kelly had been pushing Jacob to get married for about 10 years already. At first, she was very picky when it comes to who will Jacob marries. She even made a checklist of standards. First, the girl must come from a First-class Elite, if not at least from a prominent family probably from the military or politics. Second, the girl must have a professional degree. Third, she must be good-looking and elegant. And lastly yet most important, the girl must have good character and attitude. She also made a list of women that matches these qualifications. She made an appointment with these women and made a promise that their next appointment is going to be with Jacob. But to her dismay and shame, Jacob didn''t meet either any of these women. As time goes by, she didn''t care about the standards anymore, as long as it is a girl and would bear them grandchildren everything will be fixed. Meanwhile, at an exclusive bar. James found Jacob in a corner getting drunk. James quickly approached him. Jacob recognized James standing in front of him. "Why are you here?" asked Jacob. "Madam asked me to look for you. We can''t contact your cellphone, no one''s answering your phone at home so I guessed you were here." James answered. Chapter 10 - The Lodgepole Estate Jacob smirk and said "Congratulations! You knew me very well since you know where to find me. But not enough. If you knew me that much how come you didn''t know that I''m already married? Oh crap! Even I didn''t know I was already married¡­ damn it!" Jacob laughed sarcastically at himself. Then suddenly anger appeared in his face. "Damnit, James! I''m married!" "What happened?" James worriedly asked. Jacob takes out an envelope from his pocket and showed it to James. "This.." pointing at the now opened contract. "this is what happened." James looked surprised at the marriage contract in his hand. It has Jacob''s name and a certain Jenny Do. It turns out that they are married 5 years ago. He looked at Jacob questioningly. "My grandfather married me off to some fucking Jenny Do 5 years ago without asking my opinion! Fuck! What''s wrong with him! I don''t get it!" "Just when I thought that I was jealous for the first time because a woman just received a call from some fucking Lance! I even fired an employee because his name is fucking Lance! Just when I thought...." he stopped mumbling to himself and stared at a glass of whiskey in his hands. "It turns out, I don''t have the rights cause I''m fucking married!" he then smashed the glass in his hands to the wall behind him. James looks at him. How unfortunate. Jacob is now drunk. His hair and shirt were now a mess. He doesn''t usually curse but this time his temper got control over him. It''s a different Jacob that he is looking at. He is raging. Is it because of the fact that he is married or the fact that he doesn''t have the right to be jealous? Whatever it is. He has to do something. Jacob looks at James and said. "Find out if this contract is real, check it out on the civil registrar. Find any flaws in it. And more importantly, find this Jenny Do... I want to file a divorce." ¡­. In Lantana Province, a well-maintained traditional mansion with a coastal themed interior is situated on a hillside overlooking a vast ocean. An old lady is standing at the entrance hall. "Welcome home Miss. I thought I told you not to drive home at this hour?" J smiled and gave the old lady a hug. "I can''t wait for another night. How''s everything Mrs. Potters?" she asked the old lady while walking inside the old mansion. "Everything''s fine Miss. Do you want'' me to prepare you a dinner?" she asked while taking her bag from her hand. She refused the old ladies'' gesture and placed her bag in her other hand instead. She doesn''t want to be treated with such curtsy. "No need Mrs. Potters. Just send me a cup of honey lemon ginger tea in my room. Thank you." she smiled then walked upstairs. The Lodgepole Estate is an old mansion that is restored a couple of years ago. It''s a 2 storey estate over 8000sq ft with coastal themed interior mostly white paint and furniture with wooden accents. The estate has 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms. 2 of the bedrooms are master''s bedrooms, 1 on the ground floor while the other one is on the second floor. 1 bedroom is the maid''s chamber where Mrs. Potters'' niece is staying while the rest are guest rooms. J occupies the master''s bedroom on the second floor while Mrs. Potters occupies one of the guest rooms. Chapter 11 - The Vacation J enters her room. Her room is painted with sage green, while her queen size bed and other furniture are white except for her pillow that has a touch of sage green. It also has an almost wall-sized window with flowy curtains overlooking the ocean. She walked over the open window and inhales the fresh air of the ocean. She then closed the window and looked around her room. It has 3 other doors. One is the walk-in closet, the other one is the bathroom while the last one leads to her personal library. She started to undress and walk towards the bathroom. The bathroom was like a garden with tiles, pebbles, and plants. She plunged into the tub at the center of the bathroom then stare at the sky. Yes, the open sky because the center of the bathroom has a glass ceiling. It is one of the changes that the architect did during the renovations. After her bath, she walks in her closet. her closet has a variety of clothes but mostly casual. She chose to wear a simple pajama when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in." She said. It was Mrs. Potters with a tray with a teapot, a jar of honey and a cup on it. She immediately received it and said her thanks. Mrs. Potters asked her if she needed anything else but she shakes her head and said she can go back to her room. After Mrs. Potters left, she headed to her personal library then opened a glass door connected to the balcony. She seats at one of the accent chairs and stares at the dark ocean while drinking her tea. It''s now 2 am. She stretched out her leg in the ottoman in front of her. It''s the start of her 15-day leave. She was not supposed to arrive at The Lodgepole Estate until tomorrow night. But due to the changes in Dr. Gonzalez''s schedule their supposed 3rd CABG operation tomorrow was moved earlier that night. They did the operation just an hour after the 2nd CABG. So, she had a double shift and was out at 11 pm. The next day she was awoken by the sunlight entering her room. She looked at her clock and was already 2 pm. Her room is facing west so by that time the sun is now facing her room. Suddenly she remembered something. She got up, grab her phone and makes a call. "Hi, this is me... Yeah... I''m sorry I couldn''t make it today... No, I''m fine... it''s just that I''m now at Lantana Province... hmm... I''ll make it up to the kids when I get back... Okay then. Thank you." then she hanged up. She scanned around her. Her room is much better during the day. Ahh...she never had a good long sleep for the past few weeks until now. She smiled at herself. She then takes a bath and changes into a white casual dress and flat shoes. She''s going to make her vacation worth it. .... At the Evergreen Villa. Jacob woke up with a throbbing headache. He looked around. He was now in his bedroom. The last thing he remembers was last night he was with James and giving him some instructions. He had no idea how he got home last night. He walked out of the bedroom to the kitchen. "Good afternoon." he was startled when he heard someone spoke. It was James sitting in the dining table working on his laptop. Chapter 12 - The Village Idiot "What time is it?" he asked. "It''s already 2 pm," James replied. Urgh... his head is aching. He gets a glass of water from the fridge. James got up and prepare chamomile tea for Jacob''s hangover. "Drink this." Jacob sits down and drinks the tea. "So... about what I told you last night? Did you find any information?" he asked James. "I went into the civil registrar and found out that the marriage contract is real," James said. "Damnit! How about the girl?" Jacob asked irritably. James shakes his head and said "As of now I have no leads. I cannot find her name on any social media or website. Not even in school, university or government records around the capital. She''s probably from a nearby city or province." "Hmph... probably a village idiot!" Jacob said sarcastically. "Continue searching for her." "Copy that. The next few days I will be going to the nearby province and look for her." James paused for a while then said. "Last night you said you want to file a divorce. Do you want to talk to your lawyer about this?" Jacob thought about it for a while then said. "No¡­ not now. Let''s find her first. Don''t let anyone find out about my marriage." If his circle of friends finds out that he is already married, he will instantly become a laughing stock. He was always telling them that he will never follow their leads and become a henpecked husband. All of his friends including James and Aaron were now happily married, or so they say. Because of no matter how he looks at it. He can''t see himself being happy in a marriage. "Damnit! Quit your job if you can''t properly do it!" Jacob cursed on the phone. Then headed towards the entrance of the hospital. "How''s the investigation going?" he asked James who is walking beside him. "We still can''t find her. Even our top investigator has no leads. I even hacked the system of some big and small companies to see if they have an employee named Jenny Do, still negative. Do you think she''s an illegal alien or an underground personality? Seems like you got yourself a mysterious wife." It''s been 2 weeks now since he found out about his marriage and his temper is getting worse. Still, he hasn''t found Jenny Do. He hasn''t seen Nurse J this past 2 weeks. He didn''t dare ask anyone of her whereabouts, not even James. He just assumes that she was on a night shift. As he enters the hospital he was suddenly frozen in his place when he saw a familiar face walking towards him. James suddenly stopped walking when he noticed that Jacob was frozen behind. He looked at Jacob questioningly. James soon noticed that Jacob is looking at a girl approaching them. J is back from her 15-day leave. She just got off from her morning duty. As she was about to exit the hospital, she saw Dr. Jacob looking at her. ''Looks like he is still in a bad mood.'' She thought to herself. Their eyes met but she immediately averted her eyes away from him. But that quick eye contact made her heart beats irregularly and her knees weak. She has to get away from him. She then saw Diana and smiled at her. That was a mistake because she is approaching near to where Jacob is standing. It looked like she was smiling at him. ''Did he thought that I was smiling at him? Did I saw a sudden change in his facial reaction? Did he loosen up a bit?'' J thought to herself. Chapter 13 - The Sunshine after the Rain "Nurse J!" Jacob heard someone called J from behind him. Then the girl run past thru him and gave Nurse J a hug. Again, he felt a sense of jealousy. Wait. What?! He is jealous of a girl hugging Nurse J? He shakes the idea away from his mind. He then heard Nurse Diana said. "You''re back! How was your vacation?" ''So, she was on vacation. That''s why I haven''t seen her this past two weeks.'' Jacob thought to himself. The two nurses walked out of the hospital while Jacob followed them with his eyes. An involuntary smile appeared on his lips. "Hey, Dr. Jacob are you okay?" James asked him with a teasing smile. "Looks like the sun finally shines on you," he said. Jacob, later on, told James about his encounter with Nurse J. In the next few weeks, Jacob''s mood is getting better although he still can''t find Jenny Do. J is deliberately trying to avoid Jacob but doesn''t seem to work. Even thou Jacob is busy he was still able to perform 2 or 3 operations a week. And what a coincidence all those operations were scheduled during J''s shift. J is running out of reasons not to assist Jacob in his operations. Sometimes she just has to assist him to avoid suspicions that she is intentionally avoiding him. And today''s operation is one she cannot avoid. It''s an operation of Dr. Carlos Gonzales and she is going to assist him. But unfortunately, Jacob heard about it and informed the Department of Surgery that he is going to observe them inside the theatre. He heard that Nurse J and Dr. Gonzales are a great tandem at the OR, he wanted to see it for himself. Dr. Gonzales was delighted, of course, J was dismayed. She was always afraid that she may not be able to perform well in front of Jacob. The past few operations of Jacob that she assisted him, she was able to hide her nervousness. She hates being close to him because she''s getting this irregular heartbeat, body weakness, and nervousness. Good thing she was good at concealing her emotions. Later on, the operation started. J is standing in front of Dr. Gonzales while Jacob is beside him. The patient is lying in front of them. There are also few nurses around them observing and others were on standby in case they needed any additional medications and supplies. Dr. Ramos, the anesthesiologist is sitting overhead the patient and monitoring the patient''s status. There was a light mood inside the theatre. Jacob and Dr. Ramos seems to know each other and were making jokes and funny comments about each other. It was lively, Jacob is in a good mood. Sometimes other nurses are asking him questions and he answered them happily. Once in a while, Dr. Gonzales is giving everyone a lecture about the procedure that he is doing. It was only J that didn''t speak or make a comment. Sometimes she smiles and laughs but her focus is still in the patient. Soon Dr. Ramos noticed her and asked. "How about you Nurse J? You seemed to be quiet today. Do you have a boyfriend now? Ever since I met you, I never heard of you having a boyfriend. But you were quite popular among men employees of this hospital." he looked at her with a teasing smile. J just smiled at him and said "No plans" Jacob looks at her intensely. ''So, she''s quite popular among my men employees. I have to act faster. Find Jenny Do and file a divorce.'' he thought to himself. Chapter 14 - She is Jenny Do?! "Ahh... how old are you now?! You''re not getting any younger. You should find someone to marry!" Dr. Ramos exclaimed. At the thought of her getting married, Jacob was alerted. He noticed that Nurse J was astounded for a while then gave Dr. Ramos a smile. "Dr. Ramos don''t give her any idea of getting married. Because I won''t let that happen unless it''s my son that she is going to marry." Dr. Gonzales looked at Dr. Ramos smiling. ''What?! Dr. Gonzales in pursuing Nurse J for his son?'' Jacob thought to himself. ''Oh crap! Here we go again'' it was Nurse J''s thought as she rolled her eyes. "Oh yes! Right! I heard that Mrs. Gonzales has been saying to everyone that she wanted Nurse J to be her daughter-in-law. Nurse J you should accept it! Dr. Gonzales'' son is a good catch. A lawyer and also a good-looking man." Dr. Ramos said to J. J just smiled at him. She looks the other way to avoid Dr. Ramos'' teasing eyes. Then she met Jacob''s eyes. He was intensely staring at her. She felt chills behind her back so she glanced away. ''Why does he look scary? Does his temper starting to build up again?'' she thought Dr. Ramos continue match-making her with Dr. Gonzales'' son. "Once you two got married you will also carry a very notable surname." since Dr. Gonzales came from a very notable family in the country. "Imagine Nurse J Gonzales!" Dr. Ramos exclaimed while acting as if writing her name in the air. ''Oh, I wish he could stop now.'' it was J''s wishful thinking because she cannot stand Jacob''s intensive looking at her. J is now getting uncomfortable. While Jacob is now starting to feel his blood boiling. "Oh wait! What''s your real name by the way Nurse J?" looks like he is not done yet. This time, Jacob''s look change. His eyes waiting for an answer. Of course, he wanted to know this girl''s real name. J was stunned and refused to answer. As much as possible she tried to avoid talking about her real name. When suddenly Head Nurse Jing, who''s standing in the corner and seemed to be enjoying Dr. Ramos'' teasing said "Jenny Do." Dr. Ramos looked at Head Nurse Jing. "Jenny Do is her real full name Dr. Ramos," she said smiling. Seriously! Right now, she wanted to strangle Head Nurse Jing. How she hates hearing her name. Not because of her name but because of the many things that her name might cause. "Jenny Do?! Hahaha... what a weird name! You should get married now and change your last name!" Dr. Ramos laughed at her. J didn''t hide her irritation. ''Yeah. What a weird name.'' Jacob thought. Wait! What??? Nurse J is Jenny Do? he suddenly came to his senses and looked at her with a surprised look? J saw Jacob''s reaction. ''Now what''s with that look. Does he have a problem with my name?'' J thought to herself. How she wishes the operation end as soon as possible. She is getting more and more uncomfortable. Finally, the operation comes to an end. As soon as it was finished Jacob rushed out of the theatre and wait for Nurse J. He has to confirm if she is really Jenny Do. Soon every one come out of the theatre except Nurse J. ''What''s taking her so long? Is she trying to avoid me?'' Jacob thought but then later on the Theatre door opened and Nurse J came out of it. Chapter 15 - His Wife J was surprised to see Jacob standing in front of the door. ''Is he waiting for me?'' but she eventually erases the idea and ignored him. When suddenly he felt someone grab her wrist that sends thrill all over her body. She looked at Jacob confusedly. "Your name is really Jenny Do?" she looked at him with surprise. ''Why is he making a big deal with my name?'' She thought then something flashed in her mind. ''Wait. Could it be... No. No. No. This can''t be.'' at the thought of that, she immediately takes her hand and rushed towards the bathroom. Once inside the bathroom she clasped her hand over her chest. She can clearly hear her heart pounding. ''What does he want from me? He cannot be...'' Jacob walks out of the Surgery and called James. "I want you to check all the records of the employees of CLP Group of hospitals especially the OR Nurses of Camila Lopez Parker Hospital. I want the result as soon as I get back to my office. I''m on my way now." as soon as he heard James'' reply he put back his phone in his pocket and made his way back to his office. He doesn''t want to waste a single moment. He wants to confirm if Nurse J is Jenny Do. He felt his hand trembling with nervousness and excitement. As soon as he reached the office James was waiting for him and said. "We finally found her. How did you know? I can''t believe it! She was just beneath us all along." then he passed a paper in Jacob''s hand. Sitting on his chair he nervously scanned the paper in his hand. He read it. Jenny Do, RN, 30 years old. He looked at the picture and smiled. He can''t contain his excitement. It''s Nurse J. She really is Jenny Do. He looked at the other details. She started working as a nurse at the CLP Group of Hospital 5 years ago. She studied abroad. She''s from Lantana Province but grew up abroad. Now she is residing in an apartment near the hospital. Her parents are deceased when she was 10. Her grandfather was deceased 5 years ago. "In the contract, the witnesses are my grandfather and her grandfather. Her grandfather died 5 years ago probably after the marriage. I wonder if she knows about this." he said to James. "Hmm... I''ll try and find some information." James answered. "No need. I''ll ask her myself. It is better to find it out from herself." Jacob said. "Call the Department of Surgery and find Nurse J. Tell her to come here to my office after her duty. Don''t pass the message to anyone except her. I don''t want anyone to find out about our relationship yet." "Copy that," James replied then left the office. Jacob was left in deep thought. They have married 5 years ago. It was obviously their grandfather who did this. After their marriage Nurse J''s grandfather died and his grandfather went nomadic. There are a lot of chances for his grandfather to tell him about this but he didn''t instead he waited for him to found it out. Now Nurse J seems to be mysterious. They can''t find her name or any of her details anywhere except in the marriage contract and now in their company''s record. The CLP Group of Hospital has the best employees'' confidentiality. No one can hack their system and find their employees'' details. Is Nurse J trying to hide her identity? If so? Why? Chapter 16 - The Confirmation He brushed his hair with his fingers as he tried to figure it out. When suddenly a woman in her late 30''s dressed in a white suit burst in his office. "Surprise! It''s been over a month since you came and you never even bother to give me a call or visit us at home," she said pouting her lips. Jacob was happy to see her. "Leticia, you should''ve informed me that you were coming. How are you and the twins?" Jacob approaches her and gives her a hug. "Hmph! So, how''s my newly married brother? I heard about what grandfather did. Is it true? Did you find your wife?" she asked while unpacking the food that she has brought. "Come here. I brought us lunch. Tell me about it." she then drags Jacob to the table and starts eating while Jacob told her everything that he found out. She is Leticia Parker Sloane. Jacob''s elder sister. She is an OB-Gyne but she seldom practices her profession because she has to take over Parker Pharmaceutical Company, another company that their family owns after she graduated college. She is married to Mark Sloane, a politician. They had an arranged marriage. Fortunately, they were already in a relationship before they were arranged to get married by their grandfather. They got a 10-year-old twin. A girl and a boy named Paul and Paula. Urgh...it''s now 3 pm. Why does time pass so quickly? If she could just stop the time. Earlier while having lunch J received a call from the Executive Assistant asking her to report at the CEO''s office after her duty. She is pretending not to have any idea about why she''s being summoned by the CEO but deep inside her she already had a hint. Thou she still hopes that she thought it wrong. After she got out of the Department of Surgery she took the elevator up to the 10th floor where the CEO''s office is located. The Department of Surgery is on the 8th floor. As she is walking towards the CEO''s office she saw James, the Executive Assistant outside the office. He seemed to be waiting for her. "You''re here. Please come inside Nurse J. Dr. Jacob is waiting for you inside." James greeted her. "Thank you," she replied. She takes a deep breath before she opened the door. Inside the office, he saw Jacob sitting on his desk holding a paper. Then he looked at her. She avoided his eyes and saw a woman sitting not far away on a sofa. The woman smiles at her. She looked nice so she smiled back at her. Jacob saw that and groaned to himself. "Ahem..." Jacob trying to get her attention. J looked back at Jacob still avoiding eye contact and said. "Dr. Jacob, you asked for me?" "Yes, I did. Earlier I asked if you are Jenny Do. But you didn''t answer me. Now I''m asking you again. Are you Jenny Do?" Jacob asked her. J looked at the paper he was holding. It was her personal record. She then replied "Dr. Jacob, with my records on your hand you got more than the information you need. Do I still need to answer that?" Leticia chuckled, Jacob heard that and got irritated. "Just answer my question Nurse J!" Jacob raised his voice. J was stunned and said. "Yes! My name is Jenny Do." Although Jacob already knew that, it felt more real when he heard that from her directly. Right! Nurse J is Jenny Do. She is his wife. Nurse J is his wife. Chapter 17 - It was real "Well then. Explain this to me?" Jacob said handing her the paper he was holding. J took it and asked, "What''s there to explain my personal records?" Jacob smirks then he holds her record in front of him then reads it loudly. "Employee''s name, Jenny Do, Address, Unit 8, Jade''s Apartment, Position, Senior OR Nurse, Age, 30 years old." Jacob randomly reads the information written in J''s personal record. "Status, Single." Then he purposely pauses and raised his head to look at her facial expression which remained indifferent. Jacob raised his brow and asked, "Are you sure that you gave us a piece of accurate and correct information?" Without hesitation, J replied. "Yes." Jacob chuckled. "Then can you explain this to me?" Jacob then passed her a piece of old paper. J took it and was surprised when she found out what is it. It''s a marriage contract. So, it was real. She thought internally. She checked it meticulously to find any flaws in it. It turns out, she is married to this man in front of her. Her brows furrowed as she scanned every word in the contract. Her hands trembled slightly before she closed her eyes and takes a deep breath. "This can''t be real. I never signed this contract." J said in a firm tone. "I never did as well. But I already had someone checked its authenticity and it is real." J felt dismayed upon hearing that. Jacob saw her reaction and was hurt. Does she doesn''t want to be married to me? he asked himself. J shook her head as she stares at the contract. "This is impossible." 5 years ago when her grandfather was on his death bed, he told her that he married her off to someone. She didn''t take it seriously nor asked who is the guy because of the situation. He died the day after. A few days later she remembered what he told her about that marriage. She didn''t think it was true since she doesn''t have any proof. He didn''t even mention a name. So, it turns out... it was real after all. After that, she was quiet for a moment. She was just staring at the marriage contract blankly. Jacob could not guess what she is thinking. Leticia stands up and approaches J and said. "Excuse me. Jenny. Should I call you Jenny? Ahem... I know it''s shocking for you and quite unbelievable. Jacob also found about this a month ago and believe me he was furious. He has been looking for you to settle this thing. Maybe you to should talk about this and see what you could do." J didn''t say anything nor looked at them. She just turned around and walked fast away from them with the marriage contract in her hand. "Wait! Where are you going?!" Jacob called her but Leticia stopped him. "Let her be. Give her time to absorb all of this," she said to Jacob. Jacob went to the sofa brushing his hair with his fingers. He loosened the button of his polo and laid his back on the sofa. He feels so frustrated. "She obviously had an idea but she doesn''t believe it. She is at a loss." he heard Leticia said it. "So, what do you plan now?" she asked. Jacob was silent for a while then said. "I don''t know." "Do you like her?" she asked again. "Based on your story, you obviously like her. You just don''t know it because you haven''t liked anyone before and have no idea how does it feel. Or maybe you knew it but doesn''t accept it because it will ruin your playboy image." During their meal, Jacob told Leticia about how he met Nurse J and how she became the cause of his black mood these past few weeks. Do I like her? Jacob thought to himself. Certain things for sure. He never felt jealous before. He never felt hurt before. He never felt the urge to hug and caress someone before. He never missed someone before. He felt it only for Nurse J, for Jenny Do, his wife. Chapter 18 - Kickin Her Chagrin Away As soon as J reached her apartment, he called Lance. Lance is a lawyer. He is J''s best friend since childhood. They went to the same school. Both of them went abroad to study. "Hey! What''s up!" she heard Lance on the other line. "Remember what I told you about what grandfather said when he was on his death bed?" J replied. "Which one?" Lance asked. "The marriage," J said. "Oh right! Did something come up?" J was pacing back and forth in the living room of her apartment brushing her hair with her fingers. "It''s real. I got a copy of the marriage contract. I''ll email it to you. Check it out for me. And prepare a divorce paper." "What?! Okay, I''ll check it out. I''ll call you back." Lance hanged up. J throws her phone on the sofa then went to her room. She changed into jeans and a shirt. She then takes out a sports bag from her closet then walked out of her apartment. In a boxing gym, J looked around and saw the person she''s looking for. It''s a woman with a muscular built tanned skin, taller than her. Her hair in a French braid, she''s wearing a tank-top and boxer''s shorts. She then looked at her direction and was delighted to see her. "J!" she exclaimed. "It''s been a while. Let me guess, you need a sparring partner?" It''s Amanda, J''s kickboxing instructor. "Yeah. Are you free?" J replied. "Are you kidding me?! I haven''t sparred with you for a long time. Of course, I''m free! Let''s do this!" Amanda replied enthusiastically. J then went to the locker room and changed in a tank-top and boxing pants. She made a couple of circuits then head on to the boxing ring. In the boxing ring, she diverted her anger towards the sandbag. She was punching and kicking it harshly. Amanda noticed it and said "Hey! Hey! Hey! Easy! What''s wrong with you?" J answered "Nothing. Let''s start." The next 2 hours were nonstop kicking and punching until Amanda gave up in exhaustion and pain. "J! What''s got into you?" Amanda asked her while lying in the boxing ring gasping for air. J was lying beside her. Her chest moving up and down. When J arrived home, she heard her phone ringing. She then remembered Lance was supposed to call her back. How could she have forgotten about that and left her phone on the sofa? She got the phone and answered the call. "Finally! After a hundredth time. Where were you? Why are you not answering my call? I''ve been worried sick about you!" Lance exclaimed. "Sorry, I went to the gym and forgot my phone. Have you seen it?" J replied. "Yeah. As you''ve said. It''s real. No flaws. It''s even in the civil registrar. Did you know that you are married to the CEO and President of the CLP Group of Hospital?" "Hmm... I actually got that contract from him." J replied. "Really, so how was it? How long does he know about it?" Lance asked her. "It turns out that he just found out about it over a month ago," J said. "Lance...I want you to prepare the divorce paper and send it over to me tomorrow. And also, find out anything about Jacob Parker and his family. What relationship does our grandfather have? And find out where the Elder Parker is." J ordered Lance. "No problem. I''ll send the divorce paper over tomorrow. As for the rest, leave it to me." Lance assured J then hung up the phone. Chapter 19 - The Mysterious Woman After the call, J takes a shower and went to the balcony with a glass of wine. She thought about what happened 5 years ago. When she came back from overseas, she found out that her grandfather has a terminal stage of prostate cancer. Her grandfather hides it to her all along to prevent her from coming back and leave college behind. She took care of him personally, but after a year, he died. In his last moments, he told J that he was sorry that he wasn''t there to protect and take care of her, that''s why he finds a man who could do that on behalf of him. He married her off to someone he knew. When she was 10 years old her parents died. She was left to the care of her grandfather. She doesn''t have any siblings or cousins. She didn''t even know if they have any relatives in the country. Soon she was sent by her grandfather overseas to study with Lance. J didn''t believe him and ignored what he said but deep inside her, she was worried what if it was true. She never told about it to anyone except Lance. And now the moment she was dreaded for came. A man appeared in front of her claiming that he is her husband. And she was not prepared. At the thought of the past makes her headache. She made a call to Head Nurse Jing. "Hey, can you find a reliever for me tomorrow? Mmm... I''m not feeling well." She makes her voice sound sick to make it more realistic. "Yeah¡­ okay. Thank you." It was a tiring day and she needed a whole day to take a rest that''s why she pretended to be sick. She needs to avoid Jacob and prepare herself for their next meeting which she''ll never know when. That morning Jacob found out from James that Nurse J didn''t go to work. Does it have something to do with what happened yesterday? Maybe she is avoiding me. Jacob thought to himself. He takes a look at Nurse J''s record and memorizes her address. That night Jacob went outside Nurse J''s apartment. He was sitting inside his SUV and looked at the 5th floor of the apartment where J lives. The lights were on so he was sure that she is at home. .... Diana came out of a convenience store which is just a walking distance to her house when she saw a tall figure waiting for her. She felt chills behind her back and her palms began to sweat. She approaches the man who was now looking at her. "Madam wants to talk to you," he said to her in a cold voice. He then led her to a black heavy tinted car parked not far away from them. He opened the back door and gestured her to come inside. Once inside she realized that she was sitting beside a woman in her mid-50''s wearing a black lace mermaid dress, her hand''s wearing a black glove and holding a silver clutch. Her looks are dignified and intimidating even when she smiles. Diana looks at her and said. "Madam. I''m honored to see you." the woman looked back at her and smiled. "Diana... how is she?" she directly asked. "She''s doing great madam. She just came back from her 15-day vacation leave. I believe she spends her time at the Lodgepole Estate." Chapter 20 - The Divorce Paper "Anything unusual?" the woman asked again. Diana thought for a while then said. "Hmm... today was unusual. She didn''t go to work. Head Nurse Jing said that she was not feeling well. I called her to inquire. She said she''s fine she just wanted to take a day off which she never usually does." "Does she have any new acquaintances?" Diana shakes her head and said "No... well if you count the new CEO of CLP Group of Hospitals... maybe yes." "A new CEO?" the woman asked now with a cold tone. "Yes, Madam. Just over a month ago the son of Chairman John Parker arrived from overseas and took over the CLP Group of Hospitals. He is a Surgeon so Miss J probably has been acquainted with him since he was often in the Department of Surgery to perform operations." "Hmm... Thank you, Diana. Continue watching over her." the woman said looking outside the window, deep in thought. As soon as Diana left the place the woman looked at the tall man who is also the driver of the car and said. "Do a background check to the new CEO of CLP Group of Hospitals." "Yes Madam." the tall man answered. ..... At the Parker Mansion, Madam Kelly seemed agitated. "Hon, have you found her? Did you find anything about this Jenny Do? It''s been a month now and we have no information about her yet!" John took a deep breath and said. "Our investigator has done his best to find this girl but she seemed to be nowhere to found. No records in schools, universities, government, hospitals or private companies. The name Jenny Do doesn''t appear in any documents except that marriage contract." "We are starting to suspect that she is an undocumented person or an underground personality. We will do our search in the nearby countryside." ..... The next day J went back to the hospital like usual. The only unusual thing is the divorce paper in her bag. She did her daily routine, she had already prepared herself in case she suddenly bumped into Jacob but he didn''t appear. On the second day, she didn''t see Jacob as well. So she went straight to his office after her duty. That''s when she found out that Jacob is visiting the other hospital''s and will be back the day after tomorrow. J went home disappointed... so she has to wait for another two days before she could see him. ''Well, she has to see him because of the divorce paper.'' she reasoned to herself. Finally, Jacob returned back to the hospital. J can''t wait so she sneaked out during her lunch break to meet Jacob. ''I hope he''s in the office''. she thought to herself. As she reached the office she knocked at the door. He heard Jacob said "Come in." an involuntary smile appeared in her lips upon hearing his voice. She stopped for a while, shake her head and returns to her cold face. She came inside and saw Jacob and James talking. Jacob looked at her direction. Suddenly he felt delighted when he saw who came in. He unconsciously said "Jenny." in a sweet tone. J was stunned when she heard him called her name. It was the first time that she heard someone calls her Jenny. Normally it was only J or Nurse J. Only her parents and grandfather call her Jenny. And hearing Jacob calls her name makes her blush. And did she hear the sweetness in his tone when he calls her name? Chapter 21 - J I want a Divorce ''No¡­ wait! She''s here for a divorce.'' she reminded herself. She turned into her cold face and said. "Can we talk?" "Sure," Jacob said smiling at her. Later on, James excused himself. "Sit down." Jacob motioned her to sit but she refused and said "I want you to sign this." as she passes him a piece of paper. Jacob reached for it and furrowed his brows. "What''s this?" he asked. J said, "I want a divorce." Jacob smiled sarcastically. "Actually, I already prepared a divorce paper when I found out about our marriage." Jacob said looking at her waiting for her reaction. "but then... I changed my mind." he continued still looking at her. He noticed anger starting to build up in her face. J burst out in anger and said "Mr. President I''m not interested in this marriage. In fact, I have no plan of getting married. I was married to you without my consent so I guess it was just right for me to ask for a divorce!" "I will not divorce you...yet." Jacob interrupted. "What do you mean?" J asked him impatiently. "I thought this marriage and my wife was quite mysterious and interesting. So, I will find out the mystery behind you and our marriage before I decide if we should get a divorce or not. Who knows our grandfathers might have a valid reason." "In short, I would like to try out this marriage while I haven''t talked to my grandfather and find out their reason." Jacob continued. J was dumbfounded. What the hell is this guy talking about? Try out this marriage? Is this some kind of game that he can quit whenever he wants? "Are you crazy?" J asked him unbelievably. "No, I''m not." Jacob smirk. "So where do you want us to stay? My villa? Your apartment? Or at the Parker''s Mansion? Oh! Wait! Not the Parker''s Mansion. Coz that would mean living with my parents! If we live with them my mom would definitely bug us about having a child!" Jacob shakes his head at the thought. J standing in front of Jacob burst out in anger. "Jacob Parker!" she shouted at him. Jacob was surprised and almost fall out of his chair. "You are crazy! We are definitely not living together! You are signing that divorce paper now!" J''s face is now red in anger. Jacob stands up with his temper. Never in his life that a woman shouted at him. "Jenny Do! We are not getting a divorce! And that''s final!" upon saying that he tore the divorce paper into pieces and throw it in the trash bin. J was so angry. "You''re unbelievable." she said in a low voice while clenching her fist looking at Jacob with hatred. She then left slamming the door behind. Jacob was left with his temper rising. Jacob slumped back at his chair brush his hair with his finger and tried to calm himself. Yeah, he is unbelievable. What a lame excuse! Of course, whatever their grandfather''s reason for marrying them off that won''t affect his decision whether they are going to divorce or not. Ever since he found out that Jenny Do is Nurse J he already dismissed the idea of getting a divorce. He wanted to know what it feels like living in the same house with her, eating dinner with her, sleeping with her. He wanted to take care of her. He wanted to know how does it feel like being married to her. Who knows, maybe he may want to make this marriage last. Chapter 22 - Go With The Flow He was already calm when James entered his office. "What happened? She was storming outside." James asked worriedly. "She proposed a divorce," Jacob said. "And..." James waited. "Of course, I refused." "Why? You also told me to prepare a divorce paper." James said confused. Jacob shuddered and said, "Well I said not until I found out the reason behind our marriage." "That was a lame excuse." James smiled. "Yeah, I know. But it worked." Jacob laughed. James looked at Jacob unbelievably. He is starting to think that after finding out that Jenny Do is Nurse J Jacob started to like this marriage. Nurse J was raging with anger when she gets back to the surgery. Good thing she doesn''t have any surgery to assist. She''s in a bad mood until the end of her shift. When she reached home, she called Lance. "J! How was it? Did he sign it?" Lance inquired on the other line. J burst out in anger then told Lance what happened at Jacob''s office. "What should I do?" J asked Lance. "Hmm¡­ in this country it''s easy to get a divorce if both parties have a mutual understanding. Meaning, you sign, he signs then you file it to the registrar then it''s done. But since he wouldn''t sign, you have to go the long process. You file the divorce to the court, gather as much evidence like tell them that you were forced to this marriage or you were married to him without your knowledge and you didn''t even know that you signed those marriage contract even thou experts said that your signature is real and not forged to prove that you deserved to be divorced and attend a hearing. This will make a commotion especially that he is from a well-known family. It will grab the attention of the media and netizens. Both your name will flash on the internet and tv screens. The least you want to happen the most is being exposed to the public. So, I suggest you just go with the flow and wait till Jacob voluntarily sign the divorce paper." J sighed. Go with the flow? That''s least she would want to do but that''s the only solution for now. As much as she hated the idea but Lance was right. She couldn''t afford to be exposed to the public. "J, are you still there?" Lance on the other line interrupted her thought. "Yeah. So, I guess I have no choice but to go with the flow." J said in dismayed. "Mmm... By the way, I already made a background check of President Jacob Parker. He is 35 years old, second of the three Parker children. We''ll he is easy going and a playboy. He never had a serious relationship. Actually, he never had a girlfriend. All of them were just fling. Never last a week. He hates commitment and no plan to get married. Well, that was before when he didn''t know that he is married. But he''s good at his profession. One of the best in the country. 5 years ago, he went abroad to practice his profession. But it was said that he was just preparing before he takes over the CLP Group of Hospitals. He lives in his own villa. And most importantly, he has a bad temper. The complete opposite of his easy-going character. They said that it could last up a couple of weeks." Lance finished his narration. "Urgh...he''s bipolar," J said uninterestedly. "And Elder Do and Elder Parker were childhood friends or best friends, something like that. Well good luck with that. Just keep me updated. Call me if he tried to hurt you or do something...you know..." J interrupted Lance. "That''s enough Lance. By for now. Thanks for the details." then she hung up. Chapter 23 - The Bestfriend Three days past since her encounter with Jacob. J tried as much as possible to avoid him. Fortunately, he didn''t have any surgery these past three days. But today she was wretched. She was waiting for the elevator when the door of the elevator opens, she saw a couple of nurses in front. Behind them is a tall figure looking at her. She hesitated at first to come inside but then the nurses called her in. While entering she throws Jacob a warning look as if telling him not to do any crazy act in front of these nurses. She was quiet throughout until she heard the lift ''ding'' on the fifth floor. All the nurses step out and said goodbye to Nurse J. Great! Now it was just her, Jacob and James left in the elevator. She can clearly see the reflection of Jacob in the elevator door. He is staring at her intently so she quickly glanced away. "Jenny." her heart skipped a beat when he heard him call her name. Ah! Can''t he call her that way! The way he is calling her name brings her an ambivalent feeling. "Have you decided yet?" Jacob continued. "W..what?" J looked at his reflection with a confused reaction. "Where to stay? Your apartment? My villa or my parents'' mansion?" Jacob asked her still looking at J''s reflection seriously. J was dumbstruck. What? He is seriously considering us living together? She thought to herself. She stared at his reflection for a couple of minutes when suddenly her phone rings. She looked at the caller id, it''s Nurse Diana. She immediately answered her call to avoid Jacob''s question. "Hello," she said. "J! It''s Timothy''s birthday today. Can you come to my house after duty? We are going to have a small celebration. I''m already on my way home to prepare the foods." Diana said enthusiastically on the other line. "Okay. Sure. I''m on my way." Diana is a social butterfly but selfless. She is the type of person that would throw a party for her son and invites her friends and her son''s friend to the party but she knows that if she did that, her introvert best friend and her son''s godmother wouldn''t probably come so she selflessly abandons that idea and celebrates her son''s birthday inconspicuously. When she finished the call. The elevator reached the lobby. As soon as the door opens, she quickly gets out of it and walked as fast as she can out of the hospital. Jacob was left smiling and said. "She''s cute." James was speechless. Diana''s house was a couple of blocks away from J''s apartment. She just went home to change into jeans and a shirt then walked straight to Diana''s house. When she''s almost there she saw Diana in front of her house talking to a tall guy that is very familiar with her. Diana seemed to have never gotten inside her house coz she is still wearing her uniform and in her hand is the paper bag with groceries. The tall guy stopped talking and looked at her direction. Diana also looked at her and said. "Miss J. You''re here." "Yeah," J said looking at the tall guy then she looked around. Not far away she saw a black heavy tinted car parked at the side street. "Mommy!" a small figure came out of Diana''s house and run towards Diana. Diana gave the little guy a hug. Chapter 24 - Dianas Secret J noticed the tall guy''s eyes twitched as he was looking at Diana and the little guy. She immediately interrupted the mother and son. "Hey, Timothy! Let'' get inside, I have a gift for you." J took Timothy on her arms and walk towards the house. Before she entered the house. She looked back at Diana and the tall guy. Diana was saying something but the tall guy is looking at them. Well, he is actually looking at Timothy. A couple of minutes past. J and Timothy were sitting on the sofa and checking out on the new toy that J gave him. When finally, the door opened and Diana entered the house. "Hey, there little buddy! How''s your day?" Diana approached Timothy and gave him a hug. "Let me help you with this." J stood up and took the paper bag with her in the kitchen. J meet Diana five years ago. She used to be her grandfather''s private nurse. Although J personally took care of her grandfather when she arrived from abroad, she still asked Diana to stay and help her. Although Lance is her best friend since childhood. Diana became her female best friend as well. J never got close to anyone since she was a kid except for Lance and Diana. Four years ago, Diana got pregnant. She never confides it to anyone except J. Due to her plea, J never told anyone and help Diana keep her pregnancy. Diana also told her who the father of the child was, but never want to tell him about it because she knows that he wouldn''t want that child. Diana kept the child because she wanted it too although she is angry and afraid of the father of the child. The child was conceived accidentally. She was drunk at that time. When she gave birth to a baby boy she named it Timothy. She hired a nanny to help her take care of the child while she returned to work at the hospital. Diana fully trusted J with that secrets and that makes her guilty. Because even thou J trust, Diana, she cannot tell her about her marriage. Later on, Diana entered the kitchen and Timothy was left to his nanny. She helped J took out the groceries in the paper bag and started preparing to cook. They loved cooking together. Back at Lodgepole Estate, cooking was one of the things that they enjoyed doing together. J looked at her and asked, "Aren''t you going to tell Timothy''s father about him?" Diana continues cooking and said "No" in a cold tone opposite to her lively personality. "Diana, sooner or later Timothy will ask you. Have you prepared an answer when the time comes?" J said imploring. Diana stopped for a while then said. "I''ll tell him that he''s dead. It is better than introducing him to his father and face his rejection." J was speechless and helplessly looked at Diana. Diana finished cooking and they started a simple celebration. She doesn''t have any relatives in the city although she has a lot of friends she chooses to invite only her best friend J, so it was only the three of them and the nanny that celebrated Timothy''s third birthday. ..... "Leo." he was startled when he heard a voice call his name. He almost forgot that there was a lady in the backseat. "Is everything alright?" the lady asked him. "Y-yes madam," he said then he started the car engine. While driving the face of Diana and her son keeps flashing in his mind. He tightened his grip to the steering wheel. Damnit! Chapter 25 - The Parking Lot The lady at the backseat looked at Leo''s reflection in the mirror. He has that rugged handsomeness and a masculine built. He is about six feet tall. He''s got that chiseled jaw, broad chin, a prominent brow bone, thin lips, and dark eyes. But Leo usually had that blank look in any situation. It is very rare for her to see him with a different expression on his face other than a poker face. She even thought that this person doesn''t have any emotions at all. But this time she is seeing a different Leo. He looks uptight. His brows furrowed and he seemed to be out of this world. "Leo... that kid at Diana''s house. Whose son, is he?" the lady asked while looking at the mirror to see if he will react. To her surprise, Leo shuddered and said, "It seemed that he is Ms. Diana''s son Madam." "Hmm... is that so? Diana is like a daughter to me. I want to know everything about that kid. And also... I want to know who is the father. Investigate it for me." the lady ordered Leo. "Copy that Madam." Leo returned to his cold and blank look. J returned home after a couple of hours of stay at Diana''s house. She stays in the bathtub for half an hour to relax her body then she changed into a Capri set. She sits on the two-seater sofa in her reading room scanning her email on her laptop when she remembered to make a call to Lance. "Hey, any update?" Lance answered in a low voice. "Well, aside from the obvious fact, I haven''t found any unusual details yet. The Elder''s whereabout is still uncertain. Give me some more time." "Okay." then she hung up. Tomorrow is her rest day. She will drive back to the Lodgepole Estate. She needs a break from these stressful events. ..... Jacob woke up early that morning determined to find any information about his wife. Since Jenny Do has been avoiding him deliberately, he cannot find any chance for him to get to know her. While driving his SUV, he takes a look again at Jenny Do''s biodata. It says that she is from a nearby Lantana Province. So, he is going to her province and find anything he could find. ..... Meanwhile, that morning J woke up early as well. She drank her coffee on the balcony. It was almost daylight so she hurriedly finished up her coffee and went straight to the bathroom to take her usual shower routine. She is a bit vain when it comes to taking care of her skin. Daily after she takes a shower, she massages her whole body with raw honey and milk. She also keeps her skin hydrated the whole day by drinking lots of water. Before she goes to sleep, she uses honey and milk face mask. She never uses any chemicals to take care of her skin. As a result, she has a radiant and rosy fair skin. She even looks younger than her age of 30. When she''s done, she changed into a Navy Blue Shirtdress and a pair of white sneakers. Then she let her hair loose. She didn''t even bother to dry it up with a blower. She takes a cab then headed to a high-end residential building. The first 6 floors of the building are a designated parking area that is bought or rented out by car owners who don''t have a parking space in their home. She took the elevator up to the sixth floor. She walks toward the farthest area of the floor where luxury cars are parked exclusively with a guard. She showed the guard a VIP access card then the guard let her in. She continued walking until she stopped in front of a Blue Sports Car with elongated sides strake and a full carbon fiber body. Chapter 26 - The Crash For some reason, J is fond of sports cars and race cars. And she preferred a grand tourer because of its speed and she usually takes a long-drive to relieve stress. Her car falls in the category of a grand tourer. It has a large cabin and trunk space. The interior is very luxurious and spacious perfect for a long drive. It has an exquisite interior finish. It has an elegant white interior color with unique hour-glass stitching. As she sits on the driver''s seat, she adjusted her seat and stroke the steering wheel. It has been two weeks since she last drive this car. She smiled excitedly. She can only drive the car on her day off whenever she goes to the Lodgepole Estate. She put in the glass key into a central control of the car and started the engine. Not long after she is driving down the highway to Lantana Province. She is so thrilled, she opened the window and let the air blow her hair. Her adrenaline is rising as she stepped on the gas. She has been driving since she was fifteen. It was Lance who taught her. Since then, she has always been passionate about driving. It has become a habit for her to play music while driving, it was like a mood booster for her. So, the combination of music and driving is like a drug to her. On the stereo, country music is playing. She is a big fan of country music. It has been part of her everyday life. When she heard Kelsea Ballerini''s Legend, she turned up the volume a bit higher and sing along with it. .... Jacob reached the province. He heard from James that today is J''s day off. Jacob instructed James to find out J''s personal contact number. Soon Jacob received James'' message with J''s number on it. He wanted to know her whereabouts. Although he knew that she will not tell him, he still wanted to try. He is her husband so he has the right to know. When J got to the central town of their province, she slowed down at a minimum speed limit. It''s also starting to build up traffic when her phone suddenly rings. She reached out for her phone that is inside her bag. Her brows furrowed as she looked at the unfamiliar number on the screen of her phone. After a couple of seconds hesitating, she answered the call but she waited for the other line to speak first. "Hello, Jenny?" when she heard the familiar voice her heart skipped a beat. Her mind went blank, and her finger weakened. There''s only one person who calls her by her real name. Bang! Suddenly a loud sound in front of her car awakens her thoughts. Damnit! She crashed into a black SUV in front of her! How could she not see that! Maybe because she was absent-minded for a while. She has never been reckless when it comes to driving. This is the first time that she crashed into another car. She was so anxious she didn''t get out of the car instead she pulls up the car window. Not long after she saw a familiar figure stepped out of the black SUV. Her eyes widened in shock, she gets more anxious. Damnit! Of all people why does she have to crash into Jacob''s car! She stayed in the car for a couple of minutes to calm down. Chapter 27 - The Blue Sports Car Jacob is getting impatient. He has been knocking on the window of the blue Sports Car who bumped into his car but the driver of the car is not getting out. The car is heavily tinted so he cannot see the driver inside. Not long after a police officer approached him. "Sir, what happened?" Jacob turned and said while both his arms on his waist "This car crashed into my car. But he doesn''t want to cooperate! He''s not getting out of the car. How could he drive a sports car irresponsibly?!" The police officer approached the car, knock at the window and said "Sir, please come out now to explain and face the consequences. You are now causing a traffic disturbance." The police officer continued knocking for a couple more minutes. Jacob''s temper is now rising. Suddenly the door opens. A girl with messy long hair, wearing a casual dress and white sneakers came out of the blue Sports Car. Jacob and the police officer were stunned. When Jacob noticed the police officer''s jaw dropped a bit, he wanted to punch him in his face. How could he look at my wife like that! "Y-you..." Jacob choked on his word. J looks at him irritatingly. If he didn''t call her, she wouldn''t have lost concentration and crash into his car. "Sir, do you know her?" the police officer who already regained himself from being stunned to ask Jacob. Jacob answered with "Of course I know her, she''s my wife!" The police officer was shocked and felt embarrassed when he remembered how he looked at the lady earlier. Soon he returned his composure and asked Jacob with authority "So sir since it''s your wife who crashed into your car, what do you want to do now. Should I invite her to the station?" ''Of course not. I won''t let the other officers feast their eyes on my wife.'' Jacob thought to himself. He looked at J, she is looking at him with ''Don''t you dare'' look. He smiled then turned to the police officer and said. "No need. Just take her license, impound her car then I''ll take her." J was dumbstruck. She would rather go to the police station than go with him. Then she heard the police officer said, "Miss hand me your license please." J is losing her temper. She closed her eyes to calm down. Then she took her bag and take her license. and gave it to the police officer. "And the car key please." the police officer added. She gave him the glass key of the car. The police officer looked at her confused. Since her Sports Car does not use a regular key, she instructed the police car on how to use it and how to drive the car. Soon the police officer drove the car enthusiastically back to the station. J looked at Jacob like she has been tricked. Then she stomped her feet and walked towards the SUV''s passenger seat. Jacob followed her with a pleasing look. He called her just an attempt to know her location, but that call brings him exactly to her location. Jacob started to drive while glancing at J every now and then. She is looking outside the window with the headphones on her ears. She was silently angry. He thought. He was wondering, how could she afford a Sports Car? A nurse''s salary is not enough to buy or rent that kind of car. She doesn''t even have a relative in the elite circle. But he doesn''t ask her directly. Not now. Instead, he asked her "Where to?" Chapter 28 - The Road Trip J who is still looking outside said, "Just take me home." Jacob said. "Give me the address then I''ll take you home." Great! If he would be able to know where she grew up, he will have the chance to know her better. But into his disappointment J said, "I thought you already knew my apartment''s address?" "No, I mean your address here. Isn''t it the reason that''s why you come all the way here? To spend your day off in your home here away from the capital?" "I don''t have a home here anymore. I just came here for a road trip. But now that I don''t have a car, thanks to you, here''s no point in continuing my road trip. Just take me back to my apartment." J said without looking at him. "Hmm...how about we take a road trip together?" Jacob suggested. "Definitely not," J said. "Definitely yes. I''m the one behind the wheel so I make the decision." J shot him a sharp look like a knife. Jacob thought if looks could kill he would be dead by now. But Jacob also finds that look cute. So, he can''t help but smile, which makes J more irritated. She rolled her eyes then turned back her attention outside the window. She seemed to remember something then get her phone and send a message to Lance. "My car and license are in the police station. Get it for me as soon as possible. Make sure to erase any trace. And keep your identity unknown." Jacob saw in the corner of his eyes that J is texting someone. Hmm... who could that be? "Copy that. What happened?" Lance replied. "I crashed into another car. The police took my car and license." J replied afterward. Lance didn''t reply instead he called J. She glanced at Jacob first, when she saw that Jacob is focused on the road, she answered the call. She didn''t know that Jacob already saw who was calling. He is trying his best not to crash the car. Who the hell is Lance?! Why does he keep on calling her? He calmed down and listened to their conversation. "Where are you? Are you ok? I''ll pick you up." J heard Lance said worriedly on the other line. "I''m fine. No need to pick me up. I''ll be going back to my apartment. Just do what I told you to do." Jacob heard J said on the phone. ''Yeah right! You don''t have to pick her up coz she''s with her husband.'' Jacob thought to himself with an air of arrogance. Their conversation ended when J finally convinced Lance that she is okay and will call him back later. She then again sends a message to someone. "I have to go back to the city. I can''t make it home today." After she received a reply from Mrs. Potter, she then closed her eyes and rest her head on the headrest. A couple of songs played on her headphone, she heard Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini, Keith Urban, Brett Young, Danielle Bradberry, Luke Graham, Florida Georgia Line but she never falls asleep. She just kept her eyes closed hoping to feel the wind outside the car. Jacob glanced at the woman beside her. She seemed to be contented with a simple thing. She looks relaxed. He can''t help but be amazed by this girl. He continued driving then they arrived on a highway along the shore. His instinct told him that she might like it if he opened the window and let her feel the air outside. So, he opened the window and rested his elbows on it. Chapter 29 - First Date J suddenly felt the window of the car opened. She opened her eyes and looked at Jacob. He was focused on the road while his arms rested on the open window. This punk! Did he read what was in her mind? Hmmp...she looked back outside the window. She laid her arms and elbow on the open window and rested her chin on her arm. She continues listening to the music, closed her eyes and let the air whipped her hair. Jacob passed by a restaurant along the highway when he remembers that they haven''t eaten yet. At the thought of that, he felt his stomach grumbling. Without a second thought, he turned the car around. J suddenly felt the car made a U-turn so she opened her eyes and looked at Jacob questioningly. She didn''t have to ask because Jacob started talking "I don''t know about you but my stomach is growling. I haven''t eaten breakfast yet and now it''s already past lunchtime." Not long after they parked outside a seafood restaurant. Damn this man! He found J''s favorite restaurant. It''s an open restaurant along the highway with a 180-degree of the ocean. They mainly serve fresh plates of seafood. She only had coffee in the morning so she felt hungry as well. They found a corner table with a great view of the ocean. A middle-aged woman approached them with the menu on his hands. But she didn''t give it to them yet, instead, she looked at J, smiled at her and said, "It''s been a while, Miss J., Shall we serve you the usual or you want to see the menu since you have a company?" Jacob scanned the woman. She is wearing dress pants and a grey blouse with a nameplate pinned on it. It seems like she is the manager of the restaurant. Hmm... is it customary for the manager of this restaurant to get the order and serve their customers? And it looks like she knew J very well. She even talked to J with high reverence like she is a royalty or something. Or is it just their protocol. Jacob looked at J but he found her looking at him then said. "Let him take the order." Jacob was startled for a while and realized that the manager is asking for his order. He takes a look at the menu and forgot whatever it is that he is thinking. God this place is heaven! The menu is mouthwatering like he wanted to order everything that''s in it. He ordered shrimp, lobsters, and salmon. After taking Jacob''s order, the manager looked at J and ask "How about you Miss?" J looked at the manager and said "The usual. Thank you." The manager takes a step back then bow her head before leaving them. Jacob saw that gesture and felt goosebumps. He looked at J with a raised eyebrow like he was a police officer inside the interrogating room waiting for the criminal to tell him the truth. J felt uncomfortable at Jacob''s gaze. She furrowed her brows and said "What?" to her surprise Jacob suddenly lean closer to her and ask "Are you a princess from a faraway island pretending to be a commoner at Lotus City? I saw how the manager looks, speaks at treats you. It was like she is facing a VIP...no a royalty...or something like that!" Chapter 30 - The usual The truth is, the manager knows J since she was a child. Elder Do is quite known in Lantana Province as a nobleman who helped in less fortunate people in the province and J being raised by the Elder Do receive the same reverence as her grandfather. J held her back a little and then said "Stop talking nonsense." with an irritated look. "No seriously. Who are you?" Jacob was about to say something when his phone rings. Damn, who could it be? Jacob answered the phone without looking at it. "You better have a better reason for interrupting me!" "You punk! What am I interrupting?!" J heard the loud voice of a woman from the other line. Jacob was startled, he looked at the caller ID and realized that it was his mom. "Hey, mom! I thought you were James." Jacob laughed while scratching the back of his neck. "Where are you?" the women''s voice seemed to be angry. "Mom I''m in the countryside. What''s wrong?" Jacob said. "You rascal! What are you doing in the countryside! Are you with a woman that''s why you don''t want to be interrupted?! I told you to look for your wife, instead, you are somewhere playing with some random women! When are you going to act like a grown-up man?!" the woman on the other line almost like shouted at him in anger. Her voice was loud like it was on a speaker so J was able to unintentionally heard it. This guy... is she really married to this guy. What kind of person is he? What kind of family does he have? Why did his grandfather marry her off to this man? She was in deep thought when their food arrives. Jacob was done talking to his mother as well. Jacob looked at the delectable dishes in front of him and started to devour it. J''s order was a corn and crab chowder and seafood pasta. That''s what she usually orders in this restaurant. Almost all the employees of the restaurant memorized it already. Yes, she is a regular customer of that restaurant. Whenever she goes to the Lodgepole Estate she would always drop by to eat. She loves seafood and pasta, those were her favorite. Jacob looked at J''s plate. So that''s the "usual" that she ordered. She must''ve love seafood and pasta. "Why didn''t you tell her about me?" J interrupted him. She is talking about Jacob not telling her mom that he already found the wife that they are looking for. "Urgh...not yet. If I told her as soon as I found out, we''re probably living in the mansion right now. And she will be doing anything and whatever it takes for you to be fit to bear a grandchild for them. I knew you wouldn''t like that. Right? So, it is better not to tell them yet. Besides, I have no plan of staying in the mansion. As I''ve said, it''s either my villa or your apartment." When J and Jacob finished their lunch, they continued their road trip around Lantana Province. This is Jacob''s first time at Lantana Province and so far, he is enjoying it because of its view and the person beside him. Although most of the time the girl is sleeping or so he thought and facing the window with the earphones on her ears. Chapter 31 - A Familiar Place Since Jacob is not familiar with the place once in a while he stopped whenever they come to an intersection. Although J is very familiar with the place, she never dared to tell him which way to take to avoid talking to him. She just let him choose. Then they reached an intersection in front of a hill. The whole province of Lantana is a mountainous province surrounded by the ocean. So, hills, mountains, and oceans are very common scenery. Jacob was torn which road to take since both looked the same. But the other road has signage in it. "Lodgepole Estate." Jacob read the sign. When J heard it, she opened her eyes and saw that they arrived at the entry road of Lodgepole Estate. "Hey, Jenny. Are you familiar with this place? Have you been here? Hmm... which road do you want us to take?" Jacob asked J. She rolled her eyes then said, "Whatever road you take as long as it will take me home." "Haist...ok then. Let''s see this Lodgepole Estate." then Jacob continued driving. That road circled around a hill. It was like a small peninsula because it is almost surrounded by the ocean. The whole place is a property part of the Lodgepole Estate. Not long after they passed by the Lodgepole Estate. "Hey, Jenny. Look at this house. Wow... the view is breathtaking! I wonder if there is anyone who lives here. It looks so quiet and peaceful. I''d love to have a day off in this house. Hmmm...right! I got an idea. Let''s buy a house here in Lantana near the ocean and mountains with this kind of view. It will be our vacation house. What do you think?" J looked at the house. Ahh.... she should be lying in her bed enjoying the view at this moment if it wasn''t for this guy. At the thought of that her face glower and gave Jacob an irritable glare. "What? Did I say something wrong?" Jacob was confused upon seeing J''s reaction. Jacob continued driving, they passed by an orchard and a horse farm then they ended up in another intersection. "Ahh! Nonstop intersections! Which way to... hmmm...." Jacob said while tapping the steering wheel with his fingers, his head looking left and right. "Take the left road," J said indifferently. "I knew it! All along you knew this place!" Jacob said beating the steering wheel upon hearing what J said. "Are you slow? It''s common sense if we take the other road it will only lead back to where we came from." J said this unbelievably although deep inside her, she just wanted to go home already that''s why she told him the right way. Soon they arrived at J''s apartment. J was not surprised that Jacob already knows where she lived. However, she was surprised that Jacob parked his car in the underground parking of the apartment building that is intended for the tenant. The apartment building provided each tenant with a parking space where they can park their car. But since J "doesn''t have a car", the parking space provided for her has always been vacant. But not this time, because Jacob parked his car in that parking space provided for her. "You don''t have to park your car here. You should''ve dropped me in front of the apartment." J said feeling uneasy. Why does she have that feeling that she won''t be able to push Jacob away that easy? "Hmm... this is your parking space, right?" Jacob asked. "Yes..." "I''ll be using this space from now on." after Jacob said that he walked towards the elevator with his hands on his pocket. Chapter 32 - Moving In "What? Wait!" J hurriedly followed him. He reached him inside the elevator. Jacob then pushed the button of the elevator to the 5th floor. "Wait! What do you mean by that?" she pushed the stop button of the elevator. "And what do you think you are doing? Where are you going?" J said with a distressed tone. Jacob didn''t answer instead he pushed the elevator''s button. Finally, they reached the fifth floor. Jacob walked towards J''s unit acting familiar as if he has been a resident of that building for a long time. Jacob faced J with his palm open facing upward then said. "Give me your key." J looked at him. Not moving. "I won''t leave until your inside." after she heard that, J took out the key from her bag and opened the door of her apartment. As soon as the door opened, Jacob went inside it. After a few steps, he stopped and scanned the place. The apartment has a living room with a door opening to the balcony. There is a four-seater dining table. There''re three other doors, probably the kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. Overall the whole place is cozy. "Ahem..." Jacob was interrupted by J. "It''s getting late now. And I''m inside now." Jacob sat on the sofa. "Aren''t you going to leave?" J said getting snappy. "No," Jacob said smiling at her. "What?" J getting angry. "I''m moving in." after Jacob said that. He stands up and walks towards the doors that he saw earlier. "What do you mean moving in?" J followed him feeling agitated. Jacob opened the first door and saw that it''s the kitchen then said, "Since you don''t want to choose between my villa or your apartment, I decided to move in here in your apartment." Then Jacob opened the second door and saw that it''s the bedroom. "No, you can''t do that?!" J was furious. "Why can''t I? I''m your husband." Jacob said with his arm crossed in his chest then he opened the last door and saw that it''s the bathroom. J was about to say something when the doorbell rings. She was in a sudden panic so she pushed Jacob inside the bedroom and closed the door and said "Don''t you dare make any sound." then shot him with a warning look. J rushed towards the door and looked at the peephole to see who could be coming at her apartment at this hour. When she saw who it was, she let out an exasperated sigh and opened the door. "Hi...ahm.... is President here?" James asked J awkwardly. "I''m here." Jacob came out of the bedroom and approached James. "Did you bring it?" then he looked at a luggage bag in James'' left hand and another hand carry bag in his right hand with a satisfied look. "Yes, it''s all in here," James said then leave the bags in front of Jacob. J looked at the two men with an intent to kill when she saw the bags that James had brought. She crossed her hands in her chest and interrupted the two men "Ehemm....". James looked at her startled then said "I-I should be going now...." without looking behind he rushed towards the elevator away from J''s apartment. Jacob closed the door and nearly jumped out of his skin when he turned around and saw J looking at her as if she was about to kill him. "What''s with that look?" Jacob asked in a cold sweat. "What''s this?" J said in a cold tone without taking her eyes on Jacob. Chapter 33 - Out Of Mind "Ahhh!!" J screamed and hit Jacob''s arm in irritation. "Who gave you permission? Huh? Did I allow it? Damn you! Where are you going to sleep here? Ah! I hate you! You... rotten egg!!" J was fuming with anger as she continuously hit Jacob. Jacob can''t help but be amazed by this woman''s anger. He even finds her cute. He chuckles as he tried to dodge J''s beating. "Hey! Stop it! I told you before that I''m willing to try this marriage. I also asked you to choose whether to stay in my villa or your apartment but you seemed to be not interested in moving into my place so I made the sacrifice and moved into yours. And besides, what''s wrong with you and me living together? We''re husband and wife so that''s normal. "We are not a normal husband and wife!" J corrected him. "Well maybe we are married in a not normal way but that doesn''t mean we can''t live like a normal married couple. I am just making an effort not to be stuck in just knowing that we were married five years ago. At least I have to do something." Jacob paused for a second then continued "Well...divorce is not in the options ok...not now." J looked at him in disbelief. She really can''t understand this guy''s way of thinking. She sighed...this is going to be a long and sleepless night. J tried to calm down by closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Then she walks towards the kitchen to take a glass of milk. She felt like she was drained out of energy. She''s never going to win against this guy. At least not now. J walked over the balcony and sat down the armchair as she drinks her milk. She saw Jacob take his luggage to the bedroom. Ah, the nerve of this guy! Feeling so at home. J remembered that she promised to call back Lance. So, she grabs her phone and dialed his number. "Miss J, are you home? What happened?" Lance worriedly asked J on the other line. "I crashed into Jacob''s car. Police came. He told the police to confiscate my license and impound my car. That''s how they got my license and car. Did you get it back?" J told Lance what happened. "Yes, I got it. So how did you explain to him about the car?" Lance asked. "We haven''t talked about it yet." "Mm... where are you now?" "At my apartment..." "How did you get home?" "He drove me home.... actually... he''s here. He moved in." J finally told Lance about her situation. "What?! Are you out of your mind? Why did you let him?" Lance was furious when he heard that Jacob moved into J''s apartment. "I know. I''m just...tired and¡­ I... I can''t think properly. I just can''t win over him." J sighed feeling defeated. Lance felt J''s frustration so he didn''t nag at her anymore. He sighed and asked her "How do you feel about him?" J blushed and suddenly felt hot when she heard him asked her that question. At the same time, she saw Jacob came out in the living room. It looks like he already had a shower and now wearing black pants and a white shirt. This is the first time she saw him in house clothes. And damn he looks good with just a shirt on and wet hair. J felt a lump in her throat and suddenly she was speechless. "J? Are you still there?" Lance called out on J. Chapter 34 - A Long Sleepless Night "Huh? Ah yes... I¡­ I''m still here." She remembered what Lance asked her earlier. "H-how do I feel about him? Why would you ask that? Ah, I have to go. Bye!" J stuttered and suddenly felt awkward so she immediately finished their talk and hanged up. She let out a big sigh. She gathered all her courage to walk inside the living room. Why does she feel foreign in her own house? While this guy looks so relaxed on the sofa doing some paperwork. In the bedroom, she saw Jacob''s clothes hanging in the closet. Urgh...this is so frustrating. Why does he feel so at home while she is having a hard time taking in what''s happening? She went to the bathroom to drown all her frustration and think of a way on how to get rid of Jacob. J was soaking in the tub for almost half an hour now. Her eyes closed as she remembers what Jacob just said earlier. ''that doesn''t mean we can''t live like a normal married couple''....''At least I have to do something''. When she realized the words of Jacob, she suddenly opened her eyes. Wait...what does he mean by act like a normal married couple? Does it include sleeping together and... At the thought of that, she suddenly rose up the tub. No, she can''t let that happen. She has to get to her bedroom and lock herself. She can''t let Jacob enter her room and sleep in her bed. But to her surprise when she entered her room, Jacob was already asleep in her bed. What the heck?! She thought Jacob was still in the living room doing some paperwork. How long has she been in the bathroom? How could he fall asleep as fast as that? Where is she going to sleep? This is her apartment. This is her bedroom. This is her bed so she should be the one sleeping there. But how could she sleep there beside Jacob? Should she sleep beside him? Damn this punk! J walked closer to the bed. But this punk, how could he be more handsome when he is asleep. His hair is now a bit messy compared to his usual daily hairstyle that is almost similar to superman''s hairstyle. She scanned Jacob''s face, this man is no doubt every girl''s weakness. His prominent jaw and broad chin, deep-set eyes and thick eyebrows, high cheekbones and sometimes, well actually most of the time he showed his left cheek dimples whenever he smiles. And yes, that thin lips. "Enjoying the view?" she was startled when Jacob suddenly speak. Apparently, he was awake all this time. Jacob slowly opened his eyes and teased her with a smile. "You..." J was dumbstruck, she throws a pillow on Jacob then walked out of the bedroom. She can even hear Jacob laughing. She felt her cheeks blushed. She regained her calmness after a couple of minutes then get back to the bedroom. "I''m afraid it''ll be uncomfortable for me to sleep beside you so could you please get out of my room now. You can sleep on the sofa if you really want to stay here. If you can''t sleep on the sofa you can always go back to your precious villa." J said calmly. "If you can''t sleep beside me...It''s not my problem." after saying that Jacob turn his back on J pulled a pillow into his embrace then he sleeps. Chapter 35 - Day Off J tried her best but she failed. In the end, she put a pillow in the middle of her queen size bed and lay down on the other side of the bed with her back facing Jacob. She pulled her blanket up till her neck and tried her best to fall asleep. Jacob woke up with a smile on his lips. Why not? He opened his eyes with that view of J''s beautiful face in front of him. He could get used to this. He removed some hair strands that covered her hair revealing her gorgeous face. Her long dark lashes, full pinkish lips. The last time he remembers her lips were pale. But her cheeks were as rosy as ever. How did he manage to have a good sleep at someone''s bed? He doesn''t know. He just feels comfortable and more at home in J''s apartment than his villa. He wanted to stay longer in bed but it''s already eight in the morning. He has to get up and go back to the hospital. After he''s done taking a shower and changed in his usual hospital attire which is a dress shirt, jeans and white coat he saw J still lying in bed. She probably had a hard time falling asleep. He felt a little guilty. But then it''s almost nine already, why isn''t she awake? Doesn''t she have a duty? He made a call to Lance and found out that today is also J''s day off. She usually works 13 days straight then take two days off. "Cancel all my schedules today." Jacob canceled all his schedules when he found out that J is still on her day off. He wanted to find out what she will do today. "Copy that." James instantly replied. He already has an idea why Jacob would suddenly cancel all his schedule. Jacob takes off his dress shirt and changed into a plain white shirt. He went to the kitchen and look for something to cook for breakfast. J woke up feeling tired probably because of being stiff the whole night. She didn''t know how and when did she fell asleep after a couple of twists and turn in the bed. Hmm... did she just smell pancakes? And bacon? That smells good. She suddenly felt hungry. She looks at the clock and saw that it''s almost ten in the morning. Wait. Last night Jacob was beside her. Where could he be? She thinks for a while then rushed over the kitchen. He saw a masculine man in a white shirt and jeans wearing an apron cooking in her kitchen barefoot. Urgh...what an early morning sight. Damn you, Jacob, how could I hate you forever! J thought to herself. Jacob was done the cooking and was about to bring the plates in the dining table when he saw J standing in the kitchen door. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Jacob smiled at her. "Huh! How could I sleep well?" J said sarcastically. "You''ll get used to it," Jacob said then put down the plates in the table. "Let''s eat." J wanted to scream and shout. Ahh...this guy is so unbelievable! Why is he acting so casual while I''m almost like having a heart attack every minute in his presence? J ignored Jacob the whole breakfast and went to her usual shower routine. She thought that maybe it is best to just ignore him and go with the flow. She dressed in jeans and a white shirt and sneakers. Chapter 36 - Filled "Where are we going?" Jacob asked. He has been sitting on the sofa scanning the television channels. "We?" J asked Jacob. "Yeah. We." J stared at Jacob. Is he going to accompany her wherever she goes? Will she still go with the flow? She chooses to ignore him then went out of the apartment. Jacob hurriedly followed her. She was quiet from her apartment to the elevator until the main lobby. "Wait where are you going? Aren''t we going to take my car? If you keep going like this, I will continue following you and who knows who might see us together. What if Dr. Gonzales sees us or Head Nurse Jing? Will you tell them that I''m your husband?" Jacob continuously badgers her. J suddenly stopped. She thought for a minute. He''s got a point. Damn! He''s seriously going to follow her around. She didn''t speak instead walk towards the basement parking. Again, Jacob conquered her. Jacob followed her with a smile. She''s getting cuter and cuter in his eyes. In Jacob''s SUV, he asked her again. "So where are we going? I can''t just drive without direction" "At Joe''s" J said as she rolled her eyes. Joe''s? Who the hell is Joe? First, there''s Lance. Then now there''s Joe? Jacob looked at her with a questioning look. J sighed and just showed him the direction. At Joe''s. Ah¡­ so Joe is the owner of a grocery store called Joe''s. Jacob chuckled and thought to himself. J gets off the car but before she does, she said "Stay here." to Jacob. Jacob thought for a while, maybe this time he should just listen to her. Anyway, buying groceries are a woman''s thing. Hmm...what could she be doing at Joe''s? Probably stocking up the fridge and kitchen cabinet. But this morning when he cooked breakfast, he noticed that the fridge and cabinet were still full of stocks. Not long after, J return followed by two men carrying boxes. J opened the door of the passenger''s seat and said, "Open the back door." Jacob did what she said and soon after the back of his SUV was filled with boxes of fruits, biscuits and personal care items. Jacob looked at J now sitting in the passenger''s seat. "What are you going to do with these boxes of fruits and biscuits and other stuff?" Jacob asked her. "Mmm... let''s go to Lani''s." instead of answering Jacob''s question J instructed him to drive over to Lani''s. Lani''s is an old bookstore that accepts trade-in and donation books from all over the town. "Hi, do we get something?" J said to Lani upon arriving. "Yes. I knew you''d be coming so I already prepared them for you." Lani said smiling then took two boxes of old books from under the counter. Then she called two boys to help J carry the boxes to the car where Jacob is still waiting inside. "Thank you, Lani." J thanks Lani then walked towards Jacob''s SUV. Jacob was silent when J came back. J looked at the back seat of the car. She smiled unconsciously. Ah, it''s a good thing that Jacob insisted on bringing his car. Afterall how is she going to carry all this stuff? Back then, she would usually rent a car or have these stuff delivered. She looked at Jacob still smiling but she didn''t expect him to be looking at her. Jacob was stunned. He''s been observing J since she got in Lani''s. He has been wondering what is she going to do with this stuff. And now she is looking at him smiling. Chapter 37 - Ms. Eve J felt uncomfortable. Thou in that moment that her eyes were locked in Jacob''s eyes felt magical. For a couple of times, she tried to look away from Jacob''s eyes but she can''t. She felt like there was a magnet in Jacob''s eyes that keep on pulling her. When suddenly a knock on the window of the car awakes both of them. They were both startled when they saw Lani knocking at the door. Jacob opened the window. Lani was shocked to see a man beside J. She has never seen J with a man before. "I''m sorry. I forgot. Your book arrived yesterday." she said to J while giving her a book that J preordered a couple of weeks ago. "Oh...thank you." J didn''t know what to say. She felt embarrassed. Soon Jacob was driving away at Lani''s. Aside from J telling Jacob which way to go, both of them were quiet the whole travel time. After half an hour they stopped in front of the gate of an old mansion near the border of Lotus City and Lantana Province. J opened the window when she saw a guard approaching them. As the guard saw her, he immediately opened the door and let them enter the compound. The old mansion is surrounded by a tall fence and inside were fruit-bearing trees. At the back of the mansion, you can see a huge open lawn. Jacob saw some kids playing at the back of the mansion. J get down of the car, one of the little girls that were playing saw her and hurriedly rushed towards her. "Miss J is here!" Jacob heard the girl scream. Soon Jacob saw ten kids running towards J and give her a hug. Jacob then saw an old sophisticated lady came out of the entrance door of the mansion. Soon Jacob found himself inside that old mansion. Some of the kids had already taken the boxes out of his car. He saw J in the middle of the kids opening the boxes. As he was looking at her, he felt like he was looking at a different person. J looks happy. There are sparks in her eyes and a smile was plastered on her face. Once in a while, he can even hear J laughed. He can tell that her smile and happiness was genuine. Jacob noticed the old lady approaching him so he gave her a smile. "I''m sorry but I guess Miss J forgot to introduce us. I''m Evangeline, you can call me Miss Eve." the old lady said as she raised her hand. Jacob received her hand and said, "I''m Dr. Jacob Parker." "Hmm... you are Miss J''s friend I assume." Miss Eve glanced at Jacob waiting for his reply. Jacob thought for a while. No. He is J''s husband. But should he tell her that? "Yes." finally Jacob said. If he told Miss Eve that he is J''s husband, things might get complicated. J might get angry and it will ruin her day. He doesn''t want to ruin her day, he doesn''t want her good mood to end. "I''ve never seen Miss J with a friend before, nor she talks about one before. I was worried that she doesn''t have anyone at the hospital. It turns out she got some after all." Miss eve said then she takes a look at Jacob and give him a smile. Chapter 38 - The Orphanage "Miss J used to be alone. She even told me that she will grow old and die alone. Poor kid. Even when her parents were still alive, she has always been alone. Then her parents died, she was left to her grandfather then was sent abroad. All this time she is alone striving. No one to protect her but herself. I always prayed that she finds someone to love and protect her. But I also know that Miss J wouldn''t dare to find someone. So, I was hoping that, that someone finds her.... soon. And if that someone came, I hope that he has a lot of patience and not give up easily on her because I know it will be hard to get her trust. She is a precious one." Jacob was so immersed in Miss Eve''s words that he didn''t notice a meaningful look that Miss Eve cast on him. J doesn''t need to find that someone because Jacob already found her. At that moment Jacob was determined to take care and protect her with his life. Jacob looked at J with fondness. At the thought of J being alone all this time his heart aches for her. He wanted to rush over her, embrace her and stroke her hair. He tried hard to resist that urge. "How long has she been coming here?" After a couple of minutes, Jacob looked at Miss Eve and asked. "Seven years. Since she came back from overseas, she has been visiting the kids once a month. She always considered herself as one of them. An orphan." Miss Eve said that while looking at J with compassion. "How did she find out about this place? It''s a bit far from the city." Jacob sensed that Miss Eve knows a lot about J so he tried to asked her some questions. He might find something about J''s background. Miss Eve noticed it so she just said. "She just saw us on her way to Lantana Province." Hmm... makes sense. Jacob thought to himself. Miss Eve became more alert with his questions so he diverted his questions from J to the orphanage. He would just let her keep on talking. "Can you tell me about this orphanage?" Jacob asked Miss Eve while looking around what seemed like the family room. "Should I give you a tour?" Miss Eve thought that it would be better if she gives Jacob a tour of the whole mansion. Jacob nod in agreement. Then he followed Miss Eve. "This used to be a traditional mansion owned by an old billionaire 20 years ago. He used this as his primary home. The whole of his family used to live here until they decided to donate this to convert into an orphanage before they migrate abroad. We have 30 rooms in total. 20 rooms on the second floor were used by the kids. The other 10 rooms we converted it into classrooms, family room, dining, storage, office, and library. The library is Miss J''s favorite room. Almost all of the books there were donated by her." Miss Eve boastfully showed Jacob the rooms in the mansion. "You have classrooms in here?" Jacob asked in surprise. "Yes. We do. We also hired teachers. They teach the kids from preschool until Junior high school. When they reach the senior high school and college, we let them choose what school they want then we will find a sponsor for them. As of now, we have 14 students in different schools." Miss Eve proudly said to Jacob. Chapter 39 - The Game "How are you able to keep up with your daily expenses?" Jacob asked her. They are now in the backyard of the mansion. "Donations. There were a lot of groups and individuals who regularly donate food, clothes, school supplies, medicines, and money. One of them is Miss J. Plus look at this place. We have a lot of space to plant trees and vegetables." Miss Eve showed him a big garden full of vegetables. Jacob saw the kids running towards the big lawn. "How many kids do you have here?" "64 kids. 50 were here. The other 14 kids were in college. Kids come and go. Some were adopted. Some were already graduated in college and already have a work of their own." Miss Eve bends forward to meet a little girl running towards them. She lifts up the girl and introduces her to Jacob. "This is Nana. She is five years old. She is the youngest." Jacob smiled at her and raised his hand to shake hers. "Hello Nana, it''s a pleasure to meet you," Jacob remembers that this is the girl who saw J earlier upon arriving. "They are going to play dodgeball. They wouldn''t let me in" the little girl said while pouting her lips. Jacob chuckled at the little girl. "Look at them, they are all bigger than you, you might get hurt if you were hit by their ball." "That''s unfair." Nana whimpered at Miss Eve. "Hmm...how about this. I play on your behalf. If I win, you win as well. You like that?" Jacob tried to console Nana. Nana was delighted at that thought so she immediately said yes. She takes Jacob''s hand and drags him towards the other children to announce her participation with Jacob as her representative. Everyone agrees. J looked at Jacob. He has taken the little girls'' hearts. She also noticed some of the teenage girls giggle when they saw Jacob joining them in the game. It looks like he also wins over other girls'' hearts. Tsk¡­ He sure knows how to impress. The game started. Six girls including J against six boys including Jacob. They made an imaginary central line in the middle. Three balls were in the middle. Then the opening rush started. J wasn''t good at throwing, catching or dodging a ball, she just enjoyed the games with the kids that''s why she joined them. Soon J was the first one eliminated. Then followed by the other girls. The boys headed by Jacob won this round. And the happiest person was Nana whom Jacob promised earlier that if he wins, she wins. Another round begun followed by another round. This time Jacob tried not to hit J. He deliberately missed her. Sometimes he intentionally hit other girls. Until they were the ones left. J and Jacob throws and dodges the ball at last J was able to hit Jacob and finally girls win. Jacob lost but he felt like a winner seeing J happy that they won. As much as possible he will try to keep her happy because he knows that once they return to the city she will return to her cool and distant self. But one girl is not happy with his loss. He looked at Nana''s side and saw her heartbroken. He has to think of a way to make up for her. He walks towards Nana. "Hey I''m sorry, I lost," he said while scratching the back of his head. Nana was gloomy and didn''t even bother to look at him. "How could I make it up to you? Hmm?" Jacob makes an adorable look at Nana. Chapter 40 - Who won the girls heart? Nana considered in a while then said "Could you stay here until dinner? And buy me a cake for dessert?" Jacob was astonished at this little girl''s condition but later on, said "Sure!" J saw how Jacob consoled Nana. He is really good at persuading girls. No wonder he can get any girl he likes. Then she saw Nana running towards her. "Miss J! Jacob said he is going to stay until dinner and will buy me a cake!" Nana excitedly runs towards her while expressing her good news when she suddenly stumbled upon and fell on her knees. J and Jacob who saw the incident hurriedly runs toward Nana who is now crying. J lifted Nana and take her on a bench nearby. Jacob followed them. Soon other kids gathered around them. J instructed a girl named Suzy to get the medicine kit. "Hey, Nana. Don''t worry, it'' just a scratch. You know Miss J is a nurse and I am a doctor. We will treat your wound well." J widened in shocked as she looked at Jacob angrily. Other kids looked at Jacob then looked at Nana who cried louder. "What? What did I do?" Jacob looked at them confusedly. One of the kids said, "Nana is scared of doctors." "What?! Nana, sweetheart do I look scary?" Jacob looked at Nana feeling helpless. "Jenny Do what have you been telling these kids about doctors? Huh?" he looked at J and the kids as if they were having a conspiracy against him. "Hey, sweetheart look at me. Doctors are not scary ok? We don''t mean harm to you. Who keeps you safe from pain, from sickness? Aren''t we, doctors? Even if we are holding syringes and scalpels that doesn''t mean we wanted to hurt you, we just used them to keep you healthy and alive." as Jacob was saying that he grabs the medicine kit from J and started cleaning Nana''s wound. "See? It''ll hurt for a couple of hours or days but it will heal. I''ll blow it for you to lessen the pain. How was it, sweetheart? Feeling better?" Other girls around them giggled as Jacob looked more handsome while persuading Nana. Nana who now stopped crying nod her head. J shuddered as Jacob keeps on calling Nana sweetheart. Hmph! This guy has a naturally sweet tongue that can persuade any girl. While Jacob is squatting in front of Nana, he grabs his phone and made a call. "James, could you order me a cake and have it delivered here? I''ll send you my location? Flavor? Wait..." Jacob turned to ask Nana. "Hey sweetheart, what kind of cake do you want?" Nana immediately said, "I want a chocolate cake!" then other kids turn to Jacob and said, "Can I have one too?" "Me too." "Yes, me too!" "Oh oh.. Okay, hold on." Jacob chuckled then talk back to the phone. "James just order all the kinds of cake they have and have it delivered here as soon as possible." "Copy that." James hanged up. He wondered who did he called sweetheart and why did he hear voices of kids. Where could he be? J could not believe it. Jacob did not just persuade the girls but he was also able to persuade all the kids in the orphanage. Soon it was time for dinner. The cake that Jacob ordered also arrived. And the kids celebrated as they were not able to eat cakes if there isn''t any occasion. Jacob was sitting in the table provided for the boys while J is sitting with the girls. Chapter 41 - Complicated One of the boys named Harry asked Jacob, "Dr. Jacob, what is your relationship with Miss J?" "Hmmm....we are not just friends, but we are not yet dating. Let''s just say our relationship is a bit complicated for kids like you to understand." Jacob answered him as he winks at them. "Miss J is so precious to us. However, complicated your relationship with her is. Can you please protect and take good care of her in the city?" Harry and the rest of the boys looked at Jacob seriously. Jacob was amazed at how these kids value J. She must mean a lot to them. He looked at J sitting at the distant talking and laughing with the girls. Since he got there in the orphanage, everyone has asked him to protect her. "You don''t have to tell me that. I will protect her with my life." Jacob said that while looking at J. J glanced at his direction and he met her eyes. The dinner was over and it is now time for J and Jacob to leave. J is now talking with Miss Eve while Jacob is saying his goodbyes to the kids. J heard the kids asking Jacob to bring some toys and other stuff when he comes back. "Looks like I will be seeing him again next time." Miss Eve said looking at J with a teasing smile. "Tell me honestly, what is your relationship with him?" J sigh and said, "It''s a bit complicated. I''ll tell you some other time." Miss Eve stared at her. J didn''t know that before her grandfather died, he already told Miss Eve about the marriage that he arranged for her. Miss Eve doesn''t know who the guy is. But upon meeting Jacob, she already has an idea. She would just wait for J to tell her. Miss Eve has been an old friend of Elder Do. Although much younger than he is. She has known J even when she was just a kid. But J probably didn''t remember her. J and Jacob left the orphanage. They were quiet until they reached J''s apartment. Their minds were both busy with their own thoughts. J didn''t expect Jacob to be this gentle to the kids. She saw a different side of Jacob that probably not anyone has seen. Jacob was thinking about everything that he found out about J. When he said that he will protect her with his life. He was serious about it. Maybe J was alone for so long, but not anymore. J woke up that morning feeling much better than yesterday. Jacob was still asleep on the other side of the bed. The pillow that was supposed to be in between them was now in Jacob''s feet. It was just almost 48 hours that they were together but she unknowingly became comfortable in Jacob''s presence. What she has seen yesterday at the orphanage gives her a different impression on Jacob. She might be impressed but she still has to contain her feelings and reminded herself to not trust him. J doesn''t have the habit of taking a bath after waking up especially if she doesn''t have a duty. She just brushes her teeth and went to the kitchen to cook breakfast for two. As she was cooking, he heard the door of the bedroom opened. She felt that someone is staring at her but tried to ignore it. A couple of minutes past she heard Jacob said, "You don''t have a duty?" Chapter 42 - Beauty and Beast "Nightshift," J said without looking at him. In the next two weeks, she is on a night shift, which means she could avoid Jacob at home and in the hospital. Jacob then takes a shower thinking if he should go to the hospital or stay home with J. They were now eating breakfast together when Jacob''s phone ring. Jacob saw that it was the caretaker of his villa. "Yes...She''s what?! Okay, I''m coming." after he said that he rushed out of the apartment leaving J dumbstruck. Hmmm...who could that be that he suddenly rushed over? And it looks like it was about a girl. J raised her right eyebrow as she felt needle pricks in her heart. She closed her eyes to contain herself. At least she would be alone for the day. There are some things that she can''t do with Jacob around. So, she planned out her day and that includes calling Lance. A couple of hours past. J was sitting in the balcony working on her laptop when suddenly she heard a click on the door lock. She was alerted. Did she forget to lock the door when Jacob left? A couple of seconds past when she saw two golden retrievers enter with Jacob. What the...? She was staring at the golden retriever that is now sitting on the sofa when Jacob came to her and said, "I''m sorry I wasn''t able to ask you before. Are you afraid of dogs or have any allergies with them? I hope you don''t mind that I brought them over. After all, we''re married so they''re yours as well." J looked at Jacob and unconsciously said, "No I don''t mind." Why would she mind? She loves dogs. Back at Lodgepole Estate, she has a couple of dogs at the orchard and horse farm. Damn, this man doesn''t look like a dog person. Impressive. She thought. What? Just because he owns a dog, she thought he is impressive? Her feeling''s becoming more complicated. She sighed. Jacob called the two dogs and they obediently come over wagging their tails beside him. "This is Beauty and this is Beast." he introduced them to J. J chuckled as she heard their name. What a unique name. She squatted down in front of the golden retrievers. She scratches their heads and back. She always wanted to have a dog in her apartment but she was worried that she might not be able to take care of them. Jacob was relieved to see that J seems to love them. "They lived in my villa. Earlier my caretaker called me and said that Beauty might be pregnant. So, I rushed over there and brought her to the vet. Beauty had a complicated pregnancy. The first time she got pregnant she had a miscarriage. The vet said that her pregnancy this time might be sensitive and need extra care, so I take them here so I could look after them." Jacob explained the situation to J. J now understands, so it wasn''t a "she person" but a "she-dog". She smiled at how silly she was. She then stands up and asked if Jacob bought dog foods. "Yes, I did. I left it in the car since I wasn''t sure yet if you will allow them here. Should I get it?" Jacob asked her still wanted to be sure if she really doesn''t mind having dogs in her apartment. Chapter 43 - Dianas Vacation "Yes, we need to have her food ready since she might need to eat whenever she wants to." J has already taken care of pregnant dogs so she quite already has an idea of how to take care of them. Jacob went to take the dog food and other stuff from the car while J who already closed her laptop went to play with her new housemates. While J and Jacob are feeding the dogs, Jacob received a call from James. "Ahm....I''ll be having a meeting at the hospital. Will you be fine with them here if I left?" Jacob asked J hesitantly. "Sure, I''ll take care of them." J didn''t notice but she''s becoming gentler and more comfortable when talking to Jacob. "Okay then, I''ll be back before dinner," Jacob said amused then walked out of the apartment. It''s like he was talking to a different J again. Yesterday was a happy J, today was a gentle J. J was left in the apartment with her new housemates. Although she hates to admit it, she is beginning to like this setup. She spent the whole day working on her laptop, talking with Lance and playing with beauty and beast. In the afternoon she took them into a nearby Eco park where she used to jog to take a walk. They went home before it gets dark. The next morning after her shift J walked over to Diana''s house. A couple of days ago J and Diana had a snack together at the hospital''s cafeteria. Whenever they have time and they were not too busy in the hospital, Diana always took the initiative to invite J to have a snack together. Seizing the opportunity to catch up with her. Diana knew J doesn''t have a friend in the hospital and being a social butterfly Diana always makes a way to make J come out of its shelf once in a while. But she always failed in inviting her into some social gatherings. J rejects any invitation from her co-nurses to go to a club or even eating out somewhere or in the cafeteria. But whenever Diana invites her, she would always oblige. She liked the company of Diana. She talks a lot and she always listens. She is always full of energy while J tends to be dull at times. But surprisingly they get along very well. Diana told her that she just received her annual 15-day vacation which she has been waiting for. She told J her plans of going to Mt. Celandine where she grew up, and she wanted to take Timothy there. J felt her excitement. She knew that it has been a long time since she had a visit to her hometown. Today Diana and Timothy will leave to have their vacation at Mt. Celandine. So, she dropped by to send them off. Not far away she saw a familiar figure looking at their direction. When Diana''s car left. She walked over the direction of that familiar figure. "These past years the hospital is giving each employee a 15-day vacation. Recently I had mine. Now it''s Diana''s turn to have a vacation with her son. She deserves it." J felt like she has to say that to Leo although he didn''t ask. After that, she walked past him. "V-vacation?" she heard Leo stuttered for the first time. "Yes. I guess they''re going to Mt.Celandine. Diana had mentioned before that she missed their house in the foot of Mt.Celandine and that she was planning to take Timothy there in her vacation. If she didn''t change her mind she probably is going there." J said looking back at Leo. Chapter 44 - The New Place J continued walking towards her apartment. She just visited Diana and Timothy after her shift. She was actually surprised to see Leo not far away from Diana''s house. When she reached her apartment, she was welcomed by Beauty and Beast. Apart from them, the whole place was empty. Jacob must''ve gone to the hospital while she was in Diana''s house. "Good morning Beast. You''ve been a good boy huh? How about you Beauty? Are the pups ok?" she talked to the golden retrievers like they were humans. She headed to her bedroom but she noticed the food on the table. It''s been a couple of days since she started her night shift and every time, she got home in the morning Jacob had already prepared her breakfast. This whole experience is new to her. She can''t remember when was the last time someone cooked her breakfast. Her apartment feels more like home in the presence of someone except her. Plus, the addition of the two golden retrievers. She ate her breakfast then take a shower before she goes to sleep. The two golden retrievers stand guard in the living room. .... At the Evergreen Villa, Madam Kelly arrived to check out on the house. She was received by Jacob''s caretaker. "How''s the villa Lulu?" she asked the old lady. "Everything''s fine Madam Kelly," Lulu replied. "Mmm... I see." Madam Kelly nodded as she scanned the whole living room. She thought something is strange. Something''s missing. She thought for a while then her eyes widened as she remembered something. "Where are Jacob''s dogs? I haven''t heard them. Usually, every time I came to visit, I would see one or two of them playing around." Madam Kelly went to the kitchen then at the poolside where the golden retrievers usually stayed. "Dr. Jacob took them with him, Madam." Lulu casually said. Madam Kelly shot the old lady with a confused look then asked, "Took them with him? Where?" "Ah... a couple of days ago I noticed that Beauty is acting odd. So, I called Dr. Jacob thinking that she might be pregnant. Dr. Jacob came and took both of them to the vet and found out that Beauty is pregnant. He called me and said that he will be taking both of them to his new place so he could take care of them." Lulu said while preparing a tea for Madam Kelly. Madam Kelly who was seating in a chair in the kitchen counter suddenly stand up and asked, "Jacob has a new place?" "Y-you didn''t know Madam?" Lulu asked confusedly. "Will I be asking you this if I knew? Where did he say his new place is? How come I didn''t know about this?" Madam Kelly asked Lulu indignantly. "I-I have no idea, Madam. I don''t have the habit of asking him about his personal business." Lulu was petrified. Madam Kelly understands Lulu so instead of asking her she got her phone and dialed Jacob''s number. She tried a couple of times but Jacob was not answering his phone. She was pacing back and forth then he decided to call James. After a couple of ring James finally answered. "Where is Jacob''s new place? Why did he suddenly leave his villa? Where is he? He is not answering his phone." Madam Kelly asks him outrageously. James was speechless. "M-madam... I think you just ask him yourself." "I''ve been calling him but he is not answering my calls!" Madam Kelly is getting pissed off. Chapter 45 - Meeting the In-laws "Ah.... he''s in the operation so he cannot answer your call right now Madam Kelly." James knows that he is done right now if he can''t avoid Madam Kelly''s questioning. "I know you knew something so speak now or I''ll cut you off from your position!!" Madam Kelly is now losing her temper. James was left with no choice. His position is immensely important to him. He can''t get to the bad side of Madam Kelly. It is where Jacob got his bad temper. "M-madam... he moved in an apartment across Camilla Lopez Parker Hospital. I-it''s the Jade apartment, 5th-floor unit 8." after James said that Madam Kelly hanged up the phone. James rushed over to the Department of Surgery. He is done. While Madam Kelly called her husband and told him to meet her up in Jade''s apartment. Her mother''s instinct tells her that Jacob is not living in that apartment alone. James hurriedly rushed to the Department of Surgery. He saw Jacob in the nurse''s station chatting and laughing. You can still laugh all you can now but later you''re dead. James thought to himself. He approached him and muttered some words in his ear. He saw his smile turned into worry and his face turned pale. When Jacob heard what James said he hurriedly rushed out of the hospital. .... "Why did you want me to meet me here?" Chairman John Parker asked his wife when he reached the lobby of Jade''s apartment. "Earlier I found out that your son moved in here. And I am sure he didn''t move alone. Last time he was with someone in Lantana Province. That kid, he is married and yet here he is playing around!" Madam Kelly was fuming in anger. Chairman John Parker sighed and said, "Come now. Don''t jump into conclusions until we''ve talked to Jacob." "I can''t wait. Let''s wait for him in his apartment." Madam Kelly said that while walking towards the elevator. Chairman John Parker scratch his head while following his wife. J was still in a deep slumber when she heard the continuous ringing of the doorbell. At first, she ignored it but then Beauty and Beast keep on barking so she pulled herself out of the bed to see who dared to disturb her sleep. She looked at the peephole and saw a man and woman in their fifties. She opened the door and asked, "How can I help you, sir, ma''am" in a sleepy tone. "W-who are you? What are you doing in my son''s apartment? Madam Kelley asked J while looking at her from head to toe. J looked at them with bewilderment. "Excuse me, Madam. But this is my apartment." While still standing in the doorway Beauty and Beast came beside J wagging their tails at the visitor. J seemed to notice that the two golden retrievers knew these people. "That''s Beauty and Beast, my son''s pets. Are you still going to insist that this is your apartment and not my son''s?" Madam Kelly looked at J with slight disgust. J let out a big sigh. So, it turns out that these people are Jacob''s parents. Urgh... what a headache. She composed herself, widened the door and said, "Please come in." The two elders sit on the sofa while J sits on the accent chair. "Let''s wait for Jacob first." Chairman John Parker speaks first. J who was sitting on the accent chair looked at the wall clock. It is almost eleven in the morning. She arrived home at nine-thirty so she probably just been asleep for like an hour only. Urgh... how can people be so cruel. Chapter 46 - She is My Wife She looked at the two persons sitting on the sofa. So, this is Jacob''s parents. She looked at the Chairman. She knows him already. She has seen him in the hospital when he was still the chairman. He is more of a doer than a speaker. He is an ambiguous person. You''ll never know what he is thinking. While the lady, on the other hand, is a sophisticated one. She had already heard her chastise Jacob on the phone. And the way Jacob talks about his mother looks like she is the opposite of his father. She might be the talker. On the sofa, Madam Kelly looked at J. By the way she looks at her it is obvious what she is thinking. This woman is a beauty, whatever her background is, her conduct is not appropriate. How could she live with a married man? And look at her, doesn''t she have anything to do? It''s almost midday and she is still wearing a pajama and looks like she was still in bed when they came. The three of them stayed quiet while looking at each other when finally, the door opens and Jacob came. Jacob saw his parents sitting on the sofa while J is in the accent chair looking at him with darkness in her eyes. Jacob sighed, "Mom, Dad..." but before he could say something Madam Kelly came up to him and beat his arm. "You punk! How could a married man play around like this!" Madam Kelly nags at him angrily. "Kelly, let''s hear him first." It was the former Chairman. Madam Kelly calmed down then sit back on the sofa. It is very rare for Chairman to call her in her name so he must be in his serious tone. Jacob looked at his mother accusingly, "Mom did you wake her up?" "Why, shouldn''t I? It is almost noon and she''s still lying in bed. What kind of woman is that?!" Madam Kelly said glaring at J who looked like she didn''t understand what is happening. "Mom! Watch your mouth, please. She is a nurse. She came from the night shift so its normal for her to sleep in the day, am I right?" Jacob is now becoming ill-tempered. Madam Kelly was speechless and felt a little embarrassed. Jacob turns to J, "What time did you come?" J looked at Jacob confused and surprised because of the way he protected her from his parents. "Huh? nine-thirty." J said without explaining her self. She usually comes home at around seven-thirty but since she had to visit and send off Diana and her son to their vacation she came home late. Jacob sighed, "Come, go back to bed. You need to sleep." Jacob gently helps her stand up and assist her back to bed. As much as she wanted to talk to his parents and clarify this whole marriage thing, she can''t. Because she can''t think properly. She will deal with them later. She has to sleep first. As soon as Jacob saw J fell asleep easily, he returned back to the living room. Madam Kelly who was still speechless was astonished at how Jacob treats the woman. "She is Jenny Do. My wife." Jacob said as soon as he was seated in the accent chair. He saw the surprised look on his mother while his father didn''t move an inch as if he already predicted it. "Y-you found her?" Madam Kelly was flabbergasted. Chapter 47 - Daughter-in-law "Yes. A couple of weeks ago. James and I have searched for her around the country but didn''t find her. Until one day in the Department of Surgery, I heard someone said her name is Jenny Do. I''ve known her since I came back. She is a nurse in the surgical department but I just knew her as Nurse J. That''s what everyone calls her. It was just later I found out that her name is Jenny Do." "She seemed to be very mysterious, we didn''t find her name in any government or private documents. So, I decided to investigate but didn''t find any. I just found out from her and her biodata that she is from Lantana Province. At the age of ten, her parents died in a car accident. After that she was taken care of by her grandfather, years later she was sent abroad to study and work. When she came back, she found out that her grandfather had prostate cancer so she stayed to nurse him but died after a year. Before he died, he told Jenny about the marriage but Jenny didn''t believe him until I showed her the marriage contract." "At first, she was furious, she even prepared a Divorce paper but I rejected it. That made her even more furious. Last week I went to Lantana to see if I can find anything about her. I didn''t find any instead I bumped into her driving a sports car. That''s when you, mom called me. I was with her. That''s also the day I decided to move in here. Since she doesn''t want to live in my villa. Actually, I insisted on moving in even thou it was against her will. I wanted to try out this marriage. And at the same time, I wanted to know her more and why did our grandfathers marry us off." Jacob told his parents everything that happened between her and Jenny ever since they met. He wanted them to know that he is seriously considering this marriage. "So please, Mom. Treat her nice. After all, she is your daughter in law." Finally, Jacob pleads to his mother. "I don''t know about you, Hon. But this woman''s background is uncertain." Madam Kelly said after she regained her composure due to the shocking news that Jacob had said them. Chairman John Parker was silent for a couple of minutes then said, "Father chose her. He probably had a reason." "Treat her well. And see if you can find anything." After he said that, Chairman John Parker and Madam Kelly left Jacob in the apartment. Jacob felt exhausted. He went to see J in the bedroom. After looking at her in a deep slumber, he realized that he never had a good sleep for almost a week since J went on a night shift. He missed her. He had been sleeping in J''s bed alone for a couple of days. After his confrontation with his parents, he doesn''t have the energy to go back to the hospital. He changed his clothes then went into bed with J. Jacob lies in the bed for a couple of minutes looking at J who is sound asleep. He wonders how would it feels like sleeping with her in his arms. At that thought, he slowly slides his arms under J''s neck making her head rest on his arms. After he successfully did that. He didn''t move for a couple of minutes making sure that he didn''t wake her up. Chapter 48 - Wavering Heart Then he slowly pulled her close to him. He put his other arm around J''s waist. He felt the warmth of J''s body, her breath in his chest. He had touched and held a woman''s body before but he never felt this way. It''s no lust, more like the feeling of contentment. He stayed in that position, the next thing he knows he is now kissing J''s forehead. He inhaled the scent of J''s hair. He didn''t know how but he fell asleep. J felt a warm body close to her but she didn''t fret instead she moved closer to feel more of that warmth. She didn''t know why but she liked that feeling, that warmth, and smell. As she was gaining consciousness, she realized that she is lying in someone''s arms and that someone is hugging her. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Jacob asleep while cuddling her. She wondered how did they get in that position. She tried to remember what happened. At last, she remembered that his parents came then followed by Jacob. Jacob sent her to bed then she didn''t know what happened next because she was so tired and fell asleep. She looked again at Jacob''s face. He is breathtakingly handsome. She loved to stare at him while he is asleep. As much as she wanted to be happy that this guy is her husband, she can''t. If only she was a different person. If only, the situation is not as complicated as it was. If only, she is not Jenny Do. Jacob woke up to see J staring at him. Did he saw regret in her face? He furrowed his brows then J suddenly changed her emotions. J and Jacob didn''t move or changed their position. They were silent. J being close to Jacob''s chest can even hear his heartbeat. They stared at each other for a couple of minutes until Jacob finally speak, "You''re awake." "Mmm..." J replied then nod her head. She moved to get up from bed but Jacob didn''t let her go. She frowned at him, but Jacob closed his eyes and said, "Just a couple of minutes more." To her surprise, she didn''t protest. She just closed her eyes and let Jacob hold her in his arms. Since she met Jacob, she sometimes didn''t understand herself. "I''m sorry about my mom...what she said this morning," Jacob speaks again with his eyes still closed. J didn''t open her eyes instead she said, "It''s fine. I don''t mind." "She was just furious, she knows that I''m already married and thought I was playing with you. They know about you but didn''t know it was you. I didn''t tell them yet that I found you already." Jacob continued explaining this time he opened his eyes and met J''s. J didn''t say anything instead she stood up, this time Jacob let her go. She looked at the clock at the bedside table. It was already past six in the evening. She went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Jacob went to check on the golden retrievers. J was torn. Her heart is betraying her. She wanted this to last but she knows she can''t. She can''t let Jacob into her life. She is not sure if he can accept her if he found out the truth about her. The truth that she cannot tell him. They had dinner together then J prepared to go to the hospital for her duty. Jacob was left in the apartment. He cannot sleep probably because he fell asleep this morning. And this past few days without J beside him, he had a hard time falling asleep. It''s as if they have been together for a long time that he got used to sleeping and wake up with J beside him. Chapter 49 - Find the Heiress So, he went into the living room and opened his laptop, but an idea came up in his mind. He hurriedly gets dressed and rushed to the hospital. Since he can''t sleep why not work tonight then sleep with J tomorrow morning? The next morning J came home and was surprised to see Jacob in his house clothes and preparing breakfast. She didn''t ask instead she went into the bedroom. She heard Jacob called her for breakfast. After breakfast, she went to take a quick warm shower then went to bed. But she saw Jacob lying in bed and preparing to sleep. This time J can''t help but ask, "Aren''t you going to work?" "I worked all night at the hospital. I just came home." after Jacob said that he yawned then closed his eyes. J was left puzzled. Did he just say he worked all night and just got home? Why would he do that? .... On the 30th floor of a high-rise building, a plump man in his business suit is sitting in a recliner with his eyes closed. His hands are busy playing a rubber ball. He heard footsteps running towards the office. Bam! The door swung open revealing a man in his early thirties wearing a rugged shirt and pants, his hair a bit messy, his face filled with cold sweats. "CEO Wang! Bad news..." the man said panting. The man in the recliner frowned and opened his eyes. "Speak!" "The container van was hijacked," the man in a rugged shirt said anxiously. "What?!" the plump man stand up in fury. "How many?" he asked. "All of it." the man in the rugged shirt said as he lowered his head. "You fucking asshole! Ten container van was hi-jacked and you didn''t do anything?!" CEO Wang was angry and throw the rubber ball that hit a vase on a shelf. "I-I''m sorry boss, b-but the hi-jackers were professionals. W-we didn''t notice it until we reached the warehouse and found out that t-the containers were empty." the man in the rugged shirt stuttered as he explained. CEO Wang clenched his fist as he looks out the window and said, "It''s them..." "W-what do you mean boss? Did you know who could possibly do it?" "Robin Hood..." the CEO Wang said with his eyes filled with darkness. "R-robin hood? But boss, their leaders died twenty years ago, their daughter was nowhere to be found. The founder died five years ago. The group was in a mess, there is no way they could have done this." the rugged man was perplexed. "They are still around and operational. There are reports that some organization has been invaded by Robin Hood. Although no one confirmed it because of the news that it was already dissolved since their leaders died. But I believe that they are still working underground silently. There is no way anyone can hi-jack my containers van without any trace. It''s only them who could do that. Because they''ve done that to me a long time ago." the Boss said that with a sense of vengeance. After a long tense filled silence, the rugged man spoke again. "Boss, what should we do?" "Find Robin Hood''s heiress." CEO Wang said with an eye of malevolence. Inside a black pickup truck, a woman is waiting in the driver''s seat while tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. She is wearing jeans, a black shirt, and a leather jacket. She had a remarkable black mole at the corner of her left eye. The door of the passenger seat opened then a rugged man enters then gave off a heavy sigh. "Bart, how did it go? What did he say?" the girl asked the rugged man in a snappy tone. "He wants us to find Robin Hood''s heiress," Bart said helplessly The woman was flustered and said, "Who the hell is Robin Hood?" "It''s not who, what..." Chapter 50 - The Call In a log house in a mountain in Naupaka County, several people gathered in the long dining table. They were eating, chatting and laughing. Among them are Leo and his boss, and his big boss. "Everyone..." they all quieted down when they heard their big boss speak. "Congratulations on a job well done. We''ve been doing this for a couple of decades now and I must say that you guys are getting better and better. This celebration is for you." everyone cheered after their boss speaks "President Martin, I heard that CEO Wang hit the ceiling when he found out that his container vans were lost. Haha.." the man wearing glasses said laughing. "He deserves that. Smuggling goods for his own accord and become rich. That egocentric and conceited flabby man." this time it was a chubby woman who speaks with disdain. "Ms. Eve you know what to do with the goods. Be sure that it is equally distributed." the boss said. "Copy that President Martin." Ms. Eve replied. "Dr. Gonzales, may I talk to you in private?" after saying that, President Martin stood up and walked out of the dining hall followed by his wife, Madam Victoria and Dr. Gonzales. Inside President Martin''s office, he is standing in front of a window looking in a distant. "Carlos, how is she?" the President asked Dr. Gonzales in a gentle but worried tone. "Martin, she''s fine. Doing great as always. But recently I noticed that the new CEO of CLP Group of Hospital is eyeing her." Dr. Gonzales said looking displeased. "The new CEO?" Martin said his brows furrowed looking at Carlos. "Yes. the son of Chairman John Parker, Dr. Jacob Parker." "Martin, that''s what Diana told me as well. She had seen that CEO''s SUV went in and out of Jenny''s apartment. I don''t want to jump into conclusion but I''m worried that they might have a relationship." this time it was Madam Victoria who expressed her concern. After a long silence, Martin dismissed Dr. Gonzales and called his right-hand man. "Peter, I want you to set an appointment with Chairman John Parker for me as soon as possible." ... Inside Jacob''s office, he was still working overnight. It was already two in the morning. He''s been working at night and sleep in the morning just to be with J for a couple of days now. He let James do some of his works in the day, while he does the other works at night. He was startled when his phone ring, showing an unknown number. Who could have been calling him at this hour? He answered the call, his back straightened when he heard a familiar voice. "Jacob, how''s Jenny?" it was the voice of an old man. "Grandfather! Where are you?" Jacob stood up in a panic. "Just answer my question you fool!" the old man was impatient. "She''s fine! I''m living with her! But grandfather..." Jacob was cut when the old man said. "Jacob, you must protect her. This marriage will keep her alive." "What do you mean it will keep her alive? Why? Is there something wrong?" Jacob asked him multiple questions but the old man remained silent on the other line. Then the call was cut. ... Madam Kelly saw her husband talking on the phone. She waited until he''s done. Soon Chairman John Parker walked in the living room. His look is a little bit distracted. Madam Kelly saw that and asked, "Hon? Who are you talking to?" "It''s Peter..." he said after he regains his calmness. Chapter 51 - My Sons Wife "P-peter? You mean, Peter, the right hand of President Martin? What does he want from you?" Madam Kelley was unease. "President Martin wants to see me." Chairman John said calmly. "But why? Do you want me to come with you?" "No. You stay here. Going there is too risky." he said trying to hide his worry from his wife. "Then bring some of our people with you." "I will," he said that to ease Madam Kelly. The next day, two cars were approaching the log house. Chairman John Parker climbs out of the first car, while in the second car were his bodyguards. He was received by Peter. "Chairman John Parker. President is waiting for you. Please follow me." Peter said then walk towards the back of the log house. They saw President Martin sitting in an armchair beneath a huge tree overlooking Lotus City. Upon seeing Chairman John Parker, President Martin stood up and shake his hands. There were few trusted people who knew that President Martin and his wife is still alive and among them is Chairman John Parker and Madam Kelly. The two of them sit in the armchairs then Peter left them. "Chairman, I''m sorry for bothering you to come here. I know this trip is too risky so I will go straight to the point." President Martin paused for a while to drink his tea then continued, "I heard that your son is eyeing my daughter." Chairman John Parker was surprised at first then chuckled and said, "That''s not possible President Martin. My son is already married for five years now. And I know that he is serious in his marriage." "Chairman Parker, I have my eyes in your hospital. My daughter works there as a nurse. They saw how your son is eyeing my daughter and he was seen coming in and out of my daughter''s apartment. Besides I heard that your son is a playboy. Are you sure he is not playing around behind his wife?" President Martin said mockingly. "My daughter is already married and with your son playing around her might complicate things." President Martin continued. "President Martin.... " Chairman John Parker was about to say something when he realized that something is strange. Then he continued to ask, "If I may... May I know your daughter''s name?" after he said that he looked into President Martin expectantly. President Martin hesitated at first but looking at Chairman Parker''s expectant look he felt like he was about to uncover something. "Jenny Do. Her name is Jenny Do." President Martin said looking at Chairman Parker''s reaction. Chairman Parker''s eyes widened then he chuckled and said, "What a coincidence. Because the name of my son''s wife happens to be Jenny Do as well." "W-what do you mean Chairman Parker?" President Martin asked him confusedly. Chairman John Parker stood up, take a few steps to look at the scenic view of the Lotus City. His arms in his pockets. Now it makes sense. President Martin and his wife pretended that they were dead twenty years ago. His daughter-in-law''s parents died twenty years ago. His son is five years married. President Martin''s daughter is five years married. President Martin''s father died five years ago. His Daughter-in-law''s grandfather died five years ago. President Martin''s daughter lived in an apartment and they said that his son is coming in and out of it. While his son has just moved into his wife''s apartment. And that''s why they can''t find her name anywhere. It''s because they are deliberately concealing it. Chapter 52 - To Protect "A couple of weeks ago, when my son arrived from abroad. He found a letter from my father. It was a marriage contract. It was stated there that he is married five years ago to a woman named Jenny Do. With my father and your father as the witnesses. We tried to look for her, we already used my people and resources but didn''t find her or any information about her." he turned around and look at the direction of President Martin who is still sitting in the armchair trying to absorb all the information that he is feeding him. "Now I can see why." Chairman Parker continued. "I never thought you were related to her because I thought you are using a fake name." He added. "A couple of days ago my wife found out that Jacob already found the woman and is now living with her in her apartment." now Chairman Parker walks towards the armchair but stands behind it with his hands holding its top rail. After a couple of minutes of being shocked President Martin asked, "This information. How can I be sure that it is real?" "You can see it for yourself." Chairman Parker confidently shrug his shoulders. In an instant Chairman John made a call, "James, email me the copy of Jacob''s marriage certificate." James on the other line was surprised, "Right away Chairman." After a moment Chairman John received an email from James. He sits down and opened the file and passed his phone to President Martin. President Martin scanned the file then said, "Have you checked this?" "Yes, we already hired experts to check its authenticity and it was real. It seemed to me that you already knew about your daughter''s marriage." Chairman John replied. "An old friend of my father told us about it. But I have no idea to whom." President Martin said looking across the Lotus City while passing the phone back to Chairman John. "The goal of this marriage....it has now come clearer to me. Your father wants to protect your daughter." President John said looking at Lotus City as if the two of them saw something. President Martin didn''t reply. His thoughts were the same. Upon finding out that his daughter is married to Jacob Parker, he had a clear understanding that this marriage is to protect his daughter. Jenny''s situation is not as good as it looks. For the past years, they had protected her identity. They even voluntarily established the CLP Group of Hospital''s system that it cannot be hacked by anyone to protect Jenny''s identity. He well knows that if the elite groups found out about her identity, her life will be in great danger. They even destroyed any documents containing her name. But it seemed that they missed one, that marriage contract. However, if the elite groups found her marriage contract and saw that she is married to Jacob Parker, they wouldn''t dare lay a hand on her daughter. "My company has the strongest private army in the country. All the elites including you rely on them to stay protected and alive. If any of them lays a hand on your daughter which is now a part of my family, I wouldn''t hesitate to pull out my army from them. And who knows, Jacob might be the cause of their chaos." Chairman John said after a while. Chapter 53 - To Support "How can I be sure that Jacob and your family will protect her?" President Martin was in doubt. Chairman John confidently said, "I trust my son and I will not break my father''s word." President Martin smirk and said, "Your son is a known playboy. You got my bottom line, right? You also have a daughter." "I know, but I''ve seen how Jacob treats and protects your daughter. He''s never done that in any woman before except her. He even insists on moving in your daughter''s apartment even thou your daughter rejects it. Knowing my son, he will never force himself to her if she doesn''t want to unless he is seriously considering her." Chairman John defended his son. President Martin was silent for a while. "Let''s keep this information from the kids for now." Chairman John nodded in agreement. President Martin fell silent again, he''s in deep thought. Then Chairman John noticed that he chuckled as if he finally realized something. "Did you know that your agency is one of our beneficiaries?" President Martin smirk. "What beneficiary?" Chairman John was confused. "Five years ago, your agency is added to our list of beneficiaries. That''s probably your father''s condition. Financial support." Chairman John was dumbfounded. Why would his father ask for financial support? The company is doing better financially speaking over the past few years. But then, his brows furrowed as he remembers something. A few years ago, before his father went nomadic, he talks about expanding their business abroad. He rejected the idea because he knows that it will cost them a lot of money. But his father said that he can take care of that money, while Jacob will take care of the expansion. After he went nomadic, he forgot about that thinking that his father gave up the idea. It turns out that he had already taken care of that after all. As soon as Chairman John arrived home he was met by his wife. Madam Kelly noticed a satisfied look at her husband. It''s as if a great burden was lifted from his shoulder. She can''t wait to know the outcome of her husband''s visit to President Martin. "Hon, how did it go? What did he say to you?" Madam Kelly asked him impatiently. Chairman John cautiously didn''t speak up until they were alone in their room. Then he told everything that he and President Martin uncovered to Madam Kelly. She was flabbergasted at first. The girl she mocked a couple of days ago and she accused of sleeping with a married man turns out to be an heiress after all. And not just an ordinary heiress. She is the heiress of The Robin Hood Society. The Robin Hood Society is a group of elites and professionals that secretly steals money or goods from informal business sector mostly in the black market, corrupt government officials and elites that operate illegally. Secretly because their operations came unnoticed until it is done. Usually, it would take a week or months before their target perceived it. And occasionally there are instances that their target wouldn''t notice it at all. They used professional hackers, spies, field agents, strategist, mechanics, electronics and surveillance experts, con artists and sometimes gunman and explosive experts to accomplish their heist but they never used them to inflict harm or hurt their targets. Chapter 54 - The Robin Hood Society As much as possible they avoid situations that might injure or hurt anyone during their operations. Their mission is only to steal and not to cause harm or death. They only steal to those who deserve it, and those are the illegal arms dealer, drug dealers, smugglers, human traffickers, and corrupt politicians. They operate internationally so they are known internationally especially in the underground society. The money and goods that they collect go to their foundations that aids and support the poor, poverty-stricken areas, sick, victims of human trafficking and domestic violence and education. Their group also consists of doctors, politicians, lawyers, businessman and different people from all walks of life. They all come in handy whenever the situation needs them. The Robin Hood Society was founded by Alexander Do most commonly known as Elder Do, the grandfather of Jenny Do. After he stepped down from his position, it was taken over by his son Martin Do and his wife Victoria Do, the parents of Jenny Do. The elites thought that these names were only alias or a front to hide their real identity. Little they know that these were actually their real names. Well, except for J who preferred to be called J. But due to a situation, Martin and Victoria Do have to pretend that they died twenty years ago in an ambush. After that, the group maintains a low profile. But there were rumors that they were still operational, and that''s how they assumed that the group was now taken over by its successor, their heiress Jenny Do. Since then, they kept Jenny Do''s identity hidden to protect her. Elder Do must have foreseen this that''s why he arranged her marriage to Jacob Parker. .... J''s night shift duty is almost over and soon it is her two-days off again. These past few days, Jacob has been working overnight and sleep with her in the day. J has become used to it. For some reason, sleeping in Jacob''s arms gives her a sense of tranquility. His distinct scent and warm give her the most soothing sleep. But once in a while she would flinch and remind herself that she should not feel this, she should not get used to this. So after her night duty that day, she went home, get some sleep and while Jacob is still asleep she sneaked out of the apartment. She has decided to give herself some space to prevent her from having a much deeper affection towards Jacob. After an hour she is now driving her Sports Car while on her stereo, Kane Brown''s Good As You is playing. Kane Brown is one of her favorite Country singers because she finds his voice sexy. Finally, she reached her destination, Lotus City Motor Speedway. The guard instantly recognized her car and made a salute although the guard has never seen the driver once. She headed directly into a garage that is specifically provided for her. A couple of minutes later she is now wearing a racing helmet, racing suits, racing gloves, and racing shoes. She walked over a Blue Race Car with a number 88 decals and a name The Black Heiress on its windshield. She is walking side by side with her Team Manager Buck, who was with her ever since she started racing. Chapter 55 - At The Speedway She started as a part-time sports car driver when she was abroad at an age of 15 with the help of Buck who is also a member of The Robin Hood Society. She became famous back then as The Black Heiress because of her mysterious approach. She never appeared in public without her helmets on. She never revealed her identity and personal information. Whenever she appeared in the newspaper and magazine she always wears her helmet and she used the name Black Heiress. It was easy to hide her identity with the help of Buck. She became more famous when she won Rookie of the Year at the age of 17 and Young Racer Award the next year. When she came back to Lotus City, she continued her passion for racing. She became more prominent in Lotus City because she is the only female professional race car driver in the country. She joined a couple of series and has always been on the top five although she was just racing for leisure. It has been a couple of months since she visited the speedway. This is very timely since she needed to do something to divert her attention. Driving and racing have been her second love after nursing. If she wasn''t a nurse, she would probably become a professional sports car driver. Meanwhile in Jade''s apartment. Jacob woke up to find Jenny''s spot empty. He quickly got up and scanned the whole apartment but didn''t find her. He took his phone to call her but after a couple of attempts, she didn''t answer. Where could she be? A mix of panic and vex overcome him. He tried to calm down and think of a place where she might be. He called James to see if she came back to the hospital but she is not there. He called Miss Eve but said that she never went there, but gave him an idea that she might go into a Home for the Aged that she usually visits every end of the month day off. He was able to get the number of the Home for the Aged and look for Miss Nancy, but to his dismay, she was not there but Miss Nancy said that they are expecting her to visit tomorrow. He only had one place left and that is Lantana Province, but finding her there is like finding a needle in a haystack. Their meeting at Lantana Province last time was purely out of luck. He tried to call her again but after trying three times, she still didn''t answer. It''s been an hour and still, he has no idea where to find her. He never felt this scared before. He fears that she might not come back and that thought made him feel hallow. It''s like a part of him will miss. Finally, he decided to call Drew. "Hey man! What''s up?" Drew said in between panting. Jacob frowned and asked, "Where are you?" "Ah¡­ a-at home. Why?" Drew said still panting. Then Jacob heard a woman moaning on the other line. "Damnit Drew! Could you finish your personal stuff first before answering my call!" Jacob said irritatingly then hung up the phone. Drew is a professional investigator but acts more like a top-notched playboy. After a couple of minutes Jacob''s phone ring. "What''s up?!" Drew said as if nothing happens. "You fucking asshole! Don''t you ever answer my call again in the middle of your romantic activities!" Jacob was fuming with anger. Chapter 56 - The Goddess of Speedway Drew laughed and mockingly said, "Hey! You''re acting like you haven''t had sex for a year. What''s your problem?" Jacob calm himself down and said, "I want you to find someone for me. And I want a result within an hour." Drew was skeptical, "Do you think I am a soothsayer? I am an investigator Jacob. Investigator." he emphasized his last word. "Who do you want me to find?" Drew asked "Jenny Do," Jacob answered immediately. "J-Jenny Do? Are you fucking kidding me? What do you want from my goddess Jenny Do? Huh?" Drew was distrustful. Jacob became irksome, "Who are you calling "My Goddess"?" dark clouds forming around him. "Uhm...Jenny Do. My Goddess. Known as The Goddess of Speedway." Drew sensed a change in Jacob''s mood. "Drew, you dare call my wife your goddess again and I''ll cut your baby maker into three with a scalpel," Jacob said that in a hair-raising tone that gave chills in the spine of Drew. "Y-you''re wife? J-Jenny Do is your wife? Since when? How did it happen?" Drew was confused. "To make it short we were married by our grandfathers five years ago. Now answer me. What do you know about her?" he replied impatiently. Drew was startled. "Uhm... Jenny Do is a bit tricky. She''s a famous sports car driver. Well, actually she is famous as The Black Heiress. No one knows her name, identity or how she looks. She never appears in the public without her helmet. Never accepts interviews or endorsement. Although some said that she was seen driving a Blue Sports Car but that was just a rumor." Jacob remembered when she accidentally bumped with her driving a Blue Sports Car in Lantana Province. So, she owned that car? "How did you find out her name?" Jacob asked Drew. "Well, it took me three years to found her name. Aside from that, I have no other information about her. I don''t know where she lives, where she works or where she''s from." Drew said that with disappointment. "But I think I know at least one place where she might be..." Drew paused for a minute. Jacob''s interest was piqued. "Lotus City Motor Speedway." After he heard that Jacob immediately hanged up and rushed out of the apartment to the basement parking. Soon he is on his way to Lotus City Motor Speedway. J was having her laps when in the corner of her eyes she saw a familiar figure watching her. She felt her heartbeat became faster and louder. Louder than the sound of the engine of her sports car. How did he find her? She became more conscious so she finished her laps before she became out of control. Buck meet her and asked, "What happened?" J shakes her head with the helmet still on and said, "Nothing. I''m not in my condition. I have to go." Buck was speechless and was left scratching his head. Jacob saw a woman in a helmet who got out of a Blue Race Car with a name The Black Heiress in the windshield. Drew said that she is known as The Black Heiress in the racing industry so he assumed that that woman is his wife. He rushed over to meet her. J was frozen to see Jacob standing in the hallway in front of her dressing room. How did he know it was her? She calmed down and tried to ignore him as she continued walking towards her dressing room. Chapter 57 - Escaped When she passed through him, she suddenly felt a hand on her wrist. She was surprised to see Jacob holding her wrist and said, "Jenny." with a dark look. J realized it was no point hiding so after making sure that no one is around she takes off her helmet. As she took off her helmet her long black hair falls on her face, she shakes her head to instantly fixed it. Jacob was dazed at that beautiful site. As soon as he was sure that it was Jenny in front of him, he let out a sigh of relieve and suddenly engulf her in his embrace. J was surprised by his move. She tried to loosen from his embrace but Jacob tightened instead. J sighed in defeat. They stayed in that position for a couple of seconds. J was speechless, she was supposed to be there to give herself space from Jacob and yet here she is locked up in Jacob''s arms. "I was worried when I couldn''t find you." Jacob sighed. J felt his sincerity. In a way, she felt guilty. "How did you find me?" J asked. "I have my way," Jacob answered then he released J from his embrace. J waited for Jacob to ask her why she left without telling him and what is she doing here in the speedway but he didn''t. Just like when she accidentally bumped in his SUV with her Sports Car, he didn''t ask her about the car. J reminded herself why she went here and where she is supposed to go after this. She can''t let Jacob follow her so she made an excuse and said, "I-I''ll just change in my dressing room." Jacob nodded and waited for J outside the dressing room. A couple of minutes past but J didn''t appear. Jacob narrowed his eyes and knocked on the door. After a couple of knocks and J didn''t answer Jacob forcefully opened the door with his body and found the room empty. He scanned the whole room and found a door that leads exactly to the VIP parking area. Damn that girl! Jacob clenched his fist until it turned pale. He went towards the guard and ask if he saw a Blue Sports Car left the parking. The guard confirmed it and said that it left just ten minutes ago. J was now driving towards Lantana Province at a speed that she was sure Jacob couldn''t follow her. She felt guilty but she really can''t let him follow her. So, she sends him a message. "I''ll be home tomorrow." Jacob''s phone rings, he saw a message from J. Although he felt a little ease, he still can''t relax. She will be coming home tomorrow. That means he will be alone tonight again in the apartment. J reached the Lodgepole Estate where Mrs. Potters are waiting for her at the porch. The old lady hugged her and escorted her inside the house. J asked Mrs. Potters to send her a tea in her personal library. "Is there any problem?" Mrs. Potters asked her while putting down the tea in the table. She sensed that something bothers J. She had taken care of J since she was a child. She knew her better than anyone. Chapter 58 - Piece of Advice J told Mrs. Potters about her marriage to Jacob. She needed someone to tell her about her situation. And she thought it is best to tell it Mrs. Potters since she is the person who knew her and her grandfather the most. Mrs. Potters might know her grandfather''s way of thinking since she grew up with him. Mrs. Potters had served their family since she was a kid, that time her grandfather was still in college. J never had a mother figure. Never had a lover or suitor before, not because no one is interested in her but because she just didn''t give them a chance to approach her and pursue her. Now that Jacob appeared as her husband, she has no idea how to deal with the situation. She is now following Lance''s advice which is to go with the flow. But it seems that the flow is not going where she wanted it to be. Her original plan is to divorce Jacob, but Jacob rejected it and said that he wanted to try out this marriage first then decide whether to divorce or not later on. But based on their situation right now, how Jacob treats her and how she reacts, there is no way that the divorce is going to happen soon. That is why she is now seeking a piece of advice from Mrs. Potters. Mrs. Potters seemed to understand J''s worries. She seats on the armchair across J''s and said, "Elder Do must''ve been worried about you. You were so hard-headed and persisted that you would rather grow old and die alone. Who in the right mind would want their granddaughter to grow old and die alone?" J''s back straightened as her brow jerked and instantly understands what Mrs. Potters meant. J sighed and asked, "Then what should I do?" Mrs. Potters stared at J and shake her head. This girl is so innocent and clueless. She appeared strong and hard-headed but inside she is weak and innocent. Elder Do knows this very much that''s why he married her off to someone to make sure that she would be protected and taken cared of. She must make a way to get to know this Jacob. Mrs. Potters gazed at the vast ocean. She didn''t answer J''s question instead asked her back, "How do you feel about him?" J was surprised. She was not prepared to be asked with this question. She didn''t even know how to answer this kind of question. Because even she is asking her the same questions. She flinched and change her position but find it more uncomfortable. Mrs. Potters are now staring at her. More like reading her movements and emotions. She felt more uncomfortable so she averted her gaze and look at the ocean instead. But the ocean that she relies on whenever she is stressed didn''t help that much. She sighed. Mrs. Potters gave of a meaningful smile and patted J''s hand that rested on the machete of the armchair. "Know your heart, Miss J." Mrs. Potters said then stand up near the railing of the balcony then asked, "Does he treats you well?" "Uhm... h-he cooks me breakfast, he protects me from his mother, he gets worried when he can''t find me... I-I guess so." J didn''t mention the way he cuddles her during sleep and when he embraces her earlier when he found her. Chapter 59 - Marthas Home "How about you try and open your heart first Miss J. That way you can appreciate the things that other persons do for you. Then you will be able to tell how you feel about them. Don''t rush, you have all the time in the world. I know you are afraid to trust anyone, but there is a saying that the best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them." Mrs. Potters said then left after she gave her a pat on the shoulder. Trust him? J thought to herself. She sighed. Now J felt that it became more complicated. J''s phone ring, she received a message from Jacob. She opened it and was surprised, "I''ll see you tomorrow at Martha''s Home." how did this guy found out that she is going to Martha''s Home tomorrow? He sure has his way of finding information. Then her phone rings again. It was another message from Jacob. "If you wonder how I find out about it? It''s Miss Eve, I called her while I was looking for you. She told me that you might be at Martha''s Home. But Miss Nancy said that they are expecting you tomorrow." With that, a smile appeared on J''s face. So that''s how he looked for her. He even talked to Miss Nancy. But how did he end up in the speedway? She didn''t ask him instead she replied with "Okay." She waited for Jacob to replied back but he didn''t. She felt disappointed. That night was the first time that J had a hard time falling asleep in her own bed in Lodgepole Estate. She hates to admit it but she missed Jacob''s presence. She thought about how he would slowly slide his arms under her head making her lie in his arms then pulled her close to his embrace. Although she is awake, she didn''t protest, she pretended to be asleep stayed in that position until both of them fall asleep. She didn''t know why but she liked it and got used to it, now she missed it. The next morning, she woke up and felt a little bit excited. She had her breakfast and drove her Sports Car back to Lotus City. She left her car into the private parking then took a taxi to Martha''s Home. She was met by Miss Nancy. Miss Nancy is the older sister of Miss Eve. While Miss Eve is the head of the orphanage, Miss Nancy is the head of Martha''s Home which is a home for the aged. J scanned the whole place but didn''t found the person she is looking for. Hmp.. is he bluffing? She thought to herself. "Did you get the package? I came directly from Lantana so I didn''t have the time to pick up the goods." J said smiling at Miss Nancy. "Yes, they arrived yesterday." Miss Nancy smiled back at J gratefully. Miss Nancy is way more sophisticated than Miss Eve. She is already 58 years old. She''s got fair skin, prominent jaw, pointed nose and thin eyebrows that were in a perfect arc. She''s got red lips and copper hair that is in a perfect bun. When not smiling she gives off that strict aura. Chapter 60 - Ms. Nancy Miss Nancy leads J to a group of old females then left her while she began chatting with them. Aside from being so fond of the kids, J also has begun being fond of the elders. When it comes to them she got a lot of patience. After an hour she saw a familiar figure enters the main door. He was looking at her. Their eyes met but soon his gaze was diverted to Miss Nancy who was approaching him. They talked for a minute then she saw them walk towards Miss Nancy''s office. J wonders what could they have been talking. "I''m surprised by your call yesterday." Miss Nancy said after Jacob was seated in an armchair in front of her table. "I see you found her." Jacob nodded and said in a formal tone, "I found her yesterday. Thanks for your help." "Mmm.." Miss Nancy nodded then said, "By the way, I''m Nancy Moore. You can call me Miss Nancy. I''m the head of Martha''s Home. Jacob raised his hands to reach for Miss Nancy''s hands and said, "Jacob... Dr.Jacob Parker." "Evangeline told me about you. I''m her elder sister," she said as she leaned her back to her chair. Jacob had guessed that earlier as they both looked like each other. They were both sophisticated but Miss Nancy looks scarier and intimidating than Miss Eve. "She said you''re Miss J''s friend. The fact that you''re here means Evangeline didn''t believe you," she said nonchalantly. Jacob was confused, "What do you mean?" "I mean, you''re not Miss J''s friend. Who are you?" she replied. Jacob chuckled and said, "I''m her friend." Miss Nancy didn''t speak instead glare at Jacob with a piercing look, "Miss J doesn''t have any friends except for the two that I know, more so, a male friend." Miss Nancy said emphasizing the last words. "She might have close acquaintances but she would never bring them here or to the orphanage." "I insisted on coming with her at the orphanage and today, I came on my own," Jacob said in a serious tone. "Even if you insist, she wouldn''t let you." Miss Nancy was still persistent. She was staring at Jacob and not moving an inch waiting for his reply. "Speak." now Jacob felt defeated. How could this woman order him to speak? "I''m her husband," Jacob said later on with a blank face. Miss Nancy stared at him for a couple of seconds as if trying to confirm if he is telling the truth or just bluffing. "Our grandfather married us off five years ago," Jacob said when he felt that Miss Nancy is doubting him. Then Miss Nancy nodded and said, "Evangeline was right about you." she stands up then walked towards the window where she saw J helping an old man with a walker. Jacob followed her with his eyes bewildered. "Miss J didn''t know about it but Evangeline and I knew that Elder Do married her off five years ago. Elder Do send us a letter. But he didn''t tell us to whom did he marry her off. We didn''t have the chance to ask him because, by the time that we received the letter, he was already dead." then the room was filled with silence. Miss Nancy turned to look at Jacob who is now looking at J and asked, "How did you found out about your marriage?" Chapter 61 - I dont trust you Jacob told her about the marriage contract that his grandfather gave him and the events that happened after that. "So it''s fine with you? Being married to her?" Miss Nancy said with doubt. Jacob confidently said yes looking at Miss Nancy''s eyes. Where did he get the confidence to say that he doesn''t know? But he is serious when he said that. Miss Nancy shake her head and said, "Elder Do wants Miss J to be protected that''s why he married her off to you. To tell you honestly, I don''t trust you. I don''t know what he saw in you that he chose you for Miss J. But I have to trust Elder Do." Jacob was slightly irritated at Miss Nancy for being straightforward. How could she judge him that easily without knowing him first? Does she think he cannot protect his wife? "I am the Chairman of the CLP Group of Hospitals. Base on my status and capability I am confident that I can protect her. I will protect her with my life if I have to. And with all due respect Miss Nancy, I was married to her without my knowledge and opinion. It is true that we share the same animosity here but I accepted it, I embraced it. I don''t know what I will get out of this marriage but I''ve said it before, I am seriously considering this marriage." Jacob stood up with his temper rising. If it wasn''t for J he would have already left after saying those words but he remains standing. Miss Nancy was amused but later on said, "She doesn''t know you." "I don''t know her either, so what difference does it make?" Jacob instantly replied. Miss Nancy smirk, "We can only trust you...S-she..." Miss Nancy sighed deeply while her face softens. "She deserved to be happy. Can you do it?" she said it beseechingly. Jacob was amused at the sudden change in Miss Nancy''s articulation. Miss Eve, Nana, Harry and the rest of the kids, and now Miss Nancy. They were all beseeching him to protect J. This is getting more peculiar. To others, they wouldn''t understand why does completely unrelated people care too much about J''s welfare. J grew up with Elder Do and Mrs. Potters. And sometimes, Mrs.Potters would send her to Miss Eve''s or Martha''s Home where Miss Eve and Miss Nancy would take care of her. So, technically, she grew up with these peoples. They knew of her situation being born from a family that has to create a heist to help other people and then hide their identity. With her situation, they never heard J complain ever since she was young. She had learned to think first about other people before her. She has preferred to be alone and never talks to anyone to keep herself and her family safe. That''s why Miss Eve and Miss Nancy hopes that someday, things will change for her and that someone would take care of her the way she should be. They don''t want to see her be alone for the rest of her life just like what she always says. J deserves more than that. "Jenny doesn''t trust me either, but I''ve already been trying my best to make her happy. Although I don''t know what I will get after this, I decided to not expect anything from her in return." he let out a gloomy sigh as he shrugs his shoulders. Chapter 62 - We Miss Nancy was taken aback. She didn''t expect Jacob''s words. It was unexpected for someone who was arranged to be married to someone you didn''t know and who don''t trust you. She is starting to have confidence and respect for this man. Who could this person be and how did Elder Do know him? "I don''t trust you but I will trust your words." Miss Nancy said later on. The time past and soon it was time for J and Jacob to leave Martha''s Home. J and Jacob said goodbye to the elders and Miss Nancy. "If you need anything please call me. My hospital will be providing you with medical services." Jacob said to Miss Nancy. Miss Nancy nodded and said, "Thank you, Dr. Parker." "We''ll be back again next month." J was taken aback, she said it without giving it a thought. She said ''We'' instead of ''I''. Before she was able to take it back, she already saw a grin in Jacob''s face. Jacob was grinning on the outside but laughing on the inside. That means they will still be married in the coming months. Jacob thought to himself. Inside the SUV, a grin was still plastered in Jacob''s face. J was irritated so he turned to face Jacob but she was out for words. She doesn''t know how to explain what she just said. So instead she asked him, "What did you and Miss Nancy talk in the office:" Jacob shrugged his shoulder and said, "Mm... nothing, just some stuff about Martha''s Home." "Just that? You didn''t tell her we''re married, did you?" J didn''t believe him. "No, I didn''t." Jacob instantly said still with a grin on his face. ''She did'' he said that more to himself. "Could you please stop smiling?" J said irritatingly with a furrowed brow. Jacob chuckled and said, "What''s wrong with me smiling?" "It irks me," J said frowning. "Haha. You''re cute." Jacob couldn''t help it. Damn you! J cursed him in her thoughts. It was followed by an awkward silence. Jacob noticed J''s awkwardness so he asked her, "Do you want to say something?" J was startled when she heard Jacob asked her. She turned back at him as if about to say something but her words were stuck in her throat when she finds him looking at her. Her heart pounds faster. What? It''s not as if she was about to confess something. Urgh... damn his handsomeness! J diverted her gaze. Close her eyes to regain her calmness. When she opened her eyes, she started speaking without looking at Jacob. "About yesterday..." she stopped didn''t know how to compose her words. "What about it?" Jacob asked glancing at her while driving. "At the speedway..." J replied waiting for Jacob''s reaction. "Oh... about The Black Heiress?" Jacob said casually. J looked at him surprised and said, "How did you know about that?" J thought that Jacob just found out about her as a sports car driver but it turns out that he also knew about her alias. Jacob shrugged his shoulder not looking at J and said, "A little birdie told me." "Who''s that little birdie?" J replied with a furrowed brow. Jacob looked at her smiling adorably, "Don''t worry, that little birdie won''t tell anyone about your identity. He''s afraid of scalpels." Scalpels? What? He better be sure about that. J thought to herself then sighed. "About the sports car that I was driving when I bumped in you at Lantana Province," J said later on Chapter 63 - Widowed "Mm... the Sports Car? Is that yours?" Jacob asked her while focusing on the road. "Hmm..." J replied waiting for Jacob to ask further but he didn''t. Jacob didn''t reply, he was waiting for J to tell him more but she didn''t. He wanted to know the secrets of J but he will not force her to tell if she doesn''t want to. He will just wait for her to reveal it herself just like what she did at the orphanage. Or just wait for it to be revealed to him accidentally just like the sports car, her alias as The Black Heiress and Martha''s Home. J assumed that Jacob didn''t want to know more so she just settled in looking outside the window feeling dismayed. It is better this way, any way, she is not yet ready to tell him more about her. She took out her phone and earphones and start listening to music. Jacob saw her putting earphones to her ears so he thought that she doesn''t want to talk about it anymore. Maybe it was enough for the day. She already showed signs that she wanted to open up to him but he will not rush her. J noticed that she is not familiar with the road so she took off her earphones and turned to ask Jacob, "Where are we going?" "Oh.. I''m sorry I forgot to tell you that mom invites us for dinner at the mansion," Jacob replied apologetically. "W-what??" J''s eyes widened in shock. How come he didn''t tell her about it? She is not prepared. The last time was a disaster, she was so sleepy that she didn''t know how she was able to escape his mother''s insulting gaze. "I had no choice. The last time I shooed them out of the apartment. I can''t disappoint her this time or I''ll be dead without a child and you will be a widow at the age of 30." J leaned back with mouth wide opened. "You''re unbelievable," she said as she dropped her shoulders. "Yep... that''s my middle name." Jacob replied with a teasing smile. "What? Afraid of the in-laws?" "Huh... you wish. Just what did I do in my past life to deserve this. Why do I have to deal with these so-called in-laws?" J muttered as she pouts her lips looking outside the window. Jacob can''t help but smile at J''s reaction. He was so mesmerized by her. Finally, they reached Parker''s Mansion. It was inside a private Country Club. The mansion is almost as big as her house in the Lodgepole Estate but more elegant and sophisticated since her house is more of a country and coastal vibe. They were welcomed by the Parker family''s butler, Mr. Han. He is 75 years old but still looks brawny and sophisticated. He leads them to the family room. "Uncle Jacob!" J saw two kids running towards them. Jacob bowed down to reach the kids. The kids give him a kiss and hug which Jacob pleasantly received. "Glad you came." Leticia came from behind and gave J a hug. J was surprised, it was the second time that she met Leticia, Jacob''s elder sister. The first time was when she found out about their marriage. Leticia then turns to give Jacob a hug. "I''ll be dead if I didn''t," Jacob replied. "By the way, you already met Jenny." Jacob turns to J, he wrapped his hands in J''s waist. J looked at Jacob''s direction with a raised eyebrow and a cautious look. Jacob'' returned the same look on J. Chapter 64 - The Parkers 1 Leticia who was watching the two of them chuckled and said, "That''s enough love birds. You''re in front of my kids." then raised her hands in front of J. "We haven''t introduced formally. I''m Leticia, Jacob''s elder sister." What? What love birds? J looked at Leticia but she gave her a sweet smile then received her hands. But inside she was controlling her annoyance over Jacob. "And this is my twins, Paul and Paula. Kid''s this is your Aunt Jenny." Urgh... Aunt Jenny sounds awful. J thought. But before she could react the girl asked her, "Are you Uncle Jacob''s wife?" Oh-oh... how should she answer that kid''s question. She looked at Jacob but looks like he is not willing to help her. Then she turned to Leticia who seemed like waiting for her reply. "Uh¡­ huh?" her reply was short but the kids understand. Jacob looked at her with a questioning look but J just shrugged her shoulders at him. Leticia who was watching the whole situation was smiling. There is something blossoming between these two, she thought to herself. J bowed to chat with the two kids. She can''t hide her fondness for kids. She was glad that there were kids present. At least it is not just an adult''s affair. There were words and topics that she feared to be opened up but the presence of kids makes it quite impossible. J was sitting on the sofa chatting with the twins while Jacob and Leticia were talking something about the company when they heard the voice of a woman. "Jacob! Oh, dear punk finally you could come!" she came close to Jacob and hugged him. "And my daughter in law." J was startled as Madam Kelly turns to her direction. Suddenly she didn''t know what to do? She furrowed her brows at Jacob seeing the soft look and tone of Madam Kelly towards her. The last time they met she was looking and talking to her with an insult. Why the sudden change? J became conscious of her look. Good thing she is wearing more presentable clothes this time than the pajama that she was wearing before. She is now wearing black pants, a flowy white blouse with long sleeves and cold shoulder and sandals. Her long hair although she didn''t tie it up was falling loosely but in the right place. Madam Kelly hugged J tightly. J who was in a state of shock remained frozen while looking at Jacob with eyes wide. "I''m sorry about last time coming into your place without further notice. I thought Jacob is playing with some girls. I''m just protecting your marriage. I didn''t know it was you. If only this punk told us earlier that he already found you and is now living with you we wouldn''t have made that embarrassing mistake. We even disturbed your sleep." Madam Kelly said apologetically. J looked at Jacob asking for help. This is new to her. She doesn''t know what to do in this kind of situation. But Jacob just smiled at her and shrug his shoulder. She sighed then said with a forced smile, "It''s okay. I really don''t mind." "No... No... it''s not okay for me. I will make it up to you. I personally cooked our dinner especially for you. And I prepared Jacob''s bedroom. You can stay here for the night so you could have a good sleep. And if you liked it here you and Jacob can stay here. That would be better." Madam Kelly said enthusiastically while clasping both her hands in front of her chest. Chapter 65 - The Parkers 2 "Ha! Mom nice try but that''s not going to happen." it was Jacob who became alerted after he heard Madam Kelly indirectly tried to convince J to stay and live with them. "Y-you! At least stay for the night okay?!" Madam Kelly said becoming furious with Jacob. Leticia who was sitting on the sofa with the twins is smiling while shaking her head listening to her mother and brother''s argument. While J who was still standing felt mixed emotions. Being surrounded by a family is new to her. Although they were bickering over simple things it is better than what she has. Loneliness filled her heart. Jacob noticed the gloominess in J''s face so he approached her and asked, "Hey, are you okay?" with a worried tone. J was startled and said, "What? Y-yes I''m fine." but Jacob was not convinced. "Okay, dinner''s ready. Let''s go to the dining. Your father and Mark have been waiting for us." Madam Kelly exclaimed leading them to the dining room where they found Chairman John and another man sitting in the bar talking about politics. "Come here Jenny, I''ll introduce you to your father in law and brother in law." Madam Kelly grabs J''s wrist and drags her to the two men. "This is your father-in-law. You already met him at your apartment. And this is Mark Sloane, he is Leticia''s husband. He''s a politician. And this is Jenny Do-Parker. Of course, she is the wife of Jacob so she is now a Parker." Mark Sloane was aghast but that was just quick that J wasn''t sure if the others noticed it but she did as she was very observant of the people around her. And that quick reaction from Mark Sloane didn''t escape her watchful eyes. She reminded herself to call Lance later to find out about Mark Sloane. J smiled as she reached out her hands to them politely. They were already devouring the delectable dishes that Madam Kelly prepared for them when they heard a high-pitched voice echoed around the mansion. "I''m home! Where''s everybody?" A cute girl with a bobcat hair wearing a pink floral dress enters the dining room. "Wow, everybody''s here. This is a rare event. Sister in law must be special." She said enthusiastically. J looked at the lively girl and thought that she looks familiar. She tried to remember where did she saw this girl. Jacob who is sitting on her left side leaned closer to her and said, "She''s my younger sister. She''s a famous singer." That''s right, J already saw this girl in television and billboards. No wonder she is familiar to her. "Oh, Lilybeth honey! You said you can''t make it." Madam Kelly who is sitting on her right side stood up to meet the newcomer and gave her a hug. "Well, surprise!" the girl exclaimed. Then she gave everyone a hug. Lastly, she came to J and said, "So you are my sister in law who, unfortunately, I mean fortunately got married to my brother? Oh, brother, you got such a gorgeous wife here. I can''t wait for grandfather to find me a handsome husband." she chuckled at her last words. J stood up to return her hug. "My name is Lilybeth, that''s what my mother calls me but I prefer Lily." she smiled at her which J returned gaily before introducing herself. Chapter 66 - Lilybeth Lily is a famous singer in the country but she is a very private person. No one knows that she belonged to a very prominent family. Since she never uses her complete name and never mentions her family or posts any pictures with them on her social media, nobody had the idea that she belongs to the Parker family. "Okay, that''s enough. Get to your sit now, the food is getting cold." It was Chairman John who spoke. "Aye aye, sir," Lily said while saluting at Chairman John. Chairman John can''t help but shake his head with a smile in the corner of his mouth. Lily was right. It was rare for the family to be complete in the dinner. He looked at everyone and finally his eyes landed in J. He already accepted this girl into his family and promised her father that his family would protect her. "All of you should stay over tonight." Madam Kelly said in between her meals. "Okay," Leticia said instantly. Then she looked at Jacob. "Urgh... Mom..." but before he could argue Madam Kelly interrupted him and said, "I''ll take that as a yes. And how about you Lilybeth?" "Hmm... if my brother and sister-in-law are staying then I''ll stay," she said gleefully. Jacob and J looked at each other. Jacob shrugged his shoulder to J while J replied with a deep sigh. "So, sis Jenny. Do you listen to music?" Lily who is sitting beside Jacob glanced at her direction. "A lot." It was Jacob who answered before J could reply. Lily''s eyes widened in delight. Among the family, it was only her and her niece who loves music. So, she was delighted to hear that her sister in law loves music as well. "Really? So what kind of music do you listen to?" this time Jacob looked at J in anticipation. He only sees her listening to music over the earphones so he hasn''t heard what kind of music she listened to. "Country," J replied shortly. "Oh... oh... oh... that''s my genre!" Lily became more excited. "But my manager thinks that country music is not too popular in the market that''s why she made me sing pop-rock instead. Which is fine with me since it''s my second choice. But I still incorporated some country music in my album. You should check it out." "Sure. I will." J was glad that she shares the same interest with at least one member of Jacob''s family. Aside from Lily, everyone seems to be more interested in business and politics, which is the least of her interest. Well, of course, the kids interest her. While she wasn''t sure what really interests Madam Kelly. "Do you listen to Kane Brown?" she heard Lily asked her. So, she looked at her and replied, "Yes, a lot." "Oh... don''t you think he''s hot. The tattoo and he''s voice, I find it sexy." Lily said that with a dreamy eye. J chuckled and said, "Yeah, I do." Which makes Jacob looked at her with a furrowed brow. "We should go to one of his concerts abroad." Lily continued. "Sure!" "No!" Jacob and J replied simultaneously. Everyone including J looked at Jacob with an astonished look. "What?" Jacob looked at them, he felt his blood rising. He stood up and said, "I''m done." then walked out of the dining room leaving everyone speechless. Chapter 67 - Responsibility After dinner, the family gathered in the family room except for Jacob that is nowhere to be found. J was playing board games with the twins. Madam Kelly, Leticia, and Mark were sitting on the sofa chatting and Lily is playing the grand piano. While Chairman John went to look for Jacob. Chairman John found Jacob sitting on a bench at the backyard talking to James over the phone. He wasn''t able to come to the hospital since J left the apartment, so he was just checking. When Jacob saw his father approaching, he straightened his back and ended the call. Chairman John sat beside Jacob. There was a moment of silence before Chairman John took the initiative to speak first. "How''s your marriage going?" he asked without looking at Jacob. Jacob sigh then stretched out both his arms before placing them behind his head. "She''s tricky, lots of secrets. Weeks ago, I bumped into her at Lantana Province driving a luxurious sports car. A car that only elites can afford. I wonder how could she afford that. She doesn''t have any relatives in the elite circles." Chairman John didn''t speak although he already has an idea as to how did J get a luxurious car. "Then she went into an orphanage, If I didn''t insist, she wouldn''t let me come. She brought a lot of supplies to that orphanage. And today she also went to a home for the aged to bring them supplies. It seems like she spends all her monthly salary to buy all those supplies." "Yesterday she sneaked out of the apartment. she''s not answering her phone. I couldn''t find her anywhere. Guess where I found her?" he paused to look at his father then but answered his questions afterward. "Lotus City Motor Speedway, driving a race car in the speedway, wearing a racing suit and helmet!" "And she is using an alias! She keeps her identity in everything she does. She is so peculiar." Jacob slouched in the bench with one of his elbows on the armrest while he rested his chin on it. Chairman John nodded. Although he is very much aware of J''s identity and why she keeps it a secret he cannot tell it Jacob yet. "As her husband, it is your responsibility to keep her safe and protected. She might be peculiar but you should treat her like a precious gem. Although you didn''t want this marriage in the first place, protect and defend her like she is your intended wife." although Chairman John said that with a staid look on his face, Jacob listened to his father earnestly. After hearing his father''s words, he finally felt the weight of responsibility that has been passed on to him but he won''t back down. He felt a strong sense of responsibility towards Jenny. After a couple of minutes chatting the father and son went back inside the mansion to meet the others in the family room. "Ah, there''s your possessive husband!" Lily exclaimed looking to Jacob then to J. "Shut it, Lily!" Jacob was getting irksome at Lily who is now laughing beside J. J glared at him. One by one they started to leave the family room and went to their respective rooms. Madam Kelly already prepared Jacob''s bedroom for them. Jacob opened the door and let J enter first. Chapter 68 - Jacobs bedroom J was amazed at Jacob''s bedroom. It was a minimalist modern contemporary bedroom. The ceiling is painted white while the walls are gray. There were only a few things to be seen in the bedroom. A purple accent chair in one corner, besides it, is a black ottoman while at the center of the room is a brown velvet queen size bed with a couple of fluffy white and brown pillows. Beside the bed is a circular bedside table with a lampshade on top of it. Behind the bed is a wall, more like a division accentuated with wall sconces that cover a passageway towards the bathroom and walk-in closet. There''s only one window which is a floor to ceiling window that is as wide as half of the bedroom''s wall. It was draped with a brown curtain that when parted, a breathtaking view of a big tree while behind it is a golf course and man-made lake could be seen. "You liked it?" J was startled. She forgot that Jacob was standing behind her. "Unfortunately, we''ll be only staying here for the night." Jacob continued then he walks towards the walk-in closet. J sit on the bed and looked outside the window. It was dark outside but the lights around the country club make it possible for her to see the whole place. Not long after he heard Jacob called her. "Uhm... Jenny?" Jacob called out her name. "What?" J replied in a dull tone. "Since when did you brought your clothes here?" Jacob asked. "W-what clothes?" out of curiosity J walked towards the walk-in closet only to be surprised to see Jacob standing in front of a closet wearing only a towel on his waist with both his arms in his waist. "Ahhh!" J was embarrassed to see Jacob almost naked. His body is too sexy and hot for her eyes so she covered her eyes with her hands and turn around. The image of his perfect abs, chest, and biceps made her blush. "Damn it! Could you put on some clothes first?" J scolded him angrily. "What? I didn''t tell you to come." Jacob said casually but with a smile on the corner of his lips while looking at J. Yeah right. Stupid, how can you just come here so casually. J thought to herself. "But since you''re already here, look at this." Jacob pulled her. J tried not to look at Jacob''s naked body. "Is this yours?" Jacob asked her looking at a bunch of female clothes hanging in the closet. J looked at the clothes in front of her. She thought for a while then said, "These clothes are not mine. Probably one of your girls left it there." she said annoyed at the thought of other girls sleeping in Jacob''s bedroom before her. Then she started to walk out of the closet, but before she could get out, she heard Jacob said, "I don''t bring girls in my bedroom not even letting them inside my house." J didn''t realize it but she was smiling when she heard Jacob''s word. "Oh wait, let me ask mom." Jacob hurriedly followed J out of the closet still with only a towel on his waist. Picked up his phone and called Madam Kelly. J couldn''t stand it so she turned around looking outside the window to avoid looking at Jacob. Chapter 69 - The most Decent After a while she heard Jacob speak, "She said the clothes were for you. I knew it, she planned all of this. She was sure that we''ll be staying the night here so she prepared those clothes for you to wear." J turned to look at Jacob but after a couple of seconds she dropped her head and scratch her forehead then said, "Could you please put on some clothes first?" Jacob who was unaware of the emotions that J has been wrestling inside said, "Okay." then walk towards the closet. J let out a sigh and shake her head. After a couple of minutes, Jacob went out of the closet wearing a white shirt and gray pants. Then he lies down on the bed with his back on the headboard. J saw him took out a remote control from the drawer of the bedside table and push a button. Suddenly the wall across the bed opened up to reveal a wall-mounted flat-screen TV. Wow! She did not see that coming. It was her turn to take a shower. After thirty minutes, she walked towards the closet wearing a bathrobe. Jacob was already used to J''s long shower ritual so he didn''t find it unusual. But after an hour he started to worry. So, he called her out to check if she''s doing fine. "Hey, Jenny? Are you okay in there?" J heard Jacob called her out, she replied, "Yeah." casually but in fact, she got a huge problem. J couldn''t find a pair of pajamas in the closet but mostly a satin and lace nightgowns. Urgh... she''s not used to wearing these kinds of clothes, what more wearing them in front of Jacob. She can''t find any clothes in the closet that is comfortable to wear during sleep because most were tight-fitting dresses, jeans, and shirts. She got no choice, she found the most decent nightgown to wear. J takes a deep breath before she walked out of the closet. She planned to walk and dive fast in the bed and cover herself with a blanket. She has to make it fast so Jacob won''t notice what she is wearing. But what she didn''t know is that Jacob was already waiting for her outside the walk-in closet and was prepared to knock on the door when she opened it. They were both dumbstruck upon seeing each other. J for not knowing what to do because the person she planned to avoid is now standing in front of her. She was now frozen solid. Jacob didn''t expect to see J in a nightgown. As far as he knows she doesn''t wear this kind of clothes not because she avoided to wear those kinds of clothes in his presence but he didn''t find any of these clothes in her apartment''s closet. She is wearing a peach V-neck silk nightgown with lace on the sleeves and neckline that reached up to the middle of her thigh. Although the nightgown looked decent, he still finds it arousing. He looked at her from head to toe. Damn! He never thought that she could be this hot. His heart beats faster. He felt something in him awakens and it was getting hotter around him. J blushed as she saw the look on Jacob''s face. She tried to regain her composure but regained only half of it. With a shaking hand, she punches Jacob on his chest. Chapter 70 - I can control myself "I-I can''t f-find something to w-wear." J stuttered as she tried to explain the nightgown to Jacob. "W-what?" Jacob was confused. He stared at J and was mesmerized by her embarrassed look. She looks cuter, he thought. Finally, he realized what she meant and gave her a comforting smile. "Let''s see." then he walked inside the closet. J followed him. Jacob scanned all the clothes that Madam Kelly bought for J. He shakes his head in dismay. His mother didn''t buy pajamas for J instead she bought her sexy nightgowns. What J''s wearing is the most decent of them. It is clear what his mother''s intention is. He checked out other clothes to see if she can wear anything comfortable to sleep but found nothing. Finally, he resorted to see if he got any oversized shirt that J could wear. Until he found one, but when he hanged it in front of J to see if it would fit her, an image of her wearing his shirt flashed in his mind and he thought she would look more enticing. Jacob takes a deep breath and shakes his head then said, "This won''t do." then returned the shirt to his closet. He walks out of the closet followed by J then said, "Don''t worry, I can control myself." but deep inside him ''Ah... it''s going to be a sleepless night.'' "W-what do you mean?" J asked but Jacob lies down in bed with his back facing J. J lie down beside Jacob and covered herself with a blanket. There was a moment of awkwardness until J breaks the silence, "What happened earlier?" "What?" Jacob turns to her and asked. "You walked out of dinner and your family. That was rude." J said sarcastically. "Hmm..." Jacob replied then turned his back again on J. After a moment he said, "I don''t want to hear the name of that singer from you again." J looked at Jacob''s back and furrowed her brows then said, "Whose name?" Jacob turned back to look at her and said, "The name of the singer with a tattoo and sexy voice." J was dumbfounded then chuckled, "Are you stupid?" "No, I''m jealous." Jacob instantly replied then turned his back again leaving J frozen. What did she just hear? He was jealous? J''s heart skipped a beat. Then an involuntary smile appeared on her lips. The next morning J woke up in their usual position, her lying in Jacob''s arms while Jacob cuddling her. J fell asleep fast last night, she didn''t understand it but she felt comfortable in Jacob''s bed. She tried to pull herself out of Jacob''s arms but Jacob tightened his hugs instead. J looked up at his face and said, "It''s late." Jacob replied with a sleepy voice and eyes still closed, "You won''t be late until the afternoon." Obviously, Jacob already knew her schedule. "You will be late," said J. "I''m the CEO so I can be late. Besides, I struggled all night to fall asleep." Jacob went silent again after that. J didn''t argue after she realized that Jacob needed more time to sleep. Instead, she pulled herself close to his body to feel his warm. She wanted more of it. After a couple of minutes hesitating, she stretched out one of her arms and wrapped it around Jacob''s waist. Jacob moaned and said, "Honey, I liked it." then pulled her closer. J closed her eyes until she falls back asleep. Chapter 71 - Honey They were both asleep they didn''t notice someone sneakily opened the door from the outside and peeked at them. When that someone saw them sleeping in each other''s arms, she suddenly closed the door and rushed towards the dining room. "Oh... oh... oh... I''m going to have a heart attack!" it was Madam Kelly panting while clutching her chest. Chairman John whose reading newspaper looked up at Madam Kelly but after he realized that she is just bluffing, he returned to what he is reading. "Mom, what have you been doing?" Lily who came to the dining room heard her mom. Leticia and her family had gone off early in the morning. Lily was left to stay while Jacob and J were still asleep. "I saw Jacob and Jenny asleep hugging each other!" Madam Kelly excitedly exclaimed. "What? Did you sneak into brother''s room? That''s rude mom!" "Y-you! They were not showing any affection in front of us so I have to see what they we''re doing behind those walls.! .... Knock! Knock! Knock! Jacob was awoken by a knock on the door. But being still sleepy, he closed his eyes again and ignored it. Knock! Knock! Knock! This time it was J who was awoken, she lazily opened her eyes and said, "Jacob, someone''s knocking." Jacob answered with his eyes still closed, "Mmm... Honey ignore it. It''s just mom." He changed his position just to make J more comfortable. J now heard the endearment that Jacob used to her, but she doesn''t have the energy to argue yet because she felt her eyes closed again. She dug her face deeper to Jacob''s chest feeling his warm and steady heartbeat. Jacob felt it so he leans his head closer to J''s head. He inhaled J''s distinct smell before he kissed her in her hair. At that moment Jacob felt that he can never have a good sleep without this woman in his arms. He wanted to wake up every morning cuddling her and smelling her scent. It seems like this woman has taken a huge part of his body and heart. Suddenly they heard a voice near them that make them jumped out of surprise. "I''m sorry to disturb your sleep." it was Madam Kelly who was already standing at the foot of the bed. She already made her way inside Jacob''s bedroom unnoticed. "But it''s almost lunchtime. Aren''t you two going to the hospital?" J who was still lying in Jacob''s arms with her arms in his waist became conscious of her looks and position so she pulled out her arms and got up in bed. But her sudden movement made her head dizzy. She closed her eyes as she rubbed her temple. Jacob who noticed it glared at his mother and said, "Mom! Don''t you think it is rude to just barge into my bedroom? Can''t we have privacy?" Madam Kelly ignored Jacob''s irritation and continued chastising them. "I''ve been knocking for like fifteen minutes already but you were not answering. I became worried so I went in to check on you. Besides, James has been calling since this morning. He said you are not answering his call. He just wanted to remind you of your 3 pm meeting with Mr. Sy." "Now get up now as I prepare your lunch." after saying that Madam Kelly walked out of Jacob''s bedroom leaving the two flabbergasted. Jacob let out a deep sigh and said, "See that''s the reason why living here is out of the options." Chapter 72 - The Missing Do He then turned to J worriedly and asked, "Are you okay?" "Yes, just felt dizzy after getting up suddenly," J replied. J remembered how the two of them fell asleep in each other''s arms and how she bravely wrapped her arms around Jacob. She felt her face getting warm with embarrassment so she hurriedly went to the bathroom slightly turning her face away so that Jacob won''t see it. But Jacob was quick to notice it. .... In a coffee shop near a Government Building, a rugged man wearing a black shirt with a tattoo of a phoenix in his right arm was sipping his coffee while waiting for his twin sister. When he saw her walked out of the Government Building, he raised his hands to grab her attention. When the woman saw him then she walks towards his direction. It was a tall woman, almost as tall as his twin brother with a height of 5''7 with a mole in the corner of her left eye. She is wearing her leather jacket. "What took you so long?" The woman takes her seat and said, "You know the government personnel, they would ask you a lot of questions before you can get the information you needed." "So did you got any?" The woman waived at the waiter before she answered. The waiter attentively got her order before he walked away from the twins. "Nope." as she was tapping her finger on the table. "Ah¡­ as expected. This is impossible. The girl has been missing in the past 20 years. I don''t think that the Elder Do and her parents will leave any traces of her. They probably changed her name." the rugged man exclaimed in annoyance. "There were few names with a surname Do in the records. Among them are the Elder Do, his son, and daughter in law. The other Do were mostly male while the remaining female Do doesn''t match the current age of the person we are looking for. She''s either one of those remaining Do''s probably changed her gender and age in the records to keep her real identity or they registered her under a different surname." the woman said while sipping the coffee that the waiter brought her. "Naomi, we can''t go back to Boss without any information. Did you get the address and details of the other Do''s?" "Yes, I did. Should we check out on them?" Naomi answered. "Mmm..." The rugged man replied as he nods his head. The twins walked out of the coffee shop after they paid off the bills. They walked towards the parking lot where their black pickup truck is parked. They were ordered to find the heiress of the Robin Hood but after a week of investigating they didn''t find any. The Robin Hood Society has completely deleted all the details that lead to their heiress. They have the best hacker in the country that can hack even the government''s system without any trace. Although it would be better and safer if they changed the name and identity of Jenny Do, her parents didn''t do it. Although Jenny didn''t associate much with the Do''s at least her name makes them one of them. They believe that it is not right to deprive her of her real identity. They didn''t want her to live under the identity of another person. Besides, they have the best way to protect her, plus her marriage to Jacob makes her more protected even if they found her. Chapter 73 - Jealous over a kid On their way back to the hospital it was silent inside Jacob''s SUV. J felt awkward since last night, she wore a nightgown which she never used to wear and Jacob saw her. Jacob said he was jealous of a country singer that she loves to listen to. He hugged him this morning and Madam Kelly caught them hugging each other in Jacob''s bed. She had every reason to feel awkward and embarrassed. Although Madam Kelly didn''t bring out that topic during lunch, she still felt Madam Kelly looking at her with ambiguously. She felt her blood rushed to up to her face making her uncomfortable. Jacob and Chairman John has been talking about the hospital throughout lunch. J just wanted to get it over and get out of the mansion as soon as possible. But inside Jacob''s SUV J felt more awkward. At the corner of her eyes, she saw Jacob was smiling to himself thou his focus was on the road. She can''t take the silence anymore so she grabbed her phone, put the earpiece to her ears and started scanning for songs on her phone. When she was about to play Lose It by Kane Brown, she suddenly remembered what Jacob told her last night so she quickly scanned for another song before things get more awkward. Later that night after her shift Jacob was already home when she got home. When she was about to lie in the bed after a quick shower her phone rings. Its registered Diana''s house phone number. Her brows furrowed as she quickly answered the call. "Hello, what''s wrong? Is Timothy ok?" she asked the other line. It was the nanny of Timothy. It was rare for her to call her, especially at this hour. Upon hearing Jacob who was pretending to be asleep he opened his eyes. Urgh..now there is Timothy. Who is Timothy? "Ah... yes Miss J. He''s fine. It''s just..."J heard the nanny hesitated at first. "There is a man here, carrying Miss Diana and took her in her bedroom. Miss Diana is unconscious. What should I do?" Jenny thought for a while. There is only one man who was able to touch Diana. She asked, "How does he look like?" "Hmm....I''ve never seen him before. He is tall and handsome but too cold and serious." "Did he say anything?" Jenny asked. The nanny answered, "He just asked for warm water, towel and a glass of water." "Mmm.. just do what he said. Don''t worry. He won''t harm her." after making sure that everything is fine, she immediately hung up. "Who''s Timothy?" J''s heart jumped up in surprise when she heard Jacob whom she thought was asleep. J rolled her eyes and said, "Diana''s son." he was jealous over a singer now over a kid. He''s so immature. J thought. Jacob was relieved. That morning, an old lady is trying to open the door of J''s apartment using a key. When she successfully opened the door, she was faced with two Golden Retriever. But the old lady didn''t show any fear. She is used to taming different breed of dogs and taming a golden retriever was a piece of cake for her since they are known to be kind to a stranger. She only gave them treats then scratch their heads. Chapter 74 - A Surprise Visit After taking care of the dogs, the old lady walked towards the bedroom. She gently turns the knob before slowly pushing the door open. Inside the room, she found J asleep in a man''s arms while the man is cuddling her. She furrowed her brows at the sight. After a couple of minutes studying the two, she cleared her throat in an attempt to wake the two. J felt the presence of someone in her bedroom so she opened her sleepy eyes. When she finally regained her clear vision, she was surprised to see Mrs. Potters standing at the foot of her bed. In her panic, she pushed Jacob away from her and get up from the bed. Jacob who was awoken by J''s sudden movement opened his eyes to see an old lady standing in front of them. She looked at the old lady and then to J with a confused face. "Mrs. Potters..." J said. "I came for a visit." the old lady said to J while looking at Jacob. Urgh... why is she acting peculiar? J thought to herself. "I brought breakfast. Quickly wash up then follow me in the dining." the old lady said then turn around to walk towards the kitchen. Jacob looked at J then said, "Who is that?" J gave him a deep sigh then walked out of the bedroom. Jacob was left fazed. In the kitchen J cautiously muttered to Mrs. Potters, "Mrs. Potters what are you doing here?" although she was furious, she maintained a tone of respect to the old lady. "Miss... I came here to skin the man alive. I have to make sure that he is treating you fair despite this arrange marriage. Well, it seems to me that you were well taken cared of." the old lady answered with a teasing smile. J rolled her eyes and said, "Don''t make assumptions." "Oh...Did I?" Mrs. Potters replied with a silent chuckle careful not to be heard by Jacob. As soon as Jacob appeared in the kitchen the old lady returned her serious expression on her face. Mrs. Potters quickly introduced herself to Jacob after serving the foods in the dining table. "By the way, my name is Mrs. Potters. I''m a family friend and an old friend of Mr. Do." J looked at Mrs. Potters with a small smile at the corner of her lips when she heard the old lady call her grandfather as Mr. Do instead of Elder Do. It looks like this old lady is up to something. "When Mr. Do died, he left her to me to take care of. But this lady is old enough, so I just visit her every now and then to check out on her." Mrs. Potters continued as she sat down the armchair in front of Jacob while J is sitting beside him. "So... may I know who is this young man here and why is he here?" J realized that Mrs. Potters is pretending that she doesn''t know Jacob and their relationship. "I''m Jacob Parker. I''m Jenny''s husband." Mrs. Potters raised her eyebrows. "Husband? As far as I know, J never had a boyfriend before and never planned to get married in the future." J who was busy eating raised her head and look at Mrs. Potters. The old lady is seriously taking her disguise. She even dropped her title instead called her by her name only. Although Jacob hesitated at first but later on decided to tell the old lady the truth about their marriage. Chapter 75 - Ladies’ man "We were married off by our grandfather five years ago. It was legal and registered." "Is that so?" Mrs. Potters replied with a raised brow. Jacob was getting irksome. He looked at Mrs. Potters in the eyes while the old lady did the same as well. For a couple of seconds, they stared at each other as if trying to read what''s in their mind. J looked at them one after another then cleared her throat to grab their attention. "So... what do you do for a living?" Mrs. Potters ask Jacob Jacob smirk before saying, "I am a surgeon and also the CEO and President of CLP Group of Hospitals that my family owned. We also owned a Pharmaceutical Company. " "Hmmph... such high profile. You look like a womanizer to me, plus with such a high status I doubt if you didn''t have a girlfriend before you found out about your marriage with J." J chuckled when Mrs. Potters said the word womanizer. She definitely hit the exact word to describe him. Jacob gave J an antagonizing look that makes J bit her lip and returns her focus to her food. Jacob straightened his back and said in a serious tone, "With all due respect Mrs. Potters, I think your choice of word is not fitting." Oh...oh... Mrs. Potters you pissed him off. Thought J. "Indeed, I enjoy spending time and flirting with women but I don''t go beyond that. I don''t casually have sex with random girls if that''s what you want to hear. So I prefer to call myself a ladies'' man, not a womanizer." J blushed hearing what Jacob said. Does he have to be so blunt to prove something? She thought to herself. But that confession had a sudden change of her perspective about this man beside her. The thought of Jacob being a philanderer irks her, that is probably one of her first impressions of him. What a relief to find out that he is not. "Plus... I don''t use my status to chase after girls. It will only ruin my family''s reputation. In fact, it''s the other way around." Jacob said in a proud tone. J choked on the coffee that she is drinking and thought to herself, ''What a swagger.'' "Anyway''s after I found out about my marriage to Jenny, I already renounced my old habit. I only have respect for this marriage now. As I''ve said I am seriously considering this marriage." "Hmmm...I see." Mrs. Potters seemed to be convinced so she turned to look at J. "How''s the family treating you J? You know, although he came from a prominent family, I will not tolerate it once I find out that you were mistreated by his family." Mrs. Potters said that as if Jacob is not in front of her. J was out for word at first. Although Mr. and Mrs. Parker mistreated and judged her during their first meeting, that was just because of a misunderstanding. Besides the whole family treats her well after that. So, she said that she was well treated by the family and welcomed her warmly. Mrs. Potters and Jacob were satisfied with her reply. Finally, their breakfast turned interrogation ended. Jacob prepared to go to the hospital while J and Mrs. Potters were left at the apartment. Mrs. Potters watched J while washing the dishes. J didn''t let Mrs. Potters wash the dishes as she usually did back at the Lodgepole Estate saying that she is her guest and she will not let her guest do the chores at her apartment. Chapter 76 - Investigate someone J takes a deep breath before she turned to Mrs. Potters and said, "Mrs. Potters you do know that the way you look at me makes me uncomfortable, right? What it is that you wanted to say?" The old lady narrowed her eyes and said, "You didn''t tell me that your husband is the CEO of CLP Group of Hospitals." "You didn''t ask," J replied nonchalantly. Mrs. Potters chuckled then said, "You didn''t tell me that he is good looking." with a smile on her face. J rolled her eyes and said, "That''s irrelevant." "I think... no... I''m certain that he likes you." Mrs. Potters said while giving her a fascinated look. J chuckled and gave her a sardonic smile. How she wishes that it is true. But their situation is quite peculiar. Her identity is mysterious to him. What if he found out that she is an heiress of an underground society? Is it possible for him to like her? Given the fact that her identity might ruin the reputation of his family? Mrs. Potters seize the opportunity to report to J the current status of the Lodgepole Estate since J wasn''t able to stay there for long the last time she visited. Then after a couple more hours, Mrs. Potters bid her goodbye and wished to see her in the Lodgepole Estate in her coming days off. J was left in her apartment. Since she was able to finish all of the chores that morning with the help of Mrs. Potters who insisted on helping her, she still has a couple more hours left before she goes to the hospital for her duty. With nothing to do, she sits on the sofa and turned on the TV. A piece of breaking news flashed on the TV. It was a ribbon cutting on one of the newest government establishment that has been built just recently. On the screen of the TV, J saw a familiar face who''s cutting the ribbon. It is Mark Sloane. The husband of Leticia Parker Sloane. The first time they met at the Parker''s Mansion she sensed a peculiar look from him. Then she remembered to call Lance. "Hey! How''s your married life? I was starting to get sulky realizing that you have forgotten about me because of your husband." Lance said on the other line pouting his lips. J ignored him and rolled her eyes then said, "I want you to investigate someone for me." Lance is not just her personal lawyer but also her personal investigator. If Peter is President Martin''s right hand, Leo is Madam Victoria''s, Lance is her''s. But unlike Peter and Leo who was always with the President and Madam, Lance is always hidden and does his job behind the scene. Of course, that is to protect J. It would seem weird for an ordinary nurse to have someone following her wherever she goes. That''s why since Lance and J were back from abroad, they rarely see each other and had a communication only thru phone and email. Lance being ignored was already used to J''s attitude then said, "Oh... Okay. Who could that be?" "Mark Sloane." J shortly replied. "Hmm...Mark Sloane. The politician?" Lance asked. "Mm..." was J''s short reply still looking at the man on the TV screen. Chapter 77 - Invitations for dinner "I wonder what he did that caught your interest? He is a good-looking man and a good catch but he is older than you and I heard that he is already married. And you are also married." Lance started to mock her although he knows that J would never be interested in that person at least not in a romantic way. "He''s married to Leticia Parker. The elder sister of Jacob and the CEO of Parker Pharmaceuticals. I met him at Parker''s Mansion. When he heard my name, he looked aghast as if he recognizes me. I knew there is something about him and I wanted to know what that is. You have to get information about him as soon as possible. If he knew something about me, I have to do something about it before things become complicated." J said in a serious tone. Lance knew that this could be a serious situation so he dared not to joke around and said, "Oh... Okay. I got it. I''ll call you back as soon as I found something." The next days past like usual. J went to her afternoon duty while Jacob has been out of town to visit the other hospitals under the CLP Group of Hospitals. One of those days Diana called J and invited her to have dinner at the cafeteria of the hospital since they only have to sneak out from duty. Diana told her about what happened between her and Leo. As well as their upcoming wedding. J was not surprised as she had already expected that but she didn''t expect this to happen this soon. Knowing Leo and Diana, one is emotionless while the other one is fearful. Who knows how long will they be able to contain their emotions? What surprised her the most is that it was Leo who made the first move to break the wall between the two of them. There might be something that triggered him. But nonetheless J was happy for Diana, after all the hardships that she had to deal with, she deserves to be loved and to be happy. Although J was not surprised others were in shock, especially those who knew Diana and Leo. Everyone knew that Diana is aloof and always stays away from men while Leo never showed any interest with any woman before, although no one doubts his gender preference because he doesn''t even show interest in men as well. It''s only Simon who was able to talk to him indifferently. Nobody knows that the two of them had a relationship, so their marriage comes as a shock to everyone even President Martin. That day Lily also called her to invite her for a dinner but since J is in an afternoon shift, she won''t be able to leave the hospital until eleven at night so she regrettably rejected the invitation but later on said that she might be able to join her for breakfast or lunch. Lily who is usually busy during the day made a promise that she will find a way to make their girl bonding possible in the upcoming days. Although they have only met for one day, J is exceptionally fond of Lily and felt that they will make a good buddy. It is rare for J to have someone of the same interest as her. Chapter 78 - Is He Gay? Throughout her life J only had two friends. One is Lance and the other one is Diana. Lance whom she grew up with doesn''t have the same interest as her, but he is the only person who understands her and the only person who can tolerate her temper and attitude. While Diana, on the other hand, became her friend since her grandfather died. She and Diana shared the same interest when it comes to nursing. Although Diana is lively and bubbly which is a complete opposite of J, they have come to get along well as she was also able to tolerate or more like ignore J''s temper. When Madam Victoria noticed the closeness of Diana and J, she gave Diana a mission which is to watch over J since Lance being J''s right hand cannot follow her wherever she goes. Which Diana didn''t hide to J. That night J went home expecting Jacob to be at home already. These past few days that Jacob was visiting the other hospitals he has been coming home directly from travel and not stopping by in the hospital. She also noticed that every time Jacob will come home, he is exceptionally tired and already asleep by the time she comes home. Entering her bedroom J saw Jacob asleep in the bed so she silently moves around before getting to take a warm shower before going to sleep. While in the bathroom J''s phone which is in the bedside table ring. Jacob who has been pretending to be asleep all this time opened his eyes and glanced at J''s phone who is continuously ringing on the bedside table. Who could have been calling her at this hour? Out of curiosity Jacob got up from the bed and looked at the screen of J''s phone. His eyes narrowed when he saw whose name flashed in J''s phone. It is from Lance. In his annoyance, he grabs J''s phone and answers the call. Lance who always takes precaution when calling J waited for J to speak up before he speaks heard the voice of a man on the other line. It is definitely not J. Who could it be? And where is J? "Who''s this?" Jacob said in a cold tone. When he didn''t receive an answer, the dark clouds started to build upon his face. "Lance, right? I wonder why do you have to call my wife at this hour? Is there something important that you wanted to tell her?" Jacob said in a curious tone. Lance struggled to think of a reason to tell Jacob until an idea come up his brilliant mind. Before Jacob could speak another word the person on the other line speaks up that made him grimace. "Oh... oh... hi there J''s hubby. Can I speak to your wifey J please? You now it''s been a long time she visited my salon and I was wondering when is she going to stop by. You know, she might need a new hairstyle or a change of hair color. Or maybe a pedicure or manicure? Hmmm?" it was an animated gay voice that Jacob heard. And on that moment, he became speechless. Awe transformed his face as he thought. Is this Lance a gay? When suddenly the door of the bedroom opened and J walked in while drying up her hair with a towel on her hand. Her brows drew together when she saw Jacob holding her phone over his ears. She walked over to Jacob without a word gesturing him to hand over her phone. Jacob gave back J''s phone to her with a complex emotion on his face. Chapter 79 - Mark Sloane When J received the phone, she looked at the screen to see who''s on it. She lifted an eyebrow when she saw that it is Lance before bringing the phone over to her ears and said, "What''s up?" apathetically. When Lance heard J on the other line, he let out a miserable sigh and said, "Oh God! Where have you been? Why is your husband answering your phone? Did you know that I have to pretend that I am gay to avoid suspicions from him? My God! You are making me act impromptu! Wait, is he still there? He didn''t hear me, right? Could you please walk away from him just for this moment? Could you?" Her expression dulled before he walked out of the bedroom towards the balcony. When she was sure that the sliding glass door of the balcony is closed, she leaned her back in the railing of the balcony while facing the glass door where she could see the living room. She is being cautious that Jacob might follow her and eavesdrop on their conversation. She can''t help being skeptical over Jacob since he already answered her phone without her permission. "I am now on the balcony. Did you find anything?" since Lance can''t wait for tomorrow and made the call at this hour it could probably be about Mark Sloane. Without wasting any time Lance started his narration, "Hmm... well Mark Sloane came from a family of a politician. They have a clean record, one of the most trusted personalities in the government. And you are right about one thing.... he knew you. Not in a negative way but in a complicated way." "I found out that Mark Sloane is a member of The Robin Hood Society. In fact, he is a member of the council. He is one of the eyes and ears of society inside the government." J''s expression hardened. Only the members of The Robin Hood Society know the name of the heiress but no one has ever seen her, except for Leo, Diana, Lance, Dr. Gonzales and President Martin and Madam Victoria. The society had a strict rule when it comes to confidentiality if one leaks out a piece of information about the society including the identity of the Boss'' and the heiress they will lead a miserable life that they would wish to just vanish. Since she was introduced to Mark Sloane as Jenny Do, he probably recognized her as the heiress of the Society. But there is more to that, she was introduced as the wife of Jacob Parker. Definitely, his loyalty is in his Boss'' so there is a chance that he would tell them about their acquaintance and her marriage. And before it happens, she wanted to have a word with him first. "Lance, see if Mark Sloane had told Mom and Dad about my marriage. And I want an appointment with Mark Sloane, ASAP." "Got it!" then both of them immediately hanged up the phone. J returned to her bedroom to find Jacob sitting at the accent chair in the corner of the room with a screwed-up face. "So, have you scheduled your appointment with Lance?" Jacob asked her skeptically. J was puzzled at first but immediately realized that Lance probably made an excuse to Jacob then shortly answered, "Yes." Chapter 80 - Getting Suspicious As J was about to lie on the bed, she remembered something then turned to Jacob and said, "I believe that answering your wife''s phone is not written in the doctrine of being a husband. So, I hope that this is the first and last. I prefer that my privacy would not be violated by this marriage." Jacob''s face twitched. Although J was right, he violated her privacy when he answered her phone, he still can''t avoid getting suspicious about this Lance. Is he really gay? Why would he call her in the middle of the night just to offer her a manicure or pedicure? And does J really had to go to the balcony to talk about that with Lance? The last time she had a middle of the night call she didn''t bother to go out of the bedroom before answering the call and talking to the person on the other line. That''s when he heard that she mentioned the name, Timothy. Was it just because he is asleep at that time? Still, that call from Lance is suspicious. That Lance is suspicious. He hasn''t met him or heard J talked about him yet. The next morning, while having breakfast Jacob cannot resist the urge to ask J about Lance. It has been bugging him the whole night and he might not be able to concentrate the whole day if he didn''t find out anything about Lance and his relationship with J. So, Jacob asked J. "That Lance... what is his relation to you?" he asked directly. J was surprised at Jacob''s sudden question but then answered him directly, "He''s my friend." "Hmm... how long?" "Since childhood," she replied while gazing at him. Jacob returned her gaze and then asked again. "He''s gay?" J didn''t look away as she said, "Yes." "I want to meet him," Jacob said in a cold tone then lowered his eyes and continued eating. J narrowed her eyes while looking at Jacob. She sensed that he didn''t believe Lance''s disguise and alibi last night so she knew she had to find another alibi. She doesn''t know what alibi had Lance told him last night so she has to be careful with her words. But then, later on, decided not to answer him. It is better than to commit mistakes. Still, the bottom line is she cannot let him meet Lance. Not now. Not yet. Jacob went out of town again for a visit to another hospital under the CLP Group of Hospitals while J was left home. This afternoon will be her last duty before her two days off tomorrow. That day the surgical department''s schedule board is full until eight in the evening. J scanned the board and found her name in two of the scheduled operations. One at four in the afternoon which is a Laminectomy, a surgical procedure that removes a portion of the backbones to treat a condition called spinal stenosis, it will be performed by a visiting doctor. It will take about one to three hours, so J still have time to prepare before her next schedule with Dr. Hook which is an AV Fistula Creation which will only take up to thirty minutes. AV Fistula Creation is a procedure in which the artery and vein were connected using a small incision to the arm. It is mainly done to patients undertaking hemodialysis. Chapter 81 - Death The operations went smooth as always. As usual, she was highly praised by the doctors whom she assisted. It was already nine in the evening, there was no more surgery to be done so she decided to have dinner at the cafeteria with Diana. When she returned back to the surgery department, she heard Head Nurse Jing''s high-pitched voice, "Where is she? Isn''t she back yet? Better pick her up at the cafeteria!" She saw a male nurse who is just new to the department rush towards her direction but when he saw her, he suddenly shouts out, "She''s here!" Her forehead creased, it turns out that they have been waiting for her. When she left the station for dinner it was utterly peaceful and quiet but now it turns into chaos. She wondered, did something happen when she was having dinner? "Great! Come here. We will be having an emergency operation. The patient is on its way. You will be assisting Dr. Aaron. Get ready and prepare." Head nurse Jing said in an urgent tone. "Oh... Okay. What''s the case?" J nonchalantly replied. It was the new nurse who said, "Gunshot wound." With that J walked towards the OR theater and put on the surgical gown then waited for the patient to arrive. J and Dr. Aaron along with another nurse and the anesthesiologist were waiting inside the OR theater when they heard hurried footsteps outside the OR theater and the sounds of the wheel of the stretcher making its way inside. The door burst open, Head nurse leads the stretcher with a patient inside. J''s eyes widened as she didn''t expect the situation to be this severe. The gunshot wound turns out to be multiple gunshot wounds and is a massive trauma. The patient is a male, he is now wearing a surgical gown. An IV drip is hooked to his left hand. The patient is intubated, while a female nurse is beside him pumping an ambo bag connected to a tube in his mouth to keep the patient alive. The patient is already pale indicating that he had lost a lot of blood. The patient was now transferred to the operating table and is now hooked to the mechanical ventilator to assist him in his breathing. While preparing the patient head nurse Jing discussed the situation of the patient. The patient suffered eighteen gunshot wounds, two on the neck, eight in the chest and stomach while the rest were in the arms and thigh. The patient had lost lots of blood and is now having a pneumothorax, a condition where there is an abnormal collection of air between in the space between the lungs and the chest wall. When J heard what head nurse Jing said she went blank. There is a great possibility of the patient not surviving this operation. But then J snaps out of it, Dr. Aaron is a talented surgeon. They will make sure that they will send the patient out of the surgical department alive. But as time goes by, the situation is getting worse. They haven''t taken out all of the bullets in the patient''s chest, the patient has lost a lot of blood already. After two hours the atmosphere in the OR theater is tensed and gloomy. Dr. Aaron, as well as the other nurses, had long been gone except for J who is slumped on the floor of the corner of the OR Theater with her back on the wall. Her eyes fixated on the empty operating table. Chapter 82 - Jacob’s heart ache The patient was already sent to the morgue. He died due to massive blood loss and inadequate oxygen. Sadness clouded J''s features. It was the first time that her patient died. Now she was having complex emotions. Although she had expected that the patient might not make it, she didn''t expect him to die in the operating table in front of her. She and Dr. Aaron tried hard to revive the patient but they failed. J is an exceptionally talented nurse. Doctors have high regards towards her. This is due to her experience and boldness to accept even the most complicated cases and surgeons as well which other nurses would hesitate to take. But what she hasn''t experienced yet is the death of her patient. In the past, her patients and supposed patients with a risky and dangerous case would die before or after the operation takes place but not during the operation. While outside the hospital Jacob''s black SUV was parked with James getting out of it. "Aren''t you going to drop by?" James said knowing that J is still inside. Jacob shakes his head because he prefers to wait for her at home then said, "Don''t forget to give Aaron those documents. He''s waiting for them." and with that, he waved James goodbye and drive towards Jade''s Apartment. When James arrived at the surgical department, he felt awkward. Everyone has a gloomy eye including Dr. Aaron. "Did someone die?" it was a joke on James part. What James didn''t think is that his joke turned out to be the real case. He immediately apologized to Dr. Aaron and the rest of the nurses in the station. Mortality is a rare case in the surgical department of Camila Lopez Parker Hospital. So, he felt sympathetic towards them. But looking around, he noticed that Nurse J is nowhere. He turned to ask Dr. Aaron. "I thought Nurse J is on duty? Isn''t she?" Dr. Aaron let out a depressing sigh before he said, "Among us, she is the most affected. I''ve done all I can to comfort her but it didn''t work. She is still inside the theater." James immediately excused himself then made a call. When finally, Jacob answered his call he said, "I think you need to come over..." And just as a speed of light Jacob reached the hospital. He hurriedly rushed towards the surgical department where James is waiting for him. When he entered James immediately come to him without the others noticing and said, "She''s in theater one. I''ll help you cover." J has been trying to hold back her tears because she thought that she is not supposed to be affected but she felt a tightening of her heart as if someone is holding a tight grip on it and she could barely breathe normally. When suddenly the door burst open, she looked at the direction of the door and saw Jacob with his apprehensive look. Jacob scanned the whole room until his eyes met J''s eyes. The look on J''s eyes is heartbreaking. He felt his heart quiver looking at the state that J is in. Jacob slowly walked towards her direction then he squatted down in front of her. The tears that J has been fighting back now flooded her eyes as if all the emotions that she is keeping inside her burst out at the sight of Jacob. Suddenly she pounced her body towards Jacob and wrapped her arms around his neck. In Jacob''s arms, she broke down and sobbed like a child. Chapter 83 - My Reality Jacob''s heart aches for J, he tightened his embrace as he rubs J''s head to comfort her. He let her cry her heart out until she feels better. Jacob saw the door opened and revealed Dr. Aaron. Dr. Aaron saw his friend, the CEO hugging the crying Nurse J, his eyes widened in shock but later on replaced with confusion. Jacob looked at him and gestured him to keep quiet. Understanding what the CEO meant, he walked out of the theater and closed the door. J continued crying in Jacob''s shoulder until it gradually subsided. Jacob felt that J''s hug loosened. He cupped her face with both his hands as he wipes her tears with his thumb. "Let''s get you home," Jacob said in a gentle tone. J looked at his eyes before she nods her head. Soon the two of them walked out of the theater with Jacob holding J''s hand. Since she was a child, she only showed her weakness to her grandfather. When her grandfather died, she also lost a shoulder to cry on. She never showed her weakness to anyone since then, not even to Lance or Diana. Until she broke down in front of Jacob. She discovered that she cannot keep acting strongly in front of Jacob. No matter how hard she conceals it, her weakness will show in front of him. She felt weak knowing that she wasn''t able to prolong that person''s life. After this event, she realized that not being able to do anything to keep a person alive has become one of her weaknesses. Over the years of working in the hospital, her vision has always been to keep her patient healthy and alive. But the death of their patient tonight has become an eye-opener to her that you cannot control everything over your palm. Because God always has His own plans. When they reached Jacob''s SUV, Jacob opened the door to let J in. J felt tired and exhausted that as soon as she lay her back at the car seat, she felt her eyelids dropped and her consciousness drifted away. She didn''t have an idea that Jacob is staring at her worriedly then come closer to kiss her forehead. While in the nurse'' station Dr. Aaron keeps pondering on what he saw earlier. It was the CEO, comforting Nurse J in his arms. The aloof and distance Nurse J in the arms of the playboy and easy-going Dr. Jacob? That is not possible. Then he received a text message. It came from the CEO itself. "Bring Jenny''s things in the parking lot." Jenny? Just how close they are that he called her by her real name? Dr. Aaron thought. Head Nurse Jing who was sitting in front of him suddenly rise up and said, "I''ll go check out on Nurse J." Dr. Aaron was alerted. "No need!" he said panicking. Everyone looked at him in confusion. He tried to regain calmness then said, "She''s in the lobby now. I''ll take her things to her." after saying that. He grabbed Nurse J''s bag and phone and rushed out of the hospital. At the parking lot, Dr. Aaron saw Jacob''s SUV. He walked towards it and saw Jacob leaning on the door with an open window, inside he saw Nurse J asleep. He hands over Nurse J''s things to Jacob then looked at him questioningly. Jacob did not falter instead he looked at J who is in a deep slumber and said, "What you saw earlier... I hope you can keep it a secret." Dr. Aaron narrowed his eyes and said, "What do you plan with her? She is not the kind of girl to play around with." Jacob smirk and said, "Did you think I didn''t know that? I am not playing around. She is my reality." Dr. Aaron''s jaw dropped. Who is this man? Chapter 84 - A Battalion to search for her The next morning J woke up in Jacob''s arms, She''s now in her bedroom but still in her uniform. She wondered how did she get there. The last time she remembered was Jacob took her into his SUV, then maybe she falls asleep. Probably this guy beside her carried her up here. But the fact that he didn''t dare to change her clothes amaze her. She raised her head to look up at the charming face of the person that is currently hugging her. As the days go by, he came to know more about Jacob and he never fails to surprise her. He is more than just a handsome, charismatic and ill-tempered CEO. There is the other side of him that you cannot see with just your bare eyes. To be able to see that you must come to know him deeply, and it will take time. As she looks at his handsome face, she felt the urge to touch it. The way he comforted her last night, makes her heart melt. His appearance at the theater last night made her broke down and cried which she never does in front of anyone except her grandfather. After that, she felt relieved from uttermost emotional stress. She buried her face deeper into his chest and inhale his unique scent. After a couple of minutes more, she slowly releases herself from Jacobs''s arms then gets out of the bed. She hurriedly brushed her teeth and change her clothes before going out of the apartment. It is her day off today and she wanted to go to the Lodgepole Estate. If Jacob woke up before she was able to leave it''s either he will forcefully come with her or she won''t be able to leave at all. She was in a hurry that she wasn''t able to take a shower which didn''t bother her at all. She is the kind of girl that didn''t bother to go out of her house without taking a shower most especially if she is in a hurry. Because she''s going to need more than an hour to take a shower and get dressed. When she reached the private garage where her sports car is parked, she sent Jacob a message that she is fine and just needed some time alone. Knowing Jacob, once he found out that she is gone without a word he might call a battalion to search for her. When Jacob woke up finding the space of J empty, he immediately got up and search the apartment. When he is about to call her phone, he received a text message from J. His brows furrowed before he replied with "OK, I''ll see you tomorrow at Eve''s." Then he opened an app on his phone, after typing and entering some details a map appeared with a red circle blinking and moving. J received Jacob''s reply and it made her brows drew together. Just OK? Did he reply with just OK? J expected Jacob to reply with tons of questions like ''Where are you? Where are you going? Who are you with?'' but to her dismay, he didn''t. She frowned, something''s not right. He said he will see her tomorrow at Eve''s, so probably he is just giving her space for a day because he knew that tomorrow she will be at Eve''s and he promised the kids that he will return with her. Chapter 85 - Back in Lodgepole Estate But what she didn''t know is that Jacob planted a tracking device to her sports car days ago. He already assumed that when her day off comes she might sneak out again in the middle of the night or the broad daylight. And he was right. Jacob stared at his phone, the red blinking circle is headed towards Lantana Province. A smile curved up at the corner of his mouth and said, "Gotcha!" He made a call to James, "Attend to all my scheduled meetings today and tomorrow on my behalf. I''ll be having a day off." James was not surprised because he knows that today is J''s day off and Jacob is still investigating where J is going during her day off. Jacob didn''t rush, he ate his breakfast, as usual, take a shower and dressed in a casual outfit. He looks dashing in his ankle-length black jeans, a white shirt with a black unzipped jacket and white shoes. He took out his keys and drove towards Lantana Province. He just followed the direction that the red blinking circle in his phone is taking. Until he reached a familiar Y intersection in front of a hill. One road leads back to Lotus City while the other road leads to Lodgepole Estate as the sign says. Jacob looked at his phone and found that the red blinking circle already stopped to what seemed like inside the Lodgepole Estate. His face winced, just what could she be doing here? As far as he knows the place is private property. The last time he has been there he has taken an interest at the estate so he searched for it to find the owner and offer a deal but the place doesn''t seem to appear in the country''s Real Estate Registrar. So, he assumed that this property is probably owned by a big private personality or an underground personality. He continued driving towards the Lodgepole Estate until he found J''s sports car parked in front of an old yet well-maintained mansion probably as big as Parker''s mansion. After a couple of knocks, the door opened and he was surprised to see Mrs. Potters. Mrs. Potters'' face went white in shock seeing Jacob in front of her. Jacob noticed her expression and looked at her from head to toe. He cannot trace the strict aura that she emits when she visited J at the apartment. He studied her wondering if she is the owner of the mansion. "Dr. Jacob. What brings you here?" Mrs. Potters regained her composure. "Surprised to see me Mrs. Potters?" Jacob said sizing her up. "I came here for Jenny." Mrs. Potters calmly smiled and said, "Last time I check, she is in her apartment with you Dr. Jacob." in an assertive tone. Jacob chuckled and comically replied, "Last time I check she drove her car here Mrs. Potters." pointing towards a Blue Sports Car indicating that he knew who owned that car. Mrs. Potters gave him a defensive look before she said, "I don''t know what you are talking about but, Miss J, I mean J is not here." Jacob raised his brows when he heard how Mrs. Potters addressed J then take it back immediately. Then he saw a teenage girl appeared behind Mrs. Potters holding a tray with a cup and pot of tea on it. "Aunty, Miss J asked to bring the tea to the master''s bedroom. I saw that you already prepared it, should I take it to her now?" Chapter 86 - Where is the Master’s Bedroom? Mrs. Potters shot her niece a piercing look. Jacob laughed at the accidental confirmation that J is indeed there. He walked past Mrs. Potters and take the tray from the hands of the teenager and said, "I''ll take this to her." The teenager looked at Jacob then to Mrs., Potters with a confused face. Jacob started walking but stopped after two steps then turned to Mrs. Potters and her niece and said, "By the way, where is the master''s bedroom?" with a wide grin. Mrs. Potters sigh in frustration before she signaled her niece to show him the way. Jacob followed the girl until they reached a room on the second floor. The girl knocked at the door three times then said, "Miss J? Your tea is here." but received no response inside. "She''s probably still in the bathroom." then she opened the door. Jacob entered the room without waiting for the girl''s word then shut the door. The teenage girl wondered if it is okay for her to leave the man inside the Miss''s room. Jacob put the tray on top of the bed and scanned the whole room and found himself pleased at the interior of J''s bedroom. He looked outside the window, and his face lit up at the scenic view. While waiting for J''s prolonged shower, he became curious as to what kind of tea does his wife drink so he walked over the bed, remove the lid of the teapot and inhaled the aroma of the tea. He guessed it is lemon and ginger. Beside it is a small jar with honey in it. He was tempted to have a taste of the tea so he poured himself some in the cup, put a small amount of honey then sipped it. The tea tastes good and revitalizing. It has a zesty taste, sweet and spicy. J probably drink this to relieve her stress after the event that took place last night. He returns to the window looking at the ocean while sipping the tea. Since J arrived in the Lodgepole Estate all she wanted was to take a shower immediately. She had stayed in the bathtub more than the usual while staring at the blue sky which can be seen from her bathtub through a glass roof. She heard the door of her bedroom opened then closed. It was probably Mrs. Potters with her tea. She wanted her tea to be hot so she stands up and finished her shower. When she was done, she dried up her whole body then put on a bathrobe. She opened the door of the bathroom and step out of it while drying her hair with a towel. The color drained out of her face when she saw a man standing in front of the window. She instantly recognized Jacob even when his back facing her. Jacob probably sensed her so he turned to look at her. She looked extremely gorgeous even with wet hair and a bathrobe. He hasn''t seen her in a bathrobe before, probably because back at the apartment after taking a long shower she would always come out of the bathroom dressed already. "Pardon me for having a taste of your tea. It tastes good by the way. Remind me to ask Mrs. Potters how to make one." Jacob said ignoring the anger that is transforming in J''s face. Chapter 87 - Please Don’t Throw me out "How the hell did you get in here?!" J burst out of anger. Jacob didn''t answer instead he shrugs his shoulder and pouting his lips. "Damn! I knew it!" J finally realized why Jacob didn''t ask her where she is or where is she going when she sends him a message this morning. Instead, he replied with just OK. She felt that it was odd but ignored it. So he was really up to something. "How did you found me?!" she turned scarlet in anger. "Ah. I just followed my instinct." Jacob replied in a matter of fact tone. "To hell with your instinct!" then she burst out of her bedroom to find Mrs. Potters since she can''t get a proper answer from Jacob. She found Mrs. Potters and her niece sitting in the dining table as if waiting for her. They already assumed that once she saw Jacob in her bedroom, she would find them for an explanation. As soon as the two saw J coming, Mary, the teenage girl stood up and immediately admit her wrong. "Miss J, please don''t blame my aunt. She is not at fault. It is mine. She repeatedly insisted to your husband that you are not here but I accidentally in a way blurted out that you are here. I am really sorry Miss J. I didn''t know that he is your husband and that he didn''t know about this place. Please don''t throw me out." she clasped her hands while pleading. Mrs. Potters stopped her niece from her nonstop talking before she said more unnecessary things. Jacob who probably felt hot because of the tea had already taken his jacket off and appeared behind J. "Dear, it''s not their fault. I put a tracking device in your car. I didn''t plan to follow you yet today but considering your condition last night, I was worried so I had to." Jacob said in a serious tone. J was fuming with anger, she got that extreme urge to punch this guy''s face but it was so perfect that she was afraid that she might disfigure him so she just grabs a pillow from a chair near her and throw it at Jacob''s face then screamed out in annoyance before she walked upstairs stomping her feet. J walked so fast that Jacob had to run to follow her and block her way. "What else do you want?!" J shouted at Jacob in irritation but Jacob somehow found it enchanting. A sweet smile appeared from his lips and said, "I just wanted to talk. Promise, I''ll leave after that." J was stunned. That smile gave her a complex emotion. She hated this guy yet her heart is fluttering. Damn this heart of her! "I-I have to get dressed first." at that moment J hated herself for stuttering. Damn it! She was supposed to be angry at him! "Oh... okay." Jacob gave her a winsome smile then he moved aside to give J a way. That''s right she needed to change first because the thought of her wearing nothing beneath that bathrobe might distract him. J rolled her eyes and walked away from him towards her bedroom. Jacob was in a good mood that he wasn''t affected at all by J''s anger and shouting. After some time they were sitting on the terrace overlooking the ocean. J was sipping her tea while Jacob is watching her. Chapter 88 - A Wedding Present "Stop staring and start talking," J said without looking at him. Jacob chuckled then started talking. "Okay, the last time we were here I noticed that you liked this place so I tried to purchase this estate for you." What? Tried to purchase the Lodgepole Estate for her? As in for her? What for? J thought to herself while looking at Jacob amused. "I haven''t got you a wedding present so I thought this one is a great idea..." Jacob looked at her intently. "But...I can''t find the owner. This property is not even listed in the real estate registrar." J sighed, she felt bad knowing his intention was and she didn''t expect him to find a wedding present for her. She knew she cannot hide this secret anymore to Jacob so she decided to speak, "This estate is owned by my grandfather, I grew up here. When he died he left this to me." "The fact that it is not listed in the real estate registrar doesn''t mean that it is not registered. This was a private property anyways, we have all the necessary documents and title to prove that this property is mine." "That''s not what I mean..." Jacob said defensively. "I know what you are thinking. You are wondering how did my grandfather acquire this large property knowing we are not a rich family. That I won''t be able to answer as I didn''t question my grandfather before." "And if you are wondering how am I able to maintain this property? This estate is self-sustaining. It has an orchard and horse farm. And I only got a few people to run this place so it is not hard to maintain." J has said a lot about the Lodgepole Estate. She was able to answer the questions that Jacob wasn''t able to voice out. He felt that she is starting to open up to him. "So, every day off you spend it here?" Jacob asked. "I only have two days off. The first day I spend it here and the second day as you know I spend at either Eve''s or Martha''s. You already know where I spend my day off. Are you satisfied?" J replied. "More than satisfied." Jacob smiled. There was a moment of silence. J continued drinking her tea while looking at the vast ocean. Jacob watched the calmness of the ocean. It was a great day indeed. The weather is calm, the sun shines everywhere in the estate yet the breeze coming from the ocean is cold. Jacob straightened his back and without looking at J he said, "Jenny...I am sorry if my persistence irks you but it just worries me whenever you go out on your own without my knowledge. I know you have been doing these things before but it is different now. You are part of me now. And whether you like it or not I am part of you. I cannot just not care about you. I don''t know why but I do." Jacob turned his head to look at J''s reaction. She was staring at him without a blink. I am a part of him and he is a part of me... J seems to be pondering over what he just said. His word sends thrills to her heart yet she''s having complex emotions. Chapter 89 - Fallen in Love "When I said that I want to buy this property for you, I knew you would think that I am just bluffing but I am not. I would give and do anything for you. Even if you don''t want me too. When I found out that I am married, the first thing that I wanted to do is to get a divorce... for you. You don''t know how relieved was I when I heard that your name is Jenny Do and confirming that you are the Jenny Do that I was married to." Jacob stood up and stretched out his body. "I''m going. See you tomorrow." This place is so relaxing. How he wishes that he could stay longer, but he promised J that after they were done talking, he would leave. And just like that, Jacob left the Lodgepole Estate leaving J dumbstruck. She wanted to stop him and tell him to stay yet she couldn''t move as if she was frozen in place. She wanted to run after him but she can''t even breathe properly. She is in front of an ocean but she can''t hear the sound of the waves because only the sound of her heart beating so fast and loud, she can only hear. There were a lot of questions she wanted to ask him, how dare he just say those things and leave. How dare he promised her to leave after their talk. If only she had known that their talk would turn out this way, she would never let him promise that. But what if he didn''t leave? What would she say? She got confused. He said he cared for her, he would do anything for her, he would give her anything. If he was married to another woman, he would divorce for her. Does it mean he loves her? No. J furrowed her brows. She doesn''t want to make a conclusion. Then what does he mean? She''s getting irritated. He just made things more complicated. In her annoyance, she threw the teacup forcefully and smashed into the railings of the terrace then stood up and walked inside the mansion with her clenched fist. He''s getting into her nerves. While Jacob is driving back to Lotus City a smile is plastered on his face. He left something for J to think about. He intentionally said those words to her then left. He wanted to know how would she feel after that. Since he met her, he felt something special towards her. He felt a sense of possessiveness towards her. He doesn''t want anyone touching or eyeing her. Not even calling her! Which he never felt towards any woman before. He was not ready to get married yet, but when he found out that he''s married to her, he never hesitated and very much willing. He embraced it. Before he was a ladies'' man but now, he doesn''t want to flirt to any woman except her. He loves her scent, her warmth, her softness. He loves it when she smiles, when she''s angry, he loves her complexity. He loves everything about her. He has fallen in love with her! And he will do everything to win his wife. Back at Lotus City, he didn''t go directly at the hospital instead he continuously drive near the boundary of Lotus City and Naupaka County. Chapter 90 - Twelve Army He stopped in front of a tall gate. On the sides of it were two towers with a uniformed private army on top of it. The gate opened automatically, about 1 kilometer from the gate is a beautifully architectured 3-story building with signage on top of it that says "Twelve Army". It was inside a 2500-acre private facility that is heavily guarded and surrounded by a tall perimeter fence. He walked inside the building. A uniformed man meets him at the entrance and salutes at him. "Has everyone arrived?" he asked with authority. "Yes, sir! They''re waiting for you at the conference room." the man replied while walking fast beside Jacob trying to keep up with his pace. When the door to the conference room opened, there were twelve uniformed high-ranking officials sitting in a long table who stood up upon seeing Jacob entering the room. Everyone sits down including Jacob. He looked at the officials in front of him. Most of them were in their late 40''s to late 50''s while some were of his age which is mid 30''s up to early 40''s. They were the 12 officials of Twelve Army under Jacob Parker. Twelve Army is a private army company that trains and supplement private army. Founded by Benjamin Augustus Parker, Jacob''s grandfather. It was named after the twelve armies that is headed by these twelve high ranking officials in front of him. Each army is named after the 12 zodiac signs which are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. These armies consist of several teams of skilled agents that are assigned to different missions. Their missions could be as security of the VIP, private army of big political and business personalities or celebrities or to aid the government military with their missions as mercenaries. "I''m sorry for summoning all of you here in such short notice," Jacob said with a tone of superiority. "It''s fine Boss, it''s been a long time since you called us for a meeting. The last time was when you were still abroad and was through a video call. Finally, you are here." Taurus said. Since the armies are named after the Zodiac sign, their leaders were aliased based on the army that they lead. "Thank you, Taurus." It''s been a while since Jacob came back and he only had a chance today to meet them. He has been busy with the hospital and his marriage. "But I noticed that James is not here?" It was Pieces who speak up. "I had him attend some meetings on my behalf. So how''s the expansion going on?" Jacobs started his agenda. It''s been a month since the Twelve Army started its international expansion. At first, he was hesitant to do it but his grandfather wanted it so badly. It was his dream. He said that Jacob should start the process of expansion and he will find sufficient funding as if they were lacking for it. Which started to arrive a couple of months ago. He didn''t question him about where are the funds coming from as the Elder Parker doesn''t want his decisions to be questioned. He assumed that while he went nomadic, he is also gathering funds from international organizations. But what he didn''t know is that the funds have been coming from The Robin Hood Society. Chapter 91 - VVIP "It''s been going on smoothly Boss. We have been receiving missions from the neighboring country and we were able to provide them sufficiently." Gemini reported enthusiastically. "Good." Jacob was pleased with the report. Then he furrowed his brows when he remembered something. "Is the government asking for additional aid?" "Yes. The war in the Southern Camelia Province is increasing and the government asked for additional assistance. Should we send them mercenaries?" Sagittarius voiced his hesitance towards sending their team into wars. Jacob thought for a while then said, "Our agents were trained for wars. I have no doubt in their capabilities. But remind the government that our agents will act as an aid only. Additional support and manpower. Not their first line of defense. I don''t want the life of my agents to be wasted by the government''s self-induced wars." "Copy that Boss!" Sagittarius replied in agreement. "By the way, Capricorn, I want you to pull out your best team from their mission. I have a mission for them." Jacob turned to the official on his left side. Capricorn is considered as the strongest army among the twelve and its teams were the most skilled. "But Boss your father already pulled them out for a special mission just recently." Capricorn was torn. "My father? For what special mission?" Jacob was furious. He never expected his father to meddle with his work in the Twelve Army. This was the first time that he pulled out a highly skilled team from their mission to carry out a special mission for him. He was supposed to assign them to protect his wife. Probably he was so overly protective of her, but he just felt that he have to do it. "It was a highly confidential mission Boss. He said that he wanted my team to protect a VVIP secretly. I just received the order right here earlier but I haven''t seen it yet." Jacob raised his brows. Who could be this VVIP that should be protected secretly? He reached out for the folder that Capricorn handed over to him. Curiously he opened the folder and his eyes widened as he saw the photo and the name of the VVIP. It was his wife, Jenny Do. Details such as her job, address, significant others and spouse which is his name were written there. But there are no other details as to why she needs protection. His brows furrowed. He knows it was a bit over the top to use the best team to protect his wife but it turns out that his father is thinking the same way too. His reason is that he just wanted the best for her but what could be his father''s reason? He handed the folder back to Capricorn and said, "Carry it out!" in a cold tone. Capricorn opened the folder and read the mission details and was shocked to see the name of his Boss as the husband of the VVIP. .... At the same time at the log house in Naupaka County, the officials of The Robin Hood Society is having a meeting about the death of one of their member. "Have you found the culprit?!" President Martin was enraged. "President we already have a suspect. It was reported to be one of the notorious Sano Twins." Peter said. Anger is evident in his face. The person who died is one of his apprentices. He never expected him to die so young in a violent way. Chapter 92 - Wrath of the Thousand Brothers and Sisters President Martin''s brows furrowed when he heard the name of the Sano Twins. He knew that they were the right hand of CEO Wang who is a known illegal smuggler of goods and illegal drugs. He has heard that the twins were also in a mission to find the heiress of The Robin Hood Society. That''s why he eventually made a call to Chairman John Parker and told him about the situation. Chairman John Parker assured him that he already assigned their best team to protect Jenny. "President Martin, please let me handle the Sano Twins." Peter pleaded. "Peter, you cannot just abandon your position." Dr. Gonzales who is also one of the Council of the Society reminded him. "I''ll take over his position." Leo supported Peter. It was just right since Peter and Leo''s skills were at the same level. "But what about Madam Victoria?" Iris who is also a member of the council voiced out her concern. "I will request private security for her." everyone looked at President Martin. When he said private security does, he means the Twelve Army? The society has been sending people at the Twelve Army to train but they have never requested assistance from them before. "Peter, pick out our most skilled men to help you out. And don''t do anything out of impulsiveness." President Martin ordered Peter. So, the reason why he will request for private security is that the most skilled men of their society will be on a mission with Peter. The members of the Council thought. This just shows how President Martin values the life of each and every member of the society. If anyone dares to harm them, they will face the wrath of not just one but thousands of its brothers and sisters. After the meeting, Mark Sloane who was also part of it asked for a private talk with President Martin. "President Martin it''s about your daughter." President Martin''s brows quiver, "What about her?" "I met her... at Parker''s Mansion." Mark Sloane said directly. President Martin smiled like he had predicted this before. "I was already wondering what''s taking Jacob Parker too long to introduce her to his family." Mark Sloane was startled, "You knew?" President Martin nodded his head in confirmation. "So, how''s Jacob treating her?" President Martin inquired. Mark Sloane was wondering how did the president knew but preferred to not ask further. "It looks likes Jacob is smitten with her." "Is he?" President Martin''s voice was in doubt. "How about the family?" "They were all fond of her especially mother in law," Mark said remembering how Madam Kelly had tricked them to stay overnight. "If I may ask, is it for mutual benefit?" Mark tried to conceal his curiosity but he can''t help but ask about the arranged marriage of Jacob and Jenny. "I don''t know what the Elders were planning but indeed there is a mutual benefit." President Martin said while playing with a pen at his table staring at the window. Mark asked no more, it was obvious that Elder Do marry his granddaughter off to the Parkers for protection. And he knew Jacob well enough, based on his actions, he would definitely protect her with or without this marriage. Elder Do might have predicted it and he made a good decision. Chapter 93 - A Request from a Father to a Friend And as for what the Parkers would benefit from the marriage, it probably has something to do with the Twelve Army. But as to the particulars, he has no idea. "As a member of the Parker family, I know you are loyal to them. But I am requesting this as a father to a friend. Please look after her while she is with the Parkers." President Martin''s face turned soft. When it comes to protecting his daughter, he would mobilize all his resources. He had never seen his daughter since the assassination. And they have never been together for twenty years now. He is longing for her little daughter but he knew that the little daughter that he had left before is now a grown-up married lady that needed protection now since the elites would now probably look for someone behind the actions of the Society. And since President Martin and Madam Victoria faked their death twenty years ago, naturally the elites would conclude that their daughter who is now at the ripe age has taken over the society. And they will definitely haunt her down. In the country, there were two types of elite people. The first one is the First-Class Elites, those were naturally from a family that has become rich over the decades because of their business, profession or status. They reached their position in a fair and legal way. This includes the Parkers known in the business world and the Sloane''s known in the field of politics. While the other group of elites were the Second-Class Elites who became rich and famous overnight through an illegal and dirty process then later on associated themselves into the formal economy or politics and called themselves as elites and continue on gaining profit with their position. Thou rich and known in the circle of elites, since their identity is hidden, the Do''s were never considered as one of them. At first pretending to be dead was a good decision. They were at peace during this past twenty years. But now he regretted it. After his meeting with the officials of Twelve Army Jacob made a quick stopover at the Parker''s Mansion which is just a few kilometers away from the Twelve Army facility. Upon reaching the mansion he asked the maid who opened the door, "Where''s Dad?" in a cold tone. "A-ah... he is probably now in their room Dr. Jacob." the maid shivered upon receiving the cold tone of Jacob. It''s already ten o''clock in the evening and knowing his parents they have been probably in their bedroom an hour ago. But they don''t intend to sleep yet. It''s either they were chatting or reading. "Tell him I''m here and I want to talk. I''ll wait for him at the tea room." Jacob said then walk towards the tea room. "Yes Dr. Jacob." the maid nodded her head and in a quick step, she rushed on the second floor to the master''s bedroom. She knew that Dr. Jacob is in a bad mood. Because if he is not, he would always smile and tease the maids in the Parker''s Mansion. Chairman John Parker''s brows furrowed when he heard that Jacob is here and want to have a talk with him. Madam Kelly wanted to go downstairs to see her son but Chairman John stopped her, knowing that Jacob is in a bad mood, it is probably not a good idea for him to see Madam Kelly. And the fact that he only called for him means that the topic must be something that Madam Kelly should not hear. Chapter 94 - A Rarely Used Privilege When Chairman John reached the tea room, he saw Jacob sitting in the armchair staring outside the window. His brows furrowed when he turned to look at him. As soon as Chairman John is seated, straight to the point, Jacob asked, "I wonder what makes you think that Jenny needed protection from a highly skilled team of Capricorn?" Chairman John was surprised. Recently he had a meeting with Capricorn and ordered him to pull out his A-Team in their current mission because he wanted them on another mission. And that is to protect a VVIP, Jenny Do. Although he didn''t tell him the real identity of Jenny Do he clearly know that her identity is more than just a VVIP. Although Chairman John Parker did not take over the Twelve Army, he is allowed to give orders and assign missions. But he rarely uses this privilege. This is just the third time. The first time is when he needed protection for his wife and the second was when he assigned a team to be Lily''s security. He never had the interest to take over the Twelve Army but he still finds it valuable. After the Elder Parker hand over the CLP Group of Hospitals and Parkers Pharmaceutical to Chairman John Parker, he focused all his time and effort into Twelve Army. When Jacob turned 30, Elder Parker hand over the Twelve Army to him knowing that Jacob has more interest and vision for the facility. He knew that Jacob will eventually found out about it but he never expected it to be this soon. He cannot tell him yet the reason for the protection and why she is regarded as a VVIP. Chairman John was quiet for a moment trying to figure out how to explain it to Jacob. "How did you find about it?" Chairman John asked him instead. Jacob was irritated. "Obviously I tried to pull out the same team for the same reason." Chairman John was more surprised. He has a valid reason to assign Capricorn''s A-Team to protect Jenny Do. But what could be the reason for his son? He smiled then said, "Well whatever your reason is I guess I have the same reason as you." Jacob burst out in anger and slammed his hands in the table. "Are you in love with her?!" Chairman John became furious and hit his son''s head. "Stupid! It''s not that!" "I did the same to your mother when we got married and I thought that you would want to do the same with her. You are on a high position right now, as the chairman of the Twelve Army and President of CLP Group of hospitals a lot of people would do whatever to snatch your position. It''s not that the officials of Twelve Army would want your position but the facility has caused misfortunes to others. And the quickest way to pull you down is through your weakness which is your wife. As soon as they found out about your wife she might be in grave threat. I thought you wouldn''t think about getting her security so I had the initiative to do so." Chairman John stated with his arms crossed on his chest. He came up with a great and reasonable explanation. Jacob seemed to be enlightened. "Why would you think that I will not get her security?" Chapter 95 - A feast "I thought that the fact that you are forced to this marriage you wouldn''t waste an effort for her. I assume that you will only do it for someone you love. Is that right?" Jacob''s expression softens. He already admitted indirectly that he is in love with his wife. If not, then why would he pull out Capricorn''s A-Team from an important mission just to protect his wife. He hasn''t found out the real identity of his wife yet, Chairman John wondered that if Jacob found out about his wife''s real identity and the threats that surround her he might pull out all of Capricorn''s team to protect her. Both the father and son had already calmed down. Then Jacob expressed in a serious tone, "I would be the one to personally supervise them. I''ll meet them one of these days once they are officially pulled out from their current mission." "Go ahead. And don''t ever disturb me in my resting hours again!" .... The next morning Jacob arrived earlier at Eve''s. But before that, he dropped by at Joe''s and Lani''s to get the supplies that J usually pick up from them with the additional stuff that he promised to bring the kids when he returns. On her way to Lotus City J called Joe and Lani to say that she is on her way to pick up the supplies only to find out that Jacob had already picked them up an hour ago with additional orders. She assumed that Jacob is already at Eve''s now. He did as he said, he would see her today at Eve''s. And he full filled his promise to the kids that he will return with the stuff that they requested. Thinking about what Jacob said yesterday, she wondered if he would bring that up again today. And if he did, how will she respond? She hopes that he wouldn''t. She drives directly at Eve''s not even bothering to hide her sports car from Jacob as he already knew about it. When she reached the orphanage, she heard the voices of the kids cheering. It sounds like they were having a great time in the backyard. She wonders what could they be doing? Is Jacob with them? She walked inside the mansion, she found no one inside. She peeked at the window, the boys were playing football with Jacob while the girls surround them watching and cheering. Jacob seemed to be having fun with the kids. Does he really like kids? J wondered. Then he heard someone cleared her throat behind her. She turned around to see Ms. Eve. "You''re here. The kids are having fun. Why don''t you help me prepare lunch at the kitchen?" Ms. Eve said smiling at J. J smiled back and nodded. She then followed her to the kitchen. Ms. Eve and some of the helpers were busy preparing food. J noticed the amount of food that they are preparing. It is more than usual. "Hmm... are we going to have a feast?" J said amused. "Yes, we are. Dr. Jacob wanted to. He bought all this. He said he wanted to treat the kids for a special lunch since he won''t be able to stay until dinner." Ms. Eve said enthusiastically thou with a tone of regret at the end. "Is that so? Since when did he arrive?" J asked. Chapter 96 - Leaving without Goodbye "About two hours ago. He already brought the supplies and the toys that the kids asked him. He was such a good person. He is going to be such a good husband. His future wife is lucky." J felt that Miss Eve''s last words have a hidden meaning. Hmmm.... is she lucky? She thought. After they were done cooking, they bring out the food in the dining table in the garden. Then Miss Eve handed her a towel. She shot her a confused look. "You might be needing that." after she said that she walked out to call the kids. The kids including Jacob fled towards the garden and they eventually saw J. "Miss J!" the kids screamed out in unison then run towards her to give her a hug. J laughed and said, "Oh you guys stink! Come on wash your hands before we eat." she teased them then smiled. Jacob came holding Nana''s hand. She looked at him and their eyes met. Her heart flutter, his face had bits of sweats, his hair is messy, his shirt and jeans have a trace of dirt on it but he still looks even more handsome. He placed Nana into an empty chair of the dining table before he walked towards her. "I thought after yesterday you wouldn''t be appearing today," he said smiling at her. J blushed when he mentioned the event that takes place yesterday. She pouts her lips the rolled her eyes. "I came an hour ago. You were all busy playing that you didn''t notice that I arrived." "I did." then he grabbed the towel that J is holding and used it to dry his sweat. "I saw you peeked at the window." he gave her a teasing smile. J frowned realizing that the towel that Miss Eve gave her was intended for Jacob. Is she playing matchmaker or something? "Where are you going?" why do I have to ask? J thought to herself. Jacob turned to her and said, "I''m going to change my shirt. Would you like to help me?" J frowned and said, "You wish!" Jacob chuckled before he left. J turned around to see Miss Eve watching them with a meaningful smile. She returned her smile before keeping herself busy with Nana. Soon they were all seated and devouring the delectable dishes that Miss Eve and J prepared. After lunch Jacob stayed a couple more hours playing with the kids then he decided to leave. He said that he has a meeting to attend to. He left without having a word at J. Which irks her. It''s true that she had hope that he would not bring out the event last night but left without even saying goodbye. She was dumbstruck. Then after a couple of moments, she received a text message from Jacob that makes the corner of her lips curve. "Miss Eve has been suspecting us so I have to make a distance. I''ll see you at home tonight." She stayed at the orphanage until dinner and once the dinner is done, she had said goodbye to the kids and promised them that she will be back next month. J parked her sports car in the private garage then take a taxi going home. When she reached the apartment Beauty and Beast pounced on her waggling their tales. It has been two days since she last saw them and looks liked they missed each other. She gave them dog food then went to the bathroom to take a warm shower. Chapter 97 - Protectiveness vs. Possessiveness Jacob arrived at the Twelve Army Headquarters where he met with James and Capricorn. At his office, they were greeted by four equally masculine men all around six foot in height wearing rugged casual attire. The four of them stand up simultaneously and raise their arms in salute towards Jacob, James, and Capricorn. James being Jacob''s right hand had undergone training under the Twelve Army. Jacob looked at each of the agents and frowned internally and looked at Capricorn. He wonders, does Capricorn have a requirement that his team has to be good looking? Not that he doubts himself when it comes to physical attributes he could definitely match and even surpass these men in front of him. But this is the man that is supposed to protect his wife. As much as possible he doesn''t want any men to surrounds his wife. However, the need to protect his wife outweigh his possessiveness. He takes a seat in his armchair and as Capricorn started to introduce his team Jacob is scanning their personal profiles. "This is Daniel Li, the team''s strategist, Stefan Mayer, he''s a gun expert and a sniper, Felix Martinez, he''s the best spy that I got and Arthur Brown, he''s an expert in hand-to-hand combat." Capricorn proudly introduces his team. Capricorn although in his late 40''s still managed to maintain his muscular built. He has an oblong face with the slightly smaller chin, although there was stubble on his jaw and chin, his cleft chin is highly noticeable. "Good! I would like to have a word with them." Jacob said looking at James and Capricorn. James and Capricorn who seemed to understand the meaning behind his words nod at each other then walked out of the office. "You probably have an idea as to what this mission is. Although this mission was originally from my father, I will personally take charge and supervise this mission. Meaning you will be reporting directly to me and getting orders from me." Jacob said in a cold tone looking at the eyes of four men. The men returned his gaze without a blink showing how professional they are. "This is a highly confidential mission. You will be protecting a VVIP, which is my wife. And there are some things that I want you to remember. One, no one should know about your mission nor the identity of my wife. Two, my wife didn''t know about this..." now Jacob noticed the brows of the men in front of him snapped together as expected. "Meaning, you will be protecting her from a distance. She shouldn''t know about this, so don''t do anything that will give her an idea. She is very observant to her surroundings." "Three, I want you to report to me who she meets and talks to as well as her locations. And..." Jacob paused for a moment then looked at the door. "I have a special task especially to you Felix." Seeing Felix''s eyes twinkled Jacob continued "My wife is quite mysterious. I know there is something that she is not telling me, and I want to know what that is. Whatever you found out, report it directly to me. Capricorn or my father shouldn''t know about this." after saying this, his jaw set. "This is my forte boss, I won''t disappoint you." finally one of them speak up. Felix seemed to be enthusiastic about this extra mission. "Good! Any questions?" Chapter 98 - A Team "What are the threats?" one of them directly asked. Jacob looked at Arthur, he seemed to be the leader of the team. Aside from his cold aura, he noticed his striking appearance. Based on his expertise, if needed he will be the person who is most likely to be guarding his wife in the closest distance and it displeased him. "The fact that she is my wife, makes her susceptible to future threats...as to what or who... it''s for you to find out." Jacob shot Arthur a serious look. Arthur seemed to understand, he nods his head then said, "Copy that sir!" "As for now here is my wife''s schedule." he gave Arthur a folder assuming that he is the leader. "She is a nurse at CLP Hospital, for 13 days she will be having her morning duty starting tomorrow at the Department of Surgery. She starts at seven in the morning then her shift ends at three in the afternoon not unless she is stuck in an operation. Aside from her duty, her daily schedule is quite unpredictable. But most of the time she goes directly and stayed at our apartment, which address is written there. After her 13-day duty is her 2-days off. Which will be your day off as well since I will be accompanying her during those days not unless I ask you to standby." After the meeting, the four men got up and went out of the office. Once sure that they were quite in a distance from Jacob''s office Felix blurted out his thoughts. "Phew! I don''t know about you but at first, I thought this is going to be a boring mission not until the boss talked about the extra mission. I just hope that this wife of him got something exciting hidden in her closet. And I can''t wait to unravel it." Felix who is highly talkative, enthusiastic and active is having a hard time doing nothing. So, the thought of having a boring mission kills him. He would rather engage in a riskier mission than be a nanny of a homebody wife. Stefan who is more relaxed, quiet and easy-going chuckled and said, "I find this mission quite interesting. Well at least finally I can be at peace." after saying that, he hummed and put his hands in his side pockets as they continue walking in the corridor. "Hey! Daniel, what do you think about this mission?" Felix asked Daniel. Daniel is the opposite of Felix, he is quite introvert. He is a deep thinker and a perfectionist. This makes him a good strategist, having a detail-oriented behavior is an advantage to him. He thought for a moment then said, "I guess there is no serious threat yet. The boss is just being overprotective of his wife. But the fact that the Chairman was the first one to assign us to this mission, means there is something that he knows that the boss doesn''t. And the boss had sensed that. That''s why he gave you an extra mission." Felix''s eyes sparked, "Right! You are such a genius, Daniel! Come to think of it you have a point there." Arthur who was listening to them have the same thoughts, although he tends to be an introvert just like Daniel, he is the leader of Capricorn''s A-Team. Being independent and goal-oriented, he was good at being their leader. He is a logical person, so his thought goes the same as with Daniel. Chapter 99 - Jealous Wife "Mission starts tomorrow, I''ll see you at the rendezvous." and with that Arthur walked away from them waving his right hand in the air not looking at them. "What?! Wait! Where''s our rendezvous?" Felix half-shouted at Arthur. Daniel patted Felix''s shoulder then walked out in a different direction. Leaving Felix and Stefan behind. "Sometimes I think those two have mental telepathy. Does Daniel already know where our rendezvous is? Looks like he doesn''t even care." Felix brood at himself. Stefan shrugged his shoulder and said, "I''ll see you tomorrow." then walked away. "Wait! You knew the rendezvous?" Felix runs after him. At Jade''s Apartment, J is sitting on the sofa frequently looking at the wall clock while reading something that Lance emailed her at the laptop. Once she''s done, she closed her laptop and looked again in the wall clock. It''s almost ten o''clock. J looked at the door waiting for it to open then she frowned. Subconsciously, she is waiting for Jacob. With nothing left to do, she opened the television and decided to watch a movie on her USB. She chose to watch a suspense, thriller movie from her favorite Hollywood actress Sandra Bullock. The movie was over and Jacob hadn''t come home yet. She is wondering what kind of meeting that lasts until midnight. She frowned, getting irritated she threw the throw pillow at the television. Staring at the credits she felt her eyes getting tired until she didn''t know how she fell asleep. Beast who was watching her, walked over her and lay beside J on the sofa. Jacob came home feeling contented. His day ended with a lot of accomplishment. Tomorrow, Capricorn''s A-Team will arrive unbeknownst to J. He felt relieved that a skilled team will look over her during the times that he cannot. Somehow, he felt like he really needed to hire security for his wife. Jacob opened the door of the apartment to find the television still on. He frowned and looked at the sofa. His heart melts seeing his wife lying there asleep, but later on, his brows snapped together looking at Beast who lays beside his wife. He slowly walked towards them and talk to Beast who is now looking at him. "Hey! Go sleep with you own wife! Shoo!" he said in a low voice. Beast who seemed to understand stood up and went back to his usual spot. Jacob sat in a space beside J to watch her sleeping. He brushed off some of her hair strands with his finger to see clearly the face of the goddess in front of him. He wonders how long has she been asleep on the sofa. He turned off the television then gently carried J in his arms bridal style towards their bedroom. J felt herself float, she opened her eyes, her face blushed to see the godly face of his husband. It seemed like he''s carrying her and doesn''t mind her weight at all. Jacob felt her gaze and looked at her. "Hmm... honey, did I wake you up?" Being caught in the act of staring at him, J averted her gaze and frowned. "You can put me down now." Jacob who already reached the bedroom put her down gently on the bed. J looked at him accusingly and said, "Where have you been?" Jacob was surprised at first, that was the first time that J asked him of his whereabouts. "I had a meeting," he replied shortly. J raised her left brows and said, "Meeting at midnight?" Jacob smiled teasingly at her, "Jealous are we." Chapter 100 - How dare he look at my wife J was startled, she realized that she sounds now like a jealous wife. She snapped out of it. She didn''t reply instead turned her back to him and closed her eyes pretending to sleep. Jacob amusedly smiled then remembered something. "By the way, you''ll be in the morning shift tomorrow." Hearing that J suddenly turned to look at him with a questioning look. "No, I''m in the night shift starting tomorrow." Jacob who is now taking his shirt off replied, "No, I called James to arrange your schedule. You''ll be in the morning shift tomorrow. It''ll be difficult for me to be in the night shift again these coming days." J furrowed her brows, the last time she was in the night shift Jacob also worked at night and sleep with her in the day leaving most of his works to James. Probably that''s the reason why he suddenly changed her schedule. She looked at the clock, it''s almost one o''clock in the morning. Damn it! She only got four hours to sleep. If she had known, she wouldn''t have waited for him. Jacob who had gone shower is now back and lie down in the space beside her. He pulled her close to him and made her head rest on his arms. The next morning. "We''re on position." Jacob read the text message that was sent to him by Arthur just a minute after J walked out of her apartment. The day started, as usual, J walking her way towards the hospital while Jacob will drive with his SUV after her. To avoid suspicion J insisted that they should never go to work together and never talk inside the hospital. "Guys, don''t you think the Boss and the Lady Boss seemed peculiar? They live in an apartment that is smaller than my apartment knowing that they could buy that whole apartment building. Then look, why would boss let his wife walk her way to the hospital while he drove his luxury car?" Felix who is inside a car that is parked in the hospital''s parking spoke in an earpiece while looking at J walking towards the hospital''s entrance followed by Jacob''s SUV. "Idiot! Obviously, their marriage is a secret!" Stefan who is positioned in the rooftop of a building beside CLP Hospital can''t help but chastise Felix while looking at J through his binoculars. J came near the entrance searching her bag for her ID not noticing a man approaching her way. When she finally found her ID, she accidentally bumped into the man''s shoulder dropping her ID. "Oh, s-sorry!" J looked at the man and bowed as she apologizes. The man looked at J and was mesmerized by her beauty. Not far away Jacob saw what happened and god knows how much discipline he needed to control himself not to rush over and give the man a punch in his face. How dare he look at my wife that way?! Jacob thought. The man stoops down to pick up J''s ID. Looking at her ID the man furrowed his brows before he gave it to J and gave her a meaningful smile. J took her ID from the man then said thank you ignoring his smile before she walked inside the hospital''s lobby. Chapter 101 - Danger Inside a heavy tinted van parked not far away from the hospital, Arthur and Daniel looked at each other with a frown when they saw the man who accidentally bumped into their Lady Boss in the monitors in front of them. The back of the van is filled with monitors and computer wires. Arthur and Daniel sat inside watching the monitors showing different views outside the hospital and apartment. They were able to hack the CCTV camera''s around their Lady Boss. "Ah...guys. Isn''t that? The infamous Bart Sano?" they heard the voice of Felix in their earpiece. With that earpiece, they were able to communicate with each other. "I have a bad feeling about this." It was Stefan who also saw the man who accidentally bumped into their Lady Boss in the hospital''s entrance. "Haha... he''s probably there to seek help with his rectal hernia!" Felix tried to joke around. But Arthur noticed the reaction in the man''s face when he saw J''s ID. "What the hell took you so long?!" inside the black pickup truck Naomi castigate her twin brother who is giving her a wry smile. Naomi look at him with disgust. "What? Were you injected with something? Did you find out where did they took the body of that boy?" "Nope! I didn''t." Bart said before giving his twin sister a smug smile. "But I did find something way more interesting." Naomi gave him an expectant look. "While searching for the heiress of Robin Hood, did we encounter a person with the name Jenny Do?" Naomi snapped her brows together trying to remember something. "No, we didn''t." Bart gave her a sarcastic laugh then said, "But I just encountered a person named Jenny Do. I have a feeling that she is the heiress that we are looking for. Let''s get check the records again. And if we found that her name is not listed in any records, then there is a possibility that she is the heiress. She would never hide her identity for nothing unless the Robin Hood Society deliberately deleted her name in any record." Bart said confidently with an evil smile. Naomi looked at Bart with a dampened smile and said, "You definitely hit the jackpot this time!" Then they drive out of the hospital''s parking lot. "Felix, have you found anything about Lady Boss?" Felix heard Arthur''s cold voice over the earpiece. "Uh...no leads yet. Give me two days." Felix thou were startled due to Arthur''s cold tone was confident that he would find their Lady Boss'' secret in two days. "Good. Follow that black pickup truck." Arthur replied with his eyes glued to the monitor. "Oh... is that the Sano Twins? On my way!" Felix who already saw a black pickup truck heading out of the hospital''s parking lot started up his car''s engine and went to follow them. J was getting bored in the Department of Surgery. They don''t have any operations scheduled for today. As she was scanning a surgical book, she suddenly remembered something so she grabs her phone and searches for someone in her phonebook. When she saw the name of the person she''s looking for, she immediately made a call. "Hey! Lily... it''s me... Hmm... am I disturbing you? ... really? ... that''s great! I actually have free time this afternoon... oh... dinner? That should be fine... ok then... I''ll see you later. Bye!" Although J and Lily have met only once, J felt light-hearted towards Lily probably because she is Jacob''s sister and they share the same interest. And they were also the same age. Chapter 102 - What a Lucky man The last time Lily invited her for dinner she declined her due to some conflicts and now she is making up to her. Later on, Lance called. "Meeting with Sloane tomorrow at 7 pm." "Got it. Send me the address." J replied. Fortunately, her schedules are cooperating. She smiled at the thought. After her shift J went straight home. She opened her email to check out some files that Lance emailed her. After a couple of hours, she changed in a polka dots sleeveless dress paired with earrings and necklace and a tan suede boot. She fixed her hair in a slick back then took her shoulder bag getting ready to meet Lily. She is having dinner with a celebrity who happens to be her sister in law as well so she has to look good and presentable. When she walked out of her apartment the three men who were watching her from a distance through binoculars and monitors gasped in awe. "Hmm... she looked even more gorgeous when dressed up. What a lucky man." Daniel who used to talk less can''t help but express his admiration towards their Lady Boss "Fortunately, Felix is not here." Stefan sigh in relief. J waved a taxi then immediately hopped in and gave the address to the driver where she is going to meet Lily. "Ok. Let''s move!" seeing J getting away, Arthur immediately ordered Daniel and Stefan. Felix who was still following the twins, unfortunately, didn''t get the chance to see their Lady Boss'' look that night. J arrived at a five-star hotel where she was received by the receptionist as if she was expecting her. Lily is a famous celebrity so they decided to meet in a less crowded place where people would care less about a celebrity around them. The receptionist leads her to a private room where she saw Lily waiting for her. When Lily saw her, she openly admires the beauty in front of her. "How come we are at the same age but you are more ladylike than me?" Lily pouted her lips. Although she is already 30, she still dressed and acts like a teenage girl. J smiled at her. "I''m sorry to keep you waiting. Traffic is getting worse. The taxi has to change the route a couple of times." Lily frowned. "You took a taxi dressed like that? Why can''t my brother get you a car?" While outside the hotel, Arthur and Daniel successfully hacked the system of the hotel and found where their Lady Boss get in and who is she meeting. They frowned to see a celebrity eating with their Lady Boss. Since they can''t get an actual visual of their Lady Boss, Arthur decided to get inside the hotel. But before that, he received a call from Jacob. He reported the incident with the Sano Twins and the fact that Felix is now following them just to make sure. Aside from that, there were no unusual happenings. "She''s having dinner right now at a five-star hotel with a celebrity," Arthur said. Jacob furrowed his brows and said, "A celebrity?" "Yes. If I am not mistaken her name is Lily." Arthur replied. "Oh... that''s my sister." Chapter 103 - Stealing his Wife After the call, Jacob received a text message from J. "Can''t make it at dinner. Will be home late." Jacob smiled at the thought of J making effort to inform him that she can''t make it to dinner so as to not make him wait. He replied, "I''ll pick you up." J saw Jacob''s reply but wasn''t able to reply back when Lily noticed her looking at her phone. "Urgh... does he keep on checking out on you? As if I am going to abduct his beloved wife!" J gave her a genuine smile. All through the night, they talked mostly about county music, Kane Brown and his brother. The two never had a dull moment. J enjoyed Lily''s company. She never had a good time with another person before except for Lance and Diana. Well, Jacob is an exception. Her moments with Jacob cannot be compared with Lily, Lance or Diana. Thou she didn''t know yet how to describe how she feels whenever she is with Jacob, she is certain that it is different from how she feels when she is with Lily, Lance or Diana. The two of them went out of the hotel. Lily keeps on insisting that she should give her a lift and take her home but J keep refusing. Jacob who was inside his SUV saw the two walked out of the hotel. He frowned when he saw his wife. Good thing he decided to pick her up. With her looks tonight, he doubts if there is any man who didn''t take a second or a third look on her. Some may probably stare at her. He immediately gets out of his SUV and walked towards them. Lily was not surprised to see her brother coming their way. "Hmm... as expected." J confused, looked at the direction that Lily is looking at. There he saw the most gorgeous man he had ever seen walking towards her although she can see the frown on his face. Is he mad? She thought. "It''s late," Jacob said looking at Lily with a cold gaze. "He-he.. yeah, we know. That''s why we are going home now. Good thing that you are here to pick her up. You know... sister-in-law is too gorgeous others might be tempted to steal her." Lily said mockingly then quickly run towards her car. "Lilybeth Parker!" Jacob clenched his fist in annoyance. The thought of others stealing his wife irks him to the point that he wanted to squash someone. He turned to look at J. He sighed... damn it! I have to take her away before someone steals her from me. Jacob thought to herself. But the annoyance in his eyes suddenly turned into tenderness. How could he stay mad at a sight like this? J still looking at the direction where Lily was, then turned to look at Jacob who is now staring at her. Their eyes met. Jacob sighed. Then he takes J''s hand to his and said, "Let''s go home." That''s the most he wanted to do right now, take his wife away and keep her home in his arms so no one could steal her from him. J''s heart flutters when she felt Jacob''s palm in hers. Jacob dragged her away from the hotel and walked towards his SUV. J looked at Jacob''s back and a flash of a smile appeared on her face. She is starting to get used to this affection that grows inside of her, thou she tried to warn herself, she can''t help but be hopeful. Chapter 104 - First Kiss Jacob opened the door of his SUV and help J get in. He walked around the SUV while sending a message to Arthur before he gets in. "I''ll take it from here. You can go home and take a rest." Arthur read the text message that his Boss sent him and relayed it to others through their communicating device. Daniel, Stefan, and Arthur were at a lost at first. They are used to work, guarding their VIP 24-hours 7 days a week. Having a chance to go home after a day''s work is very unusual for them. Maybe this is their Boss'' way of caring for his wife, he wanted her to be protected whenever he is away from her and once, he is with her he will be the one protecting her personally. This is the other side of their Boss that probably no one from the Twelve Army has ever seen yet. "Actually... you can let go of my hand now," J said looking at Jacob then to her hand that Jacob is still holding. Since Jacob gets in the car, he holds her hand not letting it go while the other hand maneuver''s the steering wheel. J felt a little bit uneasy afraid that she can no longer control her heart that has been beating irregularly. "I''d like to keep it this way..." Jacob replied not looking at J. Huh¡­ what''s gotten into him? J thought to herself. How she wishes they would arrive soon at their apartment before her heart explodes. Until they reached their apartment Jacob never let go of her hand. He unlocked the door with his other hand and pushed it with his feet. As soon as they get in J tried to let go of her hand. But instead of letting her hand go, Jacob pulled her forcefully to his chest. In an instant, J felt Jacob''s hand wrapped around her waist while the other hand in the back of her neck. Her eyes widened in surprise when Jacob''s lips touched hers. Jacob kissed her subtly, he sandwiched her upper lip into her then later on suck it. J was frozen at first then she felt her knees weaken. Before she knows it, she had closed her eyes and returned Jacob''s kiss which made Jacob smiled in the corner of his mouth in between his kisses. J never had a kiss before, this sensation is very much new to her and it brought her a tingling sensation all throughout her body. After they shared their first kiss, Jacob kissed J''s eyelids that remained close then said in a gentle tone, "I''m honored to be your first kiss and hoped to be your last." J opened her eyes in amaze, her cheeks turned pink when her eyes met Jacob''s eyes. She felt embarrassed. How did he know that it was her first kiss? J thought to herself. Jacob gave her a teasing smile that makes her more embarrassed. She furrowed her brows and pout her lips. With both her hands she pushed Jacob in his chest giving her a distance from him but Jacob tightened and wrapped her in his arms instead. "Stay put. Just a minute." Jacob''s gentle yet authoritative tone made J frozen yet warm in her place. Chapter 105 - Strange Fate Jacob inhaled her unique scent then sigh, "Honey... what am I to do now without you." Jacob was too afraid to lose her. Not wanting anyone to lay an eye on her. Possessive as it may seem but it is more than that, she loves this woman. They may be unperfect with each other but he will never let her go. He would do anything to make her fall in love with her. But what he didn''t know is that he already did. Strange how she planned to take another road to avoid it but, in the end, she met him on that road. It is true that fate doesn''t care about your plans. It is terrible that she cannot escape it. But thou fate has already knocked her door, she''s just not yet ready to answer it. "I-I should get changed...." J stuttered when she said that. Although she doesn''t want that warm sensation to end yet she has to stop there to avoid getting drowned. Jacob loosened her, he gave her a gentle smile before he finally let her go. When she got into bed, Jacob pulled her close to him and let her rest in his arms. Which is unusual because he would usually wait for her to sleep before he would secretly pull her close to him until he falls asleep. J looked at Jacob''s closed eyelids. This handsome husband of hers is making her heart fall out of place in every second she is with him. She wrapped her arms around his waist which made Jacob tightened his embrace to her. The next morning, she came to her duty at the hospital, then after her shift, she went back to her apartment to prepare herself for her appointment with Mark Sloane. She will just inform Jacob that she cannot eat dinner at home and that she will be late later to avoid more questions. Their meeting place is in a private room of a five-star restaurant. When she arrived, she approached the girl in the reception and said with a gentle smile, "Hi, is there a reservation made by Mr. Lance Kho? I''m Miss J." The receptionist immediately recognized the names that were mentioned and delightedly replied, "Oh... yes Miss J. Mr. Sloane is already waiting for you. Please follow me." J followed the receptionist as she leads her to the private room where Mark Sloane is waiting. Although the five-star restaurant is known to be very diligent with the confidentiality of their costumers, Lance made the reservation to make sure that the meeting between Mark Sloane and Miss J will not look suspicious and will not be given an evil connotation by the staffs and onlookers inside the restaurant. Lance made it a point that Jenny Do''s name will not be brought up to keep her identity protected. And knowing the reputation of Mark Sloane in the industry of politics, no one will dare make a rumor against him. Entering the private room, a man wearing a light blue dress shirt that is folded until the elbow tucked in black slacks immediately stood up upon seeing J. J waited for the receptionist to leave the room before she walked with a dignified aura towards the table and sat in front of Mark Sloane. She looked at the man in front of him. This is the first time that she had a close up look at him because the first time they met, she avoided looking in his direction to avoid suspicion. Chapter 106 - Meeting with Mark Sloane He has a squared face, small eyes, slightly curled hair yet neatly polished, his beard tracing his prominent jawline is trimmed with a floating mustache. The man looks charming and smug despite his age but cautious probably because of the fact that he is now facing the heiress of The Robin Hood Society which no one has ever met before. "It''s an honor to meet you, Miss J." Mark Sloane who was still standing in front of J said as he bowed his head. "Please.... drop the formality, Mr. Sloane," J said not being used to be treated so highly. "And please sit down. I want this conversation short and straight." "Have you told them about me and Jacob?" J asked. Mark Sloane nod his head. "I hope you understand. My loyalty is in the President. And they have the right to know about that since it involves their daughter." J sighed then replied in a dismayed tone, "I understand." "But... I guess they already knew." Mark Sloane continued that made J''s brows snapped together. "What do you mean?" she asked eagerly. "When I told them about your marriage with Jacob, they''re not surprised at all." Mark Sloane told her about their conversation skipping the part that he was ordered to watch over her while she is with the Parkers. It turns out that her parents already knew about her marriage to Jacob even before she met Mark Sloane. She wondered how did they found out. Only the Parker''s including Sloane knew about it. While no one in the society except Lance knew it, which she was certain that Lance would never tell them. Not unless her parents were involved with the marriage arrangement that their grandfather did. No matter how much J thinks about it, she cannot come up with an answer. A moment later, she asked, "How are they?" That''s a question that she has been meaning to ask Diana and Leo but she just cannot speak the words. "The President and Madam were doing fine, but recently, Madam has been heartbroken while the President is in a bad temper due to the death of one of the society''s members." "They already ceased all operations to avenge him. You know how your parents feel about the life of each member of the Society. It is the most important. It was like a family member died, and avenging him is not enough." J felt the same. That is the one thing that she doesn''t like about the Society, each member''s life is sure to be implicated. "How did he die?" she later on asked. Anger flashed in Mark Sloane''s eyes. "He was killed. He was a young policeman. That time he was off duty. He was shot multiple times mercilessly without giving him a chance to defend himself." J clenched her fist. Then something snapped in her memory. "What''s his'' name?" Mark Sloane gave a name that J recognized instantly. It was the boy who died during operation that night. The boy who had multiple gunshot wounds. She would never forget that. The scene where Dr. Aaron was trying to revive the life of that boy keeps replaying in her mind whenever she is alone in that OR theatre. "Have you found out who killed that boy?" Mark Sloane nod his head. "It was the Sano Twins. As for why did they killed him, we are still investigating." J felt her blood rushed in her face due to anger. If only she could avenge that boy. Chapter 107 - Refusing to let go of A team "We also have reports that the Sano Twins have been looking for you. So, I suggest that you take extra caution." Although Mark Sloane knew the capability of the Parkers especially Jacob, he was not sure if they knew that J is the heiress of The Robin Hood Society so he added, "Have you thought of telling Jacob your identity?" knowing that if she did, they would probably protect her. J looked at Mark Sloane and said, "Not an option." She probably didn''t know about the Parker''s business and capabilities. Mark Sloane thought to himself. "After this, treat me as your sister-in-law and not Miss J." with that J left the place before saying goodbye to Mark Sloane. At the same time, Jacob is having a meeting with the officials of the Twelve Army. "Boss, the President requested an additional A team for tomorrow''s event," Taurus said. Jacob smirk and said, "Haven''t he got enough? How many A Teams does he already have? Two, right? Plus, one B Team from Capricorn. Are they not confident with their own army?" Everyone looked at each other. The government has been very demanding. And Jacob was vexed because of the fact that he knows that the President wants Arthur''s team back to his side. "Boss, there is going to be an international summit tomorrow that will be held here in Lotus City, which will be attended by international leaders. The President wants Capricorn''s A-Team to be there, just for a day." this time it was Gemini. Although it irks him, Jacob cannot decline the government because they are one of their major clients. "Give them another A-Team. I cannot pull out Arthur''s Team." Jacob replied. Everyone looked uncomfortable. Is the Boss'' VVIP more important than the President of the country? Of course, the Boss'' wife is more important than the President. Capricorn thought to himself. "Give him another A-Team," Jacob ordered in a cold tone. "But boss, we only have three A Teams left here in the country. Two of them were assigned in the President while the other one is with the VVIP. The rest were deployed in an international mission. We don''t have enough time to pull them out there for a one-day mission." Sagittarius said anxiously He was right, Jacob thought, but he doesn''t want to give up Arthur''s Team. They are the best that could protect his wife. Until Capricorn made a suggestion. "Boss, since we don''t have any evident threat yet to the VVIP, we can pull out my A-Team and replace them with two or three B Team for a day only. What do you think?" Jacob ran out of options, so after a couple of minutes analyzing he accept Capricorn''s suggestion. He pulled out Arthur''s Team and replaced them with three B Team. Although other leaders still think that three B Team is too much for a VVIP who doesn''t have any threat yet, they still agree knowing their Boss'' temper. But Jacob only pulled out three of them leaving Felix since he still has a special task to finish. However, the situation is not as simple as they seem. Because at this moment, the Sano Twins have already found out the identity of the heiress and now planning on how to get their hands on her. On his way home, Jacob received a text message from Arthur. "She had a meeting with Mark Sloane in a private restaurant but didn''t last for long. She''s on her way home now." Jacob''s brows furrowed. Why would she meet up with his brother-in-law in secret? The first time they met they didn''t even bother to talk to each other. Chapter 108 - Jenny was left with no one The next morning J started the day as usual. But outside the apartment, there were around twelve guards watching over her from a distance. Jacob went to work earlier than the usual without having breakfast due to an emergency. Inside Jacob''s office at CLP Hospital, he is having an emergency video conference with the leaders of Twelve Army. "How''s the situation at Crocus?" Jacob asked in a dignified tone while facing his laptop. "It''s not getting any better Boss. These pirates were quite troublesome. We are still negotiating." Aquarius replied in a frustrated tone. The Crocus Offshore Oil Rig located near the Crocus Peninsula, south of Naupaka County is one of the major contracts of Twelve Army. The whole place and its surrounding area are guarded by mercenaries from Twelve Army. Aquarius being the head of the Maritime Special Units of Twelve Army received reports that the oil rig is being threatened by pirates so he has to fly over there at dawn to resolve the turmoil as early as possible. Jacob''s expression turned into grim. "Continue negotiating. Don''t give in to their request. Send additional backups in case the situation gets worst." He gave them short instructions. Everyone nodded. "But Boss, sending additional back up means I have to pull out the guards of the VVIP," Aquarius said hesitantly. Jacob''s brows snapped together. "Which VVIP?" "Your VVIP sir. We don''t have any spare men left. And those men guarding your VVIP were Maritime Special Units. It is best if we send them over." Aquarius replied. Jacob is starting to have a headache. This dream of his grandfather of international expansion is leaving them with nothing men left. It is a good thing that the international companies and royals are eager to hire their missionaries but unfortunately, they are running out of it. Although they have already established offices and training facilities in two other countries, they cannot produce skilled mercenaries in an instant. "Cancer, how''s the new batch of trainees?" Jacob asked pinching the space between his eyebrows. Cancer is the head of the Twelve Army Training Facility. "I still need two more weeks before I can release them." Cancer replied. "We should start recruiting skilled and professional mercenaries," Jacob muttered to himself but enough for everyone to hear and understand. They all nodded in agreement. "Okay, Aquarius pull your men out." Jacob reluctantly said. Come to think of it, Jenny is a low-profile nurse and they haven''t announced their marriage yet so she should be alright as for the moment. At least that''s what he thought. Because at that moment. The Sano Twins have already planned out on how to abduct the heiress. After their meeting, Jacob instructed Capricorn to tell Arthur and the rest to report back immediately tomorrow which Capricorn obliged. Then he made a call to Jenny asking her of her plans this afternoon. And if there is any, he would accompany her. Fortunately, she planned to stay at home. It is almost dark outside yet Jacob and James were still inside Jacob''s office. Due to the chaos that is happening in Crocus, they have been in continuous contact with Aquarius and another leader involved. Then they heard a hurried footstep from outside the office, Jacob and James alerted themselves until the door burst open to reveal Felix with a worried look catching his breath. He walked towards Jacob. "Speak!" Jacob already assumed that Felix had done his extra mission and he was eager to hear it. Chapter 109 - Danger at Home "She''s the heiress of The Robin Hood Society! And all this time the Society is hiding her identity and blocking any attempt to reveal her identity to protect her from the Elites! But unfortunately, just recently the Sano Twins have found out about her, and they are probably on their move to get their hands on her!" Felix exclaimed in between breathing. After hearing that Jacob hurriedly walked out of the office followed by Felix and James. In that instant worried dawned on him. Jenny, his wife was left at home alone without anyone watching over her. And the danger is just around the corner. What a coincidence that the International Summit, Crocus'' turmoil and him finding out Jenny''s identity would fall out on the same day. On his way home he repeatedly mumbled to himself "Please be home". But earlier that day, when J arrived at their apartment with nothing to do, she played with Beauty and Beast. Then she decided to bathe them. She bathes Beauty first. It took her almost an hour bathing and drying Beauty. Then after she''s done with Beauty, she took Beast to bathe him. When she heard the doorbell. She left Beast in the bathroom to check out who''s outside her apartment''s door. Looking at the peephole. She saw the old Mrs. Jade so she eventually opened the door. As soon as she unlocked the door a man barged into her surprise. She saw another woman behind him holding old Mrs. Jade and pushed her forcefully on the side. She looked at the bulky man in front of her. He is looking at her with an evil smile. For a moment she finds the man familiar. "We finally met, Jenny Do." the bulky man said with a smirk. "What are you waiting for, get her and let''s get out of here!" the woman who was standing at the doorway said. J took a step backward, Beauty keeps on growling at the strangers. She heard the woman murmured "How troublesome." before she shot Beauty using a gun with a silencer. Her eyes went wide. She knew that she should run away first but the first thing she did was rush towards Beauty but the bulky man grabbed her hair to prevent her from running. She felt the pain in her head, she tried to defend herself. Good thing that she knew kickboxing but that was not enough. She is no match to the bulky man who seemed to be a professional in doing evil things. He was able to dodge every kick and punch that she throws at him. "Quit playing! Get her!" she heard the irritable voice of the woman who is still standing at the doorway. The bulky man let out an evil laugh and said, "Where did your patience go sister? I''m coming." After saying that, in an instant, he managed to position himself behind her and wrapped his muscular arms around her. He put something like a cloth in her mouth and nose that made her feel drowsy. Losing her consciousness, she looked at Beauty filled with her own blood. She heard Beast growling inside the bathroom. Who dared to abduct her in the broad daylight? Not even bothered to hide their identity. How did they find out her identity? Jacob... Those were the thoughts that lingered in her head before she lost consciousness. Chapter 110 - Abducted Jacob parked his SUV in front of Jade''s Apartment. And he rushed towards the elevator followed by Felix and James. Inside the elevator he keeps on cursing on himself. If he could only pull the elevator up. When they reached the elevator, he saw Mrs. Jade slumped on the corner of the hallway near their doorstep. Seeing her horrible situation, he felt his heart thump so loud. He doesn''t have a good feeling about this. He runs towards their apartment unit, he found the door is already opened. When he entered, complex emotions surged in. Fear and anger. He saw, Beauty near the sofa looking lifeless, evidence of gunshot is visible near its belly. He heard Beast, growling inside the bathroom. He walked towards the bathroom, as soon as he opened it Beast came out growling and barking while running all over the house. Jacob cannot find Jenny. He turned to Felix with dark clouds covering his face. "Check out the CCTV footages around the area." it was calm yet cold tone that sent shivers to Felix and James. Felix who was still standing near the door with James was startled then said, "Yes Boss." He immediately sat down and starting working on his laptop. James looked at Jacob who is now squatting beside Beauty checking for any signs of life. Then after a moment, "James, call someone from the hospital to take care of Mrs. Jade. Then take Beauty and Beast in the veterinary." Felix worked faster than the usual before. He seemed to be able to hack the CCTV footage of the apartment and surrounding area. "Boss," he said then handed the laptop to Jacob for him to watch the footage. In the video, Jacob saw a 4x4 truck parked in the basement parking. A bulky rugged man and a woman came out of it then walked towards the elevator. Jacob''s brows furrowed. He noticed that the suspect didn''t even bother to cover their face. He already recognized them as the infamous Sano Twins. He knew to whom they work for and the crimes that they had committed before. But since they work for an influential businessman, they managed to escape the law. The two were now walking at the hallway between J and Mrs. Jade''s apartment unit. He saw them knocked first at Mrs. Jade''s unit. He noticed the terrified look on Mrs. Jade as the man pointed a gun on her face. Although he can''t hear what they were talking, it was obvious that the twins were threatening her to do something for them The old lady walked slowly, then her trembling hands knocked at J''s door. Soon the door opened, the twins entered. The next video he saw the bulky man carrying J on his shoulders. Jacob''s expression turned into grim then he clenched his fist. "Felix let''s go," Jacob said as soon as he got up from his seat as if he already knows where to find Jenny. Felix instantly followed him. "James call Arthur and his team. Tell them to meet us at CEO Wang''s mansion. I don''t care if they''re still in the summit or not. My wife is more important than them." "Copy that. Uhm... do you need additional men?" James asked. "No need." then Jacob and Felix were out of sight. Chapter 111 - Bid to Kill At CEO Wang''s mansion, a black pick up truck went inside the mansion''s garage. As soon as the garage door was closed Bart and Naomi got out of the truck with J on Bart''s shoulder carrying her like a sack of rice. They get inside the mansion and placed the sleeping J in a bed of one of the bedrooms. "Boss, as you requested. We got the package for you." Naomi said seeing CEO Wang approaching at them giving him a smug smile. CEO Wang gave out an evil laughed. "Good job! I never doubted your capabilities! I can''t wait to tell the other elites of my discovery and possession. They will definitely bid for a large sum of money just to get their hands on the heiress of the Robin Hood!" he was loud and proud. Of course, he is talking about the Second-Class Elites. The Second-Class Elites were probably the most enthusiastic to find the heiress of the Robin Hood and be able to kill her. Surely the Robin Hood Society had caused them a lot of troubles and money and having no one to blame but the heiress. Once they find out that the heiress is in his possession, they would surely fight tooth and nail to get her. When CEO Wang entered the room, he saw J sleeping with her hands and feet tied and mouth plastered. His eyes sparkled with lust. "Oh, la la... You didn''t tell me that the heiress is a goddess." he said to Bart with an evil smile. Outside the mansion, there were about a dozen of mercenaries that CEO Wang hired from the Twelve Army guarding the place. Their main mission is to protect CEO Wang but not to be involved in his illegal works. That''s why CEO Wang would prefer them to guard outside the mansion to prevent them from witnessing his illegal business. One of the guards, who is the leader received a call. After the call he moved to talk to some of the guards, they nodded in each other then four of them walked inside the mansion. "Peter, something''s not right. Four guards went inside the mansion which is very unlikely since CEO Wang don''t allow them inside." it was Simon who speaks thru a secret communicating device. He was hiding outside the mansion in one of the trees while in his hands is a binocular with a night vision. His eyes focused on the entrance of the mansion. Peter who was positioned not far away heard Simon. There were about ten men of the Robin Hood Society who has been watching outside CEO Wang''s mansion. They have been waiting for a chance to attack and avenge one of their brother in the Society. "Hmm...stay alert. Something must have been going on inside." Peter replied. "There are two cars approaching." Peter heard another voice. Then he looked towards the direction of the cars. The cars went inside the gate of the mansion. "Simon, who are they?" Peter asked. "I don''t have a vision yet," Simon replied. Using the binocular Simon watched the two cars intensely waiting for the doors to open. Finally, the door of the second car opened and three men got out of it. Simon checked out their faces and eventually recognized one of them as Arthur. Arthur was quite known as one of the top men of the Twelve Army. Any elites would pay a large amount of money just to have him as their personal security. Chapter 112 - Facing the Devil (1) "Peter, I got a vision of Arthur Brown. And it looks like he came with his team." then the first car opened its door two men came out of it and he was surprised to recognize one of them. "I-it''s Chairman Jacob Parker. Peter, I have a vision of Chairman Jacob Parker. The Chairman of Twelve Army!" Peter was surprised. What could the Chairman of the Twelve Army be doing at CEO Wang''s territory? It is very unlikely for him to be personally involved with CEO Wang. While CEO Wang is contemplating on how to wake up J, he heard the voice of one of his personal men. "Boss!" "You better have a good reason for disturbing my happy hour!" he said angrily at the man. "B-boss... we have a situation outside." the man said taken aback. CEO Wang furrowed his brows and said, "Useless people! I can''t even rely on you to solve simple problems!" Then he walked out of the room followed by Bart and Naomi. "These people are saying that they are leaving." the man said pointing at four guards who were now standing at the center of the mansion. "What?! Are you out of your mind? I paid for them! I hired them! We have a contract! Why would they leave?" CEO Wang exclaimed angrily at the man. "CEO Wang. We received an order. We''ve been pulled out of the mission. We are leaving right away." the leader of the guard said with a blank face. CEO Wang laughed boisterously. "There must be a misunderstanding!" then he saw someone appeared at his doorsteps behind the guard. "Chairman P-parker!" he was startled at first but soon regained his arrogance. "What a pleasant surprise! Just what did I do in the past to have a visit from you personally at this hour!" "Tsk... you think highly of yourself CEO Wang," Jacob said with a smirk. CEO Wang was taken aback. "Ah... Chairman Parker, I believe there is a misunderstanding. Your people said they were being pulled out." "There is no misunderstanding CEO Wang," Jacob said in a cold tone. "I came here to retrieve all my men and a precious gem that you stole from me." he glared with an icy look at CEO Wang that sent shivers to his spine. "Search the area," Jacob ordered Arthur''s team which they obliged instantly. "W-wait! W-what are you doing!" CEO Wang was alerted as well as the Sano Twins but they were hesitant to make a move. "Chairman Parker we had a contract. I hired your guards and paid for them. You cannot just pull them out. You are violating the contract. I can sue you and make you pay for compensation!" thou he was terrified CEO Wang still managed to speak out arrogantly. Jacob didn''t even make a change in his indignant expression. Then Arthur came to him and whispered something to his ears which made him more infuriated. "Go ahead. I''ll even pay double the compensation. But before that, I will sue you for illegal smuggling of goods, illegal possession of firearms, I heard you are also involved in illegal drugs recently. And just today, you stole my most precious gem. I doubt if my compensation will be enough to bail you out of the prison CEO Wang." Then there was silence. CEO Wang was terror-stricken. What is he talking about? What did I steal that belong to him? Is he talking about her? CEO Wang thought to himself? Chapter 113 - Facing the Devil (2) "Did anyone of you touched her?!" He heard Jacob said in a terrifying tone then seeing him reaching a gun from Arthur. "I''ll kill those that lay a hand on her," Jacob said that in a low voice but enough for everyone to hear. Then CEO Wang was shocked to hear a gunshot from the gun in Jacob''s hand. Bart fell on the ground with a hole in his forehead. Naomi acts to point a gun at Jacob but was stopped to hear Jacob speak. "I dare you," Jacob said while pointing the gun at CEO Wang''s forehead. CEO Wang stopped Naomi with his trembling hands. "Chairman Parker. I-I beg you. I didn''t know what I did wrong. Please spare me." CEO Wang tried to plead for his life. But seeing the look in Jacob''s face it was like he is facing with the devil. Even Arthur''s Team and the other guards were shocked. They have heard that the Chairman was a sharpshooter but they didn''t expect to witness it at that time. And they have never seen the devil side of the Chairman, they didn''t even know it existed. "I dare you to lay a hand on my wife again and I promise you that I will pull out all your resources and I will make sure to make your life a living hell that you would beg for me to kill you instead. Do you understand CEO Wang?" Jacob''s voice was cold and low as if it came from underground. CEO Wang and Naomi were dumbstruck. Did they hear it right? The heiress that they abducted is Chairman Parker''s wife? Then panic occurred to them realizing what they have done. They are doomed. "Do you understand?!" Jacob repeated the question now with a higher tone. "I-I u-understand." CEO Wang stuttered. After hearing that Jacob walked towards a room following Arthur. When they reached the room, Jacob saw J lying on the bed asleep with her hands and feet tied and plaster on her mouth. He felt his heartache at the sight. He thought that threatening CEO Wang is not enough. Dark clouds covered his face, he will make his life miserable. He untied J''s hand and feet then gently removed the duct tape on her mouth. The drug that the Sano Twins used to make her fall asleep was too strong that J was never awoken even after the pain from removing the duct tape. Jacob carried her in his arms and walked out of the room. Before he exits the mansion, he gave Arthur an order. "Make sure that her identity will not be leaked out. You know what to do with them." Arthur nodded in understanding. Then they heard another gunshot. Naomi fell on the ground, just like her brother, she died with a hole in her forehead. In a distant, Peter heard the gunshot. "Simon, what''s the situation in there. I already heard two gunshots." Peter asked. "I don''t know but this is either good or bad... Chairman Jacob killed one of the Sano Twins, the guy, while Arthur killed the girl. They''re dead. Chairman Jacob walking out of the mansion followed by Arthur''s team and the rest of CEO Wang''s guard. He is carrying a girl. Looks like he came for the girl." Simon said. Peter furrowed his brows. Who is that girl? "Let''s go. We don''t have business here anymore." Chapter 114 - Failed Mission Jacob was sitting at the backseat of his SUV holding the sleeping J on his lap while Arthur is in the driver''s seat. They are being followed by another SUV with Stefan, Daniel, and Felix in it. "Boss, where to?" Arthur asked looking at the rear-view mirror. "Evergreen Villa," Jacob replied as he looked at J tenderly. The cold and devilish aura that he emitted at CEO Wang''s mansion was nowhere to be seen. "Copy that." then Arthur started the engine and drove off. Then after a couple of minutes, Arthur speaks again. "Boss, earlier outside CEO Wang''s mansion, we had company." Arthur looked at the rearview mirror. Seeing Jacob was not surprised at all he continued. "Felix recognized one of them as Simon while not far away from the mansion there were about ten more people." Jacob thought for a moment. Of course, he knew Simon. He was one of those that were sent by the Robin Hood Society to be trained at the Twelve Army Training Facility. And now he is one of the best snipers that the Society has. Why would they send Simon there? Does it have something to do with J? Whether or not J is the current leader of the society, it is not yet clear to him. "Look further into it," Jacob ordered Arthur looking outside the window. .... Late that night at the log house in Naupaka County, President Martin is waiting for reports from Peter and his group. That night they were supposed to carry out their plans of avenging the Sano Twins for killing one of their brothers in the society. But unlike Jacob, they won''t avenge them by killing them. They have gathered all the evidence involving the Sano Twins and CEO Wang in a couple of murders and abduction of some elites. As well as CEO Wang''s involvement with illegal smuggling and illegal possession of firearms. They have been in contact with the police and they are waiting for them to arrive. Once the Sano Twins are in the custody of the police it will be easier for the members of the society that were also in the Police Department to get their hands on them. Getting their revenge will be a lot easier. Waiting at the window President Martin saw the arrival or a couple of cars and saw Peter and his men came out of it. He waited for Peter''s report in his office. Not too long he heard a knock on the door. Then he saw Peter came in. "President Martin... We failed..." was Peter''s first words but he shows no remorse at all which made President Martin look at him with questions on his face. "Before the police could arrive Jacob Parker came with four of his men and killed the Sano Twins. He left CEO Wang''s mansion together with all the guards that CEO Wang hired from the Twelve Army. He left carrying a girl." "We will be conducting an investigation about what happened," Peter said. President Martin gave it a thought for a moment then said, "Let them be. I''ll talk to Chairman John Parker. You may take a rest now." Chapter 115 - Keeping another Girl President Martin already has an idea as to what happened but he didn''t tell it to Peter. No one knows from the Robin Hood Society about his daughter''s marriage to Jacob Parker. They don''t even know how she looked like. But if the girl that Peter said that Jacob seemed to rescue from CEO Wang is his daughter, does that mean that CEO Wang already knows her identity? Did Jacob fail to protect his daughter? With those questions in mind, he made a call to Chairman John Parker. He didn''t care if his call would wake him up in the middle of his sleep. At the Parker''s Mansion, Chairman John Parker was awoken by a continuous ringing of the telephone. Irritatingly he woke up to see that the caller ID register President Martin. His brows furrowed. Something must have happened for him to call him in the middle of the night. "Hello... President Martin. Did something happen?" Chairman John asked. "That I would like to ask you myself, Chairman John. Did something happen to my daughter?" President Martin replied bitterly. Chairman John was confused. "I don''t understand President Martin. What do you mean?" "A little birdie told me that they saw your son came in CEO Wang''s mansion, killed his men and left carrying a girl. Now tell me, is that my daughter or your son is keeping another girl?" President Martin sounds disturbed. "I have no idea but I am sure that he is not keeping another girl. Let me call him and asked about what happened." after saying that Chairman John made a call but not to Jacob but to Arthur. Because if he calls Jacob and asked about what happened, he is not sure if he would tell him the truth or maybe he would but he will probably have his suspicions that he knew something about Jenny Do''s identity. "Arthur, did something happen to Jacob''s wife?" Chairman John was not surprised that Arthur is still awake. If President Martin was right, Arthur must be with Jacob when he came to CEO Wang''s mansion. "She was abducted by CEO Wang''s people." Arthur directly replied nonchalantly. "What?! Why didn''t I know that? Where were you?" Chairman John was enraged after hearing the truth from Arthur. "Due to the International Summit and the turmoil in Crocus, there were no guards left to watch over Miss J. The officials thought that it would be fine since she hasn''t had any threats. We were not aware of the interest that CEO Wang have for her. We''re sorry Chairman John." Arthur didn''t tell him that Jacob already knows of his wife''s identity and the reason why CEO Wang''s men abducted her. That was an order from Jacob. Jacob had already suspected that his father knew the identity of J and he is wondering why he is keeping it a secret from him. He wouldn''t tell him that he already found out her identity yet. There were still details that were not clear to him yet. And he wanted to find it first. Chairman John was outraged when he found out about what happened to J. Although Arthur told him CEO Wang probably only had an interest to J that''s why he abducted her, he still cannot deny the idea that CEO Wang must''ve probably found out that Jenny Do is the heiress of the Robin Hood Society, CEO Wang after all is a Second-Class Elite. Chapter 116 - Announcing their Marriage "You were right. Jenny was abducted by CEO Wang." Chairman John called back President Martin who became hostile after hearing Chairman John''s confirmation. "How did that happen? I thought you and your son assigned a skilled guard to protect her?!" President Martin replied without even bothering to conceal his disgust to what happened. "I''m sorry about that... but you cannot blame Jacob. He didn''t know Jenny''s real identity. They were not aware of the threats around her. Being a low-profile nurse and the fact that they haven''t announced their marriage yet made them think that she is not in a grave threat yet. So today, because of the International Summit and a turmoil that happened in Crocus which needed additional men, they had to borrow the guards of Jenny against Jacob''s will for only one day. Who would''ve thought that CEO Wang''s men would come on this day to abduct her." Chairman John keenly explained the situation to President Martin whom after consideration believed to be logical. "Do you think CEO Wang already found out her identity?" President Martin asked. "I have suspicions. But Jacob said that the reason that CEO Wang abducted her was probably he had an interest to her, which I doubt. I have a feeling that my son already had an idea about her identity." Chairman John replied. "I think we should address this problem as soon as it gets out of our control. What do you think Chairman John?" President Martin said as his tone becomes more serious. Chairman John who seemed to have the same thoughts nodded his head in agreement. "I''ll announce their marriage in the CLP Hospital''s Foundation Day. In that way, no one will dare harm her. But you know how your daughter feels about it. She strongly objects to announce their marriage." President Martin who seemed to loosen up already let out a brief and quiet laugh and said, "Please don''t mind her, she could be stubborn yet sweet most of the time. But I''m sure she''ll understand. I''ll talk to Jacob one of these days." "By the way, I heard that Jacob killed CEO Wang''s men?" President Martin didn''t hide his amuse about the fact the Jacob killed an infamous criminal to protect his daughter. "Yes, he did. I was surprised when I heard but knowing how capricious he is, I don''t think that he would do not only that to protect his wife." As far as Chairman John know, Jacob never killed anyone before. Thou his temper is feared in the society, he is never known to kill his adversaries. It was almost one o''clock in the morning, Jacob was still awake gazing at the sleeping J in his bed. From CEO Wang''s mansion, he took J to Evergreen Villa. Taking her back to Jade''s apartment is not safe anymore for her. J hasn''t been awake since she was taken by the Sano Twins and it''s making him nervous although he knew very well that it was the effect of the drugs that were given to her. He has been thinking about what happened that day. If Felix hadn''t found out on time about the real identity of J, he cannot imagine what''s worse that could happen to her. Being the heiress of the Robin Hood Society and if it was really her that has taken over the Society, her life is in danger. The Second-Class Elites were eager to get their hands on her and who knows what could have they done. There were others who are far eviler than CEO Wang. If he has known earlier he wouldn''t have allowed the A-Team to be pulled out from watching over her. Chapter 117 - Safe at Home Now that he thought about it, does their marriage have something to do with her identity? Being married to him gives her instant protection. If the Second-Class Elites found out that J, the heiress of the Robin Hood Society is married to the Chairman of the Twelve Army, they wouldn''t dare give a thought of harming her. Is this the reason why Elder Do married J to him? Then on what condition? Jacob was in deep thought when he felt J moved. Worried flashed to his face when she moaned and grasped her head. She''s getting conscious but probably feeling a little light-headed due to the drugs. When J regained her consciousness, her visions were a little blurred, she narrowed her eyes trying to recognize the person sitting beside her in the bed where she lay. She was alerted at first but then she felt that the man who was caressing her head then her face was very familiar to her. "J-Jacob?" fear was evident in her voice hoping that it was really Jacob. "Hey... Honey...it''s me. How are you feeling?" Jacob was gentle but worried. When J finally had a clearer view and confirmed that it was really Jacob in front of her, she breaks down and burst out into tears in Jacob''s chest. Jacob was heartbroken, she must be terrified after what happened. J was a strong person on the outside yet weak on the inside. He stroke her back and tried to comfort her. "Shhh... it''s okay. You''re fine now. They are gone. I''m here now..." Jacob engulfed her in his arms while he comforts her. They stayed in that position until J calmed down. "Where are we?" Jacob heard J asked him but didn''t let her go from his embrace. "We''re at my house. You''re safer here." Jacob replied. Then there was silence. J was about to ask Jacob how did he found her when she remembered something, then she pushed herself away from Jacob and looked at Jacob''s face. Her face looked worried then said, "Beauty! Jacob did you found her?! She was shot. Is she okay?" For a moment Jacob thought that she was about to say something about her abduction but turns out she was more worried about the dog. He smiled at her and said, "Don''t worry. I had James take Beauty and Beast in their vet. Beauty is fine, Beast got a cold after being left inside the cold bathroom, but..." sadness flashed in his face which J was quick to notice. "The pups didn''t make it." Seeing that J looked a little guilty, Jacob said, "Don''t worry sweetheart, at least Beauty is fine. Let''s just hope that she''ll conceive again. Or maybe we can adopt a couple of pups for them. How about that? Hmm?" then Jacob pulled her again into his embrace. J felt thankful to Jacob but she couldn''t voice it out. Instead, she gave him a warm embrace which Jacob pleasantly returned back. If it wasn''t for him, she''s probably dead by now. Knowing the reason why they abducted her. She closed her eyes, feel the warmth of Jacob''s body and inhaled his unique distinct scent. She felt safe. "You haven''t eaten anything. You''re probably hungry. I''ll get something for you to eat." she heard Jacob said before he pulled himself away from her and walked out of the room before she could protest Chapter 118 - I had my ways After a couple of minutes, he arrived with two bowls of hot seafood chowder. He gave him a smile then they ate the food that Jacob prepared for them. She felt recharged. The last time she ate was during lunch at the hospital. She hadn''t had a chance to have a snack or dinner. Probably Jacob too. "Can I take a shower?" J asked Jacob after finishing the food to which Jacob nod his head then showed her the bathroom. "You can search my closet, you''ll surely find something to wear. Tomorrow I''ll ask someone to get your clothes from the apartment." J nodded in response. After almost thirty minutes J walked out of the bathroom feeling a little conscious. She only found an oversized long-sleeved polo and boxer shorts to wear. Jacob looked at her affectionately which made J blushed. "What? I can''t find your pants. This is better than wearing nothing." J said feeling uncomfortable under the gaze of Jacob. Jacob smiled. Of course, she wouldn''t find any because except for the pants that he is wearing he brought all his pants in J''s apartment. "Come on. Let''s sleep." Jacob said then he pulled out the blanket and gestured her to lie on the other side of the bed. J was lying in Jacob''s arm close to his chest while Jacob''s arms were wrapped around her soft body. J is playing a small part of the blanket that''s covering them with her fingers. She can''t sleep. Probably because of the long hours that she had been asleep due to the drugs. "You can''t sleep?" she was startled to hear Jacob ask her. She thought he was asleep. "Hmm... did I wake you up?" J looked up and stared at the handsome face of her husband. "No... I was awake." Jacob opened his eyes and looked at her. "Is there something bothering you?" J blushed when their eyes met. Feeling embarrassed she looked down on his chest. Jacob''s lips curled upwards when he saw her flushed face. "How did you find me?" J asked out of nowhere. "There''s the CCTV camera. The person who abducted you were quite famous. And I know to whom they worked for." Jacob replied as he closed his eyes. "How did you get me?" J asked again after a couple of minutes. Jacob didn''t reply so she looked up at him and thought that he fell asleep but was startled to hear him say, "I had my ways." "Oh..." was her only reply. She didn''t ask any more questions to let him sleep. But She felt him tightened his embrace and kissed her at the top of her head. "Did they do something to you?" Jacob asked the thing that he dreaded the most. If they ever did do something to her before he came, God knows what he could do. Chapter 119 - Permission J was silent at first, she tried to remember what happened after they got her from her apartment but since the bulky guy grabbed her from behind and put something in her nose. She didn''t remember anything. "I''m not sure. How could I know when I was asleep all this time," she replied humorously but had a different effect on Jacob. He felt agitated. J heard him groan then suddenly he is in top of her. Looking intently at her face. J''s eyes widened in surprise. "J-Jacob...." she wanted to say something but felt the words stuck on her throat. It would be a hideous lie if he says that he wasn''t aroused by her. They have been sleeping together in the same bed for almost two months and during those nights he was aroused by their closeness. He was aroused by her after shower scent with wet hair. Even the thought of her aroused him. God knows how hard it was for him to endure it. But he has to control it until he got her full trust. But their current situation is making him out of control. Her wearing his boxer shorts, her bare legs and thighs frequently rubbing on his legs making him crazy. And the thought of another man touching her makes its worst. "I want you...please?" his tone was imploring, his face filled with emotions. He wanted her badly but didn''t want to force her. He was asking for her permission indirectly. J was out for words. Is he asking her permission? But how is she going to answer him? She was scared but deep inside her, she wants him too. Her heart was beating fast, she opened her mouth yet no words came out of it. It took her long to process her thoughts. Jacob thought that she is not ready yet so he said, "It''s ok if you''re...." but he was cut when he saw J nod her head. Jacob was elated but still wanted to make sure. "Are you sure?" J looked at him in the eyes. Both her hands were in his chest, they were so close that she could feel his heartbeat erratically. She nods her head again. Jacob smiled then lowered his head to kiss her on her forehead. "Promise I''ll be gentle." he murmured to her. J closed her eyes. She felt Jacob kissed both her close eyes then the tip of her nose. She smiled at his gesture. She felt his respect and sincerity even without words. His lips covered her lips, it was gentle at first then became deeper. She felt his tongue met hers. She moaned at the sensation. Jacob''s hands caress her cheeks then to her neck down to her arms. Then it found its way inside her dress. She gasped when his hands cupped her breast. How and when did he manage to unhooked her bra? She didn''t notice. She was so drowned in this new sensation that Jacob is giving her. This is her first time but all the fear that she felt has soon vanished. She trusts Jacob. When it was over, J was exhausted. Jacob was gentle on her knowing her inexperience. Jacob looked at J tenderly. He kissed her forehead, then her closed eyelids. He whispered "I love you" before he kissed her lips then buried his face into her shoulder until he fell asleep. Chapter 120 - Would She get pregnant with him? J was awake and she heard what he said. She opened her eyes and looked at him. He''s already asleep. She pulled herself away from him then walked towards the bathroom. When she got dressed, she lay back to Jacob''s arms. She looked at his handsome face. She clearly heard what he said. He said that he loved her, she felt the happiness in her heart and fear at the same time. She wants him to be with her forever but she was scared that he might leave her once he found out her identity. She can''t lose him. She doesn''t want to. Not now that she is no longer infatuated with him. She has fallen in love with him. The next morning, they made love again before Jacob got out of bed to take a shower leaving J who had fallen asleep again. When J woke up she was naked. Memories of them making love flashed in her head making her blush. Then she remembered something. Did he use protection? She didn''t remember him using protection when they made love last night and even this morning. Her eyes widened, he released them all inside her! Is she going to get pregnant?! Not that she minds having a baby with him, in fact, she would love to but her situation is a bit complicated right now. She counted the days, she should be safe today. But she has irregular menstruation making her doubt her calculation. Urgh....this is so frustrating! She rolled in bed and buried her face in the pillow. She looked around the bedroom, Jacob was nowhere. He noticed the interior of the bedroom, it was minimalist just like his bedroom in Parker''s Mansion. She liked his taste when it comes to interior design. The room was painted with white, the ceiling and floor are white as well while the furniture including the bed was black. The room is decorated with indoor plants which makes it refreshing and calming. She wrapped her body with the blanket and walked towards the large window. Looking outside, she realized that the house is a bungalow. She went to the bathroom to take a shower. She noticed that her clothes were now in the closet. Jacob was so efficient. She thought to herself. She chose to wear a grey long-sleeved dress that reached just above her knee. She walked out of the bedroom to look for Jacob. The whole house just like the bedroom had a minimalist interior. White paint, black furniture, and indoor plants. There were lots of glass door and large windows. She found Jacob in the kitchen wearing jeans and a white dress shirt with sleeves folded up to his elbow. He is talking to his phone. Jacob saw her and instantly smiled at her. She smiled back at him as she seated in the high chair in the kitchen counter. J unconsciously stare at him while he is talking on the phone. He seemed to be talking to James and giving him some instructions. His deep-set eyes looking at her gives her a sense of belonging. Jacob noticed her staring at him so he stared back at her. For some reasons, he felt that their relationship is now on a different level. He smiled at her. He remembered how she trusted her last night. She looked even more gorgeous to his eyes. Her messy hair that she didn''t even bother to blow dry. Her face with no make-up at all but her lips and cheeks were pink. Just how did she manage to look so gorgeous naturally? Chapter 121 - They Messed with the Wrong Husband "You''re awake," Jacob said after he finished his call. He walked towards J who was still staring at him. "Good morning." Jacob kissed her temple and inhaled her after shower scent making him want to take her back to bed. "Good morning," J replied when she realized that Jacob is already in front of her. All this time she was just staring at his eyes she felt that the time stops only for her. She didn''t even notice him walked towards her. "You must be hungry, I prepared pasta. It''s almost lunchtime so I''m not sure what to prepare so I made pasta. I know you loved it so you wouldn''t mind. Would you?" Jacob said with a smile. "No, I don''t mind. Thank you." J replied. "By the way, I asked James to file a two day leave for you at the hospital. Don''t worry, he used your specimen signature for the letter." Jacob winked at her before she could react. Because if James filed her leave letter then it would be suspicious. "After what happened, we''ll be staying here at my villa. It''s much safer for you. And you''ll need to rest for at least two days. Should you have any plans of going somewhere please inform me so I could come with you." after saying that J looked at him. She felt that Jacob became extra protective of her after what happened. Thinking about that, she remembered the guy who abducts her seemed to know her identity. And according to Jacob, those people were working for someone. "What happened to those that kidnapped me?" J asked. Jacob stopped eating then looked at J before saying, "They''re in police custody." "Did you find out what do they want from me?" Actually, J wanted to know if her kidnappers told anything about her identity to Jacob. "Apparently, their Boss, CEO Wang must have taken an interest in you. Definitely, he didn''t know who he was messing around with." for a moment J noticed Jacob''s veins pulsing in his temple. "No one will dare touch you again. Not without my permission. They wouldn''t dare harm you again, I promise you that." then Jacob pressed his lips firmly together. J felt that there was something that Jacob is not telling her. Did he already know? She thought to herself. But if he did, why isn''t he confronting her? After they finished their brunch Jacob made sure that J doesn''t have any plans for the day before he went back to the hospital. When he went inside his SUV he looked around the house then sent a text message to Arthur. "I''ll be leaving but will be back at night. She''ll be left alone. Be sure that no one will come near her. Inform me immediately if she leaves the house." After he sent the message, he started the engine of the car and drive out of the Evergreen Villa''s gated perimeter. When Jacob left the villa, J walked around the house. She noticed that no one is in there except for her. Didn''t he get a housekeeper? She thought to herself. Then she walked back to the bedroom and looked for her phone. She saw it in the bedside table. She hadn''t checked her phone since yesterday so she was wondering if she missed any call or messages. But upon looking at it, there were no notifications. What would she expect? For an introvert like her who don''t have a friend or a close acquaintance except for Diana who seemed to be busy preparing with her coming wedding and Lance whom she left with all the stuff that she is supposed to be working on. Chapter 122 - Am I that Bad? Thinking about Lance she remembered to call him and trouble him for something. She sits down beside the table and searched for her list of contacts. When she found it, she pressed the screen and dialed his number. After a couple of rings, he answered the phone. "Hey!" J was the first one to speak. "Hey, how''re you doing lately? Did something come up?" J heard his energetic voice and a genuine smile appeared in the corner of her lips. She missed bonding with him. Being with him means no dull moment. How long has it been? Five years? It''s been five years since they had seen each other, been together and had a good carefree talk with no worries. But due to some circumstances, they have to stop seeing each other. Hopefully not for long. "Hmmm... nothing much. How are you?" the words just came out of her mouth. Lance was taken aback. Just since when did she called him just to ask him how is he? Lance laughed. "What''s wrong with you? Did you get a rare disease or something? Or... wait a minute... don''t tell me you''re pregnant?!" Lance'' last words were whimsical. J''s cheeks turned pink when she remembered the passionate lovemaking that she and Jacob did last night. She shakes her head to erase that image from her head. She winced then said, "Am I that bad?" "Yeah," Lance replied matter of factly. Then J heard Lance laughed. "Straight to the point! What do you want?! I''ll be attending a meeting on your behalf in half an hour." J pursed her lips. "Have you found the Elder Parker?" she asked directly which Lance replied with a "No." directly. "I want you to find some persons for me. I want to know their whereabouts." J followed up her questions immediately. "Okay, bring it on!" Lance replied not wasting any minute. "Sano twins. I want to know where they are." when J said that, there was silence on the other line. After a couple of seconds, she heard Lance sigh, "They''re dead. What do you want from them?" J was dumbstruck. Dead? How did it happen? Jacob said that they were in police custody. "What do you mean they''re dead?" J blinked her eyes in curiosity. "I heard that last night, Peter and his group was about to set them up including CEO Wang and were just waiting for the police to arrest them. But their plan failed. Apparently, someone killed the Sano Twins. I have no details as to who killed them but that''s what I heard." J was speechless. Last night, they were killed. Last night she was rescued by Jacob from them. Was it just a coincidence? Her instinct tells her that Jacob has something to do with their death. But... why would he do that? Was it because of her? "Hey! J! Are you still there?" J snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Lance'' voice. "Uh... how about CEO Wang?" she asked. Chapter 123 - CEO Wang’s Downfall "I heard he went missing. After last night he went hiding. This morning, evidence of his involvement with illegal smuggling, illegal possession of firearms and illegal drugs were released in the public by an anonymous group. Although the Society had plans of using this evidence against him, they had no plans of getting it out of the public because their original plan was giving those evidence to the authority secretly without alerting the media and the public. And once that CEO Wang and the Sano Twins were in the police'' custody, that''s when the Society will step in using our brothers inside and implement their plans on avenging our brother who died from the hands of the Sano Twins. But what''s the most alarming was, the evidence of the Sano Twins abducting women from a low-profile family even from the elites that CEO Wang had an interest with. With all these arrest warrants and anger from the public, I don''t think he will have the guts to show up." Lance tone showed how displeased he was. J shivered at Lance'' last words. They really did abduct women of CEO Wang''s interest. Does that mean that what Jacob said that she was abducted because CEO Wang was interested in her was true? But she also clearly heard one of the Sano Twins that they knew that she is the heiress of the Robin Hood Society. It is clear that she was abducted because she is the heiress of the Robin Hood Society. But what''s not clear to her is of what Jacob knew as the reason for the abduction. Lance noticed her silence. "J, did something happen? Why do you want me to find the Sano Twins?" he said with worry. J told Lance everything that happened. From her abduction to being rescued by Jacob using his ''own ways'' and her suspicions that he has something to do with the death of the Sano Twins and CEO Wang''s downfall. Having only two friends she never hides anything from Lance. "Do you think he already found out my identity?" J asked after Lance. Lance who was still pondering what he just found out was still in shock. He didn''t have an idea that all those things happened to J just overnight. His head is about to explode and he can''t think logically. "God there''s an easy way to find out. Why don''t you just ask him yourself? You''ve been married for five years and been together for more than two months. And I don''t think that Jacob is going to let you off so, don''t you think you should just tell him that you''re no ordinary person? That you are the heiress of the Robin Hood Society, a society of vigilante that exploits money and goods from dirty and illegal businesses and politician? I think he wouldn''t have a say to that. Anyways if he is really the one who killed the Sano Twins then I think he is also hiding a skeleton inside his closet!" Lance was furious not because of J but because of what happened to J. He is her right-hand man, and as her right-hand man, he was supposed to protect her from any harm. Just like how Leo is protecting Madam Victoria and Peter is protecting President Martin. But just because she is hiding her identity, he has to also hide her connection to her and pretend that he has nothing to do with her. So how could he protect her? Chapter 124 - J’s Guardian Angel He felt that he could do nothing for her... J felt guilty. Growing up together she definitely knows how Lance feels based on his tone and his choice of words. Even when she cannot see him, she knows that he felt useless. Not that he is, in fact, he is so much helpful to her. There are a lot of things that she cannot do without him. But there were some duties that he cannot fulfill because of her situation. "I''m glad that you''re okay... I''m sorry that I wasn''t there to protect you... " Lance said after a couple of seconds. J sighed. She''s not good at consoling another person''s emotion. Be it other people or a person close to her. She is more of a listener than a talker. Normally she would just sit down and listen to them, then made some gestures like patting their back or if necessary, give them a hug. But listening to Lance at a distance, she felt helpless. She has to do something. J thought to herself. Before she could say something, she heard Lance speak again but this time with an energetic tone. "Anyways, I''ll just have to do what I do best. I''ll find out if he killed the Sano Twins." J smiled. Knowing Lance, he can easily change his emotions from down to high. "Thank you. You were the big brother that I never had." J said gently. "Nonsense. I''m your guardian angel!" Lance said proudly. J can even vision him holding his chest like a knight. "By the way, have I told you before that Jacob is the new Chairman of Twelve Army? Thou it turns out that he had taken over a couple of years ago, it was announced just recently when he came back from abroad." Lance changed the topic. "Twelve Army? The private army?" J asked with some thoughts running into her mind. "Yes. That''s why if you are doubting about Jacob''s capability to kill, I think you should think twice. I think with his identity and capability, no one would dare mess with him or with his... " with Lance'' continuous talking he suddenly came up with a realization which J thought of as well. " ...wife." "Damnit! How could I miss that small detail! That''s it J! I think Elder Do marry you to Jacob for protection. He knew that the time would come that the Second-Class Elites would look for you, he knew the dangers that you will be facing! So, he arranged your marriage with Jacob! Because once the elites find out your identity, they would also find out that you are married to Jacob Parker. The person whom they wouldn''t dare to mess with. The person whom they owe their precious life with. Because if it wasn''t for Jacob and the Twelve Army which is their only source of a private army in the country, their life would be like a target in the shooting range where all guns were pointed at them without any protection!" Lance was animated at his discovery. J was thinking the same. Lance was right. If her marriage to Jacob Parker has been exposed to the public, it would no longer matter if the Second-Class Elites recognize her as the heiress of the Robin Hood Society. They wouldn''t dare mess with Jacob. Chapter 125 - Charmingly Stubborn J kept pondering about it. Although it is not yet confirmed, she couldn''t think of any reason as to why did her grandfather married her to Jacob Parker. But what would the Parkers get in return? Power? Money? Obviously, they already got it all. Lance hang up the call earlier to find out if it was really Jacob who killed the Sano Twins. He said that he just needed a couple of calls to find out. While waiting for Lance to call her back, J got up from the bed and walked around the house. Then she seemed to remember something. She walked out of the house and looked around. After a couple of minutes, she lowered her head turn around to walk inside the house with a smirk. Then she received a text message from Lance. "Can''t call you right now. I''m in the middle of the conference. But I confirmed it. It was really Jacob who killed one of the Sano Twins, while the other one was killed by one of his men." Although she was not surprised, her lips pressed firmly into a thin line before she entered the house. .... "You don''t have to come with me," J said firmly. "I said, I''m going with you. And that''s final." Jacob replied in a firmer tone as if challenging J''s stubbornness. J pursed her lips. The next day when Jacob was about to leave the house and asked J if she has plans of going out, she said that she would be visiting the family of her patient that died in the OR Theater. Then Jacob insisted on coming with her. Since then, they have been bickering with each other for almost half an hour. J originally wanted to meet the family not just because he was his patient but also because she felt responsible as the heiress of the Robin Hood Society to visit them and give them her condolences. The young police was a member of the Society and he was killed by the Sano Twins because they found out that he is a member of the society. Although the Sano Twins were dead and CEO Wang is nowhere to be found, Jacob still felt uncomfortable in letting J go out alone. After finding out that she is the heiress of the Robin Hood Society he is very much aware that danger might come to her any moment. And he just wanted to be there to protect her. Although the A team is still watching over her from the distance, he still felt that it was not enough. He wanted them to guard her closely but he was sure that J wouldn''t want that. "It was just a couple of minutes away from here. You can just lend me one of your cars." J is now standing in front of Jacob although Jacob is much taller than her, she wouldn''t let him make her feel intimidated. Jacob standing like a king in front of J with both his hands on his waist looked down at her. Looking her in the eye. J didn''t avert her gaze and stared back at him. "I wouldn''t take too long," J said. Her eyes stared beseechingly at Jacob. She is so stubborn. Jacob thought to himself. But he still finds it charming. He can''t control himself to let out a small smile which J noticed. Her eyes averted from his eyes down to his lips. She unconsciously bit a small part of her bottom lip. He is so breathtakingly handsome especially when he smiles. His smile is her weakness. Chapter 126 - Her Patient’s House Suddenly Jacob''s phone rings. It was James. J saw a grim in Jacob''s face. Something must''ve happened in either the hospital or the Twelve Army. After the call, Jacob sighed in frustration then looked at her. "Okay, I guess you''re on your own. I''ll have you drive one of my cars. I''ll call you every now and then. Don''t stay out longer than an hour." Jacob said as if talking to his daughter and giving her pointers before he allows her to go out. J smiled at him sweetly and said, "Okay... thank you." She could actually let Jacob come with her, in fact, she would definitely love it, but she wasn''t sure up to what extent does the young policeman''s family know about his involvement in the society and her identity so she couldn''t take the risk. Jacob stared a couple of seconds to J. He walked closer to her, his hands reached out for her cheeks. "Honey please be safe. Call me if something came up. Okay?" Then he lowered his head and his lips covered her lips. J closed her eyes and savor the sweetness of his lips. When their lips parted, Jacob still holds her face close to his. Afraid to let her go. J assured him in her soft voice, "Don''t worry. I will." Before Jacob left the villa in his SUV, he called Arthur and told him that J is leaving the house. He just wanted to make sure that they are in position. After an hour, J driving a red sports car parked in front of a small yet decent bungalow near the heart of the city. As much as she wanted to maintain a low profile, Jacob only has this sports car and another high-end sports car in his garage. She walked towards the bungalow and knocked at the door. After a couple of minutes, a middle-aged woman opens the door. She smiled at J before asking who is she looking for. J didn''t know how to start the conversation. So, she first introduced herself. "Good morning, I''m Nurse J from CLP Hospital." The woman looked surprised at first, then she opened the door widely to let her in. She was hospitable enough to let a stranger in their house. J thought. Although she only said her name and where she came from, the woman already seemed to know why she came. The woman gestured her to sit on the sofa before she was gone to the kitchen to get something for her to drink. When she returned, they were both seated on the sofa. J felt awkward. She rushed over there without a plan of how to start a conversation. She grabs the glass of orange juice that was in the table and sips a small amount just enough to wet her lips. She cleared her throat before she started speaking. "I''m the nurse of your son. I... " she wanted to say that she was there when her son died in the OR but her words were stuck in her throat unsure if she should say that. In the end, she decided not to. "I''m sorry about what happened." The woman smiled at her. "You''re probably his nurse when he died." J was taken aback. How did she know? "No wonder you are here. No ordinary nurse would come to visit a patient''s family after they died. I can sense that you are a good person." the woman''s tone was tender and motherly. Chapter 127 - Died with Dignity "I thought I should check on you. He''s young and looks promising... " J replied feeling awkward. "Indeed, he is. We do not come from a rich family, but when he and his sister were young. We tried our best to send them to school. Because we believe that it''s the best thing that we can give to them." the woman started speaking looking at a picture of a young boy and girl hanging on the wall. J instantly recognized the boy, in his younger years. "Being educated, no one will step down on them when they grew up. But I often see other kids bully them because he doesn''t have decent clothes or money to buy food in the school. I felt sorry for them. But he was not. He sees the world from a different perspective. He always says that there are a lot of people that are less fortunate than us. He never considers us poor. Because if we call our self poor, what would those less fortunate would call themselves." J looked at the woman as she continued to reminisce. "Even if we lack in everything, he still manages to give and help others. He said that he is fortunate enough to go to school, eat three times a day and have a parent. There were other kids in the neighbor that can''t go to school, so he takes responsibility to teach them what he learned from school. He planted vegetables at the backyard. We eat some while the others he gave it to those that don''t have food to eat." when the woman continued, she gave a small smile on her lips. J looked back again at the picture on the wall imagining how the boy had lived his younger days. "When he was in college, he became part of a society that helps less fortunate people. They help send kids to school, help the sick to be sent to hospitals and be treated fairly, they build an orphanage to house the homeless kids. They even helped him and his sister finished college. I was so proud that he became part of that society. When he died, the society came to us. They helped us with the funeral. They said that our loss is their loss too. We are not the only one who mourns for him but also those that he helped before. And I was glad that he died with respect and dignity that other rich people might not have when they died." J sensed pride in her tone. She was familiar that the woman was talking about the Robin Hood Society. There was silence after that, which made J felt awkward again. She is really not used to this long talk. She is silently hoping that the woman would talk again because she hasn''t composed any words yet to reply to her. When it seems that she is not going to speak again yet she said with a sad smile, "I wish I could''ve done more to save him... he was my first patient to die in front of me... " The woman turned her head on her with a knitted brow. She put her hand on J''s hand that lies on her lap. "You did the best that you can, and I''m thankful to you for that. You don''t have to blame yourself or feel guilty about it." Then she gave her a tight-lipped smile before she withdraws her hands. Chapter 128 - Busted "Ever since he became the police officer, I already prepared myself that in this life, I might be the one to bury my son and not the other way around." she turned her head back to the picture on the wall with an empty stare. J was astounded by this woman''s principle. For a mother to have that way of thinking, she must be one of a kind. She stayed there for a couple of more minutes mostly just listening to the woman''s story. After making sure that she and her family are doing well after the death of their family member and finding out that they don''t have any idea about the Robin Hood Society she bade her goodbye. After all, she promised Jacob she won''t be gone for more than an hour. Stepping outside the house she sent Jacob a message that she is about to go home. She instantly received a reply with, "Okay, take care. I''ll see you at dinner." When she was about to get in the car, she looked around her. She stares for a moment in her reflection in the car''s window then walked away from it. "She''s walking away." Arthur heard Felix on his earpiece. "Standby." was his reply. He continued watching her movements on the monitor with Daniel beside him. "You fuckin'' kidding me!" Daniel murmured to himself. Arthur furrowed his brows, eyes still focused on the monitor. "Shit!" Felix and Stefan said in simultaneously. For a minute, the four of them seemed to have stopped breathing, then Arthur and Daniel heard a knock on the back door of their van. The two of them looked at each other then looked back at the monitor. "Ah... guys... she''s knocking at your door... " Felix said in a tight voice. Arthur stood up then opened the back door of the van. After a moment, he is standing face to face with their VVIP that they were supposed to guard and protect without her knowing it. Just how did she find out? Everyone thought. "You changed cars five times already on a daily basis... but why does it seem that your strategy is too obvious for me... " they heard J said with narrowed eyes. "Let''s go home," J said then turned around to walk back at her car. "And tell your two men up there to get down here. The weather is quite hot." .... That morning James received a call from Chairman John Parker that the President of the Robin Hood Society wants to meet up with Jacob. When Jacob heard about it, he immediately grabbed this opportunity to find out who is now currently taking over the Society. Obviously, it is not J, since he was just talking with her this morning and currently, she is in the house of her past patient. He confirmed it with Arthur. On their way, James received a text message from Chairman John Parker giving them the exact address where they will be meeting with the President of the Robin Hood Society. Jacob''s eyes were on the road, while James is currently driving. Chapter 129 - Newest Member of the Society There are a lot of questions that are running into Jacob''s mind. Like who is now the current President of the Robin Hood Society? Since President Alexander died five years ago, everyone assumed that it is his granddaughter, the heiress, that will take over as the President. But obviously it is not her. Does his father know who is now the President of the society? And what does he have to do with them? Did their family just become the newest member of the Society? Or does his father know about J''s identity? After two hours they arrived in front of a tall gate with no guards. Behind the closed gate is a road that leads to the top of the hill. They cannot see any sign of a house or living person around. Just large trees and chirping birds. After a couple of minutes, the gate opened up automatically. Jacob concluded that the gate is computer operated and someone is watching them from somewhere. His SUV drive past the gate then the gate closed on itself. They drive up the hill silently while Jacob is observing the surroundings. Chairman John told them that they don''t have to bring guards with them as if Jacob would bring one. James is enough company already. Soon they were in front of a three-story log house and based on its structure, Jacob guessed that it also has a basement. In front of the log, house is a terrace leading to the main door where a rugged, edgy, masculine man in his mid-30''s standing and seems like he''s been waiting for them. Jacob studied the man first before he gets down his car. The man is about 5''9'' in height, his hair is short and messy, with a short beard and mustache. Thou rugged, he is still well-groomed, that for a moment made Jacob think is the President of the Robin Hood Society. He wears faded denim jeans, a black shirt under a black jacket. Jacob guessed that it was probably the right-hand man of the President of the society, of course, the President should be waiting inside for them. He wouldn''t expose himself just yet. "Chairman Jacob Parker..." Jacob noticed that he was addressed as the Chairman of the Twelve Army and not as the President of CLP Group of Hospital. "I''m Peter. This way, please. The President is waiting for you." his guess was right. Jacob followed the guy named Peter and behind him is James. Peter continued walking until they were at the backyard of the log house. At the backyard where a guest house, swimming pool, and Jacob saw the basement which turned out to be a basement garage. The road did not end in front of the log house, because Jacob noticed that it continued around the hill. Not far away from the log house is an oak tree near a cliff overlooking Lotus City. He saw a man and a woman, probably around the late ''50s to early 60''s sitting in an outdoor sofa looking at the view from their spot. Peter gestured James to stay then he leads Jacob to the oak tree. Peter said something to the man then they looked at him. "Chairman Jacob Parker. Please have a seat." President Martin said with a broad smile. Chapter 130 - Meeting the Parents Jacob sits on one of the accent chairs near President Martin. Jacob has a habit of studying the persons that he has to deal with before he speaks his first words. Jacob studied the man first who is smiling at him, he is probably around 55 to 60 years old. There were streaks of silver hair in his well-groomed hair. His broad chin shows a cleft chin and stubble. He has deep-set eyes, thick eyebrows, thin lips, and visible crow lines and forehead lines. He is wearing gray slacks and coat with a white long sleeve under it. He looks dignified and looks like he is observing him as well. He is the President of the Robin Hood Society, Jacob thought. The lady, on the other hand, looks quiet and reserved. Probably around early ''50s. Although she has a focused gaze towards Jacob, he quickly noticed that she looks beautiful, and probably a charmer during her younger days. She reminds him of someone he knows. Her face is well proportioned with a broad forehead, beautiful nose, prominent strong jaw with a smooth edge, brown eyes, dark brows, and small lips. Her black long hair is neatly combed. She looks domineering wearing a black dress and a glove. Jacob was quick-witted. He eventually recognizes them as J''s parents. J''s looks were a combination of both her parents while her aura is more of her mother''s that makes her look more like her mother. Jacob thought. A small smile appeared at the corner of Jacob''s lips thinking about J, which made Madam Victoria raised an eyebrow. "I''m President Martin Do, and this is my wife Victoria Do." Jacob heard President Martin said. Jacob smiled and replied, " It''s an honor to meet you." "Thou I''m curious... did I do something preposterous that made the dead come back to life?" Jacob said with a Cheshire cat grin. President Martin laughed at Jacob''s humor. While Madam Victoria looked at the two of them with indifference. "You''re quick-witted Chairman Jacob." President Martin said with a sparkling eye. Jacob noticed Madam Victoria rolled her eyes. Very much like Jenny. He thought. "Please drop the formality. It makes me feel old. Just call me Jacob." he said. "Well, then Jacob. I''m not sure if you already have an idea as to why did I trouble you to come up all the way here. But definitely not to witness the dead come back to life." thou serious, President Martin''s tone was light. Jacob smiled. "Please enlighten me." "It''s about our daughter." President Martin looked at Jacob waiting for any sign of inquisitiveness. Madam Victoria looked at him with suspicion. The moment Jacob find out that Jenny''s parents were still alive and are still the leaders of the Robin Hood Society, it came clearer to him that they called him here to talk about Jenny. "We have a couple of questions for you." President Martin continued, this time he looks more serious. "Go on," Jacob said anticipating. "Are you fine with it? Being married to my daughter? You know she''s dull and reticent, I don''t think she''s the type of your kind." President Martin reveals his hesitancy towards Jacob. Jacob narrowed his eyes. It would be a lie if he said that he is not at least affected by President Martin''s doubt on him for Jenny. Who would want their in-laws to have doubt on them? Chapter 131 - Not the Type of my Kind "Who in their right mind will be happy to find out that they had an arranged marriage five years ago to a person which name he never heard of or cannot find anywhere? At least not me, I was furious." Jacob smirked. "I actually planned to divorce her immediately once I find her... to pursue someone that I had an interest with. I wanted to have a divorce because of someone that is probably not the type of my kind." Jacob gazed at the magnificent view of the Lotus City. "Then I found her, she prepared her own divorce contract... but I tore it in front of her. And she was angry as a bull at me. Thou I planned to divorce her at first but I am not mad enough to divorce her to pursue her back. It''ll be a wasted chance." when Jacob said that there was a sparkle in his eyes. President Martin and Madam Victoria seemed to understand Jacob. President Martin smiled as if he has found a long-lost comrade while Madam Victoria still had a raised brow. It was obvious that Jacob is smitten by their daughter, so it was a waste of breath to ask the obvious. "Since when did you found out that she is our daughter?" Jacob finally heard Madam Victoria''s voice, it was quite intimidating but he was not affected at all. "Just a couple of days ago... I must admit, it was hard to dig into her identity especially if someone is deliberately concealing it. But I have my ways." Jacob said his last word with a hint of pride, it was like the word has become his tag line already. "Why did you think my father married her to you?" President Martin asked him without averting his gaze from Jacob. "To protect her." Jacob instantly replied. "And what do you think will you and your family will get in return?" President Martin asked again. Jacob shrug his shoulder and said, "I don''t know... and I don''t care. With or without the deal I will still protect her. Even if the elder didn''t marry us five years ago, I will be chasing after her and pursuing her to marry me now." Madam Victoria smirked which Jacob was quick to notice. "Seems like Madam Victoria is in doubt," Jacob said with a half-hearted smile. Among the two Madam Victoria was the most outraged when they found out from Miss Nancy and Miss Eve a couple of years ago that his father-in-law married her daughter to someone they didn''t know. But since the old man already died, and they didn''t have a copy of the marriage contract and the fact that they don''t even have an idea as to whom their daughter was married, she was helpless and cannot do anything about it yet. Until he heard about Jacob''s interest with Jenny from Diana. She ordered Leo to make an investigation of Jacob. Jacob''s grandfather, Benjamin Augustus Parker and Jenny''s grandfather, Alexander Do were a close friend back when they were young until they grew older. But due to Alexander Do''s way of thinking and principle, he founded The Robin Hood Society that made him and his family an outcast from the normal society. Although Benjamin Parker and Alexander Do were still in constant contact, they rarely met with each other and if they did, it was always outside the country. So, no one would think that the Parkers'' and Do''s were in a good relationship. Chapter 132 - At Least you should trust me Back then, Alexander Do was blatantly exposing himself as the founder and leader of the Robin Hood Society but he seemed to be untouchable. No one from the Second-Class Elites dared to touch him, the First-Class Elites respected him. Everyone seemed to be apprehensive about him because of his connection from different aspects of the social structure. When Madam Victoria found out that Jacob is eyeing her daughter, she already had her suspicions that her father-in-law might have married her daughter to the grandson of his friend Benjamin Augustus Parker. She never thought of that before, until she heard Jacob Parker''s name. And that thought made her unease. She doubted if Jacob would fit to be her daughter''s husband. When Jenny was still young and her grandfather Alexander is still the active leader of the Robin Hood Society Madam Victoria and President Martin have met the Parkers family a couple of times and during those times, she has seen the younger Jacob. But Jacob and Jenny didn''t have a chance to meet during those times, because of being antisocial, Jenny always refuses to go on a social event with her parents and would rather stay at home reading books or playing on her own. Who would''ve thought that the curious young Jacob who barely sits still that Madam Victoria met years ago would turn out to be a Casanova when he grows up? Madam Victoria was well aware of it and that''s the reason why she is not in favor of Jacob for her daughter. "You play with women with your sweet tongue. Do you think I would believe you?" Madam Victoria was very outspoken which made President Martin turn his head in her direction. "If you can''t believe me, at least you should trust me." Jacob was optimistic. He is not here to make Jenny''s parents believe every word he says. He just wanted them to trust him, that he would never let anyone harm Jenny. There was a moment of silence until Madam Victoria broke it. "If you dare breaks her... " but before she could finish her sentence Jacob cut her. "I wouldn''t dare, trust me." Jacob looked into Madam Victoria''s eyes confidently. Then there was another silence. "Ehem... " it was President Martin. "I originally called you here to talk about Jenny''s safety, but my wife seems to have her motherly affection gets into her way." Madam Victoria glared at her husband. "What? Do you think it''s not important?" "It is, indeed. But her safety is more important to me. What use can you make out of your heart if it stops beating... literally... " President Martin said in a matter-of-fact tone which made Madam Victoria rolled her eyes. "I heard you killed Bart Sano?" President Martin eventually changed the topic and looked at Jacob. There was darkness in his eyes when he heard the name and a picture of him carrying Jenny on his shoulder flashed in his memory. "He touched her." "T-touched her?" Madam Victoria became uncomfortable when she heard Jacob''s word. At that moment she thought that an infamous criminal touched her daughter inappropriately. Jacob came back to his senses and told them what really happened. Madam Victoria sighed in relieve. "I''m sorry, if I have known earlier, I wouldn''t have pulled out her personal security in the first place." Jacob let out a pronounced sigh. "I understand. Your father has told me what happened. I was just a little disappointed that we never got our hands on the Sano Twins. But we will still hunt CEO Wang." President Martin clenched his fist. He is not done with revenge yet. After a while, Jacob received a call from Jenny. Chapter 133 - Don’t think that I don’t know you "Come home now." Jacob only heard those three words then J hanged up the phone instantly. Jacob clenched his fist then tried to call her back again but she didn''t answer. He called Arthur, then Felix, Stefan, and Daniel. None of them answered their phone which made him frustrated. Did something happen to his wife? Dark clouds started to form on his face. "I have to go." he stands up and said to President Martin. "Did something happen? Who called you?" Madam Victoria asked him worriedly. Jacob turned to Madam Victoria then to President Martin. "Jenny called me... she wants me to go home... " "I have to go. I''ll call you." Then Jacob hurriedly left with James. .... Inside the Evergreen Villa, Arthur and his team sat in the sofa of the living room while Jenny sitting on the accent chair looking at them one by one studying each one of them. Her phone is ringing alternately with Arthur''s phone. She instructed them earlier before going home not to answer Jacob''s call. "Miss J, after what happened to you a couple of days ago, I don''t think it is safe for you to let anyone into your house. You shouldn''t trust... " Arthur was not able to finish what he is saying. "Arthur... right? The leader of the team? And you are Felix, Stefan, and Daniel. Don''t think that I don''t know you." J said with one of her brows raised. "Capricorn''s A-Team. One of the best team of the Twelve Army." J continued with a smirk which made the four men astounded. She didn''t just find out their mission but also their identity. Once J noticed their presence, she made sure to identify each one of them with the help of Lance. Then she found out that they were from Twelve Army and not just an ordinary guard, they were one of the tops. After making sure that they will not cause her any harm and were just there to watch over her, she wondered who would''ve sent them. Definitely not the Robin Hood Society. They already have Diana and Lance to look over her and having more guards to watch over her will make it suspicious. She could only think of no one but Jacob, being one of the Twelve Army himself. At first, she ignored them as long as they don''t meddle with her daily routine. But as the days went by, she is becoming conscious with their presence. And she''s becoming more and more curious as to why would Jacob send them to watch over her. Did he know already? "H-how did you know?" Felix who can''t resist the urge to speak asked. J shrug her shoulders and said, "I''m a keen observer. Observing my surrounding has become a habit when I don''t have much to do." Actually, it is not just like that. She made it a habit to observe her surroundings as part of being cautious. "I know that Arthur is the leader, you are the spy, Daniel the strategist and Stefan the sniper. I know that you and Daniel were already married. Stefan has a habit of changing girlfriends like he was just changing clothes and Arthur... " she looked at Arthur with furrowed brows. She only knows that he is from a military family, apart from that she can''t find anything about him. "I can''t read him... " she pursed her lips. Chapter 134 - You ask, Ill ask "I''m not surprised. We can''t read him either after a couple of years being in a team." Felix said. Arthur gave him a cold stare. "You know what, Miss J you amuse me. I haven''t met anyone as observant as you. But since when did you found out?" Felix continued talking. "Almost two weeks now... " J replied looking at the wall clock. Any moment Jacob should arrive now. "Urgh... that means we are hiding for nothing. What a waste of Daniel''s strategy and our effort." Felix was about to say something but was stopped midair after receiving a glare from Arthur and Daniel. There was cold silence in the living room, Felix seemed to be unease. He is most uncomfortable when put into silence specially if his curiosity is getting the nerve out of him. Arthur was silently studying J, his face was emotionless but his thoughts were running wild. He had watched over and guarded elites and heiress before but never had he encountered an heiress like her. While most of them tend to be spoiled, egocentric and illogical, this girl is anything but ordinary. At first glance, she is quite intimidating, but she is quiet, reserved and bright. She is logical and wise, an excellent analyst. She will be an excellent leader of the Robin Hood Society someday. Arthur thought to himself. After a while, they heard the sound of Jacob''s SUV entering the compound of the villa. Jacob was anxious, agitated and at the same time furious. He sends a four-man team to watch over his wife yet no one would answer his call. Even his wife didn''t answer her phone which is obviously still on. With a clenched jaw, he anxiously gets out of his SUV not able to park it properly followed by James. They entered an exceptionally quiet villa. He looked around to find any unwanted presence but he can''t find any. Apart from the villa being normally quiet, the house looks organized just how he left this morning. He walked around, and when he reached the living area, he was startled to see Arthur and his team face to face with his wife. And they were all looking at his direction anticipating his arrival. He regained his composure and looked at his wife with a raised eyebrow. What is the meaning of this? "I hope you don''t mind, I invited your friends in," J said with a smirk emphasizing the word friend. With lips partially opened Jacob narrowed his eyes towards Arthur then turn to J and said, "Let''s talk." he turned around and walked towards the bedroom. J who seemed to understand that Jacob wanted her to follow him stand up from her seat and quietly followed him. Inside the bedroom, Jacob stared at J, while J equally stared at Jacob. Jacob sighed before saying, "Okay, you ask me questions then I''ll ask you questions. How about that?" J raised her right brows. What? Are we playing games now? But then after a couple of minutes just staring at each other, J opened her mouth then asked, "What do you know about me?" Jacob smiled. As expected, J already had her suspicions. It''s just time to get to know each other. Jacob thought. After all, it would be easier to protect her if she knows that he already knew her identity. Watching over her from the shadow might not be necessary. Chapter 135 - I will kill who ever dare to lay a hand on you "You... are Jenny Do Parker. The granddaughter of Alexander Do, founder of the Robin Hood Society, daughter of Martin and Victoria Do, leader of the Robin Hood Society. In short, you are the famous heiress of the Robin Hood Society. And that fact is also the reason why CEO Wang abducted you. And you are married to me, Jacob Parker." Jacob said with an elevated chin and a gleaming eye. Thou she already had her suspicions, J was still astounded to hear it from Jacob. He already knew that much? J thought. "So that''s why you hired them to watch over me?" J said in a disapproving tone. "Hmm¡­ actually I hired them days before I found out about your identity. Oh... correction. I didn''t hire them. I ordered them to watch over you." Jacob replied with an elevated chin. Yea right. He is the Chairman of the Twelve Army so why would he hire his men to watch over her. Of course, he will just have to order them. J thought of the wrong word that she used. J crossed her arms in front of her while leaning on the glass window. "And since when is that?" She was asking since when did he find out which Jacob was quick to understand. Jacob''s face turned dark when he remembered the day that he finds out about her identity, it was also the day that worried him the most, the day that J was abducted by CEO Wang''s men and made him kill one of his men. "The day that you were abducted. I had Felix investigate about you. He is one of the best when it comes to finding out secrets." Jacob replied and thought that J might ask how did he find out. J believed that the men watching over her belong to a top-notched trained army but she was amazed to hear that it was Felix who found out about her identity. He must be really good at that if he was able to find her identity which no one has ever done since the Robin Hood Society have skilled professionals that can block anyone who tries to investigate the identity of their heiress. "You killed Bart Sano?" It was more of a confirmation that a question. Although she already knew that he did, she still wanted to hear it from him and later on ask him why? "Yes." Jacob''s reply was short. "Why?" J looked at him with anticipation. With a dark face, Jacob said, "I will kill whoever dares to lay a hand on you." J went silent. Did the infamous Bart Sano do something to her that made Jacob kill him, aside from abducting her? What she didn''t know is that he just touched her, carried her like a sack of rice, and that''s just it. Jacob would''ve spared his life and just let him led a miserable life in the prison if he didn''t touch her. But he touched her, and being overly protective of his wife, Jacob killed him. There was a long silence. There''s a question that J is meaning to ask him but she just hasn''t collected all the courage that she needed. What if she didn''t get the answer that she wanted to hear? Actually, it is the other way around, she doesn''t have the courage to hear his answer. Chapter 136 - Are you fine with it? She just keeps staring at Jacob who is also staring at her with anticipation. Waiting for her next question. Just as he was about to open his mouth, J was startled and tried to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat. "I¡­ " J closed her eyes then take a deep breath to calm her emotions, just like what she always does. "You¡­ are you fine with it?" Finally, she was able to ask not looking in his eyes. "I mean¡­ you are married to the heiress of the Robin Hood Society. We steal from the rich, exploits money. We are an underground society. I have a complicated life. A lot of people are hunting me. A lot of people want me dead. Being married to me means you might be drag down with me. Your family might be inflicted. Your life might be in danger. You should be living a normal life. My grandfather, my family should not be dragging you with our messy and complicated life¡­" J must have gathered too much courage to be able to talk longer than she used to. But she was stopped when she heard Jacob laughed. She raised her head to see me looking at her amused. J frowned. Is he not giving attention to what she was saying? Does he know how just uncomfortable she feels right now? "Ah¡­ why everyone asks me if I''m fine with this marriage? Is it very unlikely of me to be fine with this marriage? First, it was Miss Nancy, then your parents, now you. Why does everyone doubt me?" Jacob who was seated in an armchair in the corner of the bedroom pursed his lips then forced a fake smile then stand up to walk towards her. Just as he was just a couple of inches away from J, he stopped. "To answer your questions. Yes, I''m fine with it. I don''t care to whom I''m married to as long as it was you. Who cares if you steal from rich and exploits money, actually I can help you with that? Who cares if you are from an underground society? I would love to be part of your complicated life. I will block whoever hunts you. Who wants you dead? They will have to deal with me first before they could ever lay a hand on you." "Being married to you means the world to me. Don''t worry about my family, they knew, and they were much eager to protect you. I don''t care if my life would be in danger as long as you are safe. My life is not normal without you in it. Ah¡­ what was the last one?" Jacob stopped and rubbed his chin trying to remember J''s last word before he interferes. "Ah! Right!" Jacob''s eyes gleamed when he seemed to remember. "I was so glad that your grandfather dragged me into this messy and complicated life of yours. Because if he didn''t, I would be forcing myself into your life, even if you don''t want to." "Was I able to answer all you question Mrs. Jacob Parker?" Jacob asked emphasizing how he addresses J as Mrs. Jacob Parker indicating that whoever she is, she would still be his wife. J had her eyes almost red and dry from staring without blinking for too long at Jacob was speechless. Jacob''s answers were more than what she wanted to hear. He just wants him to say ''Yes'' but he was able to memorize all her words and was able to reverse her worries. Chapter 137 - Masochist and Sadist At that moment it seems like she became deaf, not able to hear the surrounding, only Jacobs words. And now that Jacob was done talking, she can only hear her heartbeat becoming faster and louder. Jacob who noticed that J was in a trance. He raised his hand and reach out to touch her face. "Honey¡­" J was startled to hear Jacob speak again. Although she didn''t hear clearly what he said, she sensed the gentle tone that he used. As she didn''t know how to react or what to say, she remained speechless and in a daze. Jacob started to became uneasy, "Hey¡­ Honey¡­ are you¡­" J was startled again when she heard Jacob speak again but this time, he seemed to be worried. She didn''t let him finish what he was saying instead she crossed the distance between them and circled both her arms around Jacob''s waist and buried her face into Jacob''s chest. She felt as if a great burden was lifted from her shoulder. For the first time, she was afraid of rejection from someone, and she only felt that from Jacob. She felt relieved. She closed her eyes and inhaled the unique scent coming from Jacob, again to calm her emotions. Jacob who was bewildered with J''s actions pleasantly returned J''s embrace even tighter. He pulled his eyebrows in a frown and asked again. "Are you ok?" "Mmm¡­ are you a masochist?" J said with a nod. Thou still confused, Jacob''s lips curved into a smile. "Hmm¡­ I think it''s my turn to ask questions. What do you think?" "Okay." J''s reply was short and she refused to pull away from Jacob''s embrace. So, in that position, Jacob started asking. "I would like to return your question," Jacob said while staring outside the window gently rubbing J''s hair. "Are you fine with this marriage?" J still has her eyes closed when she heard Jacob ask her the same question. She smiled, this man has no originality. She thought then said, "Yeah¡­" "Huh?" Jacob suddenly grabs hold of both her shoulders gaping in frustration. "Is that all you can say? After all, I''ve said that''s how you repay me? If I''m a masochist then you are a sadist!" Jacob felt oppressed. "Mmm¡­ hmm¡­" J shrugged her shoulders and said, "I guess I''m more than fine with it. Next question please." Jacob was stunned at first but after a couple of seconds the corners of his mouth lifts up. Well, her reply was better than ''No''. He would consider her answer knowing that she is a person with few words. Then he continued his questions. "Should we announce our marriage? Even if your name will be announced after knowing that you are married to me, they will never dare harm you." Jacob said looking at J''s eyes. "Not yet. At the right time." J replied casually. Jacob''s jaw fell, will he ever get an acceptable answer from this woman. "Okay then, do you have any more secrets hiding from me? You know, it is better to hear it from you than having you investigated again." Jacob''s face was serious. J thought for a moment. In fact, there is. She thought about Lance. But how is she going to explain about Lance to him? Therefore, she replied, "Actually... there is..." Jacob''s brows furrowed instantly. "But I''m not going to tell it now because you might misunderstand. So maybe one of these days..." there was uncertainty in J''s tone. She was not sure if Jacob will let it slip. Chapter 138 - Another Secret Jacob raised his brow as he put his hands in his waist. J grimaced and said, "Actually, about that. It was nothing serious and life-threatening. Don''t worry, I assure you that it is better that I tell you that on another day. Hmm?" J stared at him for a moment waiting for him to soften. Jacob sigh, "Okay, how about you tell me that tomorrow?" Hmm... tomorrow? J thought to herself. She will receive a couple of words from Lance if she tells him that he has to meet Jacob tomorrow. But then, it is better than prolonging the agony. She was sure that if she doesn''t tell Jacob about that as soon as possible he definitely won''t be easy on her in the coming days. Therefore, she replied, "Okay." with a smile. "Good... now, what about Mark Sloane. What do you have to do with him? Why do you have to meet him secretly?" J sensed jealousy from Jacob''s tone so she replied immediately. "Hmm... I thought you wouldn''t ask." Knowing that she was being followed by Jacob''s men, she knew that Jacob would definitely find out that she meets up with Mark Sloane. "That day, when you take me to your house and Madam Kelly introduced me to your family, I noticed that Mark Sloane seemed to recognize me once he heard my name. So, I investigated him." "Then I found out that he is a member of the Robin Hood Society, in fact, he is one of the councils..." "So, I had to meet him to tell him not to tell my parents about our marriage." "But he still did..." Jacob replied. "Yeah... but it turns out that they already knew about it way before he found out." J said. "Mm..." Jacob was surprised for a moment to find out that his brother in law is a member of the Robin Hood Society and relieved as well. Then his phone that was on his pocket vibrated. He grabs it and sees who could be calling him. When he realized who it was, he turned to J and give her his phone. "I guess you should be the one to answer this call. They''ve been worried when you called me to come home." J frowned and looked at his phone. Her eyes widened when she saw who was calling. It''s her father. She was hesitant and nervous. When was the last time that she talked to her parents? That was when his grandfather died. More than five years ago, and that was over the phone as well. She had never seen them as well since she was ten years old. The sense of longing that she suppressed for two decades came flooding in all at once. With a trembling hand, she reached for Jacob''s phone staring at it with complex emotion. "I was with them when you suddenly called me to come home. I should leave you first." J heard Jacob speak but she can barely understand what he said. All that she could hear is the continuous ringing of his phone. The continuous ringing suddenly stopped. Then the whole room became silent. She snapped back and thought if she should call back or not. She noticed that she was alone in the room, she didn''t know when did Jacob leave. After a couple of seconds, the phone rings again. Chapter 139 - A Call from Mom and Dad Looking back at the phone''s screen she immediately answers it when she saw that it was her father that is calling, afraid that she might lose the chance of talking to them. Although she doesn''t show it, she missed them badly. "H-Hello?" J stuttered waiting for a response from the other line. But after a minute there was only silence. "Ah..." "Jenny? Sweetheart is that you?" then she heard the voice of his father after five years. And tears started to well up from her eyes, which she tried very hard not to fall. She wondered how does he look right now. Last time she saw him was 20 years ago, that was when she was only 10 years old. The only image of him that she remembers is that of an old family picture of them in one of the master''s bedrooms in their mansion in Lodgepole Estate. But he was 20 years younger. While she frequently sees her mom''s silhouette inside the bulletproofed luxury sedan that Leo drives whenever they go to see Diana inquire about her. And she always heard Diana talk about how her mom looks like now. "Yeah." "Oh my god! Sweetheart are you ok? Did something happen to you?!" that''s the voice of her mom. J smiled. "No... I mean yes. I''m fine. Nothing happened." "Then why did you called Jacob a while ago to come home?" she heard her father asked. "Ahm... he was with you?" J remembered that she seemed to hear Jacob said something about that but she was quite in a daze that she didn''t give it much thought. "Yes... but why did you call him? It seems urgent. We thought that you were... after what happened last time at CEO Wang''s mansion, we were scared about you." she heard her mother''s worried voice. "Mom, I''m fine. Don''t worry, I just called him to talk about something that''s irrelevant." J forced fake smile thou they can''t see it. "Jenny... listen to me. Please, this time. Stop being stubborn and listen to Jacob. He will protect you. You should trust him. I and your mother trust him." President Martin''s tone became serious. After a long pause, "Ok, I will." J''s reply was short and sincere. She never doubts that Jacob will protect her. He already came to the point of killing someone to protect her, why should she doubt him. "Good." his father replied. "Hmm... I should hang up now." thou against her will she has to hang up but thought about something. "Having Jacob around... do you think I can visit you one of these days?" There was silence on the other side. "If it won''t work, I can..." "Yeah... I guess it would work. But you have to promise me. You are not coming here without Jacob." President Martin replied after a while which makes J smile with a sparkle in her eyes. "I will. I promise." then they both hanged up. After she heard that the other line was off, the tears that she had been suppressing throughout the call started flooding her eyes. She melted down on the floor of the bedroom with her back leaning on the floor to the ceiling glass window. The whole room was filled with her faint sobs. Chapter 140 - New Arrangement She''s having complex emotions. She is happy that she might be able to be reunited with her parents and at the same time she is sad. Why does it have to take them 5 years to be able to talk to each other? Why does it have to take them 20 years to be able to see each other? It took her almost 30 minutes to calm down. She went to the bathroom to wash her face before she goes back to the living room but she didn''t find the six men that she left there. She searched around the house and found Felix in the kitchen drinking water from the refrigerator. When Felix saw her, he almost choked out and spit out a few waters from his mouth. "Ah... Miss J." "Where are they?" J asked him nonchalantly. "By the poolside." "Okay," she replied then walked out at the back of the house where the pool is and found them talking. James probably was back to the hospital since she can''t see him around. "Hey, Honey. You''re done?" Jacob said as soon as he saw her approaching them. They were all sitting in a black rattan dining set by the poolside. Felix arrived then sat on one of the armchairs next to Stefan. "Yea... what are you talking about?" J asked with a blank face. "Nothing, just planning on a new arrangement." "New arrangement?" J raised an eyebrow. Why does she felt like she''s not going to like this new arrangement? "I''ve decided to make Arthur your right-hand man while the others will still watch over you but unlike before, you might be able to see them around you once in a while," Jacob said. "What? No!" J was furious. Arthur as her right-hand man? Would that mean that he will follow her wherever she goes? And what does he mean by seeing the others around her once in a while? "I already have a right-hand man!" J said thinking that Lance will be outraged if he finds out that he was replaced. Jacob raised his brow. "Right-hand man, means a man?" J was bewildered. "Yea... if it''s a woman then I would say that it''s a right-hand woman. Right?" She heard Felix chuckled which earn him a cold gaze from Arthur and Daniel. "Ah..." J seemed to understand that Jacob is having an issue with her having a man as her right-hand. "Does it make a difference if Arthur is my right-hand man? He''s also a man, doesn''t he?" Then Felix cannot hold in his laughter. Everyone now looks at him with a cold gaze which silences him in an instant. Jacob looked back at J with his hand crossed in his chest, J stared back at Jacob equally with her hands on her waist standing behind an empty armchair in front of Jacob. "It does make a difference because I know Arthur, while I haven''t seen your so-called right-hand man. I don''t even know his name. Now please, stop bickering with me. I know mom and dad told you to listen and trust me, so that''s what you should do. And I''m also going to tell them about this, I''m sure they would agree with me." Jacob said while maintaining his eye contact with her. J rolled her eyes and said, "Your mom and dad have nothing to do with this." "I''m talking about your mom and dad," Jacob replied propping his head on his hand. Chapter 141 - Couple’s Squabble For a while she was speechless. Did he just call her mom and dad ''mom and dad''? Oh... they were married so that should be normal. She sighed in frustration. While the other four men watch the couple bickering. "Jacob..." J was stopped by Jacob. "Honey... trust me with this, okay," Jacob said firming his jaw. J closed her eyes and sigh to calm herself. "But they cannot just follow me around. I am a low-profile nurse. Have you ever seen a nurse with personal security or an assistant following her around?" J said as she opened her eyes. Felix nodded his head in agreement which J and Jacob didn''t notice. Stefan sighed and nudged Felix with a warning look. "That''s why I''m telling you that we should announce our marriage. Then having an assistant or personal security will be much reasonable for the wife of a CEO. No one would question that." Jacob said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I told you that''s out of the options." she was just not ready. If her co-nurses in the hospital finds out that she is the wife of the CEO they would treat her indifferently. And for sure other heads and doctors would go swarming over her thinking that they would get the CEO''s good side if they treat her well. She''s enjoying her life there as an ordinary nurse with little attention from other nurses except for those that truly admire her and her capability. "Hey... don''t you think we should go somewhere? It feels kind of awkward, you know. Watching a couple bickering in front of us." Felix whispered those words to Stefan who seemed to be keeping himself busy on his phone while Daniel and Arthur sat there quietly. "Okay then... just leave it to me. I''ll make it sure that no one will see anyone following you around. Why don''t you prepare us something to eat while we were planning out? Hmm?" Jacob seemed to have lost his patience chose to just let it end and deal with her later, stand up and walk her out of the place holding her shoulders. J hesitantly obliged but didn''t go to the kitchen to prepare food but instead went to the bedroom sulking. The next day J resumed her morning duty at CLP Hospital. And just like what Jacob said, Arthur will accompany her as her new right-hand man. He arrived together with Daniel in a bulletproof black Sedan which came from the Twelve Army, of course as per Jacob''s order. Arthur and Daniel came out of the car. Others might think that they are looking drop-dead gorgeous in their all-black attire but to J''s thought, ''You got to be kidding me.'' J turned to Jacob who was standing beside her with a rigid expression and said, "So this is what you mean when you said ''leave it to me''?" Jacob patted her head with a smile and said, "Trust me. Okay? Let''s go." then he grabs her hand and walked towards a brand new Black SUV. By the way it looks, it is different from Jacob''s usual SUV. J cocked her head and looked at Jacob. "You got a new car?" "Yes, the other one is not bulletproof," Jacob said that as he opened the door of the passenger. "Get in." With a cocked head, J looked at Jacob in confusion. Chapter 142 - A Royalty Jacob seemed to understand that look and explains himself. "I''m driving you to work every morning, at least as long as you''re on the morning shift. After your shift, you''ll be accompanied by Arthur and Daniel in that car going home or anywhere that you might be going to. If you are worried about the onlookers at the hospital, don''t worry. We will park in the 1st level basement parking of the hospital. I gave an ordinance that no one will use the 1st basement parking except for me. From the basement parking, we will use a private lift that connects directly to my office. Then from there, you can go on your own. Arthur and Daniel will be on standby in my office. They will be watching over you thru the hospital''s CCTV cameras. Satisfied?" J was still processing Jacob''s word. It does seem to be quite an acceptable explanation. They definitely made a plan to protect her that no one will see her with a guard following her. But what if someone accidentally sees her coming out of Jacob''s office? That will surely cause a juicy rumor. "But..." she was about to complain when Jacob interrupted her. "We''re getting late. Get in." With a pronounced sigh, she gets in the car. Jacob put on her seat belt and made sure that she is seated comfortably before he walked around the driver''s seat. On their way to CLP Hospital, J can''t help but notice. The black bulletproofed sedan that was driven by Arthur and Daniel was behind them while there were two black motorbikes in front of them. It was the typical convoy of a VIP. She concluded that those two were Felix and Stefan. Thou she never fancy motorbikes, she was quite familiar with them because of Buck. "Don''t you think this is quite a little over the top?" J rolled her eyes. "No. In fact, I think it is not enough. You''re the heiress of the Robin Hood Society. Not to mention the wife of the CEO of CLP Group of Hospitals and Chairman of Twelve Army. Technically, you are royalty so you need at least five armed guards with you all the time. But you only got four and can only have them around you when nobody is looking." Jacob sounded disappointed. "Five guards?! That''s not going to happen." J said displeased. Jacob chuckled and glance sideways in her direction, "I knew you would react that way. You''re so cute." he said with a coy smile. J rolled her eyes with a small smile in the corner of her lips. She knew that he was flirting and she finds him exquisite. After almost an hour they reached the CLP Hospital. The Evergreen Villa was quite far from the hospital as compared to Jade''s apartment that was just a couple a minutes'' walk away. As they enter the basement parking, it was just as Jacob said, no other cars were parked there. But she spotted a silver Coupe in the corner. "That''s James car. Aside from us, the only allowed to park here are James, my family, and your guards. Since they''re the only one who knows your identity." Jacob explained as he opened the door to her side like a gentleman. "James knew?" J asked surprised that aside from Jacob and the four security, there is another one who knew of her identity. "Yes. He should. I trust him." Jacob said with full confidence. Chapter 143 - Replaced They walked over the private lift followed by Arthur and Daniel. Felix and Stefan were left to watch over outside the hospital just in case something came up. J thought that they are probably there to watch out if in case she sneaks out. J walked out of Jacob''s office leaving Arthur, Daniel, and Jacob. Jacob''s office is on the tenth floor. The tenth floor of the hospital houses Jacob''s office, Chairman John Parker''s office and offices of the Board of Directors and a conference room so it is very rare to see someone walking in the hall of the tenth floor. James provided Arthur and Daniel a room to do their work. Which they converted into a control room with a lot of monitors. Before J left Jacob''s office, he reminded her about the secret that she is supposed to tell him today. Which reminds her to call Lance. Instead of using the elevator, she used the stairs instead of going to the eighth floor where the Department of Surgery is. Each floor has a door leading to the stairs, so J thought that it would be easier to reason out if someone caught her coming out of the door of the stairs. She could just tell them that she preferred to use the stairs or she stopped by and visited Diana on the seventh floor so she used the stairs instead of the elevator to go up to the eight floor. Arriving at the nurses'' station she saw Head Nurse Jing and other nurses. She waited for them to leave the station before she made a call to Lance After a couple of rings, he answered the phone. "Hey." "Hey," Lance replied enthusiastically. "Uhm... I''ve got something to tell you." J said nervously. She actually didn''t know how to start saying that he got replaced by Arthur. "Oh... is that something about me being replaced as your right-hand man? J was dumbstruck. "How did you know?" "President Martin called me last night to say that your husband has appointed someone from the Twelve Army as your right-hand man with an additional three more guards." J didn''t sense any remorse at all from Lance. "So, let me guess. Jacob finds out about your identity and he was actually fine with it. He even meets up with your parents. And that''s how I was replaced as your right-hand man?" Lance has guessed correctly "Uh... huh..." J felt guilty. J told him about what happened yesterday. "I''m sorry, I tried to convince him that I already have a right-hand man." "I know. Don''t worry. It was just the title. I mean, the job description of the right-hand man doesn''t actually fit with me. President Martin was right. What I am actually doing is the job of an adviser, not a right-hand man. So technically, I am not replaced. I just got a more appropriate job title. And you just got yourself an actual right-hand man." J was relieved to hear that Lance was not affected at all by the replacement. In fact, it seems to have done it better for him. "By the way, are you free today?" J later on asked. "Hmm... I might have a meeting later this afternoon at AM Entertainment. But if you would say that you want to meet with me, I''ll cancel all my appointments." Lance laughed at the end of his words as if it was just a joke. "Actually, I would like to meet you at the end of my shift." Chapter 144 - Who is the Lucky Guy? There was a moment of silence from the other line. Then she heard him laughed. "Did Jacob thought you how to joke? Seriously?" Lance thought that J was just bluffing. After all this year, they were not allowed to see each other as per President Martin''s order. Which they unwillingly obliged. "Seriously, I''ll meet you at Jacob''s office." then she hung up feeling a little irritated. After a couple of minutes, J received a text message from Lance. ''Seriously?'' Which J chose to ignore. She is not the type of person that would joke around. And Lance should be the first person to know that. Because J is not replying in his text reply, Lance called her. But before he could say anything, he heard J speak on the other line. "I am not joking around." "I know," Lance replied. "But, if my guess is right, you are going to tell him all your secrets." Lance continued and paused waiting for J''s confirmation but she didn''t say anything. "Are you sure about this? I mean, although your marriage seemed to be real, the two of you have no recollections that you sign that kind of contract. And I haven''t found Elder Parker, he is the only one who could exactly explain what happened." After a couple of minutes of silence, J replied nonchalantly "I''m sure about this." The rest of the morning was not too busy at the Department of surgery. She only had to assist an appendectomy which didn''t last for half an hour. During lunchtime, as usual, J met with Diana at the hospital''s cafeteria. Diana has been busy with her upcoming wedding with Leo, her mother''s right-hand man. After a couple of years hiding their feelings from each other, finally, they are getting married. J thought that Diana deserves to be happy. But that reminds her, that she hasn''t told Diana about her marriage to Jacob. Obviously, Leo hasn''t told her yet or Leo probably didn''t know. Because if Diana already knew about it, she would''ve asked her. So she seized this chance to tell her about it, after all, she is one of her best friends. While eating in the corner of the cafeteria, which J preferred the most because it was far from the noise of other staffs that eats in the cafeteria, J for the first time initiated a talk between the two of them. "Hey... did you remember the day that grandfather died?" When Diana heard her there was sadness in her eyes but that was just for a short moment. "Hmm... Yes. But I was not there. You gave me a day off thou I really didn''t need it that time but you still insisted. Why?" "He told me that he married me off to some guy." that was straight to the point which made Diana speechless. Knowing J, definitely, she is serious. "Oh... My... God... For real?! To whom? Did you know him? Is it Lance? So, it means that you are already five years married!" "Shh... would you please keep your voice down? Why would you think it was Lance? Anyways... yes. I know him. I just met him, almost three months ago." J looked around to make sure that no one is eavesdropping. Diana''s eyes widened in excitement and amusement after knowing that her introvert friend is married. "Really? Then who is the lucky guy?" They looked around again cautiously before she said, "Jacob Parker." "What?!" Diana wasn''t able to suppress her shock. "Shh... " J tried to silence her again. "You mean Dr. Jacob Parker?" Diana confirmed from J with a hushed voice, which J nod in reply. Diana covered her mouth with her eyes wide open. "You are married to the CEO of CLP Group of Hospitals?" J nodded again. "Did he know?" "Yes... he found out just when he came back from abroad. That''s how I knew that it was him. He came looking for me. He got a marriage contract with my name on it." "But how... I mean... your identity was deliberately hidden. In fact, it was erased from all documents." Diana said with a furrowed brow. "He accidentally heard it from Head Nurse Jing." "Oh... did your parents know about it?" Diana asked. J nodded her head again. Chapter 145 - Acceptance "Are they fine with it?" J just nodded her head again. "How about Dr. Jacob?" J thought about Jacob. Obviously, he was more than fine with it. But she just nodded her head and said. "We''ve been living together for more than two months now." Diana''s mouth gaped in astonishment. The CEO whom she has heard of not planning to get married and her friend that she knew is not planning to get married as well were now married to each other and now living together? She''s having a hard time to process this information that she just heard. If she didn''t hear it from J personally, she wouldn''t believe it. She thought that this introvert friend of hers will grow old and die alone. "I''m sorry that I only told this to you just now. Back then I thought that grandfather was just hallucinating. But it turns out that it was real." J said apologetically. Diana snapped back and heard what J told her. She smiled at her and said. "That''s alright with me. I know you must have been shocked at the big news. And I am glad that you seemed to have accepted it now. Because if not, you wouldn''t have told me about it." Has she accepted it? J thought to herself. Diana was right. Because if not, she wouldn''t have told it to her or Lance. She will immediately file a divorce and this marriage will not last for another week. "There are a lot of things that I still have to tell you but, we''re out of time. My lunch break is almost over. So, I''ll have to go. I''ll see you around." J was about to stand up from her seat. "And oh... by the way. Drop by Jacob''s office after your shift. I''ll wait for you there. See you!" then she hurriedly walked out of the cafeteria leaving Diana confused. "Huh?" The rest of J''s duty was spent cleaning the OR Theatre and the surgical instruments that were used earlier and getting them ready to be sent for autoclaving. After she was done, she returns back to the Nurses Station and saw Dr. Aaron Choi while Nurse Simon and Maggie is in the OR Theatre Two assisting a C-section and Head Nurse Jing and Nurse Pete went out to endorse one of their post-op patients back to the ward. Dr. Aaron Choi was sitting in a chair in the Nurse''s Station. J take a sit in a vacant chair, grab a patient''s chart and started writing down her notes. Then she heard Dr. Aaron Choi cleared his throat. J noticed that he is acting a little awkward. So, she asked, "Do you have something to say Dr. Choi?" without taking her eyes to the patient''s chart. Dr. Aaron Choi takes a deep breath, "Actually, I have something to ask you." "Go on." J sounds overbearing. But Dr. Aaron Choi was used to it. Although he is the head of the Department of Surgery, he was always felt intimidated by J. "Do you have a relationship with Dr. Jacob?" J was stunned when she heard Dr. Aaron''s question. She didn''t look at his direction but in the corner of her eyes, she can see that he was intently looking at her with a frown. Chapter 146 - Dr. Choi youre overthinking things "You might be wondering. The night that our patient died in OR Theatre One, I saw Dr. Jacob hugging and comforting you while you were crying. He also takes you to his car. And I guess he also sends you home that night." J was silent. Due to her emotions that night she didn''t worry if anyone has seen her crying in Jacob''s shoulder. She remembered that she walked out of the Department of Surgery with Jacob holding her hands. But her mind is too busy to care about it that night. Now that Dr. Aaron mentioned about it, she wondered if anyone has seen them aside from Dr. Aaron. But if anyone has seen them, there should be rumors that are circulating around the hospital, yet obviously, there is nothing, if there is, Diana would''ve told her about it already. J was still pondering about it when she heard Dr. Aaron speak again. "Actually, I do not have the rights to meddle with the relationships of my nurses here in the Department as long as it doesn''t affect your work ethics and the reputation of the Department, but... I only care about you. Whatever your relationship is, I know that he doesn''t consider you as a girlfriend. In fact, he didn''t consider anyone before. I''ve known Jacob ever since college and I know that he doesn''t like commitments and have no plans of getting married. I''m telling you this just to remind you that whatever your relationship is, don''t get too emotionally attached to him, you''ll only get hurt if you did." J turned her head to look at Dr. Aaron with a stern face and said, "Dr. Choi you''re overthinking things." She glanced at the wall clock behind Dr. Aaron and said, "My shift''s over. I have to go. I''ll see you around." nonchalantly. Dr. Aaron Choi puffed his cheeks and pursed his lips. He knew she would act this way but he still chose to talk to her. He knew her temper and knew that she would act indifferently if he talks her out about Jacob. Now he wonders if what he saw that night is really what he thought it is. Maybe they were just friends who find comfort with each other. Maybe Nurse J was right, he was just overthinking things. Walking out of the Department of Surgery, J sent Jacob a message that she wants Arthur, Daniel, Felix, and Stefan in his office when she arrives. She also sends Lance a message to inquire of his whereabouts and received a reply that he is already in the elevator and on his way to Jacob''s office on the tenth floor. "Hi, I''m here to see President Jacob Parker," Lance said to James as soon as he reached Jacob''s office. Although Jacob is the CEO, he also acts as the President so people would either call him President Parker or CEO Parker but he would prefer to be called Dr. Jacob. "Mr. Lance Kho, I''m sorry but Dr. Jacob has an appointment at this hour. But since it is you, I''ll ask him if he could entertain you first before his appointment." Lance is a lawyer and the representative of one of their biggest shareholders which no one knew or ever seen. So, James knew that he has to treat him with high regards. Because of any moment, his client may turn against the Parkers and take over the CLP Group of Hospitals. So, they have to get to the good side of them. Chapter 147 - A Surprise Meeting "No problem." Lance smiled at him knowing that Jacob would definitely cancel or postpone his appointment to please him. After all, it is very rare for him, the lawyer of their second-biggest shareholder to pay him a visit. In fact, there were a couple of times that Jacob invited him for a dinner but he strongly refused, not that he doesn''t want to, J doesn''t want to. He saw James walked inside Jacob''s office. After a couple of minutes, he walked out of the office followed by four hunky looking men wearing an all-black attire. "This way please, Mr. Kho." Then James leads him inside Jacob''s office. Once inside, James left them alone. He saw Jacob facing the glass window with his back facing him. When Jacob sensed his presence, he turned to look at him with a smile and said, "Mr. Kho, what a pleasant surprise." He then walked towards him and shake his hand. "Please, have a seat." his hands gesturing over a black leather sofa. Lance unbuttoned the lower part of his suit before he took a seat with his legs crossed. "I''m actually here to meet with someone." Jacob frowned and said, "Excuse me?" J waited for Diana at the lobby of the eighth floor then they used the stairs to go to the tenth floor. When they reached the tenth floor, she saw Arthur''s team sitting comfortably on the sofa of the lobby. She frowned and said, "Aren''t you supposed to be in Jacob''s office?" "Miss J, who are they?" Diana asked looking at each of them. "Ah... Miss J., I think someone important just came and requested to have a meeting with Chairman Parker. James asked us to wait here." Felix replied. Lance already came. J thought. "Let''s go." The four of them looked at each other then followed J without asking. "Miss J, Dr. Jacob had a sudden visit from a shareholder so he instructed me to..." James said when he saw J approaching but was not able to finish when J stopped him. "I know," J said with a serious expression then continued to walk inside Jacob''s office leaving James and Arthur''s team in confusion looking at each other. Diana chuckled. "Don''t mind her. Should we wait here or should we follow her?" Diana pursed her lips and think for a second before she answers her own question. "I think we should follow her." Jacob thought that he heard it wrong. This man came here to meet with someone? Did he think that his office is some kind of a coffee shop? Or is he here to meet his client? Will he finally be able to meet their biggest shareholder? Jacob is getting irritated when the door of his office opened to reveal his wife, then after a couple of seconds, a female nurse and Arthur''s team entered with James behind them. "Lance!" Diana shrieked when she saw Lance. Everyone was startled with her sudden excitement. Jacob was surprised while J was looking at Jacob with a blank expression. "Oh my God! It''s good to see you. You''re looking as handsome as ever. Ah... it''s been a long time." Diana excitedly walked run towards Lance and gave him a hug. Lance has that typical boy next door look. He is tall and has a fair skin, his body is not hunky like Arthur or Leo or Jacob but enough to call him sexy and hot, he got a pointed nose, deep-set eyes, and a strong jaw that is emphasized by his stubble and sideburns, his hair is curly and messy but still looked neat. Chapter 148 - Lance "Hey! I heard you''re getting married. Looks like Leo''s peaceful life is over." Lance laughed as he messed up with Diana''s hair. Jacob walked elegantly towards J and as soon as he is just a couple of inches from her, he asked her. "What''s the meaning of this?" J smiled mischievously and said, "Thought you want to know my secret." Jacob frowned, "This is..." then turned to look at Lance with a dark expression. J seemed to notice that Jacob already guessed who Lance is. Everyone seated in the black leather sofa inside Jacob''s office. Arthur and his team seated in a four-seater sofa, in front of them are Lance, Diana, and James in another four-seater sofa while Jacob and J are sitting in a black leather accent chair opposite each other. In the middle is a glass rectangular coffee table decorated with a tray with three small pots of succulents. At one glance they would be mistaken as having a corporate meeting. J was the first one to speak. "Guys..." looking at Lance and Diana. "This is Jacob, my husband." looking at Jacob leaving the obvious fact that he is the CEO of CLP Group of Hospitals and the Chairman of Twelve Army. "And that is James, he''s Executive Assistant." then she turned to Arthur. "Then this is my new right-hand man, Arthur and his team, Felix, Stefan, and Daniel." J didn''t have to mention that they are also her guards because Lance and Diana seemed to have noticed it already. When J mentioned that Arthur is his new right-hand man, Lance looked at him as if saying "So this is the one that you replaced me with?" while Arthur remained serious and nonchalant. Daniel and Stefan gave them a nod. Felix said with a smile, "Hello, it''s nice to meet you, friends of the Lady Boss." Jacob remained focus on J waiting to hear something from her. When J''s eyes turn to Jacob, she immediately caught his cold gaze so she averted her eyes and turns to look at Diana giving her a nod. Diana who seemed to understand straightened up her back and introduced herself. "Hello, I''m Diana. I''ve been a member of the Robin Hood Society for ten years now. I used to be Elder Do''s private nurse, but ever since he died, President Martin and Madam Victoria assigned me to watch over Miss J. I report directly to Madam Victoria." Diana said in an energetic tone. Then it is now Lance'' turn to introduce himself. Jacob turns his gaze from J to Lance. James was uneasy. "Hello, I''m Lance. I''m Miss J''s best friend." which made Diana rolled her eyes. She always wanted to be J''s best friend but Lance always claimed that it was him. "I grew up with her, went to school with her, went abroad with her, went to college with her and went back to the country with her. So technically..." J furrowed her brows and looked at Lance before she cleared her throat to stop him from mumbling nonsense. She knew that Lance is deliberately saying that to irritate Jacob, which was a success. Because looking at Jacob''s expression now, it is getting darker and darker. Chapter 149 - The Secret Shareholder "Ahem... I used to be Miss J''s, right-hand man. That was before I was replaced." Then he looked at Arthur''s direction. So, he was the right-hand man. Arthur thought to himself. Jacob who seemed to be in a bad temper now raised a brow when he heard that he was the right-hand man of J. So that''s why she was furious when I said that Arthur will be her right-hand man, it''s because of Lance. Jacob thought. "But I don''t mind being replaced, because President Martin just assigned me to a more appropriate job title. Actually, all these years as her right-hand man, I don''t feel like a right-hand man at all, because of the distance. What I do best, most of the time for her is the job of an adviser. President Martin officially assigned me to be Miss J''s lawyer and a business adviser. Actually, that is the job that I''ve been doing all these years." Everyone was silent, waiting for Lance'' next words. They were anticipating much more. "I came from a family of a lawyer. My whole family is a member of the Robin Hood Society. Our main job is to represent the family Do in the business circle. And I''ve been representing Miss J in the business circle since five years ago." Having heard that, Jacob''s expression became complex. He already guessed what his next words are. "Twenty years ago, when President Martin and Madam Victoria faked their death, they transferred they shares from different company to Miss J. Five years ago, when Elder Do die, he also transferred his shares to Miss J. Now Miss J owns 20% of CLP Group of Hospitals, 10% of Parker''s Pharmaceutical, 5% of AM Entertainment, 12% of Crocus Offshore Oil Rig, 22% of Food Corp. International and a couple of shares in Lotus Land Inc., Antares Mining Company, Red Star Gems and she continuously acquire shares in these companies and other company for the past five years." After hearing this, everyone except for Diana and Lance looked at Jacob''s direction. It turns out, that J is not just an heiress of the Robin Hood Society turned ordinary nurse but also a business magnate hiding behind the identity of an ordinary nurse. She even holds 20% of CLP Group of Hospitals which is closed to 25% that the Parkers owned. Jacob already anticipated it, from the time that Lance came and said that he is going to meet someone, to the time that J arrived. He already guessed that J is the shareholder that Lance is representing, but he didn''t expect that it was more than just the shares from the CLP Group of Hospitals. "But of course, Miss J doesn''t use the money she earned for her own benefit. It was all for the society." Diana exclaimed when she noticed how everyone seemed to be speechless counting the amount of money that J is probably earning monthly. "This is Miss J''s ways of helping and supporting the Society. The money that she earns from investing in these companies goes to the foundations that the society is supporting, and to the members of the society as well." "But the thing is, other shareholders, company owners, and First-class elites seemed to be wary of her. They fear that because she continues to buy and acquire shares they will be toppled from their position. Fortunately, Miss J, have no plans of taking over a company. That''s why, if she already reached a certain percentage, she would already stop." Chapter 150 - Threats Just like two years ago when she stopped buying shares from the CLP Group of Hospitals. Jacob thought. Two years ago, Chairman John Parker became problematic about this issue. That time, Jacob was still abroad, but he has heard that a certain anonymous shareholder has been buying shares of the CLP Group of Hospitals. It started at 10%, but then within three years, this person was able to grow its share to 20%. Chairman John Parker was worried that if that person continued buying shares, the Parkers who owned 25% of CLP Group of Hospitals might be thrown out of position. But after a year, nothing happened. After two years, the shares of that anonymous shareholder remained at 20%. Lance continued. "Now that we have reached this point, Miss J having President Jacob as her husband, having a new right-hand man, and skilled guards, and Miss J seemingly not wanting to hide a secret from her husband. I have something to disclose to you." Lance from an animated tone to business tone now turned to a more serious tone. He looked to Arthur then to Jacob. "Miss J and I... have been receiving threats." Upon hearing this, Jacob''s expression went dark again. "Well, not Miss J directly, but I have been receiving the threats for her since I am her representative. We are not sure if the threats are coming from one individual or a multiple different individual or group." "What kind of threats?" for the first time since he sat in his chair Jacob spoke with his deep voice. "Uhmm... threats like they will kill my family if I didn''t expose her identity. And that she should keep hiding because if they find her, they will rip her apart... sorts like that. They usually send me letters or text messages." Lance shrugged his shoulders as if he is used to these kinds of threats. He actually exaggerates his words. Jacob''s expression turned darker and darker. While Arthur, Felix, Daniel, and Stefan became more silent and serious. For them, a situation like this makes their existence more significant, not that they wish for a situation like this. "How long have you been receiving these threats?" Jacob asked. "About one year. Since she got 22% off Food Corps International and that was also the time that she was able to buy 12% of Crocus Offshore Oil Rig all at once." "I want you to relay all the details to Arthur''s team," Jacob said to Lance which Lance gave a short nod. J looked at Jacob, at first, she was not sure if she should tell about it to Jacob because she doesn''t want this man to be involved in her life''s trouble. But seeing the way how he handles things that involve her, make her feel safer and relaxed. After remaining silent Jacob opened his mouth and in a dignified tone said, "I''ll make new arrangements." He turned to look at James. "James, transfer Nurse Diana to the Department of Surgery and make sure that she has the same schedule and day off with Jenny." "Got it," James replied as he writes it down to his notebook. He has the habit of writing everything down in his notebook in case he forgot an important detail. Chapter 151 - Stay at Home Then Jacob turned to look at Diana, "Continue watching over her while inside the hospital. Don''t let her slip away from your vision. Anything or anyone suspicious you report it directly to me... James, give her my contact number." "Aye, aye Boss," Diana replied enthusiastically while imitating a pirate. She was more than excited to be given a mission. "And you..." Jacob wasn''t able to voice out his name, he had that first impression of him as a rival. "Continue watching around the business circle. If you got any threats again, inform me and Jenny immediately. With regards to these threats, you will be working side by side with Arthur''s team." While listening to Jacob''s continuous ordering, J''s jaw started to fell and her eyes widened. She knew that telling Jacob about the threats will turn out this way but seeing and hearing it with her own eyes and ears made her flabbergasted. "Arthur and Stefan, you will continue staying with Jenny. As much as possible, keep her closely watch and don''t stay away too far from her." Arthur and Stefan simultaneously nodded their heads. "Felix and Daniel, I want you to find out who is sending these threats as soon as possible." This is Felix'' forte so he was obviously excited. "You can count on us, Boss!" "And you..." J was surprised when Jacob suddenly threw an icy glare towards her. "Stay at home." Upon hearing this J immediately rose up in rage. "What?! No way!" Then suddenly Jacob''s expression became gentle "I''m just kidding" Suddenly Lance burst out in laughter, "Haha. You should see your face, you look awe..." he stopped when he saw the venomous glare coming out of J''s eyes. Diana chuckled. "Our Boss sure knows how to joke around Miss J." J rolled her eyes and shot Jacob with an icy glare, which Jacob returned with a smile. The atmosphere seemed to be tensed and Jacob wanted to loosen up a bit. Although everyone knew the severity of the danger in J''s life, they were also confident of her husband''s capability. Moreover, why would Elder Do choose him to be his granddaughter''s husband? After a couple of minutes, Jacob''s expression turned serious again. "And also..." Hearing him speak again in a calmer tone than earlier, everyone turns to look at him. "President Martin talked to me last night." "No one outside the Robin Hood Society knew the identity of the heiress, more so, no one inside the Society has ever seen the heiress expect for a couple of trusted people." although Jacob didn''t look at them, Diana and Lance were confident that he was talking about them. Aside from President Martin and Madam Victoria, only them and Leo has ever seen Jenny. "But then... you were able to find out her identity, and you are also part of her security. So, he made a proposition... he wants you to be a member of the Robin Hood Society." J, Diana and Lance were not surprised at all. They seemed to have expected this already. James and Arthur''s team got the most classified information that the Robin Hood Society has, of course, her father wouldn''t just let them get in and out of the society with that information. He has to make sure that they will swear to maintain confidentiality about the information they hold. And the best way to do that is to bind them in the Society. Chapter 152 - Bounded to the Society That means that they will have to swear their loyalty to the Society. And if they failed to oblige, they will have to suffer the consequences. Once they became a member of Society, whether you are actively supporting or not, you will have to keep all the information about the Society until you died. J looked at James, he seemed to be in a trance. For a short moment that she has known James, she knew that he is a risk-taker. He is probably thinking of how things might be different in the future, in a positive way. So, she doesn''t think that he would reject being a member of the Society. Then she turned to look at Stefan, he has a gentle smile on his face and seemed to be relaxed. Thou he seemed to be the type of person that wants a peaceful and quiet life, the fact that he is in the Twelve Army means he would never mind being involved with the Robin Hood Society. He is quite reasonable, he would never let his temperament restrain him from his passion for work. Then beside him is Daniel, he''s brows furrowed. J noticed that he is in deep thought. She knows that he is quite moody. In an instant, he''s forehead smoothen. Does it mean he accepted it? J sighed. Felix, on the other hand, who was sitting on Daniel''s right have a broad smile and a sparkling eye. Among them, he was the one that J was sure to be enthusiastic in being part of the Society. He loves action. While Arthur is wearing a blank expression. She narrowed her eyes. She really can''t read him but she was quite sure that he would just go with the flow. As if her father would give them any options. Then she heard Lance cleared his throat. "Actually... President Martin has already talked to me about this. That''s why I brought these." then from his briefcase, he took out a stack of papers and handed it to Arthur, Felix, Daniel, Stefan, and James. J cocked her head and raised her brow, she has heard from Lance about the Oath of Loyalty and Oath of Confidentiality that the members of the Society have to sign before they become an official member but she hasn''t seen one before. And since Jacob is her husband, he doesn''t have to sign them. He is automatically a member and it is his privilege. "Please read them first then sign," Lance said. Then each of them started to flip each page. "The Society got three types of members where you can choose from and I am going to just simplify it." Lance continued as he gives each one of them a pen. He was so efficient that he was able to bring enough pens for all of them. "The first one is Diana." Diana raised her hand with a gleaming eye. "She works for the Society but refused to receive any compensation. So, to be fair, the compensation that she was supposed to receive will be given to any person or organization that she chose as long as they are qualified. In return, the Society allows her to continue a normal life and work as a normal employee." When Diana was rescued by President Martin and Madam Victoria eleven years ago, she promised to support the Society to return their kindness without asking for anything in return. The compensation that she was supposed to receive was given to any of her patients that cannot afford the expenses in the hospital. Chapter 153 - The Good Samaritan "The second one is me. From my grandfather to my father then me, we all worked for the Dos as their family lawyer and a business adviser. My grandfather works as a council member and leads the pack or lawyers that take care of the legal issues of the Robin Hood Society, my father work as President Martin''s personal lawyer while I work as Miss J''s personal lawyer and also her business adviser. Although we have our own law firm, we swear our loyalty to the Society. And we are justly compensated for that." he tilted his head after speaking before he paused. Daniel and James were done reading while Felix and Stefan are still looking at the documents on their hand. Arthur didn''t even take a glance and have already signed the papers which made J raised her brow. "And the third one is Miss J." Lance looked at J who seemed expressionless as usual. He used themselves as an example to explain the three types of a member of the Society. "Miss J doesn''t have to work for the Society, instead, to show her support, she finances the Society. Most of the money that she earned from different investments go directly to the Society and its members." "But in other cases, their money goes directly to the Society''s organizations, foundations, and beneficiaries. It is up to them to which one they would like to put their money on. And they didn''t ask anything in return. It''s just a matter of being a good samaritan." J said with her eyes focused on the glass coffee table in front of her as if she was seeing something that others cannot see. Then she blinked her eyes and raised her head when she heard the pens being put down on the table. It seemed that everyone had already signed their oaths. "Welcome to the Robin Hood Society!" Diana exclaimed with wide stretched arms. To which she accidentally hit Lance on his face. Lance was seated between Diana and James. "I wonder how did Leo manage to get along with you?" Lance said with a gritted tooth. Everyone left Jacob''s office leaving J who remained seated returning the icy glare that Jacob is giving her. Why is he looking at me like that? J thought not showing her worries. She is worried that Jacob finally realized that he doesn''t want to be involved in her dangerous life and wanted to divorce her. Finally, Jacob said in a cold tone. "You said he is gay?" "What?" J was confused. She tried to remember what might he mean? Then her eyes widened, right, Lance once pretended to be a gay. "I didn''t say that! He was the one who said that." J depended herself. "No matter what, you were an accomplice." What accomplice? Did I commit a crime? J thought to herself. Then after contemplating for a moment she finally understood. "You are jealous of him." "Of course not! I''m way much better than him!" Jacob said while thrusting his jaw forward. "Huh! You are too proud of yourself." J said with a smirk. Jacob''s face turned serious, J sensed it so she straightened her back. "Still wanted a troublesome wife?" J said that seemed to be challenging Jacob''s words. Jacob frowned then he stood up from his seat and walked towards J who was still in her seat. She raised her head to look at his eyes who is now standing in front of her, his hands in his pockets. He looks dashing as the sun from the window hits his face. Chapter 154 - The Best VVIP Ever! Jacob stooped down to level her face then he flicked her forehead. "Aw!" J was angered by his action as she rubs her forehead. "What was that for?" "You''re right! You are quite troublesome..." Jacob paused for a bit, he watched J frowned and pursed her lips. He was delighted by her reaction. "But... I still want you, my wife," he said that with a beautiful smile which made J''s heart skipped a beat. Jacob was teasing her, and it irks her so she pushed him on his chest with her two hands. She eventually stood up to avoid him. "I''m going home." "Let''s go." Jacob walked past her as she grabs her hand. "Don''t you still got work to do?" J was confused. "Nah... I''m exhausted. I want to go home." Jacob said nonchalantly. .... "I still can''t get over it! She is the best VVIP ever! Better than the President. Imagine, double the salary, double the excitement, double the danger! Ha-ha!" Felix can''t hide his excitement. They were still in the lobby outside Jacob''s office. Stefan laughed at him. While Daniel and Arthur look at him with a small smile in the corner of their lips. When suddenly the door of Jacob''s office open. As soon as Jacob and J came out of the office, the four of them eventually followed. Inside the lift, J standing beside Jacob who''s holding her hand. In front of them are Arthur and Daniel while behind is Felix and Stefan. She sighed then pursed her lips. "This is a bit uncomfortable," she mumbled to herself. "Did you say something?" Jacob turned to look at her. She rolled her eyes and said, "No I didn''t." After she told them about the threats, the security became stricter. Inside Jacob''s new SUV. "Don''t you have any more secrets to tell?" Jacob asked, his focus was on the road. J turned to look at him with a furrowed brow, confused. "Mm?" Jacob glanced at her, anticipating for an answer. He was hoping that she would confess. Thou he was not sure yet about how she feels toward him, he can sense that she became gentler to him this past few weeks. They even made love once, that means she trusts him but is that enough to say that she loves him. Jacob was still hopeful. J unconsciously stared at Jacob. She can only see one side of his face yet she is so drowned into his striking facial features. Any more secrets? Actually, there is still one. But she doesn''t have the courage to tell him yet. In fact, she is not sure if she would be able to tell it to him. To tell him that she had fallen in love with him. Most of the time she would act intimidating and indifferent towards Jacob, and if she tells him she loves him wouldn''t it be demeaning. She might keep it just a secret. She averted her gaze and shrug her shoulders. "That''s all the secret I got." "Oh..." Jacob was disappointed. When they reached Evergreen Villa, she noticed that Arthur and his Team are still following them. "By the way, they will be staying with us," Jacob said while helping her get down from the SUV. J just nodded. She had already expected that. Later that night, while having dinner J felt a little bit conscious. She is not used to eating with someone else until Jacob came in her life. More so eating with four additional men. While watching these men eating hearty she heard Jacob speak. Chapter 155 - The First Letter "Tomorrow, Lance will bring the letters and evidence that he had collected in the office. I want everyone to be there to analyze the situation before I send Felix and Daniel into this mission. All the meetings with Lance will be held in my office." J looked at Jacob. "I believe that someone is already watching over his actions. So, it is better to be cautious. I don''t want you hanging around with him." Jacob looked at J. J felt like his last words have a deep meaning. The next day, after J''s duty, she and Diana went up to Jacob''s office to find everyone has already arrived. "She''s here. Shall we start?" Lance said who is now sitting in the accent chair in front of Jacob. J chose to sit near Jacob while Diana sits beside her. Jacob motioned Lance to start. Then Lance takes out a couple of papers inside his bag. Everyone looked at him in anticipation. Felix who used to talk a lot seemed serious this time. "Okay, so this is the first letter that I got." Lance took out a piece of crumpled paper and passed it on Arthur. It read, ''Messing around with other people''s business is not a good habit. Tell your boss to quit it or I''ll make him/her quit.'' J already knew what is in the letter so she watched as Jacob''s expression turned from cold to grim. Jacob passed the letter to Arthur with a grim face and asked. "How did you get this?" "I found it clipped to my car''s windshield a year ago," Lance replied. "Where is that?" Daniel who is detail-oriented started asking. Among Arthur''s team, he is the one that is good at investigating and analyzing a situation. "Outside the parking lot of Rendezvous," Lance said. Rendezvous is an exclusive nightclub in Lotus City. Diana and J knew how much Lance loved going to nightclubs. He loves to be surrounded by people and be the center of their attention. But given his reputation as a business adviser and lawyer he carefully chooses only exclusive and premier nightclubs where socialites and elite persons from the business circle commonly hang out. "Have you checked the CCTV Footage?" Daniel asked while in deep thought. "Yes, I did. But it has already tampered." Lance instantly replied. Then there was silence. Jacob watched them. Since he already gave the mission to Daniel and Felix, he will let them deal with it. He is very much aware of their capabilities. "Okay. I got it. Felix and I will check out the CCTV footage around that area. I think we can still retrieve it. And we will also check out the guest list of that night." Daniel said in a serious tone. Diana expresses her amazement. "Can you still retrieve it? Even if it was already tampered or erased?" "Ha-ha. Are you doubting our capabilities? Of course, we can! We''ve done this before." Felix said boastfully. "Wow! You guys must be great!" Diana said clasping her hands in front of her chest. Everyone looked except Jacob and J looked at her with a dropped jaw. "Ai Diana... how naive can you get? Of course, they should be that great! They are the best of the Twelve Army. Do you think Chairman Jacob will hire them if they are not that great?" Diana purse her lips and started to bicker with Lance. "I was just expressing how great they are. Can''t I?" Lance sigh. "I can''t believe you became a member of the Society." Lance continued to mock her. Chapter 156 - Start Off with a Clean Slate Diana''s face turned red. "As far as I know the Society does not require a high IQ or EQ to be a member as long as you''re willing to help." "Tsk... Leo sure is lucky." "You..." Diana burst out in anger. Arthur, Daniel, Stefan and Felix watched as the two of them bickers. Stefan finds Diana cute, what a pity that she is already engaged. He thought. J cleared her throat to stop them. Lance and Diana turned to look at her and find her with an icy stare. Although she is not looking at them, they knew that that stare is intended for them. It was enough to turn the two of them into silent mode. Being the closest to J, they knew how capricious she is, and her icy stare towards the blank space means it''s time for them to silence. After a couple of seconds, Jacob broke the silence. With an icy tone to match J''s icy stare, he said, "How about the second one?" Lance who was suddenly felt afraid of speaking, gulp his saliva first then passed a letter to Jacob. It goes, ''Who is more important? Your family or your boss?'' Actually, it was not a letter. It was like a note printed on a small card, the size of a business card. "I found it inside the box of the food that I ordered online. I went to look for the delivery boy and asked him but he seemed to not know anything. He has an airtight alibi. He said that the food was just passed on to him already prepared and sealed in the box and they are not allowed to open it. I looked for the person who prepared it. But that also seemed impossible. Because that restaurant uses high technology in serving foods. Once the food is placed in a box by the kitchen staff, they will put it in a machine and that machine will take care of the packaging until it is passed on the to the delivery man tightly sealed. The note is placed inside the packaging. So, I am missing another person. Someone in between the food staff and the delivery man must have touched it. I searched for the CCTV footage and just like before, it has tampered." Everyone turned to look at Daniel. Daniel''s expression seemed to be more serious. He is in deep thought. "I want to know where did you order it. The exact date and time. And the name of the Delivery Man and the Food Staff. How about the third one?" Daniel became more and more immersed in this case. He doesn''t want to waste any second. Lance passed them his laptop. "The third was sent thru email, just a week before Miss J was abducted." The email said. ''Tell your Boss to be good at hiding. Because if I find them out, I don''t think they could still come out alive.'' Thou the first two letters just seemed to be a threat, the last one indirectly indicated that they would hurt or kill J if they found her. Jacob''s brows twitched at that thought. "I''ve already checked the IP address but I can''t trace them," Lance added. "Give me the IP address," Daniel replied. "The letter itself does not give us any idea as to why are they sending threats or who are sending threats. And the information you gave us is vague, so I guess we''re going to start off with a clean slate." Daniel said turning his head towards Jacob then to J. Chapter 157 - Cast my ashes in the sea "Okay, do what you think is necessary," Jacob said to Daniel. Then he turned to look at Lance. "Do you have any suspects?" "Actually, Miss J and I have been suspecting two persons. But we don''t have any pieces of evidence. So, it was purely instinct. First, CEO David Hart of Food Corp. International. The first letter was sent one month after Miss J was able to acquire a total of 22% of Food Corp. International. Since then, the shareholders and the board of directors of Food Corp. International has been wary of me." Lance said with a cocked head. "Uhm... May I just ask? Why would Miss J acquire up to 22% of Food Corp International? The Hart Family got 24%, one more move and you will be able to topple them from their position. They would definitely get wary of you. I thought you wouldn''t get too much as long as you think it is already enough?" James who has all been there silently taking out notes can''t help but ask. J rolled her eyes. "Ehem... Because she doesn''t like the wife of CEO David. She just wanted to pissed them." Lance said with a grin. Jacob frowned and with a raised brow he turned to look at J and asked. "And why is that?" J didn''t look at Jacob, avoiding his eyes she replied with, "Is there a law that says you cannot ''not like'' someone without a reason? I just simply don''t like her." Everyone except Lance and Diana was dumbfounded. Jacob never expected that his wife could be this shallow. Hating a person without a reason and threatening them with their position just to pissed them is simply childish. "I won''t be surprised if one day you''ll die because of your childish act," Jacob said with a grim expression. "Well then, please take care of my shares and my cars. And I want to be cremated, and my ashes should be cast out in the sea in front of Lodgepole Estate." J said then gave Jacob a coy smile. "Jenny Do-Parker!" Jacob was outraged. "Oops... sorry." J who seemed to realized what she had just said bit her lower lip and looked at Jacob apologetically. J rarely joke around but when she did it was always either off the charts or out of place. And this time, it was out of place which made Jacob called her in her complete name in fury. At that moment the temperature in the room seemed to drop and it''s getting colder as time goes by until the meeting comes to an end. "The other suspects are Lee''s. The Lee''s are the biggest shareholder of Crocus Offshore Oil Rig. And the Old man Lee is currently the Chairman and CEO of Crocus Offshore Oil Rig. The family is known to be aggressive when it comes to their opponent. The second threat I received just after we successfully acquired 12% of Crocus Offshore Oil Rig six months ago. But we have been working on it more than a year ago and the Lee''s are very much aware of that." "Just how much does Lee''s owned?" James asked. "Currently they own 30%," Lance replied. "12% is way too far from 30%. Why would you think that they would be wary about it?" James asked again. Working as an executive assistant he has to be aware of how the business works. "Because Miss J aggressively bought that 12% from 3 different shareholders at one go." Chapter 158 - Afraid "And the Lee''s were trying to acquire those shares. The Lee''s and Miss J have been fighting over that shares for almost eight months before Miss J was able to buy it at a higher price than Lee''s offer six months ago. And that pissed Lee''s off. They have been wanting to meet Miss J recently. I believe that they wanted to buy back those shares." "Mm... sounds convincing," James said nodding his head. "Any more questions?" Lance turned to look at Arthur''s Teams. They were in a serious mode. Daniel and Arthur seemed to be in deep thought. One is a detail-oriented while the other one is logical. Who could have known what''s running in their thoughts as of the moment? Lance turned to look at Jacob who never said a word since he became mad at what J said earlier. His looks never changed. He looks like he is about to eat someone alive. He is glaring at the center of the coffee table but Lance wasn''t sure if he was listening to what he has been saying earlier. Throughout Jacob was only listening but his thoughts were somewhere. He can''t get rid of the image of him casting J''s ashes in the sea in front of Lodgepole Estate. Just now he just realized how afraid he is of losing his wife. Jacob turned his head to look at J who is now looking at him with anticipation. His brows furrowed, he looked around and noticed that everyone looks at him with the same expression. Ah... right. Lance is asking him a question. But right now, all he wanted to do is get this meeting over so that they could go home and imprisoned J in his embrace. He will never let her go. He will never let her die. The thought of her death felt like a thousand needles pricking his heart. In medical schools, they were thought on how to deal with death. And in the 10 years of practice, he had already experienced a total of 3 deaths from his patients and he was able to cope well with these deaths. But he has never thought that just a thought of a loved one''s death would be hard to deal with, how much more if it has come to actuality. Jacob sigh then looked at Daniel. "You investigate the source of the threats. Let Felix handle the Food Corp. International and Crocus Offshore Oil Rig." his voice was deep and cold. After a couple of minutes of discussion, the meeting was over. Jacob stood in front of the window looking outside with both his hands in his pockets. His office has a great view of the Naupaka Mountain. His back facing everyone who is one by one getting out of his office. J was the last one. She was hesitating. She noticed that since she made that joke the air around Jacob became colder. He didn''t speak any more until the last part of the meeting. There were deep creases on his forehead and his brows were snapped together. He is angry and she knew she was the reason. She felt somewhat guilty and hesitated to leave him in that condition. "I''m going home." J struggled to say those words. Jacob didn''t reply until a couple of seconds past. "Okay." was his short reply. J walked towards the door slowly. She reached for the doorknob but before she opens the door, she takes a look back at Jacob who is still looking outside the window. She sighed then open the door and leave. Chapter 159 - Im Sorry While on the lift with Arthur, Felix, Stefan, and Daniel, J was uneasy. She really felt that she should do something to make him feel better, after all, it was her fault. Or it is? Did her joke really make him angry? Of course, it did. J sigh, which was noticed by the four men standing around her. Suddenly Arthur can''t help but speak up. "Jokes are made to make people laugh and not meant to be taken seriously. But a joke about your own death, considering the fact that you are actually having death threats and was once abducted, is a bit absurd." Although Felix and Stefan were shocked at Arthur being so outspoken in front of their Lady Boss, they eventually nodded in agreement. They also felt bad about their Lady Boss'' joke earlier knowing the fact that they are the one entrusted to keep her alive. "I know. I''m sorry." J said with her head down. She only realized it now. Being alone for such a long time, she never bothered to care about what other people might think or feel about what she says or do. They are never related to her anyway, so she was pretty sure that they don''t care about her so why would she care. But her situation right now is different. She got four men acting as her security. Thou their relationship is pure of a Lady Boss and Guard, she felt like they sincerely care for her. And she got Jacob, her husband who has told her that he loves her and has been showing how deeply he cares for her. He has been working hard to protect her and keep her safe. He even killed someone who harmed her. How could she joke about her death so casually? She closed her eyes and sigh. With her hands closed firmly, she said, "Let''s go back." "Miss J, you''re back," James said when he saw her. J only nodded. She proceeded to enter Jacob''s office while Arthur and his men remained in the lobby. Jacob was still standing by the window when he heard someone open the door of his office. He turned and saw J walking in. "Did you left something?" he asked with a frown. J was startled to hear him speak. His voice was gentle but there was sadness. She gulped, as she looked at his face. Actually, she doesn''t know what to say to him. She''s not good at words, so instead of saying anything she slowly walked in his direction. She continued walking, she didn''t stop until she reached Jacob. When she is only an inch away from Jacob, she wrapped her hands around his waist tightly and rested her forehead on his chest. Jacob was surprised at her action. He was stunned only for a couple of seconds. He wraps his arms around J''s body and kissed the top of her head then ask in a gentle tone, "What''s wrong?" J remained silent before she was able to say a word. "I''m sorry." She tightened her embrace then closed her eyes. "That joke was a bit absurd." she said that in a low voice but Jacob was still able to hear it. Jacob smiled. His anger and sadness completely disappear the moment J came back and without a word, wrapped her arms around him. "No. it''s not... It was totally absurd." J nodded her head with a pursed lip. "I know. I won''t say those words again." she didn''t open her eyes or look at Jacob but he can sense her sincerity. "Good girl." Chapter 160 - Self-proclaimed Girlfriend The next day, J, as usual, came to her duty on time using Jacob''s private lift. As soon as she gets inside the Department of Surgery, she immediately checked out the board. She will be assisting a C-section with Dr. Stella Ivanov. The name was new to her. She is probably a visiting doctor. She thought. "Nurse J!" Although J used to come early, Diana was earlier than her. And she saw Head Nurse Jing briefing her with the policies in the Department of Surgery. Thou she already knew that Diana will be transferred to her Department, she didn''t show it to Head Nurse Jing, but she didn''t look surprised even. She just smiled at them. "Nurse J, I''m pretty sure you already knew Nurse Diana. She was transferred here into our Department. As one of the best here, I hope that you will help her learn. From what I heard, you are friends after all." Head Nurse Jing said. "No problem." "Good. Okay then, come on. I''ll tour you around." Head Nurse Jing take Diana''s shoulder and leads her towards the OR theatre. But before they could get away, Diana gave J a winked. "Hey, have you heard?" Nurse Maggie came as soon as Head Nurse Jing and Diana get inside OR Theatre One. "Dr. Jacob''s girlfriend came back." Initially, J doesn''t have a plan on listening to Nurse Maggie''s gossip. Nurse Maggie is a gossip, every time she gets out of the Department, she will be able to scoop off some gossip from other departments as soon as she gets back. And her today''s gossip is about Jacob which made J turn her heads towards Nurse Maggie. Upon hearing Jacob''s name, she suddenly becomes curious. Thou she didn''t ask anything or showed any interest, Nurse Maggie just continued on talking. "She used to be a doctor here in CLP Hospital. An OB-Gyne specifically. But since Dr. Jacob went to work abroad, she immediately resigned and followed him abroad. I heard that she''s back, I even saw her name on the board. You are actually assisting her. You will be able to meet her." J was pretending that she is not listening by flipping a patient''s chart but both her ears were all on Nurse Maggie''s gossip. Jacob has a girlfriend and they were together abroad? J''s hands became tensed and she accidentally tore a page from the patient''s chart. "But some says that she is a self-proclaimed girlfriend of Dr. Jacob because as everyone knows, Dr. Jacob doesn''t want any commitments, he dated but never had a girlfriend. And never announces his relationship with Dr. Stella, or with any other girl." Yes, she''s right. Jacob told her before that he doesn''t have any girlfriend, in fact, he never had one. Thou he admitted that he is a ladies man, he never had any serious relationship before. J thought to convince herself. "But come to think of it... if Dr. Stella followed Dr. Jacob abroad, and if they don''t have a relationship... then shouldn''t Dr. Stella have come back a long time ago? Yet she didn''t, she just came back after Dr. Jacob came back. That means, they probably lived together for five years abroad." J closed her eyes and take a deep breath to calm herself. She felt as if thousand needles pricked her heart. As soon as she opened her eyes, she dashed out of the nurse''s station and head outside the Department of Surgery. Chapter 161 - Keep Calm She headed towards the eight-floor smoking area. It is an open area, with a couple of plants and benches that were provided for smokers, but because of its magnificent view of the Lotus City and its calming ambiance, it became a breathing area for stressed-out nurses and doctors as well since there were only two or three people in the Department of Surgery who smokes. J gripped the railings tightly, she seemed to have labor breathing, and her heart felt like shaking. She closed her eyes again and take a deep breath. But that ritual of her to remain calm doesn''t seem to have any effect. She never felt this way before. She takes a seat on a bench close to her and rested her back in its backrest. She closed her eyes again longer and take a couple of more breath. But Nurse Maggie''s words were lingering on her head, "They probably lived together for five years." J opened her eyes again. "Damn it!" she mumbled to herself. "Damn you Jacob!" then she kicks a nearby pot that makes it fall and break. That felt better. She thought. Then she heard her phone ring. She reached for it in her front pocket. It was Buck, the Team Manager of her race team. She swiped her phone to answer the call. "Hey, Miss J." "Yes," J replied nonchalantly. "The Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship will be in a month. When are you going to practice?" Because of the series of events happening lately she almost forgot about that. "Can I still come in the speedway to practice?" J asked. Due to technology, most professional sports car racer uses simulators to practice driving due to restrictions in the Lotus City Motor Speedway. Racers were allowed to practice in the Lotus City Motor Speedway only once a month but since the Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship will be held next month, there is a testing ban. So, most of the professional racers have no choice but to use a simulator. But J who only race as a past time hates using simulator simply because she does not enjoy it. What she wants is a real-time action. "No, a testing ban is in effect," Buck replied. "Okay, Thursday morning. Naupaka Racing Circuit." J said in an intimidating tone. "Copy that," Buck replied before the line went off. Naupaka Racing Circuit is a local track in Naupaka County that was closed 10 years ago. But it was bought by President Martin as a birthday gift for J after she won as Rookie of the Year when she was 17. She rarely used it because it was quite too far from Lotus City compared to Lotus City Motor Speedway. But during racing series when there is testing ban, she was able to utilize it. After talking to Buck, she''s got something to anticipate and was able to forget about Jacob''s rumored girlfriend. At least just for a couple of minutes. Because when she returned to the nurse''s station, Jacob and Dr. Aaron Choi were standing there chatting. When she passed by the two of them, Dr. Aaron Choi gave her a quick meaningful look which she ignored. "Good morning, Nurse J." Jacob greeted her with a smile. J didn''t answer nor even glance at him. She remembered again about Nurse Maggie''s gossip. Since everyone was used to her cold and aloof attitude, they just ignored her actions but Diana frowned, she seemed to notice that something was off. Chapter 162 - Stella J was pretending to be checking on something on the computer when she heard a soft, elegant voice that echoed in the hallway of the Department of Surgery. "Jacob!" Everyone turned to look at the direction where the voice came from. J saw a girl in a red stiletto, wearing a white bodycon dress holding a black quilted bag that sways as she walks. Her sun-kissed ombre hair is tied in a messy bun and her face is covered with smokey eye make-up and nude lipstick. By her looks, she would be mistaken as a celebrity and not a doctor. As the newcomer got close, she immediately gave Jacob a hug and a peck on his lips that made J''s eyes widened in surprise. For a moment she was stunned then her surprise turned into anger which she tried very hard not to show to anyone. Jacob who was surprised stepped back to give them space in between then turned to look at J who is now looking at them with a raised brow. While everyone was stunned at just what happened, Dr. Aaron Choi cleared his throat to get their attention. "Dr. Stella Ivanov, you''re just in time, your patient is on its way." Dr. Aaron Choi smiled at Dr. Stella. "Everyone this is Dr. Stella Ivanov, she is an OB-Gynecologist." Dr. Aaron Choi walked beside her to introduce her to everyone. "And this is..." before he was able to finish, J stood up and walked away towards OR Theater One. "I''ll go prep the theater one." She said nonchalantly. "Ah...that''s Nurse J... she will be assisting you..." Dr. Aaron Choi continued awkwardly As soon as J got inside theater one a tear fell from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She immediately dried it with the back of her hand. "Damn you Jacob!" she mumbled to herself with her fist tightly closed. Then she kicked a trash can near her. That kick caused the trash can to topple and it made a clanking sound that echoed around the Department. "What''s that? Did something happen to Nurse J?" Head Nurse Jing was worried. Before anyone could say something, Nurse Diana said, "I''ll go check her." When Diana entered OR Theatre One, she saw J gathering Caesarian Section Instrument Sets as if nothing happened. J realized that if her usual ritual of closing her eyes and taking a deep breath didn''t work out, kicking something works. And it did calm her after kicking that trash bin. "Hey, Miss J. We heard sounds outside. Are you okay?" Nurse Diana said with a worried look. "Yeah... I''m fine." J said without looking at Diana. "Uhm... that..." Diana was about to inquire about what happened earlier at the nurse'' station but she was stopped by J. "Can you please move that Anesthesia Machine here. Then take another set of sterile gown for Dr. Ivanov and Dr. Ramos. Thank you." J said nonchalantly. "Okay." When she was about to wash her hand in the washing area to prepare for the surgery, she meets with Dr. Stella Ivanov. Without giving her a word, she continues to wash her hands. "Hi, you''ll be scrubbing in?" She heard the soft voice of Dr. Ivanov beside her who is also washing her hands. She didn''t say a word and replied only with "Mm." Then she left Dr. Ivanov. Chapter 163 - Is She Always Like That Raising both her hands in front of her face, she opened the door using her back and enter the OR Theater One. She put on a sterile gown, mask, cap, and gloves. As soon as she saw Dr. Ivanov, as her scrub nurse, she helped her put on a sterile gown, mask, cap, and gloves. Once their patient is transferred to the OR table, she started counting the instruments, sponges and other tools that they will be using during the operation while Nurse Diana who acts as the circulating nurse takes note of the numbers. Once everything is ready and the baby''s presenting part has been assessed by Dr. Ivanov, J handed her the scalpel. The patient has already been anesthetized by Dr. Ramos who is sitting overhead the patient and monitoring the patient''s vitals. Everyone is silent, except for the beeping sounds of the machines. Nurse Diana, who is a first timer in the OR was watching the operation. J was holding a suction on one hand while the other hand she used to get tools and passed it on Dr. Ivanov. As soon as she saw Dr. Ivanov''s hand signal, she passed her scalpel then a scissor and forceps, not waiting for her to say what she needed. Dr. Ivanov looked at J, who is focused on suctioning some blood with admiration, then she lowered her head to and continued. The operation went on without anyone speaking. J already anticipated every tool that Dr. Ivanov will be needed, not that she already memorized it, but because she already knew what tools are needed in a certain situation. Holding a bladder blade, J helped Dr. Ivanov to retract the patient''s skin making sure that there is enough opening for the baby. Dr. Ivanov ruptures the amniotic fluid, J efficiently suctioned the amniotic fluid to prevent it from spilling out of the patient''s skin. Soon, Dr. Ivanov delivered a baby in a breech position. J helped her hold the baby, on one hand is a nasal suction bulb that she used to suction the baby''s nose and mouth for amniotic fluid, as soon as the baby is crying as a sign of breathing, J grabbed the baby from Dr. Ivanov and latched the baby on the mother''s chest then passed it to the Pediatric on standby to receive the baby. In just five minutes, the baby was out. J started to count again the instruments and sponges to make sure that nothing is left inside the patient before she helped Dr. Ivanov in suturing. When they are about to finish, she heard Dr. Ivanov speak to her. "You''re good. I''m pretty sure you can do a CS on your own." J raised her head and look at Dr. Ivanov with an intimidating look. "Thank you." After the suturing is done, J help applies dressing to the patients wound then prepare to transfer the patient to the recovery room with the help of Diana. After making sure that the patient is stable in the recovery room, she returned to OR Theatre One to clean the instruments and tools that they used and to clean the area. She took all her time cleaning the area, giving enough time to Dr. Ivanov to leave the Department. But when J assumed that Dr. Ivanov has left, she heard Dr. Ivanov and Head Nurse Jing talking about her on her way to the station. "Is she always like that?" she heard Dr. Ivanov asked. Chapter 164 - Cold Treatment "Oh... don''t mind her. At first, she is quite intimidating. But she is good. She is just so serious and quiet. She is one of the top nurses in this hospital and the best here in the OR. She is wise and hard working. Some of our surgeons like Dr. Gonzales and even Dr. Jacob only wants her to assist them in their operation." Head Nurse Jing praised her. "Even Jacob? She must be that good." Dr. Ivanov voiced out her doubt. "She really is that good. Earlier you said, she can perform a CS alone? Actually, she can perform CABG with her eyes closed. Ha-ha." J who just arrived and heard Head Nurse Jing''s words can''t help but sigh. "You''re exaggerating things Head Nurse Jing." "Oh, you''re done cleaning the Operating Theater?" Head Nurse Jing was a little taken aback being caught talking behind her. "Yeah," J replied nonchalantly. Then she gets the patient''s chart to finish documentation. The rest of the day, J kept herself busy by lecturing Diana. But Diana noticed that J was not in herself the whole day, because she seemed to be repeating some of the details that she has already said. She was afraid to ask her about Dr. Ivanov''s kiss to Jacob, she doesn''t seem to be in the mood to talk about it. And knowing her temper, just a look from her might send her to the ER for hyperventilation. Jacob has been calling Diana as well to check out on J, apparently, Jacob was trying to call J but she didn''t answer all his calls. Diana never saw J looked at her phone so she assumed that her phone is on silent mode or probably in the locker. James is watching Jacob pacing back and forth inside his office. He keeps on flipping his phone, he was trying to call J a couple of times now since morning but she hasn''t answered any of his calls. He just found out from Diana that J seemed to be angry and out of herself. He also found out that J kicked out a trash bin inside the OR Theater out of irritation. He wanted to come down in the Department of Surgery but he was stopped by James. He says that if he went down impulsively and talk it out with J, someone might saw them and their marriage will be instantly brought to the public which would add up to J''s anger. Jacob was agitated. He knew that Stella is back in the hospital but he never expected Stella would act that way in front of other nurses and doctor. When Stella followed him abroad five years ago, he had already told her that he doesn''t want a relationship with her or with anybody. Thou they never had a relationship she always seemed to be so clingy to him, and it irks Jacob to the point that he blocked her number on his phone. When Jacob told her rudely that she should stop hoping that they will have a serious relationship, more so a marriage, Stella immediately left heartbroken. She didn''t contact him ever since that day. Who would of thought that she would just appear and act intimately with him in front of more people? More so, in front of his wife. Jacob turned to James and said, "Tell Stella to come up here." Chapter 165 - Relying on Js Capabilities James immediately obliged and left the office. Afterward, Jacob heard a faint knock on the door. "Come in." Jacob was in a black mood since this morning and it is evident in his face specially when he is faced with the very cause of this mood. "Please sit," Jacob instructed Stella with a cold tone. The corner of Stella''s lips turned upwards, she walked elegantly towards Jacob, but instead of sitting in front of him, she walked around his table and act as if she was going to sit on his lap. But Jacob was quick to notice that. Before she could make a move, Jacob raised his hand and turn to look at her with a clenched jaw. "I thought you were smart enough to understand simple instructions." Stella raised both her hands and said, "Okay... Okay..." with a mischievous smile. "Just don''t get mad, okay?" She walked back and sit in an armchair in front of Jacob''s desk. Jacob tensed his facial muscles, "Don''t repeat what you did earlier at the Department of Surgery. And stop spreading rumors that you are my girlfriend. You of all people knew that that''s not gonna happen." Stella laughed coquettishly and said, "Jacob, last time I check, you didn''t have any girlfriends or flings as of yet. So why are you mad that I kissed you?" Jacob shot her an icy stare. "Whether I have a girlfriend or not I don''t accept that kind of affection from you. From now on, stay away from me." Stella looked hurt by Jacob''s words. With her chin held close to her chest she asks, "Is there anyone?" Without second thought Jacob replied. "Yes." Stella''s hands gripped tightly on her skirt making it crumpled. "Who?" "That I cannot tell anyone yet," Jacob replied directly. Stella smirk. "I''m not staying away from you unless you tell me who is she. You can''t stop me." After saying that Stella turned to leave Jacob''s office. Jacob sighed in frustration and pinched the space between his brows. How troublesome. He thought. It would be easier to deal with this girl if J would just let him introduce her as his wife. Stella is a spoiled daughter of the third largest shareholder of CLP Group of Hospitals. Although she is an OB-Gyne, her IQ is just an average. But it doesn''t matter to her as long as she came from a rich family and have a beautiful face and body, she is sure to have a bright future in the next couple of decades. When she left Jacob, she didn''t return back to Lotus City immediately. She doesn''t want to face the shame that Jacob gave her. Although no one knew that she was rejected by Jacob when they were abroad, if she returns alone it will already suggest that she was rejected. So instead of going back, she travels around the word to mend her broken heart and ego. When she heard that Jacob was back, she immediately booked a ticket back to Lotus City and pretended that nothing happened. During those years traveling, she didn''t practice her profession, yet the first thing that she did when she gets back was to do a C-Section. If it wasn''t for J, she would have messed the whole operation. The truth was, she has already forgotten the step by step procedure, even the instruments that she should be using. Luckily, J was very knowledgeable and efficient. Based on a patient''s situation, the doctor doesn''t need to say what should be done, J already knew. Chapter 166 - Weak and Fragile That''s why Stella was able to finish the operation in just five minutes, she just followed whatever J do. If she passed her a scissor, she would remember that she needed to cut, if she passed her forceps, she would remember that she needed to hold a layer of the skin. All the knowledge that was buried at the back of her mind came flooding back because of J. Jacob waited for J at the lobby of the tenth floor. He knew that she would go there first to take his personal lift to go to the First Level Basement Parking. But it was almost four o''clock but she is not arriving yet. He is going to have a meeting with the board of directors at four. The board of directors has already been arriving one by one, yet no sign of J. Then he saw Arthur and Stefan came out of the room that James provided for them. With a frown, he asked, "Where are you going?" "Miss J sent us a message. She''s waiting for us at the basement parking. We''ve got to go." Arthur replied and left hurriedly with Stefan. They cannot let their Lady Boss alone for a long time. J must''ve used the stair going to the basement parking. She is obviously avoiding him. Up until now, she is not answering his calls. He wanted to follow Arthur and Stefan and talk to her but James stopped him saying that the meeting is about to start since all of the board directors have already arrived. Inside the car, J was contemplating. She doesn''t want to go home. Because as soon as Jacob got home, he would talk to her. She doesn''t want to see him. She doesn''t want to talk to him yet. She has thought about why does she feel like that, she wanted to grab that girl''s hair and pull it until it leaves her scalp. She wanted to punch Jacob on his face, on his gut, and on his crotch. She told about that to Diana and she laughed at her naivety. How could someone just come in and kissed her husband in front of her? Jacob didn''t even dodge her. Good thing she was able to suppress her anger at that time because if not, she might accidentally tell everyone in there that she is Jacob''s wife. She was jealous. That''s what Diana told her. She even told her that she should talk to Jacob and clarify what is going on with him and that doctor. But she strongly rejects the idea. With her temper and emotions, for sure she would only burst into tears. And she doesn''t know how to confront someone. She wanted to calm her emotions first before she confronts him. Everyone thought of her as an intimidating, domineering and strong woman. But inside, there is a weakness that she has been suppressing for twenty years now. When her parents left her when she was ten years old, she realized that in order for her to survive in this world alone, she should not show any weakness to anyone. After all, no one will comfort and defend her if she shows any weakness. Not until Jacob came and claimed her as his wife. She cried in front of him. She had a complex of emotions whenever she is with him. She was abducted and put into sleep. She was like a weak and fragile woman whenever Jacob is around. Chapter 167 - Foxy J took out her phone. She put her phone into silent mode ever since this morning so she had forgotten about it. There were hundreds of missed calls and text messages from Jacob but she didn''t open the message to read it. She searched for Buck''s number and dialed it. As soon as she heard his voice she said, "Are you good today?" Arthur heard J speak so he glanced at the rear-view mirror and saw her talking to the phone. "Ok, good. I''ll meet you there in one hour." after speaking to the phone. J glanced at Arthur in the rear-view mirror and said, "We''re not going home yet. Let''s go to Naupaka Racing Circuit." After she said that, she turned to look outside the window. She didn''t even wait for Arthur to reply. Arthur already knew that J is a racer so he didn''t ask further. She heard Arthur talked to Stefan about their change in the destination over the wireless Bluetooth headset on his ears. Then she closed her eyes. She didn''t do much the whole day but she felt tired. "Miss J. We''re here." she heard Arthur speak to her gently. She opened her eyes to see that they indeed have arrived. She saw Buck and her team in a distance checking out her Race Car. Before she could open the door, Arthur has already made his way to open the door for her gentlemanly. When she stepped out of the car, Stefan is already beside her. She sighs, although she is quite irritated, she cannot show it to them. She knew that they are just doing their job. Buck saw her and a furrowed brow crossed his face. As she approached, she immediately introduced Arthur and Stefan to Buck. "This is Arthur, my right-hand man. And this is Stefan... he is... one of Arthur''s men." Arthur and Stefan looked at each other. J cannot say the word bodyguard or security. She is not comfortable with the fact that she has a bodyguard, even saying those words makes her uncomfortable. A confused look crossed Buck''s face. "Ah... where is Lance?" "He''s busy with the business so he cannot do two jobs at the same time," J replied with no emotion. Then she walked towards her car. Buck immediately followed her and asked, "Is everything okay?" Buck sensed that something is off. J would never have her right-hand man and another man that seemed like personal security walking along with her. It is not her character. J is not in the mood to explain so she just ignored him. After checking out her car, she went to a room nearby. Arthur and Stefan instantly followed making Buck felt a little awkward for J. J turned and said, "Stay here." But Arthur and Stefan seemed to not heard anything and still followed her. J sighed. "I''ll just change clothes. Please stay here." she sounds irritated. Arthur and Stefan looked at each other and decided to stay and waited for J outside. After a couple of minutes, J walked out of the room wearing a black overall suit, racing boots, racing gloves, and on her hand is a helmet. Arthur and Stefan were stunned. They have never seen their Lady Boss this foxy before. Arthur thought that she looked like a million dollars in that attire. While Stefan didn''t bother to hide his admiration towards his Lady Boss. "Miss J, you looked stunning." Chapter 168 - Naupaka Racing Circuit Although J felt awkward, she still managed to reply with a "Thank you" and a small smile. Then she walks towards the pit road. Arthur silently followed her and said, "Chairman Jacob called. He''s checking on you. He said he cannot contact your phone so he called me. He wanted me to tell you that he will be home late because he is stuck in a board meeting." J stopped for a second and replied, "Okay." Just how did her right-hand man become Jacob''s messenger? Her phone is just in a silent mode, not off, so probably he has been calling her but she''s not answering her calls. He just told to Arthur that he cannot contact her to avoid complications. When she walked over her car the gas man was just done filling the tank with fuel. Her Crew Chief approached her and said, "All is set, Miss J." J nodded and said, "Thank you." She stepped in her car and started off the engine. After a couple of minutes, she is already taking her laps around the oval track at a speed of 130 to 140mph. "Wow, she can really drive. When I found out from Felix that she is a race car driver, I really can''t imagine her driving a race car. Did you?" Stefan said to Arthur. They were sitting not far away from the pit crew watching J as she takes the laps and monitoring the surroundings as well. Arthur shakes his head. "She''s full of surprise." Arthur always thought that J is just a simple housewife that loves being alone doing her own stuff. Yet as time goes by, they came to know her more. Who would have thought that her life is full of danger, that she is an heiress, a business magnate, and a racer? After about 60 laps J made a pit stop. The jackman, tire carrier and changers and gasman all run to J''s car for refueling and tire changing, while the Crew Chief walked towards the driver''s seat and said something to J. Then after just 9 seconds she is back on track. The Naupaka Racing Circuit is a 0.5 miles track situated on a 25-acre site mostly covered with trees. It has a 40,000-seat capacity but since President Martin bought it, they reconstruct the whole place and reduced its capacity into 30,000. They also build 3 log houses near the track that J and her crew can use. The oval track used to be a dirt track but it was paved during the reconstruction. In the middle of the track is open ground. Its main purpose is for J''s driving practice. Since it has a 30,000-seat capacity, it was also rented out to hold some local racing events. After 1 hour and 20 minutes, J finished 250 laps with a record of 120mph. When J steps out of her Racecar, she looks disappointed. The Crew Chief immediately rushed over her. "I thought you we''re going to lose it. You were going too fast. Just to remind you, we are not in the Lotus City Motor Speedway." Normally, she would go 180mph to 190mph with her Racecar whenever she is at Lotus City Motor Speedway, but this time she only managed to speed up at 120mph. This short track is quite a mayhem, she needed too much control causing her to slow down. But her Crew Chief was right, if she goes too fast on that turn, she might lose control and went into a somersault. Chapter 169 - The Dancer "But your performance is good enough. At that rate, you might be able to drive up to 200mph at the Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship." her Crew Chief continues as he walked beside her. J changed back into her casual attire and with Arthur and Stefan following her, she walked back to the pit to look for Buck. "I''ll be coming back tomorrow after my duty. Is Hans qualified for the Championship?" Aside from J, her team is also managing another racer. Hans is a professional racer and also a member of the Society. Her team spends most of their time with him. "Yes. He is using the simulator." "Hmm... tell him if he wants to, he can use the track. It''s fine to be dirty sometimes." Buck nodded his head. Then J turn around followed by Arthur and Stefan. She is getting used to them being around her. It''s already seven o''clock, but she doesn''t feel like going home yet. Thou she knew that Jacob is not yet home. She felt like she hasn''t diverted all her anger and envy enough. On their way to Evergreen Villa, they passed by a shopping plaza. It was a Sunday so the place was quite crowded causing a traffic jam. Their car stopped in front of a mall where passersby stopped to watch a girl dancing. The girl is wearing black pants and a white loose off-shoulder top. She is dancing in the middle of the crowd wearing a black high heeled calf boot. J wasn''t familiar with types of dances but she can tell that the girl is expressing the song in the form of dance. It is not the typical hip hop dance that she commonly sees the youngster dances in the streets. Her dance is like connecting her body and mind, and she expresses it through a fluid like motions. After a couple of seconds stranded in that area, she heard the car from behind honking their horn towards them. She didn''t notice that Arthur was also in a trance watching the girl dance. J saw a car that is parked on the side street moved out. "Can you park the car there for a moment?" Arthur was startled when he heard a car honking at them and at J''s sudden urge to park the car on the side street. When the car was parked J immediately get out of the car and joined the crowd to watch the girl dancing. She was followed by a confused Arthur. She didn''t understand it but the girl''s dance was so mesmerizing that she didn''t want to leave yet and watch the girl dance until she finished. Now that she is out of the car, she can clearly hear that the song the girl dances to is River by Bishop Briggs. "What happened?" Stefan who was riding his bike was alerted when he saw that their car parked at the side street. He thought that something came up so he hurriedly parked his bike somewhere and rushed towards them. But it turns out their Lady Boss just wanted to watch a street dancer. He turned to ask Arthur but he doesn''t seem to hear him. So, he just joined them watching. As soon as the girl finishes her dance, everyone clapped their hands including J and Stefan. The girl bowed at everyone and holding a small cloth drawstring bag she walks around receiving cash from her audience. Chapter 170 - Arthur was Stunned J seemed to realize that her performance was not for free. She performs in the street to entertain and those who watched and enjoyed her performance can give her money voluntarily but no compulsory. But J left her bag and wallet at the car so she asked Stefan who is nearest to her to lend her some money to which he obliged. The girl first approached Stefan, he dropped his money on the girls'' bag. Then she walked towards J, she smiled at her before she dropped the money that she lends from Stefan. Stefan scratched the back of his head. His lady boss'' is indeed full of surprises, it even caused him a couple of bucks. When the girl approached Arthur, Arthur didn''t move. He was just staring at the girl unblinking. When the girl noticed that the man didn''t move, she raised her head and found the man staring at her. "Uhm... sir?" J heard the girl speak to Arthur when she was about to turn and walk back to the car. J cocked her head when she saw that Arthur seemed to be in a daze staring at the girl in front of him. "Hey, Arthur. Let''s go!" Stefan called out his name but he is stunned and doesn''t seem to hear him. The girl is beautiful with her long and messy jet-black hair. She is not wearing any makeup but her cheeks and full lips were pinkish. She is probably the same height as her which is 5''3 but she looked small because of Arthur''s height that is 6''. And she''s probably in her early 20''s. The girl stared back at Arthur and as if she realized something, she turned around. That''s when Arthur realized that she was about to leave. He blinked and found that the girl had already left. As soon as the girl left, J walked towards the car. Followed by Stefan and a hesitant Arthur. Arthur''s face was dark when he gets back in the driver''s side. J felt relaxed after watching the street performance but she doesn''t want to go home yet. "Ahm... Arthur, please turn left on the next block and stop in front of a red building." Although confused, Arthur obliged and turn left on the next block. Stefan followed them. Arthur and Stefan scanned the surrounding before they followed J inside. It was a kickboxing studio. They saw J hugging a tall, tanned muscular woman wearing a boxing outfit. "Who are they?" Amanda asked her when she saw Arthur and Stefan. "Never mind them. I''ll get change first." J said with a smile then walked towards the locker room. She always left spare clothes here in Amanda''s Gym in case she decided to come here unprepared. After a couple of minutes, she came out wearing boxing pants and a black tank tops holding a boxing glove. Her hair tied in a ponytail. After doing some circuits, she immediately stepped up in the ring and started sparring with Amanda. Arthur and Stefan stood at the side with their arms crossed in their chest. "Just how many surprises we will have to watch before the night ends?" Stefan said in a low voice. Chapter 171 - Missed Him "I think something is wrong with her," Arthur replied with a furrowed brow. She has been watching J for more than two weeks now and he already understood her mood. And today, he knew that something happened to put her in a bad mood. And it probably has something to do with Jacob. Obviously, the whole day she was avoiding Jacob. First, she didn''t go up to the tenth floor to use the private lift because she knew that Jacob will be waiting for her, instead, she went directly to the basement parking using the stairs. Second, she didn''t go home immediately instead she went to the Naupaka Racing Circuit to pass her time and ignored all of Jacob''s call. In return, Jacob has been calling him to check out on her. Then now, instead of going home, she is here in a kickboxing ring tiring herself. "Speaking of something wrong. What''s wrong with you back in the shopping plaza? Did you know that dancer?" Stefan asked. Arthur''s expression turned cold and replied, "No." After an hour, they are back in the road again but before they headed home, they stopped by a fast-food chain and ate something for dinner. It was already eleven in the evening when they reached Evergreen Villa and Jacob is not home yet. "I''m sorry to bother you the whole day. You can take your rest now." J said to Arthur and Stefan before she went inside the villa. Jacob arrived past midnight and J was already asleep. He sits beside the bed near J. He found out from Diana that she was mad at him the whole day. He found out from Arthur that she spends the rest of her day in the racing circuit, shopping plaza, and boxing studio. She was probably diverting her anger. She looked tired out. He really wanted to come to her and explain but he got stuck in the board meeting. And she was deliberately avoiding and ignoring her calls and messages. Jacob lies down beside her, he kissed her first in her temple before he pulled her closed to him and hug her. J unconsciously turned towards him and squeezed herself into Jacob''s body. With her eyes half-closed, she saw Jacob''s perfect face. Thou she is mad at him, she is too tired and sleepy to argue, and besides, she missed him. So, she closed her eyes again and fell into a deep sleep. The next morning J woke up earlier than the usual. Even earlier than Jacob. She is still trying to avoid him. She takes a shower shorter than the usual, she didn''t even dry up her hair and didn''t eat breakfast. Surprisingly, when she came out of the bedroom, Arthur and Stefan were ready even before she wakes up. Actually, Arthur already anticipated that if their Boss and Lady Boss will not be able to talk last night, then his Lady Boss would probably leave earlier to avoid his Boss. And he was right. When she arrived in the Department of Surgery the first person, she saw is Dr. Stella Ivanov. She stopped for a second before she continued walking towards the nurse'' station where Dr. Ivanov is sitting. She heard her greet her "Good morning." She replied with "Good morning" without looking at her. She changed into her white scrub suit then she put her pen and phone inside her front pocket. She reached for her headset and placed it to her ear. She swiped her phone searching for a song to play to lighten up her mode. She chose Peter Pan by Kelsea Ballerini. Chapter 172 - Take it From Me Her hair was already dried up so she takes out a rubber band to tie up her hair. When she was about to make a messy bun, she suddenly remembered when Dr. Ivanov arrived yesterday, her hair is also tied up in a messy bun. So, she changed her mind and let her hair loose. Dr. Ivanov is still sitting playing with her cellphone. Does she have another operation? At the thought that she might assist her again, she walked towards the board and check out the schedule. Hmm... she didn''t have any schedule for today. Then what is she doing here? Is she going to stay here all day and messed up with her mood? J thought to herself. Then she saw something that made her frown. Exploratory Laparotomy, Dr. Jacob Parker, 8 am Scrub Nurse Jenny Do. Jacob must''ve intentionally made that schedule so she cannot avoid him. As if she would talk to him. And that Dr. Ivanov knew about his schedule that''s why she is here. She''s waiting for him. That bitch! J thought to herself with her fist clenched tightly. Then she heard Diana arrived, she came to an idea. "Nurse Diana?" "Yes, Nurse J?" "Do you want to scrub in in a major operation?" Diana frowned, she knew what was she up to. "No, she can''t!" It was Head Nurse Jing. Apparently, she heard J as soon as she arrived. "Nurse Diana is not ready yet." Head Nurse Jing came to Diana and put her arms around her shoulder. "As for now, she can only scrub in in minor surgeries but not in a major surgery yet. More so, in an operation with Dr. Jacob. Do you want her to get fired on her second day as an OR Nurse?" Diana approached her and asked, "You two haven''t talked yet?" J replied with silence. "Tsk... a couple should not let a day passed without smoothening out your misunderstandings." J looked at her with a raised brow, "Yeah right. Is that the same as ''Do not let another four years passed without smoothening out your misunderstandings?" J said with a smirk. She is talking about Diana and Leo''s misunderstanding that took them four years to solve. Leo and Diana liked each other secretly for a long time. But it was only after four years that they got to be together. "Ahem... I mean, you should take it from me. You wouldn''t want another four years to pass to find out that it was just a misunderstanding. Don''t you?" But what if it was not a misunderstanding? What if she really is Jacob''s girlfriend? J asked herself. "Look, the bitch is obviously waiting for your husband. You should mark down your territory." Diana continued nagging her in a low voice. "You''re talking too much," J said then take off her headphones and cellphone from her front pocket and gave it to Diana. "Can you keep this in my locker room, the combination is 0119. I''ll prep the OR Theater One." then she turned around and walk away from Diana. Chapter 173 - The Tigress is Out in Her Den It''s one hour before the surgery so Jacob is probably on his way. And she doesn''t want to see Dr. Ivanov flirt with Jacob once he arrives. Who knows what she could do? After thirty minutes, Jacob came wearing a dark expression on his face. He is looking around the Nurse''s Station but can''t seem to find what he is looking for. "Good morning Jacob." As soon as Dr. Ivanov saw Jacob she stood up from her seat and greet him with a coquettish smile. But Jacob didn''t even look at her as if she is not there at all. Diana rolled her eyes. "Good morning, Dr. Jacob. You''re right on time. Your patient is on its way and Nurse J is already in OR Theater One prepping." Diana knew that Jacob is looking for J so she takes the initiative to inform him. Jacob replied with "Thank you" and with a long stride, he walked towards the OR Theater. Dr. Ivanv glared at Diana which the latter ignored. Jacob didn''t look at her as if she is invisible yet this girl managed to get a reply from him. Diana gave Dr. Ivanov a meaningful smile then followed Jacob. After scrubbing and sterilizing his hands, Jacob went inside the OR theater. He saw J already wearing an OR gown, mask, and gloves. J darted her eyes away from Jacob. She walked towards Jacob and helped him change into OR gown. They never speak to each other but the tension is quite noticeable. "J-..." Jacob was about to say something but he was stopped by J in a hushed voice. "Not here." then J walked away from him. Aside from them, Head Nurse Jing, Diana, and Dr. Ramos is also inside the OR Theater so J was being cautious. Everyone proceeded with the operation. Jacob started to discuss the patient''s case and the reason why he needed an Exploratory Laparotomy. Then J started to count the sponges and instruments, draped the patient and prep his skin. When everything is set, she passed the scalpel to Jacob. Everyone was unusually quiet. Even Diana and Dr. Ramos who tends to blabber all the time was unusually quiet. The atmosphere is tensed not because of the surgery but because of the cold aura that surrounds J and Jacob. After a couple of minutes, Jacob''s cold voice was heard. "In less than a month, we will be celebrating the hospital''s, Foundation Gala. Everyone should attend." "Are we going to bring escorts as well just like the past years?" Head Nurse Jing asked. The past years she always brings her husband who works in the Department of Radiology. "Yes," Jacob replied, glancing at J who didn''t even raise her head. "Can we bring escort from outside the hospital?" Diana asked. The past years she didn''t bring any escort. This time, she is probably bringing Leo. After all, they are getting married. This will be their first event coming together as a couple. The two would look good together. Leo is a good-looking guy, he is the rugged and more serious version of Jacob. When it comes to beauty Diana would match up with J''s beauty. But she is bubblier and easy going. While J is reserved, quiet and elegant. "Yes," Jacob replied. "So, are you bringing your girlfriend?" J asked out of the blue. Head Nurse Jing and Dr. Ramos were stunned. It is very unlikely for J to join in a conversation that does not involve her. More so, she is talking to the CEO of the hospital. Diana was like ''Oh-oh... the tigress is out in her den.'' Chapter 174 - Do you have a Girlfriend? Jacob looked at J with a knitted brow and said. "I don''t have a girlfriend." "Oh really. Didn''t she just arrive yesterday and gave you an intimate kiss?" Head Nurse Jing covered her mouth with both her hands in shock. Since when did Nurse J learn to talk back to her Boss? Is she out of her mind? Didn''t she want her job anymore? Diana let out a silent chuckle. "Nurse J, Dr. Ivanov is not my girlfriend," Jacob said in a menacing tone. "But everyone in the hospital knows that she is your girlfriend. Isn''t it unfair that she is proudly saying that you are her boyfriend while you, on the other hand, is denying her?" J replied looking at Jacob accusing. Jacob clenched his jaw. "Nurse J! That''s enough!" Head Nurse Jing was enraged. J shot Jacob an intimidating look before she lowered her head. "Ahem... how about you Nurse J? You have never attended a Foundation Gala. You should attend this year. Don''t worry, Dr. Gonzales and his wife will probably ask for their son to be your escort. Ha-ha." Dr. Ramos said to loosen up the tension. But it only fueled the fire. The OR Theater''s temperature dropped from 18 degrees Celsius to 0. After the operation is done, everyone steps out of the OR Theater feeling exasperated. It was the heaviest and most intense surgery they ever have done. Not because of the patient but because of the atmosphere. At the Nurse''s Station Jacob is in a bad temper. "Everyone! Since all of you loves to gossip let me give you a piece of something to talk about. Dr. Stella Ivanov is not my girlfriend. This is a fact, not a rumor." Dr. Stella who was still sitting in the Nurse''s Station bit her lip in embarrassment. Jacob just announced to everyone that she is not her girlfriend like she is not there. He started to treat her like she is invisible. "In fact, she was never my girlfriend. And I never had an interest in her. So stop spreading rumors." His last word was intended for Dr. Stella. Before he turned to leave, he looked at J with complex emotion. J was taken aback. Is he mad at me? She thought. She clenched her fist tightly then she turned away. Jacob and J simultaneously walked away in a different direction. After her shift, she headed back to Naupaka Racing Circuit. On their way, she put on her headphones and closed her eyes. She thought about what Jacob said earlier at the Nurse''s Station. Was she wrong? J has never been in a relationship and was used to be alone and she is quite slow when communicating directly. She wasn''t able to figure out her feelings, she didn''t know how to express them and was afraid to listen to Jacob''s explanation. She even avoided him. If Jacob didn''t indirectly explain his side, she wouldn''t have known. "Arthur?" J called Arthur with her eyes still closed. "Yes, Miss J?" Arthur replied with his eyes focused on the road. "Do you have a girlfriend?" J opened her eyes and looked at Arthur''s reflection on the rear-view mirror. Arthur was surprised. His Lady Boss is initiating a conversation. Did the sun shine in the West this morning? He furrowed his brows in confusion and checked out on her on the rear-view mirror. He saw her looking at him. She is expectant. "No." Arthur darted his eyes away from J and turned to look back on the road. "Have you had any girlfriend before?" J asked. Chapter 175 - If its meant to be, itll be "Yes." Arthur was wondering where is this conversation coming from. "Why did you break up?" When J asked this question, Arthur understands that it has something to do with her misunderstanding with Jacob. So, he was careful with his reply. Arthur shrugged his shoulders and said, "Maybe we''re not meant to be." then he looked at J to see if she buys it. She is now staring outside the window. "How could you say that you are not meant to be?" J wonders. She really doesn''t have an idea. Arthur didn''t look at J. He was struggling for words to say. He is not a conversant person as well. So, having a conversation was a bit hard for him. He is a male version of J in that aspect. After a couple of seconds, he stated his opinion carefully choosing his words. "If you are holding on to a dream hoping that someday it will work out but in fact, you''ve already lost the war a long time ago. If you''re everything to each other except friends. If your reasoning for loving each other is solely physical and anecdotal or logical. If you are still hoping that they will change for you instead of accepting whoever they are. Or maybe the timing is off." Although Arthur didn''t usually express it in words, he has always been logical. J stayed silent and kept staring outside the window. She seemed to be pondering on Arthur''s words. "Do you think... two people with different personalities from different families and background with an arrange marriage will be meant to be?" J was probably overthinking things but she has a reason. She was afraid. Jacob seemed to be upset. And she was afraid that she will be left again by the person she loves and trust. Although their relationship came out of a deal, it is working out pretty well. But is it going to be the same after a year? Or ten years? Or a lifetime? "I don''t know. If it''s meant to be, it''ll be." Arthur replied. "Maybe try and work it out? Be the best friends? Just love and accept him? Or trust your timing." Arthur seemed to have said too many words for the day and just said the opposite of what he said earlier. "How about you trust him first? Conflicts are inevitable however healthy a relationship is." Arthur glanced at J in the rear-view mirror. Arthur has observed Jacob''s action towards J, he knew that he truly cares for her and always been sincere. He is deeply in love with J. And J felt the same towards Jacob. He was actually surprised when he heard from J earlier that they had an arranged marriage. Because based on their actions, they don''t seem to. The corner of J''s lips curved upwards. She wanted to voice out her frustrations and worry because she felt that her heart is about to explode. She didn''t expect Arthur would be kind enough to say comforting words. This was the first time she heard Arthur spoke more than he used to. And she was flattered. She always thought that he is a cold and intimidating person. She thought that maybe if he finds the girl that is meant for him, he will be sweet and romantic. "I never thought that you were such an expert when it comes to relationships?" J said with a smile. Her heart felt lighter than before. Chapter 176 - Lost Control Arthur was out for words. Actually, he is not used to say such words. It was the first time that he speaks something about relationships to someone. Maybe he felt that his Lady Boss was so down and he just wanted to comfort her. And this was also the first time that he felt the urge to comfort his Boss. Unlike other spoiled rich that Arthur have met, J have a strong sense of duty. She is not egocentric, she is quite supporting and caring towards the people that is close to her. She is non-confrontational, that is why she is having difficulty dealing with her misunderstandings with Jacob. She is often mistaken as indifferent, cold and intimidating but the truth is she just prefer doing things alone. She knows what type of people she wants to spend her time with. Arthur sees himself to her. But unlike J, Arthur is strong inside and out. He has a good foundation because he grew up with is military family. While J grew up alone. She tends to cover up her weakness by being strong because she knew that no one is there to comfort her. That is probably why Arthur felt a strong desire to comfort her. After an hour, they arrived in Naupaka Racing Circuit. Buck and her team were already there waiting for them. Buck immediately approached her. "The drive here is quite troublesome." "That''s fine." J replied. "Hans was here practicing all morning." Buck said. "Good. At least we are not wasting our money on him. Did he leave already?" J replied as she continuously walks towards the dressing room. "No. He stayed in one of the log houses. We decided to stay her for a week. He will be practicing here for a week before we go back to Lotus City. A short track is a good training ground for him." J nodded then she went inside the dressing room leaving Buck, Arthur and Stefan outside. As soon as she got changed, she went out to check on her car in the pit. The car chief is inspecting the car closely. After making sure of its safety, he signaled a thumbs up to the Crew Chief. When the Crew Chief saw it, he nodded and turn to J. "All is good, remember to stay on the track and control your speed." J nodded and get in the car. Everything is running smoothly, J had a 9-second pit stop at the 60th lap. She is now on her 100th lap. Arthur and Stefan were watching J while Buck and the Pit Crew were watching her on a monitor. "She''s quite faster today than yesterday. I think she is driving around 150mph." Stefan said. Arthur noticed it as well. He turned to look at the Crew Chief. He is saying something to J. Arthur''s face turned grim and turned to look at J''s car. Then suddenly when she reached the turn, she seemed to lost control. The next moment, he saw her car flipped twice on the air before it landed in the open grounds. When Arthur noticed that she lost control he eventually run towards her followed by Stefan. The pit crew who was shocked reacted only when they saw Arthur and Stefan run towards J. Some carrying a fire extinguisher while others were carrying a stretcher and a first aid kit. When Arthur and Stefan reached J''s car, she was already crawling out of her car. "Miss J!" Arthur and Stefan shouted her name simultaneously. They were worried sick about her condition. Chapter 177 - Doc Arthur J managed to stand up. She is feeling a little bit dizzy. She tried to walk. She heard voices around her but she cannot understand them. She narrowed her eyes, her vision is quite blurry. Everything is blurry. Everyone seemed to be talking from a far distance but she felt that they were just beside her. She felt someone touch her arms and tried to pull her somewhere but she pulled it away. She continued walking in an unstable gait. She turns around to look at her car. It was flipped over. Some of her crew were extinguishing a small fire that started to build up. Her car... she thought. She touched her head while she continued walking. She heard someone beside her talking about a hospital. She clearly heard the word hospital. Are they going to take me to the hospital? "I-I''m fine..." J managed to say a word. "Miss J... you had an accident. It would be better that we take you to the hospital to be examined." this time J heard it clearly. It was from Arthur. She looked at him, she already regained her vision. "I said, I''m fine. No need to take me to the hospital. I''m a nurse, I know my anatomy." J said acting domineering. "She had an accident and she refused to go to the hospital." When Jacob heard Arthur''s words from the other line, he immediately hanged up and stood up from his chair and left the conference room. He was in the middle of a meeting with the department heads when his phone rings. He immediately answered the call when he saw that it was Arthur. He already knew that his call has something to do with J. It was only one sentence and he immediately understands. He knew that J went to Naupaka Racing Circuit and the word accident gives him an idea as to what happened. "James, take over the meeting for me. I have to go." Jacob rushed out of the conference room. He even forgot to take his coat with him. On his way to Naupaka, he is having a fight or flight response. His heart is beating faster, his breathing is quicker and his pupils dilated. He is driving faster than he should be, even running into a red light a couple of times. Inside one of the log houses in Naupaka Racing Circuits, J is sitting on a couch surrounded by Arthur, Stefan, and Buck. Arthur is sitting in an ottoman in front of J. He is checking out on her from head to toe. Aside from bruises and small cuts in her arms he didn''t see any signs of fractures. "Are you having a headache?" Arthur started asking her like a doctor. "No." "Any sensitivity to noise or light?" "No." "Dizziness or lightheaded?" "No." "Are you feeling nauseous?" "No." "Blurred vision?" J rolled her eyes. "No. Arthur, I''m fine." J understands that Arthur is checking her out for any signs of head injury. "Miss J, if you don''t want to go to the hospital to be examined at least let Arthur check you up. He had trained so he knows his thing. Trust me." Although J felt that Arthur is a bit overreacting, Stefan was confident that Arthur is just doing the right thing. Buck nods his head in agreement. "Do you have ringing in the ear?" Arthur continued. "No," J said with a frown. "Can you stand up? Let me see if you can walk straight." Stefan acted like he was about to assist her in standing up. Chapter 178 - Totaled "Arthur, Stefan, that''s enough!" J was already piqued. Arthur and Stefan are acting like a big brother to her. It is very unusual for personal security to act this way. J knows that they are sincerely worried about her and it makes her feeling overwhelmed but they were acting over the top. J seemed to be fine but Arthur and Stefan were still worried. That accident was dangerous. She was lucky to sustain only minor cuts and bruises. Some racers died in that kind of accident. Her team invested a large sum of money for the improvements in her car, but they also invested in safety precautions that other teams chose to ignore. "How''s my car?" J asked Buck. "Miss J, the car sustained severe damage. Thou it is repairable, it will take months and might cost more than its worth." Buck''s voice was gentle and low. He knew that this news will have a great effect on J. J nodded her head with a blank expression. "Where is it?" "It''s in the pit," Buck replied. J stood up and walked out of the house. Arthur, Stefan, and Buck wanted to stop her but they knew that she will refuse so they silently followed her instead. J''s walk was steady but weak. After a couple of minutes, they reached the pit. Not far away they saw J''s Blue Race Car. J stopped for a moment, then she continued to walk towards her car. Buck stopped Arthur and Stefan from following her. He wants them to give her some space. It was already dark. The whole racing circuit is lighted by spotlights. J looked around her car. Buck was right, it is already considered a total loss. Thou her car is insured, the insurance company would refuse to repair the car instead they will give her money equivalent to the amount of her car. Allowing her to get a new car. J knew that she would need a new car to be able to join the Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship, but that doesn''t mean that she will abandon her race car. Even if she spends more than its worth to repair her car, she would do it to be able to drive her again. Thou hard-headed, J is quite sentimental. Her race car is the first car that she acquires for a race. She won the Rookie of the Year Award and Young Racer Award with that car. She had a couple of accidents with that car but it was just minor. When she went back to Lotus City, she had it shipped from abroad. J leaned her back on the side of her race car. She looked at the dark sky, she felt her heart trembling, her knees weak, she melted down. Sitting with her head between her knees, her back leaning at her race car. She cannot suppress it anymore, without anyone seeing her, she burst out in tears. At first, it was a silent tear then it turns into a weep. Then after a couple of minutes, her weep turns into a sob. Not far away from her, thou Arthur, Stefan and Buck cannot see her, they were still able to hear her sobs. Jacob reached the Naupaka Racing Circuit in just half an hour. He searched for J but he cannot find her. Finally, not far away he saw Arthur and Stefan. He runs towards them and asked about J. Arthur and Stefan was not surprised to see Jacob in such a short time after they called him. Chapter 179 - Vulnerable Arthur pointed in the car. Jacob saw a totally wrecked car. At first, he was confused, he was looking for J yet Arthur pointed her car, after a couple of seconds he started to understand. He can hear J''s sobbing from the car. Just the sound of her cry made his heartache. Jacob slowly walked towards the car afraid that he would startle J. He walked around the race car then he saw J sitting with her head between her knees sobbing. He studied her first, she''s got a couple of bruises and cuts in her arms and she looks devastated. Jacob felt like a thousand needles pricked his heart. He knelt down to level J''s head. With a soft voice, he called her. "Hey... Honey." J was startled to hear a familiar voice. She raised her head and saw a worried face of Jacob. "You... you''re here?" "I''m so worried about you," Jacob said with a tight-lipped smile. After seeing Jacob, J''s tears started to flood again in her cheeks. An uncontrollable sob which is louder than before came out of her mouth. Seeing her crying like a child, Jacob pulled her up to stand then pulled her to his embrace. J wrapped her arms around Jacob''s waist and buried her face into Jacob''s chest. Jacob let J cry in his chest while he gently caresses her back with his palm. Arthur and Stefan watched them. They already knew how vulnerable their Lady Boss is in front of their Boss. Buck was in awe. He has never seen this weak side of J before and he wonders, "Can someone tell me what is happening? Who is that guy?" Buck didn''t know that J is already married so he doesn''t know Jacob. "Miss J would appreciate it if you and your team keep this incident to yourselves. No one should know about this." instead of answering his question, Arthur asked him to keep the thing about the accident and Jacob a secret. After a couple of minutes, J calmed down. "Jacob... " "Hmm?" Jacob replied while he continuously caresses her back. "I''m tired," J said without raising her head. "I know," Jacob replied then gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "My whole body hurts." J is complaining like a child. "Let''s go home?" Jacob distanced himself to look at her. Her nose and cheeks were red, her eyes were red and swollen. J nodded her head. Then Jacob carried her bridal style. Without hesitation, J wrapped her hands around his neck and squeezed herself into Jacob''s body. Jacob''s warmth and scent calmed her tired body and mind. His presence is her weakness and also her strength. Jacob let Arthur drive his SUV while Stefan drove the bulletproofed sedan. He was sitting on the back seat with J asleep on his lap. He looked at J with tenderness. When he saw her cuts and bruises his face grim. "Let''s drop by Twelve Army Headquarters," Jacob said to Arthur. It was just a couple of miles away from the Naupaka Racing Circuit. Just halfway to Lotus City. When they reached the Twelve Army Headquarters, Jacob takes J to the clinic for a full body checkup. The Twelve Army Headquarters has its own clinic that is fully equipped just like a hospital. It has its own, radiology, laboratory, ward, pharmacy, doctors and nurses. Chapter 180 - Guilty J was awoken as soon as Jacob placed her in a bed. "Where are we?" J asked confused. She looked around and noticed that she is in hospital. "I said I''m fine, I don''t need to be hospitalized." "You are not in the position to be stubborn so stop it. Plus, we are not in a hospital. We are in Twelve Army Headquarters'' clinic. I have to make sure that you are fine." Jacob''s words were harsh at first but slowly became gentle. J pout her lips and didn''t bicker with him further when she saw a male doctor in his late 50''s approached them. "I want a full body check up on her. Do CT Scan, MRI and X-Ray." Jacob ordered intimidatingly. "Yes, Chairman Parker. Right away." the old doctor replied and take away J. Jacob went outside the clinic and found Arthur and Stefan on the lobby. Jacob sat in an accent chair near Arthur and Stefan. He felt exhausted after worrying too much about J. He leaned his back and closed his eyes as he pinched the area between his brows. "Arthur, help Jenny file a leave for tomorrow," Jacob said, his eyes still close. "Copy that," Arthur replied. "Any news from Daniel and Stefan?" Jacob asked afterward. "They were now spying Food Corp. International. Based on the evidence and circumstances that we got from Lance, Food Corp. International and Crocus Offshore Oil Rig have the motive but we are still looking for other possibilities." Arthur reported to Jacob. "Have you investigated the accident?" after finding out about threats in J''s life, Jacob has all the reason to be paranoid. Anything that can happen to J, he would think that someone might have intentionally done it. After all, this accident might have killed her. "We did. It was purely an accident. The crew inspected the car before and after the accident. Nothing is wrong with the car." Arthur said. "Miss J, lose control. Arthur and I noticed it as well." Stefan said his opinion but Arthur looked at him with a glare. Stefan just shrugged his shoulders. "Since yesterday, Miss J seemed to be distracted. Maybe that''s why she came out of control today." Arthur defended J because he knew the reason why she lost control in the track and had an accident. Jacob opened his eyes and looked at Arthur with a grim expression. He knew very well why she was distracted and he is the one to blame. He is the reason why she was distracted. He is the reason why she lost control. He is the one to blame for that accident. He felt guilty. After an hour J came out of the clinic on a wheelchair pushed by a nurse. She saw the three men waiting for her at the lobby. They all looked exhausted and she felt guilty. She had made these men great trouble and made them worry. The four of them left the Twelve Army headquarters and headed back to Lotus City. Jacob was relieved to see the results of the exam. Except for bruises and cuts, she had a minor concussion but it is not life-threatening. That night outside the Elm Palace Hotel, Daniel is waiting inside a white tinted Transit Van with a large sticker of Miss Elsa''s Cakes and Pastries. He is watching over around ten monitors inside the van. The monitors showing different angles from outside and inside the hotel. Chapter 181 - Food Corp. International "Hey D, have you heard. Miss J got into an accident." Stefan said on the other line of a one-way communicating device. "Mm." Daniel''s reply was short. He already heard about it from Stefan. "Luckily she only sustained small cuts and bruises. I''ve heard that last year a race car driver died in a crash during practice. Did you know that overall there have been over 600 deaths for race car drivers all over the world? And most deaths happened during qualifying and practice. I''ve heard that Miss J''s team have the most advanced safety technology, so it must''ve contributed a lot that''s why she only sustained minor injuries but still the main cause of her accident is she loses control of her speed. Tsk... Based on the information that I gather Miss J is known to have the best control over the steering wheel. She is probably not in her condition today." Felix was blabbering too much when Daniel noticed from the monitor a black luxury car approaching the hotel''s valet. "The subject is here," Daniel said that made Felix stop from his blabbering. "Oh... Okay. Let the game begin!" Daniel heard Felix'' enthusiastic voice. On one of the monitors, Daniel is watching a valet attendant wearing a white long sleeve with a black vest and a black bow tie and a black peaked cap approached the black luxury car''s driver''s side. From the driver side, a man in his late 30''s came out wearing an emerald green suit paired with black pants, black bow tie, and black Oxford shoes. The man looks elegant and royal. He is David Hart, the CEO and President of Food Corp. International. The son of the Chairman and Founding Owner of Food Corp. International. On the other side of the car came out a sophisticated lady wearing an emerald green off-shoulder mermaid gown. She is Melanie Hart, the wife of David Hart. Food Corp International is a multinational company based in Lotus City that owned multiple fast-food chains. Currently, they have a total of more than 4,000 stores worldwide. It was founded by Larry Hart over 40 years ago and his family currently holds 28% of its shares. J is the second-biggest shareholder of the company with 22%. The couple walked inside the hotel while the valet attendant took the car in the valet parking. As soon as the car is parked, Daniel heard Felix said, "The bug is in position." Apparently, the valet attendant was Felix. He pretended to be a valet attendant to be able to get inside the car of David Hart to plant a bug. It is a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone, a device that is used for espionage. After securing the bug is under the driver''s seat, Felix went to were Daniel and his Ford Transit is parked. The Elm Palace Hotel is hosting a land and property auctions where one can bid for anything from an ancient castle or mansions to brand new commercial premises. Businessman''s see this as an opportunity to buy any property that can be useful for their business while others take this opportunity to acquire a property that will elevate their status in the elite circle. Chapter 182 - Top Priority Mostly, only elites were invited in this kind of auctions including the Parkers. But the Parkers were naturally not a fan of auctions unless it is a Charity Auction. The Do''s rarely attend auctions unless the auction has something that is of their interest, and they will also send a representative. Elder Do is the one that loves to attend an auction. The mansion in the Lodgepole Estate was bought in an auction as well as other rare antiques and jewelry that is now in J''s possession. Based on Daniel''s analysis, the auction will only last for one hour. So, they will have to wait for another hour before they could hear the voice of David Hart thru the bug under his driver seat. While waiting inside the Transit Van, Felix got bored by just watching the auction happening inside the hotel thru the monitor. So, he started talking. "Hey D, isn''t your wife pregnant? If I''m not mistaken, she''s about due any day, now right?" Felix asked while counting the days in his fingers. Daniel replied with a nod. "Why don''t you ask for a day off so that you can accompany your wife during her labor. After all, it is your first child, you should be present. And besides, I heard that labor is too painful. It is just right that you should be with her to support her." Felix said. Daniel staring at the monitor was contemplating. Felix was right, but as much as he wanted to, he cannot just abandon his duty. It was in their oath that whenever on duty, their top priority is their mission. "No one can predict the exact date of her labor, so requesting a day off is just a waste," Daniel replied with a grim expression. "You''re right. Anyways, I doubt if Chairman Jacob will grant you a day off. After all, this mission involves his wife''s life. His wife is his priority." Felix said while playing his chair. He paused then said. "But if you request a day off from Miss J, I am very sure that she will approve it if she finds out that your wife is pregnant and about to give birth soon. She''ll even probably give you a month leave," he said that with a grin. "She''s a nurse and a woman, she knows that during labor, the presence of the husband is important. However cold she is, she is quite traditional and sentimental." Felix continued but Daniel didn''t react. But inside, Daniel is also thinking about his wife''s pregnancy. Daniel has been married now for five years. And now his wife is pregnant with his first child. But before he got married, his wife already knew about his job in the Twelve Army. She knows how dedicated Daniel is to his job. She understands that if he would choose between her and his job, he would probably choose his job. Which is fine with her as long as she is the second one that he would choose. Daniel was startled when Felix speak again. "Are they leaving? The auction has only gotten halfway thru." Felix said confused. His brows furrowed as he looks closer to the monitor. Daniel was alerted to. He closely watches the movement of the couples in the monitor. When they were sure that they are leaving Felix said. "I''ve got to move." Then he wears his peaked hat and walked out of the van. Chapter 183 - Part of a team Daniel watched as the couple talked to Felix. Then Felix left to take their car in the valet parking. After a couple of minutes, he handed the key back to David Hart then they hurriedly sped away. When the car was nowhere visible, Felix rushed back to the van. "Get on the wheels. Let''s go." Daniel said in a hurried tone as soon as Felix returned. "Got it!" "What happened? Did you get something?" Felix asked while he is driving the van out of the hotel''s parking lot. "The old man was rushed to CLP Hospital." While Felix was still out, Daniel already heard David Hart''s voice thru the bug saying that his father had a heart attack and was taken to CLP Hospital. At the CLP Hospital, Larry Hart, 66 years old, Founder of Food Corp. International was admitted at the VIP Suite room that is located on the 9th floor of the hospital. He experienced a sudden tightness of the chest, therefore, he was immediately rushed by his wife at the Emergency Room of CLP Hospital. He was diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction known as heart attack and was admitted then on. The old man had long been suffering from Coronary Heart Disease and his habit of smoking during his younger days became a risk factor. Felix managed to get inside the hospital, disguised as a janitor. Due to strict security and confidentiality rules in the 9th floor, no one except family members and hospital staffs that were personally chosen by the patient''s family is allowed inside the VIP Suite room. But Felix, being naturally good at eavesdropping was able to find out that the family needs a skilled private nurse. Daniel and Felix see this as an opportunity to infiltrate the Hart Family. So, Daniel made a call to Arthur. Arthur finds out that Daniel and Felix need a private nurse that they can use to infiltrate the Hart Family being their primary suspect in sending death threats to J. And he knew just who they needed so he made a call to Jacob to ask his permission which he immediately granted. Anything for the safety of his wife. Arthur called Diana but she was not answering. After a couple of attempts, she finally answered. "Hello... Diana?" Arthur made sure that it was Diana''s number. He got it from Jacob which Jacob got from Jenny. "There is a situation and Felix and Daniel needs your help. The Chairman of Food Corp. International was admitted at CLP Hospital and the family is in need of a private nurse. President Jacob already recommended you to the hospital director and the family approved it. So, tomorrow morning, you will be reporting at VIP Suites where Chairman Hart is admitted. But... you will not just work as a private nurse. You will be spying them. So, come early tomorrow, Felix and Daniel will meet you at the basement parking to give you some instructions." Arthur made his call direct to the point. While Diana, on the other hand, was thrilled. This is the chance that she''s been waiting for. Ever since she became a member of the Society, she has always dreamed of being part of a team and take up a mission. But she knows that she doesn''t have a skill that will contribute to the team. She doesn''t have any fighting skills or computer skills. Thou she knows how to use a gun, she is not very good at it. But she does know how to use a syringe. Chapter 184 - Poker-faced Leo Being a nurse is the only skill she knew and now the top team of the Twelve Army needed her skill. So, she wouldn''t let this opportunity off. The next morning, she went to the hospital early. But to her astonishment, Leo accompanied her until the basement parking. Last night, when Arthur called her, she noticed that Leo was jealous. And when she told him about her mission, he became worried. So, he insisted on coming with her this morning to make sure of her safety during this mission. When Diana came in the basement parking, Felix and Daniel were already there. They were fixing something inside a Transit Van. "Good morning!" Diana greeted them with a wide smile. "Good... morning..." Felix turned to greet her but was surprised that she is not alone. Daniel furrowed his brow when he looked at Leo, confused. No other person is allowed in the basement parking and this mission is confidential so why would Diana brought someone with her. Diana noticed their look and immediately introduced Leo to them. "This is my fianc¨¦, Leo. He is the right-hand man of Madam Victoria, Miss J''s mother. Don''t worry, Miss J and Dr. Jacob wouldn''t mind if he knew about this mission. He got orders to report directly to Madam Victoria anything that concerns about Miss J. And that is not a secret to Miss J." Diana said in a high spirit while both her hands are in Leo''s muscular arm. Leo, on the other hand, is deadpan. Diana didn''t tell them that Leo accompanied her to ensure her safety. Felix looked at Leo. Damn! This guy''s stare is scarier than that of Arthur, Daniel, Miss J, and Chairman Jacob combined all together. He thought to himself. He averted his gaze from Leo, he felt haunted. While Daniel reached his hand to Leo and introduce himself. "Daniel Li." Leo reached for it and nodded. Not saying any words. His expression remained blank. Daniel has heard about Leo before. Leo was sent by the Robin Hood Society to train in Twelve Army Training Facility. Leo was ahead of him by two years. But he was quite popular in the Twelve Army Training Facility because of his outstanding performance. He was a sharpshooter and an excellent spy. He is a one-man team. And he is known as the poker-faced Leo. Seeing Daniel introduced himself, Felix did the same. Soon, there were two cars and a motorbike entered the basement parking and parked not far away from them. On the motorbike was Stefan, who immediately walked towards them after putting away his helmet. On the black bulletproofed sedan is Arthur, who instantly recognized Leo. Then Jacob and J came out of their bulletproofed SUV. "Leo, you''re here." J was delighted to see Leo. The last time she saw him was when Diana had a vacation at Mt. Celandine. That time he looked crestfallen but now... well he still looked at how he used to be... impassive. Leo looked at Jacob then to J and nodded. "I''ll just make sure Diana will be safe." "Urgh... I told you not to say that!" Diana pout and gave Leo a chagrined face. Felix was slack-jawed. Leo never said a word to him and Daniel yet when it comes to their boss he never hesitated to say a word even if his woman gets mad at him. "I see. Don''t worry. These guys are professional. Diana will be safe." J said with a smile. After hearing that, Felix cocked his head. Chapter 185 - Dont I need gadgets? Leo looked at J from head to toe which Jacob was quick to notice. He gave him a scowling look but Leo didn''t falter. Since J is not coming to work today, she only wears a casual white dress with rounded neckline, princess-seamed bodice, a fitted waist, and a sheath skirt. The sleeves are long with buttoned cuffs to cover her bruises and cuts in the arms. "How''s your injury?" Leo asked her nonchalantly. Leo has heard about her accident from Diana last night. Thou Diana already said that she was fine, he still wanted to make sure and see for himself. Madam Victoria will be furious if she finds out, and he has to reassure her that her daughter is fine. J knew that Leo would ask her. "I''m fine. Just a small cuts and bruises. Tell mom don''t be bothered. And I''ve also seen the doctor and had some examinations. In case she''s not convinced. There''s nothing serious." Leo didn''t ask any further and just nodded his head. "It''s about time. Let''s start." Felix said, then he walked to the Transit Van to get something. When he returned, he is carrying a silver metal case. "I''ve prepared these things for you," Felix said but before he opened it, he first discusses to Diana the scope of her mission. "Chairman Hart of Food Corp. International was admitted last night due to an acute heart attack. He is in a VIP Suite on the 9th floor of the hospital and that Department is very stringent. They wouldn''t let any visitor unless it was authorized by the patient and the family member." Diana, J, and Jacob was very well aware of it. CLP Hospital is a 530-bed capacity hospital, 30 of which is on the 9th floor of the main building. It is almost a secluded area. It is called the VIP Department. Where all the patient admitted there are all VIPs. No one is allowed to roam around there. No visitors allowed unless authorized by the patient and the family. Nurses assigned there were not regular nurses, they are private nurses who worked 24 hours for only one patient until the patient is discharged unless the patient needed continued care at home. Diana used to be assigned there because she''s got experience as a private nurse but when she was assigned with a male patient, she requested to be transferred in the OB ward. "And so, Chairman Jacob made an arrangement so that you''ll be assigned as Chairman Harts private nurse. That way we could infiltrate the Hart Family. I''ll be taking care of his son, while you will be taking care of Chairman Larry Hart." Felix continued receiving a nod from Diana. Leo listened with a blank face while his arms crossed in his chest. "Don''t I need gadgets? Or that sort of things?" Diana said with flashing eyes. "Patience. Of course, you''ll need this." Felix said while opening the silver metal case. "You''ll only be listening to their conversation. We just needed information that will prove if they are the one sending Miss J threats. And while listening, you also have to record them. So, you''ll need this." Upon opening the silver metal case, Diana''s eyes widened in excitement but replaced with confusion. She saw pens, lipstick, buttons and reading glasses. "Um... this is?" Diana asked in quizzical voice. She looked at Felix then to Daniel. Felix looks at her with a broad grin while Daniel with a wrinkled brow. Chapter 186 - Secret Agent Obviously, Felix is excited to show her his most precious gadgets while Daniel is a bit uncertain with Diana''s innocence. Leo cleared his throat. He noticed, that they''ve been staring at Diana longer than they should. Felix was startled. "Oh... Okay." Felix takes out a black pen with silver accents. "This is a spy pen. It can record audio and videos. It has 32 GB flash micro SD storage. This one is capable of recording up to six hours of video, but of course, you will only use this if necessary because it can only continuously operate for 30 to 60 minutes increment." "Wow... so how do I use this?" Diana said with a cocked head. Felix showed her how to operate the pen and Diana watched him with a partially opened lip. "This is the record button, here is the camera. So, make sure that you point it in the right direction." then he showed her where is the micro SD and how to charge it. Diana understands it easily so she nods her head. "Now these are covert listening device also known as a bug." Diana''s lips were partially opened when she finally understands what is that button is. "Of course, we wouldn''t expect them to talk in front of you carelessly. If they are hiding anything, they will talk about it whenever you are not around. So, this one will help you out. You''ll have to find something inside the room where you can leave this that they will not be suspicious of." "Okay... I got it." Felix takes another black pen with gold accents. "This one is a USB device. Just in case you need it. And also, wear this." Felix handed her a reading glass. Diana took it and check if it fits. "It has a hidden camera. It has the ability to record video and take photos. You''ll just have to click it here to capture photos when you think it is necessary." "All in all, your mission is simple... but dangerous if you are careless. So, hopefully, you won''t have to use this one." Felix takes the lipstick and waves it in front of Diana. "Is that a gun?" Diana asked with a spark in her eyes. "Yes, it is. This is a single bullet. You can fire it by twisting the tube. Use this only when necessary. And don''t apply any on yourself." Felix said with a sardonic smile. "Oh, by the way. Wear this." Felix gave her a pair of earrings. "That''s a communication device. You can talk to us using that. Don''t use your phone. If anything comes up. Just a word and we''ll know." At that moment, Diana is in bliss. Thou it was just temporary, she felt like a real spy already. "How long does it going to take?" Diana asked. It was Daniel who replied. "Probably as long as Chairman Hart is admitted unless they would still need you when he is discharged." "All we need is to find out if they have anything to do with Miss J''s threats. Until we did, you will have to abort this mission immediately. You don''t have to stay for long." Daniel added only to reassure Leo who is already showing signs of worry. "Oh... It''s almost time for duty. You guys should go. I''ll take it from here." Diana said. J looked at her radiant face. Thou Diana seemed happy and content, she can''t help but be worried. Daniel and Stefan gave her more instructions before they left. Leo said something to her which everyone didn''t hear but they saw how lovingly Leo looked at her. He put one of his hands on her head while Diana gave him a hug before he left. Chapter 187 - Selfless J felt depressed. She was resentful that Diana has to go through this. If something happens to her, it is all her fault. She would never forgive herself. Originally, she doesn''t approve of sending Diana as a spy, but Jacob has already decided about it even before she finds out. She knew Diana as a selfless person, she has that genuine desire to use her talents and assets to help those that she cared for without hesitation. J walked towards Diana. "Hey... be careful. Okay? You''ll just have to gather information. Do not put yourself into danger. Please?" even thou she is worried she still sounds domineering. "Ha-ha. Don''t worry about me. Worry about your injuries! Take a rest and get well soon. Hmm?" Diana gives her a thumbs up and a wink. "And oh... by the way. Since I''ll be working 24/7, can you check out on Timothy if you have time? Leo will be back in the log house today and will be off by next week. But he promised me that he''ll find time to visit Timothy." "Sure, I promise." J said with a genuine smile. Then Diana went up to start her duty and mission as well. J sighed. Because of Diana''s personality, she is sure that the Harts would trust her. She just hopes that she won''t get caught. But knowing Diana, she is aware of the specifics and details and is often observant, she would notice if the Harts have become aware of her actions. But she is also extremely organized and strategic, she won''t get caught. J hopefully thought. Last night after the short visit at the Twelve Army''s clinic, J fell asleep all the way home. Due to fatigue and body pain, she fell into a deep slumber. She wasn''t even aware that when they got home, Jacob gently dressed her wounds and bruises and changed her into clean clothes. When she woke up this morning, that''s only the time that she finds out about Diana being sent as a spy to the Harts. So, she insisted on going to the hospital to see her. After making sure that Diana is well set, Daniel went back into tracing the source of the letters while Felix stayed in the Transit Van in the basement parking in case Diana needed help. He already planted a bug in David Hart''s car, he just needed an opportunity to plant another in his office and phone. And since J didn''t come to work today and the next two days will be her day off, Jacob sends Arthur and Stefan home to have their day off as well. Thou they were reluctant, they still oblige. Inside the bulletproofed SUV, Jacob glanced at J and said, "Don''t worry about Diana, I''m sure Daniel and Felix will not let anything happen to her. And I doubt if Arthur and Stefan will go home. They were workaholic and not used to have a day off, so I am pretty sure that they will go back to the hospital to be of any help to them." J looked at him with a small smile. "By the way, mom called, she wants us to visit them at the mansion," Jacob said without looking at her. "Now?" J replied looking at him. "Hmm..." Jacob replied. "Oh..." Actually, J didn''t mind. But last time they were forced to stay overnight and she didn''t have her decent pajamas. Today she is not prepared as well. Chapter 188 - Confrontation They reached the Parker''s Mansion. Jacob held J''s hands as he walks inside the mansion. They were eventually received by Madam Kelly. Seeing their hands intertwined Madam Kelly was delighted. With her sparkling eyes, Madam Kelly exclaimed. "Oh God is so good to this family! I might be able to see my grandchildren from my son in just a couple of months!" Flush crept up J''s face when she realized what Madam Kelly meant. She forced a small smile on her face. "Ha-ha. Mom, don''t put too much pressure on me, please!" Jacob said ecstatically. J coughed in embarrassment. "Where is Dad?" Jacob asked after giving his wife a wink. "He is in the study. He''s been waiting for you. Oh, don''t just stand there. Come... " Madam Kelly hooked her arms into J''s leading her inside the mansion. "Go find your Dad." She gestured him to go upstairs. Upstairs, Jacob found his father in his study, wearing his reading glasses reading papers on his desk he looked older than his age of 60. When he senses the presence of someone, he raised his head to see Jacob. "You''re here." He put down the papers he''s been reading and take off his glasses and put it in the drawer. "Hmm..." was Jacob''s only reply, then he takes a seat at one of the armchairs. "Where have you been?" He heard his father asked him as he stood up to walk towards the window, with his hands on his pocket. Jacob peered at his father with a cocked head. Chairman John looked at him with inscrutable reaction. "In just two weeks your wife has been abducted and had an accident. She almost lost her life twice in just two weeks! What the hell have you been doing instead of protecting your wife?" Chairman John glared at him. Jacob pressed his lips together. While tapping his fingers on his father''s wooden desk he said, "Her abduction will never happen if I have known earlier about her identity. Fortunately, my men were skilled and we were able to find it on time. And that accident was an accident. I will never restrict her from doing whatever she wants. As long as it will make her happy." "You obviously knew about her identity, why didn''t you tell me sooner?" Jacob had a grim expression. He has always wanted to confront his father about this but he never got a chance. It is good that his father had the initiative to open up the topic. Chairman John turned to him and stared at him indifferently. "Ten years ago, your mom has been pushing you to get married. And you keep on saying that you are not planning on getting married. You don''t want to be stuck up in the complications of being married. Girls are too complicated for you to handle. And they are too troublesome." Jacob cocked his head. Did he really say those words? "When you find out that you are married, the first thing you want to do is to divorce her." Chairman John continued as he walks towards his armchair and sits. Jacob smirk. Yeah. That was his moronic idea. "And you expect me to tell you that you are married to a complicated and troublesome woman? Her life got a lot of secrets and threats and I underestimated you for thinking that you wouldn''t want to be involved in her life''s struggles." Chapter 189 - Madam Kellys Booster "Ha-ha. I actually underestimated myself as well. If her life is not that complicated, we wouldn''t be married. And I doubt if she would marry me even if I pursue her." Jacob said sarcastically. He knew that J doesn''t want to get married as well if it wasn''t for this deal that the elders made. He had told her how he felt about her but J never said anything about how she felt. Thou he sometimes felt that she feels the same way. "Have you really fallen for her?" Chairman John asked him with doubt. Jacob''s face became serious. "I did even before I found out that she is my wife," Jacob confessed. Actually, for him, it was love at first sight. "Did you really doubted my sincerity towards my wife?" after a moment Jacob thought and felt hurt. Chairman John nonchalantly replied with "Yes." "Urgh.. are you really my biological father?" Jacob with a frown clutched his chest looking as if in pain. Chairman John just gave him a smirk. "By the way, does mom knows about what happened to Jenny?" "No. Do you think you would still be staying in your Villa if she knows about it?" Chairman John said with a small smile. With a knitted brows Jacob said, "You''re right. Thanks for keeping it from her." Jacob knew how her mom became overprotective towards Jenny. And if she finds out about her abduction and the car accident, she would definitely freak out and might have killed him. They heard a knock on the door, when it opened it revealed Madam Kelly. Speaking of the devil. Jacob thought to himself. Jacob smiled at his mom mischievously. If there is such a thing as a perfect human face, Jacob thought his mother has the one. She''s got a heart-shaped face, big sparkling dark eyes, narrow jawline, well-defined eyebrows, full lips, and a prominent cheekbone. She''s got a beautiful caramel skin. Because of Lily''s influence, she had a habit of changing hairstyles and colors, mainly to cover her grey hairs. She has long and wavy hair with layered bangs and brunette hair color. She looks ten years younger than her age of 58. His father on the other hand thou in his golden age of 60, remains attractive, active and well fit. He is tall with a height of 6''2, dark brown hair with streaks of grey hair, grey eyes and chiseled jaw. "Were you two talking about me?" Madam Kelly looked at them suspiciously. "Ha-ha. Of course not! You think highly of yourself mom!" Madam Kelly narrowed her eyes at Jacob. "Where is my wife?" Jacob asked to divert his mother''s attention. "She''s in the kitchen. Lunch is ready. You two better get down at the dining." Madam Kelly said still looking at the father and son with suspicions before she walked out of the room. In the dining room, the four of them enjoyed the appetizing dishes that Madam Kelly and J prepared. Madam Kelly sure did prepare a lot, J just helped her with the preparations. Jacob watched at J who sat beside him eats without inhibitions. He loves how she eats. She''s got a healthy appetite and not afraid to eat anything she wants in front of him. "Jacob, you should cook for your wife these kinds of dishes. It will boost her fertility." Madam Kelly said casually making J choked. Jacob quickly gets her a glass of water and help her drink while rubbing her back. He looked at his mother with an adoring gaze. Chapter 190 - Bonding J felt all her blood crept up to her face. She looked at the dishes that Madam Kelly prepared. It consists mainly of leafy vegetables, legumes, fish, meat and eggs. These foods boost fertility, Madam Kelly sure knows her thing. J thought. After they had their lunch, Madam Kelly and Chairman John went up to their bedroom to take an afternoon nap. J was left in the family room. After a couple of minutes, Jacob walked in the family room with a couple of books in his hands. "I noticed that you liked reading classic novels. I got a couple here from the library, but I am not sure if you have read any of this. You should take a look. If you have already read them, I''ll find another one for you." Jacob said with a smile standing in front of her. J was sitting on the sofa so she has to tilt her head upwards to look at Jacob. Her face becomes gentle realizing how Jacob take his time to notice her habit of reading and what kind of books she prefers to read. She reached for the books before saying ''Thank you'' to Jacob. Jacob sits beside her and grab for the remote control of the flat-screen TV and turned it on. Madam Kelly already insisted on them to stay overnight and they complied. Without anything to do this afternoon, Jacob decided to watch a movie while he searched for books for J to read. J looked at the books that Jacob brought her. Jacob was right, they were all classic novels from Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, Alexander Dumas, Leo Tolstoy, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and Bram Stoker. She has already read all these books that Jacob brought her. But to avoid disturbing Jacob from watching, she didn''t tell him. Instead, she chose Jane Austen''s Pride and Prejudice, which she has read a couple of times. Jane Austen is her favorite author and she has a collection of all of her six books. Among them, Pride and Prejudice is her favorite. It is a romantic novel about two lovers whom before had their happy ending have to conquer their pride and prejudices against each other. J had even memorized the authors opening line, ''It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.'' Thou she finds it ironic, as these days those man with a good fortune would rather stay single to enjoy their liberty. Just like how Jacob and J were before they met. After half an hour reading with her back leaning on the backrest of the sofa and her feet on her front closed to each other, J felt a little bit stiff so she stretched her back and neck. "If you''re feeling a little stiff you can change your position. How about you raise your feet on the sofa?" Jacob said with a worried look. When he receives no response, Jacob got off his seat and kneel in front of J. "What are you doing?" J asked with a surprised look. Jacob didn''t answer her instead, he took off her slippers and raised her feet on the sofa with her knees pointing on one side. Then he returned to sit beside her. Due to her position, her body is now leaning to Jacob''s body and her knees were now touching Jacob''s hips. J gazed at him. "Feels better, right?" Jacob said smiling when he caught her gazing at him. Chapter 191 - Confidence J glanced away, blushing. Jacob can''t help let out a small smile on the corner of his lips. Then Jacob put one of his hands on J''s lap as he continued to watch the movie while J had lost her interest in the book that she is reading. Try as hard as she can to understand what she is reading, her mind is occupied by Jacob''s gestures. Pretending to be reading, she asked him a question. "Stella... Why does she keep on saying that you and she have a relationship?" Jacob held her hand into his and slightly squished it. "Don''t mind her. She''s just a rich spoiled brat that wanted to get whatever she wants in her own way." "Why wouldn''t I? She almost causes me my death." J said with her clenched jaw. Jacob was stunned. Her accident was partially his fault and he felt guilty. Jacob glanced sideways to look at her. J pretended to be reading but in reality, she had long lost her focus on the book. Jacob raised his left hand and reached for J''s chin, tilting it so that he can see her beautiful face. J was surprised by Jacob''s action. "What are you doing?" she said with a glare irritatingly. She tried to free her chin from his hands and cocked her head the other side but Jacob was persistent. "Stay put. Honey don''t move. Okay?" Jacob said in a gentle tone. Jacob made eye contact with her and she felt embarrassed. While blushing, J glanced away and tried to avoid Jacob''s eye contact. "Baby, look at me." Jacob suddenly changed his endearment. J''s brows snapped together when she heard how Jacob called her. "Baby?" she protested. Jacob chuckled. "Why? You don''t want me to call you Baby?" "No!" J exclaimed. Jacob laughed which sounded so beautiful in J''s ears. "Okay then, Honey. Look at me." Jacob said with a pleading eye. "Please?" J rolled her eyes. "Okay. Okay." But it only takes a second of staring at Jacob''s eyes, J already felt her heart beats irregularly and her knees weak. Fortunately, she is sitting or else, she might fall from where she stands. J felt like she is being pulled by Jacob''s stare and she can''t help but continuously look into his eyes. "Damn, your eyes are beautiful." Jacob can''t help but express his admiration without taking his gaze away from J. "Jacob!" J sighed and act to move her face away from Jacob. "Wait! Patience, Honey. I was drawn into your eyes that I forgot how to speak." Jacob gave her a lovely smile that made J''s heart melt. They continued staring at each other, this time, Jacob is not holding her chin anymore. "Stella is not my girlfriend and she never was my girlfriend. I didn''t have any relationship with her or with any woman before." Jacob said without breaking his eye contact with J. And J believed him. She believed that when someone told you to look into their eyes, they are allowing you to see how they feel at the moment, how vulnerable they are. Jacob made her look into his eyes to show how confident he is. Thou J believe him, she still asked him a question that she is meaning to ask. "Then why is she still fantasizing about you? She is probably holding on to something." Without breaking their eye contact, Jacob casually replied, "We had sex once." Chapter 192 - Jealous J was flabbergasted. She gritted her teeth and gave Jacob a scrutinizing look. She didn''t notice how she easily gave away her emotions. To Jacob, she was obviously jealous. "You''re jealous." He said amused. J furrowed her brows. "Damn you!" then averted her gaze away from him. She didn''t deny nor admit it. And it makes Jacob smile from ear to ear. "You''re so cute when you''re jealous." Jacob teased her. "Stop it!" J becomes irritable and throws out Jacob''s other hand that is rested on her lap. But instead of putting it back, Jacob wrapped it around J''s shoulder and he rested his chin on her shoulder. "Honey, we did it just once and that was before we got married. Never happened again. And will never happen again now that I am married to you." "Don''t bother to explain coz'' I actually don''t care," J said without looking at him but her voice indicated how irritated she is. In fact, she is angry. The thought of Jacob sleeping with another girl infuriated her. And the image of Stella and Jacob sleeping together is lingering in her head. With her head down, pretending to be reading, she bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling, her breathing became shallow and fast. Her hands gripped tightly on the book she is holding. "Ha-ha. Oh really?" Jacob releases her from his embrace but only to give her a kiss on the top of her head. "But honey, your action says the opposite. Earlier when I said that we had sex once, you looked like you''re about to spit fire on me." Jacob said comically. J shot him an infuriated look. "See? There were smokes coming out of your nose, Honey!" Jacob teased her while pointing on her nose. "You''re such a cute little dragoness." Jacob enjoyed teasing her because even when angry, she looked cute to him. J suddenly hit Jacob''s stomach with the back of her hand. "Aw... you''re such a sadist!" J wanted to ask if they were together during those five years that they were abroad but she decided not to. Anyway, he had already told her that they never had a relationship, so she shouldn''t care if they were together during those years or not. And she trusts him. What important is the present? But, somehow, she still felt jealous. After all these years, she never knew that she is a jealous person. The couple stayed in that position. J tried to regain her focus on her book while Jacob continued watching TV. After an hour, Jacob felt his shoulder becomes heavy. He glanced sideways and found J asleep with her head leaning on his shoulder. His face turned gentle looking at her peaceful face. He raised his hand to caress her face. Then he takes the book she is holding and put it down on the sofa, he took her hand into his and played with her fingers as he continued to watch his movie. His head leaned down on J''s head and after a couple of minutes, he falls asleep as well. That was the scene that Leticia and her family found when they came at the Parker''s Mansion. Leticia crossed her arms in her chest, her mouth curved into a smile as she watched the couple asleep in the sofa. "I knew it would turn out this way, but I never expected it to be this early." Mark Sloane, who came beside her wrapped his arms around Leticia''s shoulder and asked, "Do you think Jacob like her?" "No." was Leticia''s response. "I think he loves her." Mark Sloane raised one of his brows. He knew how playful his brother-in-law is when it comes to girls. "How can you be so sure?" Thou Jacob is his wife''s brother, the girl they are talking about is the heiress of the Society and he was requested to look after her while she is in the Parkers family. Chapter 193 - Thoughts of Pregnancy "I know my brother. He would never treat anyone like the way he treated Jenny." Leticia was confident so Mark Sloane have to trust Jacob. At dinner, everyone was present. The Sloane family, Jenny, and Jacob and Lily who arrived just when they were about to start dinner. The dinner was lively specially that Lily is present. Among the siblings, she is the one that talks a lot during dinner. "Mom, why is there so many vegetables and legumes. You know I don''t like vegetables." Lily was like a child who has lost appetite upon seeing vegetables in the dinner table. "Then don''t eat it if you don''t want to. It is not for you anyways. Those are for your sister-in-law to eat." Madam Kelly scolded her daughter. "Ha-ha. Why? Are you guys planning to get pregnant?" Leticia who is also an OB-Gynecologist realized that her mother cooked food that boosts fertility. J coughed in embarrassment. She felt her ears heat up and turned red. She looked around and everyone''s gaze is in her. Oh damn! Can it be more embarrassing than this? She thought to herself. Suddenly she felt Jacob''s hand squeezed her hand under the table. "Ha-ha. Mom is just overreacting. We have not talked about it yet. After all, we just got together after being married for five years. At this stage, we are still getting to know each other." Jacob said with a smile. "Brother, you are talking like a teenager. You''re already married, don''t you think you just have to skip that stage." Lily chuckled as she leaned forward to reach for a chicken. "Honey..." Madam Kelly started to call Jenny the way she would call Leticia, Jacob, and Lily as an endearment. "You are already 30 years old and Jacob is 35. You both are not getting any younger. You should start talking about starting a family now. You should not waste any more years. Because you''ll never know when will God grant you a child." J knew exactly what Madam Kelly mean. There were women who could get pregnant easily while there were who have trouble getting pregnant, not that they can''t. If she is a woman that can get pregnant easily that shouldn''t matter because she is married and already past the right age. On the other hand, if it turns out that she would have trouble getting pregnant, she would wait and try for years to get pregnant. And if she didn''t get pregnant by the age of 35, it would be risky for her. Women as they grow older, fertility rates started to decline while the chances of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy go up. J was lost in her thought for a moment before she heard Jacob speak. "Mom, I don''t think it is appropriate to talk about it in front of the kids." Suddenly the thought of Paul and Paula who is eating with them struck Madam Kelly so she didn''t persist anymore. "Lily, how''s your career?" Suddenly Chairman John asked. "Urgh... aren''t you guys watching TV?" Lily asked while munching on her chicken. "Honey, if we will only hear rumors about you, we would rather not watch at all. It will only break our heart." Madam Kelly was the one to reply. "By the way, you are also 30 years old now. Don''t you have any boyfriend yet? If you don''t, I will arrange a date for you with one of our friend''s son. What do you think Hon?" Chairman John just nodded her head. "What?! No, arrange marriage, please! Just let fate decide on its own." Lily said in an upbeat tone. "And besides, I don''t plan on getting pregnant, so no need to rush." Chapter 194 - The Cute Rocker Madam Kelly became infuriated after she heard Lily''s statement. "You! What do you mean not planning to get pregnant?" But before she could continue chastising Lily, Leticia speaks up. "Mom, this is not the right time to talk about it." Then she raised her brows after secretly glancing at her twins, which Madam Kelly understands. "I''ll deal with you after dinner. Don''t you dare leave the house." Madam Kelly shot Lily a warning look. Lily pursed her lips, she knows she can''t escape her mother''s chastising even if she tried to sneak out. Her mom always thinks ahead of her. During her school days, she never got the chance to sneak out of the house every time she wanted to go out at night because her mom always got her caught. Not that she can easily get caught, it was just her mom is like a living CCTV. She knew what is going on in every corner of the mansion. Lily is already 30 years old but acted like 20 years old. She''s been in the entertainment industry for almost 10 years now. She initially debuted as a pop-rock singer, as time goes by, she started accepting an endorsement and even hosting and judging a talent show. And now she is starting to act in a couple of movies and TV series. She just graduated in college when she was scouted by her manager and since then she started to rise up to stardom. When she was still in school, she never had boyfriend thou she''s got a lot of admirers. For her, having boyfriends were troublesome, and she was a bit of a boyish at that time. Until she became an artist, her manager obliged her to change her style into a cute rocker, and that has become her trademark and she became used to it. As an artist, she did have a couple of boyfriends, one is also an artist but it didn''t last longer that one month. The other one is the son of a CEO, it was a long-distance relationship because he was then studying abroad, so it wasn''t a surprise that it lasted for three months. Then there were a couple of ones but, it only turns out to be rumors. Lily is known to be highly sociable and outgoing. She doesn''t want to be surrounded by rules and restrictions. So, having a boyfriend can be a bit tough for her. Because that would mean that she would be restricted to do some of the things that she loves to do. Thou she doesn''t want rules and restrictions, Lily knows her limits, that''s why Chairman John is kind of tolerating her. After the dinner, the Parker''s had a couple more of hours chit-chatting in the family room except for Madam Kelly who took Lily out in the garden to scold her. J felt tired so she asked Jacob if she could head off first to their bedroom. But Jacob didn''t just allow her, he even accompanied her. They both left the family room leaving the Sloanes and Chairman John. Jacob was the first one to take a shower so that his wife could enjoy her hours in the shower. J was sitting in the accent chair working on Jacob''s laptop that she borrowed earlier when they got in the room. She is checking a couple of emails that Lance sent her regarding their shares in AM Entertainment. Then Jacob came out of the shower room wearing black cotton pants and a white V-neck shirt. Chapter 195 - Sabotaged J raised her head to find Jacob in his sleepwear which J finds him seductive the most. Jacob is still drying up his hair with a towel. J could see his well-defined muscles thru his white shirt. He''s got a broad shoulder, wide chest and a narrow waist. She knew how Jacob takes care of his health and body well, he even has his own gym back at Evergreen Villa but she doesn''t saw him work out that often. But he does treadmill daily. Jacob met her eyes, embarrassed being caught in the act staring at his body, J lowered her head and darted her eyes back at the laptop. Jacob saw her gesture and his mouth curved into a smile. "I''m done. It''s your turn." Jacob said then turned around and searched for the remote control of the TV in his bedside table''s cabinet. "Okay." was J''s only reply. She got up, not looking at Jacob she went directly at the bathroom. Once inside the bathroom, J gulped and released a deep sigh that she''s been suppressing in front of Jacob. After half an hour, wearing a bathrobe she went to the walk-in closet. She usually takes half an hour in the shower at night and an hour during the day. Thou her bath habit was a bit weird, Jacob already got used to it. J didn''t get to bring her pajama set this time again. If she has known beforehand, she could have brought a dozen sets for future purposes. She is not used to wearing nightdresses or nightgowns. She would either wear a pajama set, shorts set or Capri set to sleep. She scanned all the night dresses in the closet. She decided to wear the one that she wore last time, at least it was a little decent one. But she can''t find it. Did her mother-in-law sabotage her again? She scanned the nightdresses one by one, they were mostly sexy satin silk night dresses. Each was almost identical but different colors. There were white, nude, pink, blue, red and black. She contemplated for a second then with a sigh, she went out of the closet. "I need to go out and buy a pajama set," J announced as soon as she was out of the walk-in closet. Surprised, Jacob look at J in astonishment. She is still wearing a white bathrobe and a towel wrapped in her head. He looked at her from head to toe. Earlier, while in the walk-in closet, he noticed the nightdresses and remembered the last time they sleep there. She wore the most decent and simplest nightdress out of them all that her mom prepared for her. A thought came to his mind, he walked towards the nightdresses and scanned each item until he found a peach V-neck silk nightdress. It was the same one that J wore last time. Without a second thought, he hides it in a hidden cabinet where he usually hides some important documents. He was just testing her out if she would wear the nightdresses that were left. He has seen each one of it and they were all sexy night dresses. But he never thought that she would come out with an idea of going out and buy a new set of pajamas, at this hour. He was speechless. "Honey, it is already half-past eleven. Do you think there were still malls or boutique that are open at this hour? If you know one, I''ll drive you there." Of course, Jacob knew that there is no such thing. Chapter 196 - Obedient Son J suddenly came to a realization that it is almost midnight already. It is impossible to buy a new set of pajamas. But then, "Then we should go back home. I''ll just get a pajama set then come back here." J said that like it was such a brilliant idea. Jacob was again speechless. She would really do anything not to wear sexy nightdress. "Honey, we are an hour away from Evergreen Villa. It would take us more or less two hours back and forth. By the time we come back here, it would be almost 2 o''clock in the morning. Plus, I''m already tired and you still need enough rest. You just had an accident, remember? Just wear anything that would suit you." After saying that, Jacob turned off the TV, lie down in bed and turned his back on her. J looked like she was about to cry. She noticed that Jacob is preparing to sleep and didn''t want to be bothered anymore. She settled down in going back to the walk-in closet, but before she did, she turned off the lights in the room leaving only the lamp and wall sconces. J reached for the hairdryer then blow-dried her hair in front of the vanity mirror while thinking what to wear. When she''s done, she walked again into the closet. Aside from the nightdress, there were also tight-fitting casual dresses. Why would her mother-in-law think that she wears this kind of dresses? She thought herself. Finally, she chose to wear a plain white nightdress. Thou she never wears any spaghetti strap dress or tops, she chose it because out of all it is not too revealing. At least her breast would still be covered. It took her about thirty minutes before she went out of the walk-in closet. By that time, it was already midnight. She just hopes that Jacob is already asleep. But when she came into the bed, she saw Jacob leaning on the headrest of the bed, reading on his laptop. Apparently, when J went back in the walk-in closet, Jacob gets up and keep himself busy so that he wouldn''t fall asleep. He is patiently waiting to find out what his wife would wear. Jacob sensed his wife''s presence. He raised his head to find her wife standing beside the bed wearing a plain white nightdress. Thou the lights were dim, he could still see thru her curves and something inside him was awaken. She looked pretty as a picture in that simple nightdress. A small smile curved at the corner of his lips. "What are you looking at?" J said irritatingly. Thou she intentionally turned off the lights so that in case she came out and Jacob is still awake, at least he wouldn''t have enough vision of her. But she was wrong because the dim lights only gave her a more seductive look. "I''m looking at my beautiful wife," Jacob replied with a lovely smile. J immediately hop in the bed and covered herself with the blanket. "I thought you were tired? Why are you still awake?" J felt like she was tricked. "Hmm... Actually..." in a matter of seconds, Jacob is already on top of her. "What are you doing?" J asked with bulging eyes. Her heart started to beat faster as soon as her body touched Jacob''s. "Mom is right. We are not getting any younger. We should be thinking about starting a family. And I am an obedient son." As soon as he finished his statement, Jacob''s head lowered down to meet J''s lips. He kissed her passionately. J felt all the blood in her neck crept up to her face. Was he thinking of getting her pregnant now? Thou Jacob is still wearing a shirt and pants and J is a thin silk nightdress, it felt nothing compared to the heat that their body is emitting. Chapter 197 - Tempted J was awoken by a knock on the door. "Mom, go away! It''s our day off." She heard Jacob said then he felt him tighten his arms that are wrapped around her body. For J, the best part of her day is waking up in Jacob''s arms. For Jacob, the best part of his day is waking up having J in his arms with her arms wrapped in his waist. "Jacob," J said with her eyes still closed. "Hmm?" was Jacob''s reply. He is still sleepy. "I''m going to Lodgepole." J snuggled closer to Jacob''s body. "Okay." "Would you like to come?" When Jacob heard her, he opened his eyes. "Would you like me to come?" J opened her eyes and raised her head to face him with a frown. "Why do you have to answer me with another question?" "Because my answer depends on your answer," Jacob said. "If I don''t tell you to come you would still follow me," J said with a smirk. Jacob smiled. "Smart girl." then he kissed the top of her head. "I''ll be taking my car," J said after a while. "Okay." J looked up at Jacob. After the accident, she didn''t expect him to allow her to take his car that easily. "But I''ll drive." To her disappointment, Jacob was only tempting her. Of course, he wouldn''t let her drive. She frowned. "Then I should start taking a shower then," J said after taking in Jacob''s unique morning scent. "Wait." But before she could get up the bed, Jacob positioned half of his body on top of her. His arms around her waist, his legs entangled with her and his face buried in the crook of her neck. "W-what?" Jacob didn''t say anything nor did he move. He just stays in the position for a couple of minutes. J, on the other hand, didn''t struggle. She closed her eyes, she liked that sensation. "Bye, mom..." Lily walked towards Madam Kelly who is sitting at the dining table with Chairman John and the Sloanes then pecked a kiss on her cheeks. She did the same to her father. "Dad..." "You''re leaving without having breakfast?" Madam Kelly asked with animosity. Lily is wearing a slouchy fit cream white blazer on top of a floral blouse tucked in black pants paired with a black pump. She let her highlighted bobcat hair in a messy finish. It was a smart casual attire. "Mmm... I''ll be having a morning meeting with a film investor?" Lily replied. Just then, Jacob entered the dining room with J. "Meeting with a film investor huh? And who are you with?" Jacob asked with slight disgust. He knew how the entertainment business works. It was a dirty business. There is a strong competition among artists in which some even resort to sleeping with investors, producers, and directors just to get ahead of the others and be on the top. However, Lily is different, thou she has a strong family background, she didn''t use it to gain the approval of the higher-ups. In fact, she remained private and didn''t disclose her family background in the media and her fans. She used her talent and effort to be on where she is now. And because of that, she gained respect from her fans, producers, and media. Thou Jacob knew his sister well, he still cannot help but become discreet. He knew that there are some investors, directors, and producers that take advantage of their position to take an artist to bed or worst make them their mistresses. Chapter 198 - Late "Haha... Don''t worry bro, I''ll be with my manager. And I also heard that the investor is an amateur, so I guess he is still pure and untainted." Lily said then winked at him. "Just be good." Jacob''s expression was grim. Thou he is not the eldest, he is the only son of the Parker''s and tends to be stricter than his father towards her sisters even to Leticia that is older than him. "I will. Bye, sis." Lily hugged Jacob then J then she struts her way out of the mansion. Unlike J, Lily is not a fan of sports cars or any luxury car. A low-key car is enough for her to go around the city. After a twenty minutes'' drive, Lily arrived in a coffee shop near AM Entertainment. She parked her car in front of the coffee shop. When she entered, she immediately saw her manager in one corner of the shop. Her manager is a 42-year old female named Sarah. She is a plump and strict looking manager with a reading glass. She wore a black wrap-around dress. When she saw her, she immediately waves her hands to her. Lily walked towards her manager and noticed that the investor that she is talking about hasn''t arrived. "They are late." Lily can''t help but express her disgust. Lily hates to wait so she herself tends to be punctual as always. "Waiter!" Sarah, her manager calls the waiter first to take Lily''s order before she said while looking at her wristwatch, "It is only eight forty-five. Being earlier doesn''t mean that the other party is late. The meeting will start at nine so as long as they arrive within fifteen minutes means they are not late." Sarah said with a smile. Lily pursed her lips. The waiter arrived carrying the menu but Lily waved her hands indicating that she didn''t need it. Since the coffee shop is near AM Entertainment, she is a regular customer of the shop. "I''ll have banana and blueberry pancakes and a cup of espresso, please. Thank you." She gave the waiter a sweet smile that makes his ears turn red. The waiter is in his early 20''s and has been working in that coffee shop for quite a while now so he is aware that Lily is one of their regular customers. Thou famous, Lily has always kept her feet on the ground making waiters and staffs of the coffee shop admire her. They have never seen her get angry or acted all-mighty unlike other celebrities that have been in their coffee shop. There was once a situation when Lily was having breakfast in the coffee shop when a couple of students from a nearby university spotted her and swarmed over her to have an autograph and a photo with her. The manager acts to cast them away but Lily stopped him, instead let the students in, bought them a cup of espresso each with her autograph in their cup. She even takes a photo with the students. Lily didn''t post it on social media but the students did which gained her positive publicity. "They are on their way," Sarah said while looking at her iPad. "Mmm¡­ They are five minutes late." Lily said with a nod. Thou she already had a bad impression on them, she cannot show it to them since they are an investor for her upcoming film. Minutes later as soon as Lily finished her pancakes, three men arrived. "Sorry, we''re late." Chapter 199 - The Investor Lily raised her head to see three men taking their seats in front of them. She instantly recognizes two of them. One is Director Chen, a 56 years old man, with brown thin hair and a slightly protruding chin. The other one is Mr. Ray, an investor. He had invested in a couple of movies and series that she starred recently and as well as in her albums. Mr. Ray and his wife has been a close friend of Lily. Lily turned to look at the other one who was then looking at her. She studied him from head to toe. He has messy curly hair, deep-set eyes, pointed nose, and a strong jaw. His well-trimmed 3-day stubble beard making him look sexy. Thou he is not a hunky type of man, his body is lean well proportioned making him look hot in the eyes of Lily. Lily felt Sarah stood up from her seat so she did the same. Then after greeting the newcomers they all seated. The waiter approached them and take their orders before Director Chen started introducing them. "Of course, you guys already know Mr. Ray, so I won''t take the trouble of introducing him to you. Anyways, as usual, he will be one of the major investors of this film." "Haha. Of course, and we are very thankful to you Mr. Ray." Sarah started complimenting Mr. Ray. "No need to thank me. Lily is a great artist, any projects of her, I will be much willing to invest. By the way, I would like you to meet a friend of mine who will also invest in this film. This is Lance Kho. He is a lawyer and a Board Member of AM Entertainments. This is his first time to invest in a film." Mr. Ray introduced Lance with a proud smile. "Hi, I''m Lance Kho, but please just call me Lance. I don''t want to be addressed as Mr. Kho or I''ll sound as old as Mr. Ray." Everyone laughed at his statement. "Ha-ha. You don''t look old at all Mr. Lance. In fact, you look so handsome. If you want, I can make you an artist. With your looks, you can definitely surpass even the youngest and most popular male artist of AM Entertainment." As a talent manager, Sarah immediately noticed how good-looking Lance is, she even tried to scout him. "Oh no! Please, I don''t have any talent. I''ll just put you in shame." Lance said with a fluttering eye as he waves both his hands in front of her. "By the way, this is Lily. She will be playing a lead role in this film." Sarah introduced Lily to Lance with a broad smile showing how proud she is of Lily. "She is also a famous pop-rock singer." Lily who was silently drinking her espresso raised her hand to shake with Lance. She felt her heartbeat erratically upon feeling his hands over her. Earlier upon seeing him, she felt strange, thou she tried to ignore it by continuously drinking her coffee and averting her gaze from him, this time she can''t help biting her lower lip and giving him a forced smile. This is not me. Lily thought to herself. This is definitely not me. She used to be highly sociable, friendly and talkative but this time, she can''t find words to say. She is speechless. For the first time in her life, she met someone who didn''t have to do anything to make her mouth shut. Normally, her brother Jacob would have to shot her an icy glare before she would realize that she has to shut her mouth. Chapter 200 - Disoriented (1) After an hour, their meeting finally comes to an end. Lily just let Sarah and the investors and Director Chen talked about the film, while she remained abnormally silent which didn''t go unnoticed to Sarah. Once in awhile Lily would smile and nod but her attention is focused on Lance who doesn''t seem to have an interest in Lily which made her a little disappointed. On their way to AM Entertainment, Sarah started to worry about Lily. "Are you not feeling well? I noticed that you were quiet the whole time during our meeting. Is there something bothering you?" Sarah looked at her with a puckered forehead. "Huh¡­ no¡­ I¡­ I¡­" Lily was startled when she heard Sarah speak to her making her confused as to what to say. "If you are not feeling well you can go back home and take a rest. We do not have any schedule for the rest of the day anyway." Sarah gave her a tight-lipped smile noticing how she struggled to talk and seemed to be not in herself. Lily nodded her head and walked out of AM Entertainment. On her way to the parking lot where her car is parked, she noticed a familiar figure standing beside her car. She was frozen. "Miss Lily." Lance saw her and called her name with a smile. But after a while, his smile turned into a frown when he noticed how pale she looks. He walked towards her with a worried expression. "Miss Lily, are you okay?" Lily just stared at him with her wide almond-shaped eyes. She blinked twice when she noticed Lance had already walked close to her. "Huh?" "You looked pale. Are you okay?" Lance repeat his question with a knitted brow. "Oh¡­ yeah¡­" Lily forced a smile and nod her head. Lance continued staring at her with doubt. He is not a fan of any celebrity. In fact, he doesn''t know of any celebrity in Lotus City. Maybe because of the fact that he spends his teenage and young adulthood abroad. When he and J came back to Lotus City, his attention was focused on the Society and acquiring shares and assets for J. He never had a chance of watching local movies or television. His spare time was mostly spent in Rendezvous. It was just recently when they got 5% of AM Entertainment, he got to see a couple of artists but he didn''t get interested in them. And today was the first time he met Lily. He did research about her when Mr. Ray offered him to invest in a film with her as a leading role. He has seen her photos on the internet and listened to her music as well. Thou she looks cute in the photos, he didn''t find her attractive. But her talent and status in the industry are very promising that''s why he decided to invest in her film even thou he doesn''t have any experience in it. But today, seeing her in person and in a closer distance he realizes that she is beautiful. They were probably just keeping her cute image for her publicity since most of her fans were teenagers and young adults. Her face is small and oval, her eyes were wide almond shape, she''s got high cheekbones, squared-off jaw and a well-proportioned chin and a full lip which immediately caught Lance attention as she frequently bit it. Chapter 201 - Disoriented (2) "Are you sure you''re fine? You seemed a bit¡­ tensed." Lance asked her. Lily laughed awkwardly. "Yes¡­ yes, I''m fine." While scratching the back of her ear. It has become a habit of her whenever she is nervous. "I¡­ ah¡­ I have to go." Lily said afterward averting her eyes from Lance. She walked past Lance leaving him confused. After walking unconsciously for about 20 meters, she suddenly stopped. She hit her forehead with her palm. When she realized that she has passed her car already. ''Stupid! Stupid!'' Lily mumbled to herself. She turned around and saw that her car is just a car away from where she is earlier. In fact, Lance is just standing beside her car. How did she walk this far and missed her car? She is really out of her mind. Lance is about to get in his car that is parked beside Lily''s car when he noticed that Lily is coming back. "You forgot something?" Lily didn''t reply instead she opened the door of a car that is parked beside his car. Apparently, her car is parked just beside his. Then why did she go that way? Lance was confused. He watched as Lily''s car went out of the parking lot while scratching the back of his head. At the same time, Jacob and J were on their way to Lantana Province. Jacob is driving J''s Sports Car, while J is sitting comfortably on the passenger''s seat. This is the first time that J rides her sports car with her sitting on the passenger''s seat. This is also the first time that someone other than J is driving her sports car. J is very possessive, she would never let anyone drive her car may it be her Sports Car or Race Car. But Jacob is special because he didn''t have to ask permission from J to drive her car. As if J has a choice. On their way, J received a call from Lily. "Hey! Are you still at home?" Lily asked her apprehensively which J was quick to notice. She sounds like the opposite of what she uses to be, carefree and playful. J furrowed her brow, "No. Why? Did something happen?" J''s reply was short and direct. Upon hearing it, Jacob takes a quick glance at her wondering who is she talking to. "I... ah... Ha-ha... Can we have lunch? Just the two of us?" Lily sounds awkward to J. "I''m off to somewhere but if it is something important or urgent, I can go back," J said nonchalantly. "Oh... no! No need. I can wait until you come back." Lily replied trying to sound animated. "Is something wrong? Tell me. Straight to the point." J tried to restrain her dissatisfaction because it is Lily. She has a soft spot towards Lily and the way Lily sounded on the phone she knew that something is wrong with her thou she knew she is not in danger because if she is, she would have called Jacob instead. She doesn''t want to be left hanging. "Ha-ha! Nothing, it''s just a girl thing. You know. It can wait. Just call me when you''re back. Bye-bye." and with that, Lily hanged up. J looked at her phone seeing that the call just ended. Lily''s good spirits sound fake to J. She said it''s a girl thing. Does she look like someone that would casually talk about girl thing? She thought then she shrugs her shoulders. Thou Lily could talk about it with one or some of her girlfriends, she would rather talk about it with a family that she trusts. And hopefully, a family that is about her age. And her sister-in-law fits. "Who''s that?" Jacob asked her. "It''s Lily. She said she wanted to talk about girl things. I''m not sure." J replied not wanting to receive further questions from Jacob. Chapter 202 - Rosie On their way to Lodgepole Estate, they made a stopover at The Seaside to have an early lunch. J wouldn''t want to miss this chance of tasting her favorite seafood dishes in her favorite restaurant. This is the second time that Jacob is eating here. The first time was when J crashed into his SUV. That was also the first time they had a road trip together and also the day that they started living together. There were so many things that happened on that day and it makes Jacob''s mouth curved up into a smile. They found a table in the balcony overlooking the sea. Although it is almost mid-day, the weather is pleasant, not too hot or windy, just perfect to have lunch outdoor. Soon the manager came to personally take their order. She greeted first J with high reverence and did the same with Jacob. This is the second time that the manager saw J with Jacob so she already assumed that they have a relationship. After all, J never eats there with anyone before. He is the only exception. J ordered the usual and Jacob did the same. After they finished their food, they went back to the road. Mrs. Potters were not surprised to see Jacob with J arriving at Lodgepole Estate. She greeted them with a sweet smile. J returned her smile and gave her a hug. "How''s everything?" J asked. "Same as you left." Mrs. Potters replied after taking her handbag. Then Mrs. Potters turned to Jacob. "Is she still stubborn?" "Ha-ha. She is not Jenny if she is not stubborn. If she stopped being stubborn, I would probably think that she is sick." Jacob replied enthusiastically making J glared at him. Mrs. Potters chuckled. "I hope she is not giving you too much trouble." Mrs. Potters said while leading them inside the mansion. "I''ll have Mary prepare your lunch." "No need. We already had lunch." J said giving Mrs. Potters a smile. "I''ll change first then I''ll head over the horse farm." then she walked towards the stairs followed by Jacob. "Okay. I heard Rosie is in the first stage of her labor." Mrs. Potters said making J who is in the third step of the stairs stop and turn her head towards her. "Already?" "Yes. She started showing labor signs just an hour ago. You better hurry if you want to catch the foal." Then J immediately rushed towards her room to change. Rosie is a thoroughbred, a type of horse breed that is best known for horse racing. The Lodgepole Farm is located near the mansion thou it cannot be seen from the mansion because the mansion is covered by thick trees. The farm breeds thoroughbred horses for export. "Who''s Rosie?" Jacob asks innocently but J wasn''t able to answer him because she was in a hurry to change clothes. So, Mrs. Potters answered him. "She''s a horse." Mrs. Potters then walked to the kitchen. "I''ll have the Hauler ready." Jacob made an ''oh'' sound. He didn''t find the need to change his clothes since he is casually wearing a pair of jeans and a white buttoned shirt. He waited for J in the living room but not for long. Because surprisingly, after just five minutes, Jacob saw her descending on the stairs in a hurried step. J is wearing an emerald green turtle neck sweater tucked in jean and brown leather buckled boots appropriately because the farm can be dirty at most. Chapter 203 - Foaling "Let''s go?" J asked Jacob with flushing eyes. With a dimpled smile, Jacob replied with a nod. He was more than happy that J became more aware of his presence. She didn''t even ask him if he wanted to go with her, which he didn''t mind at all. It''s like, J is already used having him around with her where ever she goes. Outside the mansion, a black Hauler is waiting for them. It is an electric cart with 2 passenger seats and a 12-cu ft cargo bed that J uses to go around the estate. "I''ll drive. Just show me the direction." Jacob said as he walks towards the Hauler. But J gave him a disapproving look. "It''s an electric cart. It''s not like I can go 200 mph with that!" J said glaring at Jacob who is now sitting behind the wheel. With one hand on the steering while and the other elbow resting on the backrest, Jacob turned to J and said. "As long as it has wheels, you''re not allowed to drive it until your cuts and bruises heal. Hop in. I thought you want to catch the fo..." Jacob paused not sure what to say. "What was that again?" J smirk. "Foal." Then she walked around the hauler to sit beside Jacob. Then Jacob started to drive. With J pointing the right direction to Jacob, in just three minutes they arrived in the Lodgepole Farm. The hauler stopped in front of a stable. J hurriedly jumped out of the hauler and walked fast inside the stable. Jacob quickly followed. There were about twenty stalls inside the stable. Each stall was horses with different coats like brown, bay, chestnut, black and white. Jacob continued following J, they passed two empty stalls until they reached the last stall. Inside is a chestnut-colored foaling mare lying down, an equine veterinarian is helping her in her labor. There were two hostlers outside the stall and another one inside helping the equine veterinarian. They knew that J is coming so they were not surprised to see her coming. What surprises them is the man following her. The hostlers looked at each other with a cocked head, curious. They have never seen J brought a visitor to the Lodgepole before. "How is she?" J asked as soon as she enters the stall. "How long has it been?" Before the equine veterinarian could answer her, she asked another question. "It''s been almost two hours now. At this point, she is having an intense uterine contraction. I am expecting that her water would break in any moment now." the equine veterinarian replied. It was a female equine veterinarian in her early 30''s that J hired to work on the farm to personally take care of the horses. Since the Lodgepole Estate is quite far from the town proper, it would be more convenient for them to have an in-house equine veterinarian. After a couple of minutes, the mare''s water breaks indicating the second stage of labor. J squatted down beside the vet and helped her. They patiently waited for the feet and head of the foal to emerge. Foal is what you call a young horse. Later on, the foal was delivered normally. It was encased in a thin, whitish, transparent membrane that J removed from the foal''s face and head to allow him to breathe. "It''s a colt!" One of the hostlers exclaimed upon seeing the foal''s sex. A colt is a term to use for a male foal which will, later on, be called stallion when they grow up into adulthood. Chapter 204 - At the Paddock The hostlers were pleased that the mare gave birth to a colt, after all, it has been said that a stallion is faster than a mare. After making sure that the foal is healthy and the mare is doing fine, J left the vet to wait for the placenta to be delivered. She walked out of the stable going to the paddock. Jacob and one of the hostlers followed her. "Miss J, do you want me to bring you Mr. Darcy?" the hostler asked her. J paused for a while then turned to Jacob. "Do you ride a horse?" "What? Do you think of me as a pussy?" Jacob retorted. Thou not a fan of horses, Jacob started to learn to ride a horse when he was a young boy. During those times until now, the family usually celebrate his grandfather''s birthday in the countryside where they would go, horseback riding, picnic, and fishing. J pursed her lips and said, "I was just asking, why do you have to be so defensive?" Then she turned to the hostler and said, "Please take Elizabeth as well." Then the hostler left them and walked towards another stable that is located farther than the first stable they went in. Jacob and J were left beside a paddock. They watched as a couple of horses run around inside the paddock while their arms rested on the white fence of the paddock. "I didn''t see that coming," Jacob said. Confused, J looked at him and asked. "What do you mean?" "I thought we''ll be having a picnic since the place is surrounded by the ocean. I didn''t expect to see a horse giving birth. That was a first for my virgin eyes." J laughed which made Jacob looked at her adoringly. "I already told you before, we have a horse farm and an orchard here." "So, you spent most of your time here during your day off?" Jacob asked. "Hmm... it depends. The orchard his also quite a sight. If it''s harvest season, I spend most of my time there." J replied. "I see. How long has it been here?" Jacob asked turning around to lean on the fence with elbows resting on it. "Ever since I can remember. I was born and raised here. When I grew up, the farm and the orchard has already been here. My grandfather loves horses while my grandmother loves oranges and lemons." J said with a touch of smile feeling nostalgic. "They were the ones who started this." "So, you are a country girl," Jacob said while looking at J whose gaze was fixed on the horses. He can only see the side features of her face but still mesmerized by her natural beauty. "You can say that," J said with a smile lowering her head. Jacob turns around to look at the horses. "They said the baby horse is a colt. What does it mean?" he asked. "Means it''s a boy. A baby horse is called a foal, if it is a boy it is called a colt. If it is a girl, then it is called a filly. You see that one?" J pointed at a certain horse. "That brown horse with a black tail and mane?" Jacob pointed at the same horse. "Yes, that one. But we don''t call it a brown horse. We called it a bay horse. If the color of the horse is brown but the tail, mane, muzzle and lower legs are black, we call it bay horse." J waved her hands. "Anyways, that is a 2-year-old colt." "And see there? The black horse alone on that side? It''s a filly." J said pointing at one corner of the paddock. "So how do you recognize a colt from a filly?" Jacob asked thou he already guessed the answer. "Are you a doctor or not? Of course, a colt has a penis!" "Ha-ha. So, you are an expert!" Jacob mocks her. Chapter 205 - Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth J rolled her eyes. "No, seriously. You are an expert since you know your stuff." Jacob said after mocking her. "No, I''m not. I grew up with them so I am familiar with them. My hostlers are the experts." J said still irritated. "Hostlers?" Jacob asked. "Yeah. They were the stableman." J said casually then Jacob made an ''Oh'' sound." Soon the hostler arrives with a beautiful dark palomino stallion and a complete black mare with complete horse tack. J take the reins from the hostler and said "Thank you" before he left them. She handed the rein of the black horse to Jacob. "This is Elizabeth." She introduced her to Jacob. Jacob approached Elizabeth on the side and slowly held out his hand to Elizabeth. Upon making sure that Elizabeth won''t get anxious, he gently stroke her. "She is a mare. A mare is an adult version of a filly. She is already five years old. Unlike Mr. Darcy here, Elizabeth is kind to strangers." J said while stroking Mr. Darcy''s face and neck. "That''s why you gave me a female horse?" Jacob said with a smirk. "Well, yes. Among all the horses here, these two were the ones I trusted the most. I was there when they were born until they grow up. This, by the way, is Mr. Darcy. He is a five-year-old stallion. He was born one week ahead of Elizabeth. He is quite capricious. He wouldn''t let anyone ride him except me." J said with a gleaming eye before she hopped over Mr. Darcy. Jacob did the same to Elizabeth. J loves the novel Pride and Prejudice so much that she named her favorite horses after its protagonists. "So is Mr. Darcy a brown horse or a bay horse?" Jacob asked to maintain a spontaneous conversation while riding the horses on a dirt road. "Well, actually a bay horse is a brown horse as well," J said with a small smile. "Now you are confusing me," Jacob said with a furrowed brow. "Ha-ha." J laughed. Jacob was pleased. Hearing J laugh is like waiting for a meteor at night. Sometimes you would be lucky to see one or two, but sometimes you would see nothing. But there were special moments when you would see hundreds of them. "Mr. Darcy''s color is called dark palomino. They were easy to recognize because of their golden color and flaxen mane and tail." J said with a smile. "What kind of horse breed are they?" Jacob asked. "Thoroughbred. They were used for horse racing. We only breed pure thoroughbred." J said casually. Thoroughbred horses are distinguished by their tall, slim and athletic body. They are considered hot-blooded because of their agility, speed, and spirit. "Do you also train them to race?" "No. We only breed them and export them." J replied as they turned in a curve. They passed two more separate paddock and a couple more stables. Among the horses in the stables and paddock were dogs. Jacob noticed a couple of German Shepherds and Jack Russell around the farm. "Do you also breed dogs?" he asked. "What?" J asked with a cocked head. "I noticed you got a lot of dogs here," Jacob said with a smile pointing to the dogs near one of the stable. "Oh... the Jack Russell''s were a great hunter. No mouse would dare to live in the stable with them around. While the German Shepherds were an excellent guard." J casually said. "Ha-ha. I thought you breed them as well." Jacob chuckled gaining a glare from J. Chapter 206 - Noah They stopped in front of another stable and saw a couple more hostlers and another male equine vet that Jacob recognized easily because of the stethoscope on his neck. One hostler approach and helped J get off Mr. Darcy making Jacob frown. Jacob get off Elizabeth and followed J inside the stable. J made a quick round and talked to the vet before getting back on Mr. Darcy. Both of them started to go back to where the Hauler is parked. "I noticed that the male horses on that stables are smaller and less muscular than Mr. Darcy. Are they another breed?" Jacob asked. "No. They were thoroughbred as well. They are geldings. Male horses that were castrated making them calmer, better-behaved, quieter and gentler than the stallions. They are more suitable as an everyday working animal and leisure horseback riding." J pulled the rein of Mr. Darcy making him turn towards a stable. They went in and passed the reins to a hostler to take Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth back to their stalls. J and Jacob walked towards the Hauler. J made a quick visit to Rosie and her foal before they left. It was only three o''clock, so they made a visit to the orchard. Upon arrival, they were met by an old man in his early 60''s. He is the supervisor of the orchard. "Miss J, welcome back." the old man said while taking off his straw hat to greet them. "We just came here to pick some oranges," J replied. "Well then, follow me. We still have a couple more left on that side of the orchard." the old man said. J followed the old man with Jacob beside her. Since that path is a little bit dirty and rocky, Jacob would hold her in her elbow once in a while until he settled himself on holding her hands. J raised her head to look at him but Jacob just shrugs her shoulders while a small smile appears on the corner of her lips. They reach a row of orange trees that were still in the bloom of ripe oranges ready to be harvested. "We''ve already harvested the oranges on the row this morning. I heard that you would be coming today. It''s a pity that you were not able to come." The old man said as he continued to lead them the way. "One of the mares in the stable gave birth to a foal so I stayed there for a couple of hours since I came." J felt guilty after knowing that the old man waited for her that morning. The old man turned to look at her with a smile. A smile that reached up to his eyes. "That''s fine. I know how you love those horses. And besides, it wasn''t me who felt regret the most." J furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?" She asked thou she already guessed what the old man meant. But the old man didn''t reply. Instead, they heard someone called her name. "Miss J!" the three of them turned to look at the man walking fast towards them. "I''ll leave you here with Noah. I''ll just get the baskets." then the old man turned and leave them. A few meters away from them a tall, tanned, muscular man is approaching them fast. "Noah!" J exclaimed at the sudden surprise. Jacob looked at J and frowned to see a gleeful face. Chapter 207 - Silent Assurance Noah walked fast, Jacob noticed. In just a couple of seconds, Noah reached them. Noah was about to hug J, at that moment, Jacob with his one hand holding J''s and the other on his pocket was quick to notice and was able to shield J with his body. Upon seeing this, J''s eyes widened in embarrassment while Noah stopped his open arms in mid-air. He felt awkward. "Uhm... Jacob... That''s not necessary." after saying that J takes a step on her left and gave Noah a hug. Jacob narrowed his eyes with lips pressed together at the sight. J tousled the hair of Noah then said. "Boy, when did you arrived? You looked taller than the last time I saw you. How was life in the army, hmm?" "Ha-ha. I don''t think I can be any taller than this." Noah scratched the back of his neck. "I arrived just a week ago." "Huh? A week ago? How long will you be staying then?" "Just two weeks," Noah replied. Noah is a 25-year old soldier. He was born and grew up in Lodgepole Estate. He has served the army ever since he graduated from college. Thou J spends most of her time alone at home or with Lance when she was young, she was fond of Noah who was then five years younger than her. When J came back five years ago, she found out that Noah joined the army and since then she seldom sees him. And whenever they got the chance to see each other it would only take one or two hours. The longest was when she had her day off and at the same time Noah went home for a vacation, that day they spent the whole day harvesting oranges in the orchard. And that was two years ago. "Ehem..." Jacob cleared his throat while glaring at them. J instantly noticed his black mood so she immediately shifted her body towards him and introduce each other. "By the way, this is Jacob... And this is Noah." J said earning an icy stare from Jacob. Jacob raised his brow waiting for J to introduce him as her husband. But minutes past... she didn''t. What did he expect? He just wanted to show this guy that J is his, and to back off. He sighed in defeat. Noah looked like he wanted to ask J something but he didn''t voice it out. Not that he is afraid of her or Jacob but everyone got used to not ask her a question. They are well aware that if J wanted them to know, she would tell them herself. If she didn''t, that means she doesn''t want them to know. So, he just looked at Jacob with curiosity. J knew very well Jacob''s temper. That scrutinizing look that Jacob is giving Noah obviously says that he is jealous of him. While Noah, on the other hand, looked at Jacob with a focused gaze. He was just curious. J believes that she doesn''t have to explain herself but she knew that she has to do something to make Jacob at ease. So she reached out for Jacob''s hand and squeezed it. Jacob felt the warmth brought by J''s hand and turned to look at her. He found her looking at him with a sweet smile. At that moment, he felt a sense of tranquility. His gloominess and envy all ceased. He knew that that smile is meant only for him, making him felt assured that she is only for him. Chapter 208 - Jealous For Nothing "By the way, you''ve been here for one week now. Have you seen Mary?" J said after a while. She can''t help but noticed Noah''s blushed face. "Do you think I didn''t know what''s happening here in Lodgepole Estate?" "Ah... about that... Miss J..." Noah seemed to be out for words. "Relax," J said patting his shoulder with a small smile. "I don''t have the right to meddle with my people''s personal life. It was Mrs. Potters who keeps on reporting me some unnecessary things." Jacob was stunned. So, Noah has a thing with Mary, Mrs. Potters''s niece. He was jealous for nothing. Jacob shakes his head at that thought. Which J noticed, so she gave him a meaningful look. Jacob shrugged his shoulders. After a while, the old man came back holding two baskets and handed them over to Miss J and Jacob. "Noah, please get the ladder, I think those oranges up there are sweeter than these ones." the old man said pointing at the oranges that are reachable. Noah quickly obliged. J walked towards a tree and reach for orange and feel for its firmness and smoothness. She gently twists the orange until the stem detaches from the tree. She weighed it in her palms. The riper the oranges the heavier it gets. She peeled it and take a segment and placed it in her mouth. "Mmm... this one is already sweet," J said taking another segment and place it in Jacob''s mouth. "Here, have a taste." Jacob opened his mouth and relish the taste of the orange. J looked at Jacob with anticipation which Jacob finds cute. He smiled at her and said, "You''re right. It''s sweet." Noah came with an A ladder on its shoulder. After a moment, Noah climbed up the ladder and grasps an orange near the top of the tree and handed it to J. J smelled it then peeled it. She took a segment and put it in her mouth, then took another and put it in Jacob''s mouth. With a smile, she turned her head to the old man. "You''re right Mr. Bai. These were sweeter. What do you think?" She turned to ask Jacob who is still relishing the taste of the orange segment that J gave him. He nodded in agreement. Mr. Bai, after all, spent most of his life in the orchard, so with by just the look of it, he knew which is sweeter. "Please get me more of it, we''ll take some to Martha''s Home tomorrow and some back in Lotus City," J said to Noah. After almost two hours of harvesting oranges and walking around the orchard with Mr. Bai and Noah, Jacob and J went back to the mansion on a Hauler filled with baskets of oranges. "I see your afternoon is well spent." Mrs. Potters greeted them. "I''ll have Mary prepare dinner." "Thank you." "I''ll have someone take these oranges to Martha''s Homes and Evergreen Villa tomorrow morning," Jacob said while looking at Hauler filled with baskets of oranges. "It will definitely not going to fit in your car. Look at these large baskets. That''s why I''d rather have an SUV." Jacob added, thinking back on the first time the went to Miss Eve''s, J filled his bulletproofed SUV with a lot of stuff to bring to the orphans. J chuckled. Jacob looked at her with fondness. He tousled her hair before pulling her into his embrace. "It''s been a long day," Jacob muttered. "Are you tired?" J shook her head as she circled her arms in Jacob''s waist. Chapter 209 - Daniels hacking skills At the dining table, Mrs. Potters and her niece prepared a sumptuous dinner for Jacob and J. This is the first time that J brought Jacob home so Mrs. Potters just thought that they should prepare a lavish dinner for Jacob specifically. J raised her brows and looked at Mrs. Potters. She knew just why Mrs. Potters prepared such dinner. Thou J never mentioned to anyone in the Lodgepole Estate her relationship with Jacob, at least she knew that they already have an idea. But she doubts if anyone would think that Jacob is her husband, after all, she is not the type of person that would get married. Well, that''s what they thought. "Mrs. Potters, prepare breakfast for everyone tomorrow morning before we leave. We''ll have it in the lemon orchard at the backyard. Please notify everyone on the horse farm and orange orchard." J said nonchalantly. "Okay." Mrs. Potters replied without asking further questions. After dinner, Jacob and J went upstairs. Mrs. Potters made Honey Lemon Ginger tea for the two of them. They were sitting in the balcony of J''s personal library watching the stars reflecting on the ocean. Meanwhile, the day that Diana started her mission as a spy, Daniel also started investigating the letters that Lance has been receiving. Jacob provided them with a safe house that is located near the hospital so that in case that Diana needs back up, they could rush there immediately. Thou Arthur and Stefan were given three days off, they spend their time in the safe house, watching over Diana and helping Daniel and Felix in any way they can. Unlike Felix and Daniel, Arthur and Stefan don''t have wives or girlfriends to spend their spare time with. Daniel started off by hacking the CCTV footage around Rendezvous that night. Lance has provided them with the exact date and time that he was in Rendezvous when he received the first letter that was clipped to his car''s windshield. Daniel found five views of Rendezvous'' parking lot from five CCTV cameras placed in different establishments surrounding the club. Using his extensive hacking skills, he was able to retrieve CCTV footage of the night that the letter was clipped on Lance''s car that was first found to be deleted. When he finally recovers it, he watched all five footage and saw a boy around 10 to 12 years old put the letter in Lance''s car. That''s the first thing, at least now he already found who put the letter in Lance''s car. Next is to find out who is that boy. Which was a piece of cake to Daniel. Through the use of CCTV, he found the boy selling street foods near Rendezvous a couple of minutes before he was seen putting the letter on Lance''s car. A man wearing a black leather jacket and jeans approached the boy. They seemed to talk for a couple of minutes, then Daniel saw the boy packed all the foods that he is selling and gave it to the man. Then the man in a leather jacket gave the boy money. Daniel zoomed in the video and found that it is not just money, on top of it is a piece of paper that looks exactly like the letter that Lance found in his windshield. He takes out the letter from a cabinet and checks it out for its similarity. It was exactly the same letter. Then on the video, the boy runs towards the parking lot of Rendezvous. On that video, the man remained standing in the boy''s stall looking at the direction where the boy was gone to. After a couple of minutes, he left with his motorbike and headed towards the other direction and made a turn to an alley which the CCTV didn''t get to cover. Chapter 210 - Oliver Garcia Daniel watched again the video but this time, he zoomed it in to see the face of the man who gave the letter to the boy. Fortunately, the CCTV camera is the best outdoor HD Camera in the market, Daniel was able to see clearly the face of the man. Thou the face is clear, he was not familiar with him. He searched through the Lotus City''s wanted criminals but he isn''t one of them. But he, later on, found that the man is named Oliver Garcia, 38 years old, from Crocus Province and works as a warehouseman. The company that he worked for doesn''t have anything to do with Crocus Offshore Oil Rig or Food Corp. International. But the fact that he is from Crocus Province made Daniel think that Crocus Offshore Oil Rig might have something to do with the letters. But he didn''t jump into that conclusion yet. He made plans to visit Crocus Province and follow Oliver Garcia. But before that, he would find out the origins of the two letters first now that he already knew who put the letter into Lance''s car. In just one day without leaving the safe house, Daniel was able to solve the mystery behind the first letter. Thou, it is not yet considered case close at least he made development. "How''s it going on Felix''s side?" Jacob asks Arthur after hearing what Daniel just found out about the first letter. They were having a video conference with Daniel, Arthur, and Stefan who were in their safe house back in Lotus City while Jacob is still in the balcony of J''s personal library. Felix is out in an event disguised as a socialite, he has been following CEO David Hart in his social and private gatherings this past few days. J went to have a shower, so Jacob takes this opportunity to catch up with Daniel and Felix''s investigation. "Diana is quite impressive. She was able to plant the bug into Chairman Hart''s phone as well as in his second son''s and his wife." Stefan was the one to reply. "We found out that Chairman Harts''s second son, William Hart is the owner of The 1st of April," Arthur said. The 1st of April is a futuristic restaurant with an innovative food delivery concept were Lance ordered his food and got his second letter. "Disguised as a sanitary inspector, Daniel surveyed the work area as well as the kitchen and the area where the food ordered for delivery are prepared." Arthur continued. "Did you find anything?" Jacob asked with a cocked head. "The restaurant and management are clean. It is impenetrable. But..." Daniel paused for a while. "In the CCTV footage of the restaurant. I found Oliver Garcia." "He''s the one that placed the first letter in Lance''s car," Jacob said with a furrowed brow. "Yes. So, I watched he''s every move inside the restaurant. In one footage I saw him entered the restaurant as a customer, then on one footage, he is already wearing a delivery man''s uniform. At first, I didn''t recognize him because he is wearing glass and have a mustache. But upon close inspection, I was sure that it was him." "So, he is the delivery man," Jacob concluded. "He is. There is also footage where we saw him slipped a card inside Lance''s food box. His moves were fluid and quick so at one glance you wouldn''t notice what he did. But it didn''t past Daniel and Arthur''s microscopic eyes." Stefan said nodding his head. Chapter 211 - Just because I dont speak about it doesnt mean I dont care "How come Lance didn''t saw this in the CCTV footage?" Jacob asked stroking his chin with his fingers. "Most of the CCTV footage in the restaurant that day was deleted," Arthur replied. "Right. And even if it is not, if you are not a detective, you wouldn''t notice that something fishy is going on." Stefan said. "We''ve already asked Lance to identify him, and he was positive that he is the delivery man," Daniel said. "So, the culprit for the first and second letter is Oliver Garcia. How about the third one?" Jacob was obviously getting impatient, he wanted to get his hands on the culprit as soon as possible. "I''ve checked the IP address already. The location is abroad." Arthur said. "Abroad?" Jacob asked with a grim expression. "Yes. We are not sure yet if it is Oliver Garcia or a different person." Arthur continued. There was silence for a couple of seconds. Then Jacob''s dignified was heard. "I want Oliver Garcia in the Twelve Army Headquarters when I come back." "Copy that. Daniel and I will head over Crocus Province tomorrow. Stefan, you stay here and watch over Miss Diana and Felix." Arthur replied with an equally dignified tone. After exchanging a couple more words, Jacob finished his meeting with Arthur''s team. At the same time, he heard the door to the bathroom opened then closed. J was probably done with her shower rituals. He intentionally made the video conference while she is not around, he doesn''t want her to be preoccupied with the thought of having threats especially now that she is having a good day off at the Lodgepole Estate. He would later tell her bits and pieces of information that Arthur''s team had gathered when they got back to Lotus City but not all of it. When Jacob came back to J''s bedroom which is now technically their bedroom since they are married, he found her in the bed with her back leaning on the headrest reading a book. He takes a glance at the cover of the book, it read ''To kill a mockingbird''. Thou not a fan of classic novels, he has heard about the book by Harper Lee since it is one of the most popular classic novels of all time. Jacob then turned to look at J tenderly. Her hair is still wet, she doesn''t have the habit of blow-drying her hair not unless necessary. She would just let it dry naturally. She is wearing a grey shirt with a print of a dog but he cannot tell if she is wearing pajama pants or shorts or Capri because she is covered with a blanket from hips to toe. J felt his gaze and furrowed her brow. "Aren''t you going to take a shower yet?" she asked but Jacob didn''t answer her instead he scolded her and pretended to be angry. "Why don''t you dry up your hair first before going to bed?" J pursed her lips and said, "Why did you suddenly care about it?" Jacob walked towards the walk-in closet and grab a clean towel. "Just because I don''t speak about it doesn''t mean I don''t care." Then he walks towards her and dries her hair with the towel. J acted like she was going to turn her head away from Jacob''s hand but Jacob was quick to catch her wet hair. "You were just too stubborn, I knew you wouldn''t listen to me. Stay put." J pouts her lips as Jacob continued to dry her hair. Chapter 212 - The Breakfast Gathering (1) Jacob''s gesture was sweet, J thought and she can''t help but smile to herself. She was never pampered this way before. And Jacob is making it so that J would get used to it. She never minds getting used to it. All these times Jacob has been doing a lot of things to make her safe and comfortable, not to mention killing her kidnapper. And tomorrow she wanted to make it up to him. The next morning, everyone from the horse farm and orange orchard started to arrive one by one. Noah came earlier to help Mary and Mrs. Potters in the kitchen to prepare breakfast for everyone. The whole kitchen was busy when J came down to check on them. Jacob was left in the bedroom to make some calls in the hospital. After some moments of preparation, the breakfast was all set in the buffet table. And with J''s signal, everyone started to get their breakfast and started to dig in. J looked at everyone''s happy face. It was rare for them to have a gathering like this. She hasn''t seen everyone in the Lodgepole Estate all together in one place and she felt overwhelmed. There were about one hundred people gathered around the lemon orchard where Mrs. Potters set up a couple of breakfast tables. There were not just hostlers, vets, helpers, and farmers, they also bring their family with them. J didn''t know that the estate had already grown a large number of people in there. Some of them grow up in the estate just like J. And some of them got married and had a family but didn''t leave the estate which made J grateful to them. Thou some of them already left just like Noah, but still keeps on coming back because they have a family and a home to come back to. Finally, Jacob came down. Although some of them have already seen Jacob yesterday, others haven''t got the chance to see him and only heard about him from the others. They already have a speculation as to what his relationship is with their heiress but they didn''t dare talk about it in front of J. Jacob looks dashing wearing a grey V-neck long sleeves shirt, his hair his quite messy because of the wind coming from the sea which made some of the girls ogled at him. Jacob takes the vacant seat beside J. As soon as Jacob arrives, they both started to relish the delectable breakfast dishes that Mrs. Potters and Mary prepared for everyone. "Are you done doing some errands?" J asked Jacob, she wondered what takes him too long making calls if it was just James he is calling. "Mmm... hmm..." Jacob hummed in reply. He didn''t make further explanations, there are some things that he cannot discuss yet with J so his reply was short which J understands that he doesn''t want to discuss it with her. Actually, after Jacob made a couple of calls, he received a call from Arthur saying they found something about Oliver Garcia. They found out that he is a member of Novus Rex, an organized crime group that has been operating the black market in the country for over five decades already. And now they have started expanding in the nearby country as well. There were a couple of questions that lingering in his mind. Like, did the Novus Rex sent Oliver Garcia to threaten J? Why would they? Did J do something to offend them? What is J''s relationship with the Novus Rex? Chapter 213 - The Breakfast Gathering (2) Jacob was preoccupied with these thoughts during breakfast which J was quick to notice making her anxious. Did something happen? J not able to ask Jacob asked herself instead. The atmosphere is making her think twice if she should continue making her announcement. But her doubts soon faded when under the table Jacob grasp her hand and squeezed it. With their fingers interlaced, J glanced at Jacob who is now looking at her, aside from tenderness J couldn''t read what he is thinking. After a couple of minutes, everyone had finished and been now chatting with each other. Everyone silenced when they saw J stood up. "Everyone, I would like to thank you for coming. Ahm... It''s been months already since we had a gathering like this. So... I hope that you don''t hold any grudges." J smiled. She is not used to making this kind of speeches so she was struggling. She used to hold this kind of gathering in Lodgepole Estate whenever she felt that they need to and she never made any speeches back then, so everyone was surprised and assumed that there is an important announcement. Everyone attentively listens, they all look at her with anticipation which made J more uncomfortable. J scratched the back of her ears. She would make this short and direct. "Ok, so... yesterday a mare foaled a colt and in just a couple of days, a couple of mares will be foaling as well. And the harvest season is about to end, it was a bountiful harvest. So, thank you for your hard work." J paused and take a deep breath before she continued. "Also, you have seen him since yesterday, so I would like to formally introduce him to everyone." Upon hearing that Jacob who was watching everyone turned his gaze to J who was standing beside him. He tried to suppress feeling ecstatic but he can''t help look at her with a flashing eye. Mrs. Potters, on the other hand, all this time is smiling at J. Since J requested for a gathering this morning out of the blue, she already expected this to hear. "This man beside me... is Dr. Jacob Parker... he is my husband." J watched everyone as their look turned from anticipation to surprised. The thought of J having a boyfriend is surprising already but her announcement that he is her husband left everyone speechless. Who would''ve thought that their heiress whom everyone thought has no plan of getting married would suddenly appear in front of them already married? That was something that they were not prepared to hear. Jacob felt blissful. A smile that reaches his eyes slowly curved from his mouth as he gazed at J with delight. This cunning girl, waiting for the right time amazes me. Does this mean she is starting to consider making their marriage public? Jacob thought. He looked at everyone with an elevated chin as if saying ''Yeah. You heard it right. She''s married to me so back off!'' J looked at Jacob, their eyes met. She raised her brow and said, "Aren''t you going to say something?" Jacob stood up with a face-wide smile. "Well... everyone, thank you for your warm welcome since yesterday. I guess you''ll be seeing more of me in the future." "Actually, this is not my first time here in Lodgepole. The first one, I was just passing by... at first glance, I thought this place was like a paradise. Jenny was beside me at that time." Everyone who was listening to him with amazement was even more amazed when they heard Jacob called their heiress Jenny. The last time they heard someone called her by her real name was when Elder Do was still alive. Aside from J''s parents whom they believe to have died twenty years ago, it was only Elder Do who called her Jenny. Chapter 214 - Grow old together "After that trip, I tried to buy this estate and give it to Jenny as a dowry, but I failed. This little wife of mine didn''t tell me that she owns this place until I found out about it one day and that was the second time that I came here, thou it was just for a short moment." Jacob chuckled as he reminisces about that day. Jacob''s expression turned serious. "I can see how my wife loves this place. And if one day she decides to settle and grow old here... without a second thought I would leave my life in Lotus City and stay and grow old with her here." As Jacob said, his gaze turned to J who was now sitting on a chair beside him. As soon as their eyes met, J''s cheeks turned crimson. This guy really knows how to talk. J thought to herself. The couple stared at each other for a couple of more seconds until they heard everyone clapped their hands. After the breakfast gathering, J had a couple of words with the supervisor of the horse farm and to Mr. Bai before she followed Jacob inside the mansion who went first to prepare before they leave. J entered the mansion from the back door and found Mary who was walking back and forth from the lemon orchard to the kitchen. "Have you seen Jacob?" J asked her. "Yes Miss, I saw him went upstairs," Mary replied. "Thank you." Then J walked upstairs. She scanned the whole second floor to find that Jacob is not there until she walked towards the master''s bedroom. She didn''t knock on the door since it is her bedroom in the first place. When she entered, she saw Jacob standing in front of the window gazing at the ocean outside. When Jacob sensed the presence of J he turned around and gave her a warm smile. "What are you doing here?" J furrowed her brow. Jacob smirked. "You should get used to seeing me here, after all, this bedroom belongs to me now as well." J rolled her eyes. "I mean, we should get going now. The elders were waiting." Jacob didn''t reply instead, he slowly walked towards J. When he is a couple of inches away from J, he stopped and reached out for her chin and raised it to his eye level. "You really are full of surprises." after saying that, Jacob give her a light peck on her lips, then pulled her into his embrace. "Thank you." His voice was so warm and gentle. J can even feel the warmth of his breath on top of her head. "Do you realize how much you made me happy? Hmm?" She felt him kissed the top of her head making her want more of his warmth so she circled her arms around Jacob''s waist and snuggle tightly into his chest. "Honey, why don''t we just stay here for the rest of the day?" Jacob who doesn''t seem to want to let go of her yet made a suggestion. "No, we can''t. Miss Nancy and the elders are waiting." J who is now seemed to be drugged by Jacob''s show of affection almost agreed to his suggestion but regained her senses and replied with a gentle yet dignified tone. Jacob laughed and pulled her away from his embrace. With both his arms on her shoulders, he looked at her and asked, "Are you going to introduce me as your husband as well at Martha''s Home?" His face was vibrant and expectant. J frowned and said, "No." Chapter 215 - An Old Man in the Dark In a villa outside the country. "Boss." A man along with two of his lackeys approached an old man sitting in the veranda of the villa. The old man holding a cigarette surrounded by bodyguards glanced at the newcomer with an impassive look. "Have you found them?" then blew out a cloud of white smoke. The man lowered his head and replied with "No." "But something happened to Money." the man said with cautious. The old man remained impassive. "Continue." "He was taken by people of Twelve Army." The old man finally made a change of expression. With a frown, he said, "Are you sure it was Twelve Army?" "Yes, Boss. Arthur was one of them." The man nodded her head. The old man was silent. Why would the Twelve Army take one of his men? Ever since his business started. He tried to avoid crossing paths with the Twelve Army. The Twelve Army is someone they can never afford to offend. Thou privately owned, the Twelve Army is too powerful that even the government has to rely on them. It is also an open secret that even the military has to hire them for support. With their connections and influence, they can make any organization banish into thin air without a trace. Anyways, he doesn''t have any interest in them. It is true that power is very appealing to any leader of a group or organization especially to an organized crime group, but for him, nothing is more appealing than money. And the smartest group who were able to extort money from anyone yet making it appear legal in the eyes of the public is The Robin Hood Society. So his interest remains with The Robin Hood Society only. He wanted to take over the leadership of the Society and he has the best means of taking it from whoever is in position. But he didn''t expect that the Twelve Army will intervene during the process. While his mind is busy thinking about how to deal with the Twelve Army, he heard someone speak. "Boss. Do you think it has something to do with the Robin Hood Society? They must have found out what we are doing so they hired people from the Twelve Army to protect their current leader." the man said with a grim expression. The creases on the old man''s forehead deepened. Ever since President Martin died with his wife followed by Elder Do five years ago, they haven''t found out who has taken over the Society. Thou he knew that the Society has an heiress, he was sure that Elder Do would never pass on the power to his granddaughter. And she is going to be his ticket to take over the leadership of The Robin Hood Society. The old man stood up from his chair and ordered one of his assistants with a serious tone. "Prepare the private plane. We''re going to Lotus City." with an icy stare the old man looked at the dark forest outside the villa as if he is seeing something that others couldn''t see. "Looks like I need to make a visit to an old friend." after saying that, the old man''s lips pressed into a thin line before he threw out the butt of the cigarette and headed inside the villa followed by his assistants and their lackeys. Chapter 216 - Alex Ogden Meanwhile, at Rendezvous, Lance was talking to an acquaintance when he noticed a familiar figure followed by a group of ten to fifteen men enters the club. Lance furrowed his brow trying to retrieve from the back of his mind, who was that familiar figure and where did he saw him. He cocked his head looking at the familiar figures group went to the third floor of the club when he finally seemed to remember who that guy is. Right, that was Alex Ogden, Lance thought to himself, the grandson of Jack Ogden the rumored founder and leader of the notorious organized crime group Novus Rex. At least, to the members of the Society, it was never a rumor. Since no one has ever stepped out to claim that they are the leader of Novus Rex, a rumor still remains a rumor. However, since Alex Ogden never cleared up these allegations about his grandfather, the public and people from the business and political circle thought that there may be truth in those rumors. Although these rumors did make negative impressions about their family, the positive outcome outweighs the negative. Because of these rumors, businessmen and politicians became more cautious when dealing with Alex Ogden. Never dared to get to the wrong side of him because if the rumors were true, then that would be the end for them. Alex Ogden at the age of 35 is well-known as one of the most outstanding young entrepreneurs in the country alongside Jacob Parker and David Hart. But Lance believed that it was only an act to cover up his real identity. Alex Ogden is known to be unyielding and quite menacing to deal with. If he wants something, he would surely get it, and he doesn''t like to be kept waiting. Lance remembered that his father told him five years ago that he has to be cautious when dealing with business to a couple of people and that included Alex Ogden. The third floor of Rendezvous is were the VIP Suites. It is usually secluded and soundproof. Each private suite had a different theme, have their own hostess and bartender. Alex Ogden''s group entered the most expensive suite. It is somewhat similar to a library bar. Alex Ogden sat on a brown leather tufted sofa with a glass of an expensive rum on his left hand which is rested on the sofa''s armrest. His back leaning lazily on the sofa. The hostesses of the suite ogled at his devilish looks. He is very attractive, some strands of his messy dark hair fall on his face covering his eyes making it darker. "Boss." The man named Mark sitting opposite Alex pass him a photo. With an icy look Alex took the photo and looked at it. On the photo is a girl sitting in a corner table of a hospital''s cafeteria, she is wearing a white uniform, the girl''s hair is tied up in a ponytail, she is leaning her back on the chair with an earphone on her ears. The girl looked breathtakingly beautiful even without makeup on. Alex not showing any emotion stared at the girl''s photo for a couple of more seconds before he turned to Mark and ask, "Are you sure it is her?" "Yes, boss. I am 100% certain. She works as a nurse at CLP Hospital and used to live in an apartment across the hospital." Mark replied with certainty. "Used to?" Alex raised one of his brows while still looking at the photo. "Yes, Boss. This past few weeks, she seemed to have changed her address." Chapter 217 - The Stalker Mark''s tone became tensed when he senses Alex''s tone became colder. "So where is she now?" Alex asked as he put the photo in the inside pocket of his jacket. "Um... that... I haven''t found out yet." Mark grew more tensed. "Tsk... here I thought your performance was quite impressive since you found out information that my grandfather''s people weren''t able to find. What a disappointment... " at that moment, the temperature in the room seemed to dropped at its lowest. After a long silence, a cold voice was heard again. "I want you to find where she lives, her schedule and daily routine as soon as possible. Don''t show your face to me until you gave me an answer." Alex said as he waved his right-hand signaling Mark to leave. Alex reached for the glass of rum that he put on the cocktail table earlier when he took the photo and drunk it. "Boss, what do you plan to do with her?" A hunky tanned man named Greg asked him but he received a piercing look from Jeric, Alex Ogden''s assistant, and right-hand man. Among all the men in the room, Jeric knew his Boss more than anyone else. And the way he looked at the girl in the photo, he is certain that his Boss wants this girl. And whenever he wants something, he would not stop until he gets it. He would even kill those that would try to stop him. And most importantly, he doesn''t like it when he is being questioned. Alex stared at Greg with a piercing look. Greg was frozen in his place when he realized what he just did, beads of sweat started to appear on his forehead. He''s dead. He sure is dead. He thought to himself. He gulped as he waited for his punishment when a ringing of the phone interrupted the stillness inside the room. It was Jeric''s phone. He took out the phone from his pocket and glanced at it. A look of surprise appeared on his face. "Boss... it was your grandfather." When Alex heard that it is his grandfather who is calling, his face darkened. He took the phone from Jeric''s hand and answered the call. The person on the other line said something which Alex replied with an "Hm.." and "Okay". The call takes only a couple of seconds. Then Alex hanged up and pass the phone over to Jeric. With an impassive look, Alex said, "Grandfather''s coming." "The Old Man''s coming?" Jeric can''t help but express his surprise. Everyone was obviously surprised as well. It''s been ten years since the Old Man left Lotus City. So, everyone was wondering why did he suddenly decide to come back. Did something terrible happen? But that is impossible. If there is any, they would have known it, after all, since the Old Man left ten years ago, their ''business'' in the country was taken over by Alex. Since then everything is going smoothly. Downstairs Lance has already forgotten about Alex Ogden. He was already sitting on a couch surrounded by a group of socialites talking and drinking, he is definitely now the center of everyone''s attention. Then he heard a familiar voice from his back. He heard the familiar voice of a girl who ordered Rendezvous''s most expensive cocktail. Lance turned and saw another familiar figure. "Miss Lily?" Lance called the girl with an amused tone. Lily who was surrounded by her socialite friends was frozen in her seat when she heard a familiar voice calling her name. Chapter 218 - Strange Lily With her stiffened body, Lily forced herself to turn around. Then he saw the familiar charming face of Lance smiling at her. Lily''s face turned crimson, her heart beats faster, and her mouth who usually talks and laughs a lot is now strangely trembling and doesn''t seem to make a sound. "Ah, Lance... do you know Lily? You said you don''t know any celebrity here in Lotus City. And we''ve seen Lily here at Rendezvous a couple of times, why is it that you don''t seem to recognize her before?" a young male engineer from Lance'' circle asked Lance. Lily felt embarrassed and disappointed as well. It seems like Lance doesn''t have at least a bit of interest to her. Because if he did, he would have remembered her from a couple of times that he has seen her at Rendezvous. But when they met each for the first time a couple of days ago, he didn''t have a slight recognition towards her. "Yes, I do. We met a couple of days ago. We have a common friend." Lance said enthusiastically turning his head to the young engineer. "Is that so. Why don''t you invite them to our table?" another young professional asked him. Lance seemed to like the idea. He turns to look at Lily and asked. "Would that be okay with you and your friends Miss Lily?" Lily was stunned. Would that be okay? Of course, it''s not! I came here because I want a moment without you in my thoughts! How come you''re here? How am I able to get you out of my mind if you are here inviting me to join you?! Of course, Lily didn''t have the courage to say that out loud. She was just frozen in her seat looking at Lance. One of her friends noticed her strange behavior so she was the one who replied. It would be a little disrespectful if they refuse their invitation. Besides, Lance''s group is a group of young professionals who seemed to be a good person. Lily''s group of female friends were from the entertainment industry as well. Two of them were artists, one is a supermodel and the other one is a young director. Soon, Lance rented out a VIP Suite on the third floor for the two groups. Lily who was still in a dazed, didn''t mind what is happening. She seemed to be at a loss ever since she saw Lance. Lance thought that it was just normal for Lily since she had been acting that way ever since the day, he met her But to Lily''s friends, it is a huge mystery. Lily has been quietly drinking all the time. She rarely talks or laughs. She''s always stumbling and stuttering every time they ask her a question specially when it is Lance who talks to her. Lily''s friends quickly noticed it. And they eventually realized that Lance has something to do with Lily''s strange behavior. Poor Lance he doesn''t even have an idea. At the end of the night, everyone including Lily became drunk. Lily''s friend was picked up by their managers while they intentionally leave Lily in Lance''s care. Lance didn''t mind driving Lily back to her apartment but he doesn''t know where is her apartment so he called her manager. Since they will be working together in Lily''s upcoming film, he requested Lily''s manager''s business card which he kept in his wallet. Chapter 219 - Set Up "Hello?" Lance heard a sleepy voice from the other line. It was almost midnight so her manager is probably asleep at the moment. "Is this Sarah? Lily''s manager?" Lance replied. "Yes. Who''s this?" Sarah became more awake after hearing the name of Lily. "This is Lance Kho. I happened to meet Lily earlier here at Rendezvous with a couple of friends. Her friends have gone home with their managers and she was left here with me. She is quite drunk. Can you send me her address so I can drive her home?" Lance''s voice was firm. Lance had a great alcohol tolerance, so after a couple of hours of drinking, he doesn''t seem to be drunk at all. All their friends have gone home. He was the only one left in the VIP Suite together with Lily who is asleep. Lily doesn''t usually get drunk. Every time she goes to Rendezvous or any party, she makes sure to tolerate her alcohol. She never gets home drunk. So Sarah was surprised to hear that Lily is drunk at Rendezvous. What''s more surprising is that she is with Lance. Lily never drinks with a male investor or producer. Sarah hesitated to give Lily''s address to an investor they only met once. Lance sensed Sarah''s hesitation. So he cleared his throat and said. "How about this. You come here at Rendezvous and pick her up. I''ll wait for you." Is this possible? Sarah thought to herself. She is on a vacation in their province which is three hours away from Lotus City. "Ah... Mr. Kho, if it''s not too much of a bother can I hang up for a while. I''ll just have to make a call." Sarah said with complex emotion. She knows Lance Kho is an investor and she should get the good side of him but it doesn''t mean that she has to sell Lily away. They have only known Lance for a couple of days so technically, he is still a stranger to them. She cannot trust him and let him take Lily to her apartment alone. "Oh... Okay." Lance replied with a stern face before he hanged up. He knew that Sarah is hesitant, after all, he is still a stranger to them. He cannot blame her for not trusting Lance since they''ve only just met. But based on their situation, it is only logical for a man to drive Lily to her apartment since she is drunk and it is also late at night. Not to mention the fact that she is also a celebrity. So, he quietly waited for Sarah to call him back. He turned to look at Lily who has been asleep for more than an hour now. He looked at Lily''s small face. And for a fleeting moment, he thought that she looked familiar. He continued to stare at her trying to remember if he has seen her before. This girl, does she usually get drunk around? At the thought of that, Lance''s stern face turned into a frown. He felt peeved at this irresponsible girl. Meanwhile, Sarah tried to call the friends that Lily was with at Rendezvous earlier but failed so she called their managers instead and found out that her friends intentionally left Lily for Lance to drive her. That made her flustered. Why would they do that? She asked them if they could go back and pick her up since she is out of town but they said that they were instructed by her friends not to pick her up and let Lance take her home. Chapter 220 - A Perfect Gentleman Damn! Aren''t they Lily''s close friends? What are they up to? Are they trying to plot something against Lily? Sarah was enraged at the thought. After talking to their managers, she hung up the phone brooding over the fact that she can''t do anything for Lily right now. She can''t help but cursed Lily internally, why does she have to be irresponsible at this moment that she is away? She never acted this way before. She thought about calling Lily''s brother and ask him if he could pick her up but the thought of it sent chills to her spine. Calling Jacob at this hour to pick up his drunk sister who is in custody of a stranger is like calling Grim Reaper. She felt doomed. In the end, she settled in calling Mr. Ray and inquire if she could trust his friend, Lance. She picked up her phone and dialed his number but no one is answering. She felt frustrated, pacing back and forth inside her bedroom she tried to call Mr. Ray a couple more times until finally, someone picked up the phone. "Hello?" came a sleepy and slightly irritated voice of Mr. Ray. Sarah felt his irritation and she felt sorry so she made her call direct. "Mr. Ray, this is Sarah, Lily''s manager. I''m sorry for disturbing you at this hour but I really have to ask you something about Mr. Kho." Mr. Ray was surprised. "Lance? Go on..." "Uhm..." Sarah told him what happened and Lily''s situation then finally she asked. "Can I trust him? I know you are a friend of Mr. Kho and your loyalty is into him. I mean, sorry that I have to ask you this but this concerns the image of my artist, if something happened to her and rumors spread, I cannot guarantee that this wouldn''t affect Lily''s upcoming movie, after all, you and Mr. Kho invested a lot into this film." Sarah was a smart manager, she deliberately mentions their investment into Lily''s film so that she can get an honest answer from Mr. Ray. Mr. Ray chuckled. "I understand." He paused for a moment and said. "Miss Sarah, I can guarantee you that Lance is the definition of a perfect gentleman. Chivalrous, courteous and honorable. He is very considerate and logical. He would never do anything against Miss Lily''s will." "I''ve known him for more than a decade and I''ve never seen or heard of him take advantage of women. He has high respect for them. If you want to be assured, I can call him and remind him to take good care of Miss Lily." Mr. Ray''s voice was full of praise towards Lance and Sarah felt quite relieved. "Thank you, Mr. Ray," Sarah said a couple of appreciation before she hanged up to send a text message to Lance. Lance didn''t realize that he had been staring at Lily for more than necessary when he heard his phone''s notification. It was a message from Miss Sarah. ''Mr. Kho, I''m sorry to bother you but I cannot pick up Lily at this moment because I am out of town. If you don''t mind driving her to her apartment, I''d be much grateful. I''ll send you her address.'' A small smile appeared at the corner of Lance''s lips before he made a reply. He received a call from Mr. Ray and realized that Miss Sarah called him before he entrusted Lily to him but he didn''t mind it at all. With that, he carried Lily out of Rendezvous and drive her home. Chapter 221 - Jacobs Surprise Earlier after spending the whole day at Martha''s Home, Jacob is supposed to be driving back to Lotus City when J noticed that they were driving the wrong way. She turned to Jacob with a frown. "Where are we going?" Jacob reached out for her hand and squeezed it. With a smile, he said, "You''ll find out later." J crossed her arms and said, "Jacob, I hate surprises." "Haha. Coming from a person who is full of surprises. Really?" Jacob laughed charmingly. "Honey, be prepared to have a taste of your own medicine. You surprised me early in the morning. I wouldn''t let the day passed without making my own surprise." After saying that Jacob pinch J''s cheeks making her scowl at him. After an hour, the road they are passing became familiar to J. "Naupaka?" J asked nonchalantly but Jacob didn''t confirm nor deny. J''s gaze remained at the road they are passing, internally she is making a lot of speculations. At the back of her mind, she is hoping for something. Until another half an hour passed, they came to a road that is going uphill. "This is..." At the sight of the familiar road, J started to tremble. This road leads to only one place. The hill doesn''t have any residents and it is owned by her family. She turned to look at Jacob. Her face was expectant. Jacob looked at her and smiled. He didn''t need to say anything. This road leads to the Robin Hood Society''s headquarters and to the log house where her parents reside. J has never been there before and has never seen what the headquarters and log house uphill looked like. But she had passed this road before with Lance and Diana and they told her where this road leads to. J realized that this is Jacob''s surprise to her, he is taking her to her parents. She has always been dreaming of going there but Lance and Diana are always reminding her to not dare, even if she tries to, there is a tall gate mid-way that has a surveillance camera. They would never let her in. At that thought, J was frozen in place, her heart is racing and her lips and fingers were trembling. Thou, her parents already gave her permission to visit them, she never expected that it would be this soon. Thou she already prepared herself, she never thought that it would feel like this when the time comes. Soon afterward, they reach a tall gate. Jacob stopped the car, then after a minute, the tall gate opened and let them in. Jacob started driving the car. This time the road is steep, it takes them five minutes until they reached the log house. As soon as the car stopped in front of the log house, Jacob turned to J. "Honey, this is the log house where your parents reside. And that road leads to the headquarters. This morning I called them and asked them if I could take you here today and they agreed. They said they will prepare dinner for us." After saying that, Jacob reached out for J''s hand, then he frowned. "Honey, your hands are cold." a worried look crossed Jacob''s handsome face. J scowled at him. "I told you I hate surprises! You should''ve told me beforehand so that I could emotionally prepare myself!" Jacob laughed. Every time she gets mad, he finds it cute. "You''ll be fine. Let''s go." Chapter 222 - The Ambush Jacob gets out of the car before J. He helped her opened the door, J takes a deep breath before reaching for the hand that Jacob is offering her. She definitely needed a hand, because she is not sure if she would be able to stand and walk on her own as her knees felt feeble. At the entrance of the log house, they found Leo waiting for them. As soon as they reach the entrance Leo greeted them with a straight-face. "Miss J, Chairman Jacob. This way, please. They are waiting for you." Leo walked inside the log house, Jacob followed him but felt that J stopped. He turned and look at her. J was frozen in place. With a tender look, he stepped closer to her. He put both his hands in J''s face and said. "Honey, don''t worry. It''ll be fine." He smiled at her before giving her a kiss on her forehead. J felt Jacob''s soft lips touch her forehead and it makes her come back to her senses. She closed her eyes then take a deep breath to calm herself. When she opened her eyes, she nodded her head and said, "Let''s go." Jacob smile. "Good girl." Then they followed Leo at the backyard of the log house. Jacob guessed that his in-laws were probably waiting for them under that big oak tree. The same spot where they waited for him the first time that he met them. For some strange reason, that oak tree gave off a calm atmosphere. After a moment, J found herself faced with the older version of the parents that she used to know. A surge of emotions came into her. She came to realized how many years passed by without her noticing. If it wasn''t because of how old her parents looked now, she would''ve thought that it was just yesterday when she last saw them. Memories of that day came back to her. During those times, her father had already taken over the Robin Hood Society from Elder Do, so her father and mother had to live at the log house near the headquarters for their safety and convenience while J and Elder Do live in the Lodgepole Estate. Every once a week either her mother or both her parents would visit her at Lodgepole Estate. On the day that they were ambushed, Madam Victoria and President Martin were on their way to Lodgepole Estate. They don''t usually take with them a bodyguard to avoid catching attention. Their right-hand man was enough. But halfway thru they didn''t expect a tragedy. They were ambushed by a group of unknown people. Sensing that something is not right, President Martin''s right-hand man sends a message at the headquarters requesting back up. Unfortunately, President Martin and Madam Victoria''s then right-hand man died while protecting them while they were severely injured when the backups came. The backup that came were able to kill the group of people that ambushed their leaders but left some of them alive for interrogation. While the severely injured President Martin and Madam Victoria was sent back to their headquarters for treatment and monitoring. When Elder Do hear of what happened he rushed to the headquarters? He found out that the people who ambushed his son and daughter-in-law were hired assassins sent by the current Mayor of Lotus City back then whom the Robin Hood Society extorted money from in exchange for not revealing his dirty schemes and corruption in the government. But after getting a large sum of money, the Society turned their back on their words and did what they believe is the right thing to do. They expose the Mayor''s true colors in the public causing him to face the danger of losing his position. Chapter 223 - The Reunion J''s parents survived that ambush but because of that, Elder Do together with the members of the council came to a decision that President Martin and Madam Victoria should pretend that they died on that ambush and Elder Do must pretend that he returned to the position as the leader of the Society and later on getting weaker. The ambush and death of President Martin and Madam Victoria were broadcast on the television and that is how everyone came to know about their death. It was Elder Do who told to the 10-year old Jenny about what happened to her parents. J back then was already smart and understands the situation, but that kid didn''t realize that she wouldn''t be able to see her parents since then. 20 years later, she finally sees them again. And the first words that came out of her mouth was, "What took you so long? All these years, I''ve been waiting for your visit." then J cried like a baby in front of her parents and husband. Madam Victoria can''t resist and pulled her into her embrace. "I''m sorry. I''m so sorry sweetheart." Madam Victoria said in between tears. President Martin who was watching the mother and daughter crying in each other''s arms didn''t hold back the tears that are forming in the corner of his eyes. He took a step closer to his wife and daughter and circled his arms to the two of them. Jacob was so happy to see his wife and parents reunited again after two decades. He felt accomplished that he was able to bring this joy to the person he loves the most. He takes a deep breath to suppress his tears. While a few meters away from them, Peter who is usually stone-faced softened and Leo who is usually poker-faced shows a bit of emotion at the sight of the Do Family being reunited. Especially Leo who has seen how the mother and daughter tried to suppress their urge to see and hug each other every time Madam Victoria came to visit Lotus City. The two of them being the closest to Madam Victoria and President Martin never thought that one day they will witness their Boss shed tears in front of them. The family of four including Jacob catch up over dinner. After dinner, Jacob finds an opportunity to talk to President Martin in private. "President Martin." Jacob started. "Call me Dad. After all, you are my daughter''s husband. And you also bring her back to us." President Martin''s voice was soft yet dignified. Jacob nodded. "Good. You want to say something?" President Martin continued. Jacob didn''t hesitate and directly ask. "Do you have anything to do with Novus Rex?" President Martin''s lips twitched upon hearing Novus Rex. "Does it have something to do with J''s threat?" Jacob nodded in reply. It was already dark outside and the two of them were standing at the balcony looking at the dark forest. President Martin''s hand was in his pocket. Jacob turns around to lean his back in the railing of the balcony and watch his wife inside the log house through a sliding glass who is sitting on the sofa chatting with her mother. His face turned affectionate at the site of J laughing. "They are the last person that I and the Society will get involve with." President Martin cleared Jacob''s doubt about them getting involved with Novus Rex. "And I doubt if my daughter knows anything about them." President Martin continued. Chapter 224 - The other friend "Or will she ever get involve with them." President Martin''s voice was firm. "But I know someone who might have known them." President Martin continued then suddenly paused and looked at Jacob with a grim expression. After hearing that, Jacob cocked his head and looked at him with curiosity. "Years ago, even before the Robin Hood Society was founded by my father, he has a close friend. One of them is your grandfather, Benjamin Parker and the other one is Jack Ogden." Jacob raised his eyebrows upon hearing an unfamiliar name. "Jack Ogden wanted to start an organization with your grandfather and my father but they refused to join him knowing how he has been involved with illegal businesses. "They even persuade Jack Ogden to stop his illegal business. He is such a great mind when it comes to business so it was such a waste that he used it in illegal dealings. Later on, Jack Ogden founded Novus Rex on his own. It was followed by the Robin Hood Society founded by my father, then The Twelve Army founded by your grandfather. Since then, he never showed up to your grandfather and my father and I don''t know if they ever crossed each other all these years." "I''m not even sure if he is still alive, but I am pretty sure that the organization is still active until now. They''ve even expanded in the near country." President Martin continues. "Why would you think that Novus Rex might have something to do with my daughter''s threats?" after a couple of seconds of silence, President Martin asked. Jacob glanced at the dark forest. "I found the person who sends the threat and is in the Twelve Army''s custody. He is a member of Novus Rex." President Martin''s expression turned grim. "Is that so?" his voice was filled with worry for his daughter. "I''ll make sure to get to the bottom of this. They''ll never get their hands on my wife as long as I live." Jacob said with a clenched jaw. There was an evil intent in his eyes. "I know." President Martin was full of confidence towards his son-in-law. "I''ll have someone watch over Novus Rex activity. It is a must that every member of the Society could tell who is a member of Novus Rex, but they should not know about us. So, it was easier to watch over them." After their private talk, they returned inside the log house. They chatted for a while then Jacob decided that it was time for them to leave. J didn''t want to leave yet but President Martin and Madam Victoria insisted that they should leave and have to come back again some other time. Leo escorted them out of the log house while Peter stayed with President Martin and Madam Victoria. Before they could get inside Jacob''s SUV, they heard Leo ask. "How''s Diana?" Although he didn''t mention it, it is clear that the question is directed towards Jacob. "She''s quite impressive with espionage. But I might have to pull her out soon." Jacob replied making Leo feel relieved. "Did something happen?" J asked. "Nothing. It''s just that, the possibility of Food Corp.''s involvement in this is getting smaller." Jacob thought that they must focus more of their attention at Novus Rex. His instinct tells him that they have something to do with J''s threat thou they haven''t find any evidence yet. Chapter 225 - Lances Doom It is almost midnight, and they were now driving back to Lotus City when J asked, "Can we drop by Lily''s apartment?" Jacob was surprised. "Lily? Why? Is she in trouble?" "No. I''ve been calling her to ask her if she is free tomorrow so we can talk about the thing that she wanted to talk with me but she is not answering her phone." "Hmm... Knowing her, it''s either she is already asleep or she is at Rendezvous. Don''t worry yourself too much about her. She''s a grown-up now and she is quite responsible." Jacob smiled. He was moved seeing how concern his wife is towards his sister. But J felt uncomfortable. "Is it far from Evergreen or out of way?" "No." Actually, Lily''s apartment is just a few blocks away from Evergreen Villa. "Then let''s drop by." J''s tone was firm and she doesn''t seem like she would accept a no for an answer. Jacob chuckled. It is true that girls were sometimes quite unreasonable. "Okay then. You''re the boss." Then he reached out to pinch J''s cheeks. He received a dark look from J after that. When they reached Lily''s building, the guard seemed to recognized Jacob and let them in the basement parking. Knowing that most of the residents that reside in the building were a celebrity, the management was quite strict when it comes to visitors. They would never let anyone without the resident''s permit. Jacob owned a unit there so the guard let him in. As soon as they reached Lily''s apartment, they were dumbstruck at what they saw. ... It has been almost two hours that Lily was asleep and she is now starting to get her consciousness. One of her arms is circled around a man''s shoulder while her whole body is leaning towards that person''s body. His hand is holding her hand that is rested on his shoulder while his other arm is wrapped around her waist to support her body from falling. And she can hear a familiar voice talks to her. "Hey, Miss Lily, where is your keycard? Quickly get it and open the door to your apartment." Lance is becoming agitated. Lily came to her senses when he realized who is holding her. "You... " They heard someone cleared its throat from behind. Lance turned and was surprised. "Miss J! Ah... Dr. Jacob." his surprise turned into confusion. "What are you doing here?" Lily who heard Lance mentioned a familiar name looked at them and felt like a bucket of ice was spilled all over her body. She lowered her head and avoided the dark gaze from the man in front of them. She moved her body behind Lance as if she might be able to hide from them. Lance noticed that Jacob look at him then to Lily with an icy stare. He felt a chill runs his spine. "Ah... Miss?" He turned to look at J with confusion to only received a more confusing reply. "You''re doomed..." J said with a smirk. She forced Jacob to come and drop by Lily''s apartment to check out on her because she felt something was wrong only to find his best friend with her husband''s sister. Is he courting death? "Huh?" Lance was flustered. Before he could say something, he heard Jacob''s deep chilling voice. "Get in." Without much hesitation, Lily seemed to forget that she was drunk. She grabs her bag from Lance and takes out her key card to open the door. She entered her apartment with her head lowered. Chapter 226 - Brother??? Bestfriend??? Inside Lily''s apartment. The four of them sit in the living room. Jacob looked at Lance and Lily as if he was about to kill them. Lance, however, felt wrong. Poor Lance, he was dragged to hell without him knowing. J thought. "Sis... B-brother..." Lily stammered. What? Sis? Brother? Lance was flabbergasted. He looked at Lily, then to Jacob then to J with a look saying ''What the heck is happening?'' J didn''t say a word. She just looked at Lance and shrugged her shoulders. "I... I''m sorry. Nothing is going on between us. I was drunk." After saying that, Lily felt like she was shrinking in her seat. She is too afraid to look at her brother. She wishes to just vanish into thin air than to be with the same room with his brother right now. Jacob gave her an icy stare. "Ah... you mean... he is your brother?" Lance confused looked at Lily then to Jacob. He saw J nod her head at him for confirmation. "Oh." Lance was really surprised. "I... ah... she gets drunk at Rendezvous. Everyone has already left. Her friends were drunk as well so they asked me to drive her home." Lance started to explain everything. "I even called her manager to pick her up but she said that she is out of town so she gave me her address. I can''t just leave her there so I took the initiative to drive her here." After explaining there was a moment of silence. The temperature in the room became colder. J tried to broke the silence. "Since when did you two know each other?" "Oh... just a couple of days ago. Remember the film that I told you I was going to invest in. She is the female lead." Lance was the one who answered. "Oh..." was J''s only reply. "You." Jacob shot a fiery glare at Lily which made Lily gulp her saliva. "Take your sister away from here. I want a word from him." Jacob said while looking at Lance. Lance looked at J pleading for help. J was hesitant to leave but she was dragged by Lily who''s in a hurry to get away from her brother. Inside Lily''s bedroom, Lily let out an exasperated sigh while clasping her chest. Back in the living room, she was holding her breath afraid that it might catch her brother''s attention and irritate him. "Why are you here all of a sudden?" Lily asked J. "I''ve been trying to call you to ask you if you are free tomorrow. You said you have something to talk to me. But you are not answering your phone... my gut feeling tells me something is going on." J said nonchalantly. "I didn''t expect to see you with my best friend. What happened?" J continued. "Best friend? You mean... Mr. Kho is your best friend?" Lily was dumbstruck. What a small world. J nodded her head. "Does my brother know him?" Lily asked with a worried tone. J again nodded her head. "Oh no..." Lily became uneasy. With her brother''s temper... Lance... No, she can''t let her brother hurt him. He is innocent. At that thought, Lily stood up. J was observing Lily, she noticed that she looked uneasy. "Lily..." J stopped Lily from going out of the room. "Let your brother talk to him. As I''ve said, Jacob knew Lance." J was right. When Jacob met Lance, he already made a background check of him to make sure that he holds no interest with J. Lance is not the type of person that would play around with girls. And he would never take advantage of them. Even if girls offer themselves to him, he would never touch them. That''s how respectful Lance is towards girls. And Jacob knew it. Chapter 227 - You Like him When Jacob said that he wanted to have a word with Lance, it is not about Lily, it was about something else. "What is going on with the two of you?" J knew that Lance was probably just helping Lily but on Lily''s side, she can tell that there is more to that. Lily was speechless. She sat in a plush chair near the window facing J who is sitting at the edge of the bed. "Ahm... the thing is... about that..." Lily lowered her head as she plays with her fingers. "When I called you last time..." Lily continued. J remained quiet, patiently waiting for Lily to open up. Lily take a deep breath and started again. "I met him the day that I called you. And since then, I felt like something is wrong with me. I''ve been acting strange like it was not me at all." J was speechless. This girl, really, how old is she? She is acting like a teenager. "I can''t even talk and act normal around him. I even get drunk just to avoid talking to him." J raised her brow and said in a matter of fact tone. "You like him." Lily buried her face in both her palm. "It doesn''t matter... he''s not even interested in me." J can help but felt pity towards Lily. Even she cannot tell if Lance is interested in her. Lance rarely shows interest towards girls. He is an expert in hiding his feelings. He is sweet, caring and respectful towards them, if you don''t know him you would''ve thought that he likes you but if you know him well, you can tell that he treats every girl like that equally. Lance did have a girlfriend in the past. The first one was when they were in high school. Lance broke up with her before they went abroad because he doesn''t believe in long distance relationship. The second one was when he was in Law School in abroad. Their broke up was a mutual decision, they just realized one day that they fall out of love. And the third one and the longest was when Lance was working as an intern in a law firm abroad. During those time, J didn''t know how did Lance court those girls. She didn''t even notice that Lance were interested with them because he treats them just like how he treats others. If Lance didn''t tell her that he liked a girl, J wouldn''t have known. If there is anyone that Lance treats more special than the other girls, that would be J. He treats her like a sister. Lance is not the type to just casually shows his affection. But when he did, he would go all out. "Sis... what should I do? Can you help me?" Lily raised her head and pleaded to J. J was deadpan. "I never had a boyfriend before so how am I supposed to help you?" J said nonchalantly. "You... you never had boyfriend before?" Lily was dumbstruck. She looked at J with disbelieve. Her sister in law is so beautiful. She is even beautiful than the most beautiful celebrity that she knows. How come she never had a boyfriend before? "Seriously?" Lily asked with doubt. J raised her right brow. "You''re the one who had boyfriends before, so you should know how to deal with this." "But this is different. Before, boys were the one chasing and pursuing me, not the other way around. And besides, Mr. Kho doesn''t seem to have any interest with me." Chapter 228 - False Hope Lily said with a downturned head. Her shoulders were lowered like she was already defeated even if the war hasn''t started yet. "So you''re saying you want to pursue him? How can you tell that he is not interested in you?" J said as she walk towards another plush chair near the window. She is feeling tired and wanted to lean on the soft chair. Lily''s eyes widened. "What do you mean? Do you think he is interested in me?" J sighed. She didn''t mean to give her false hope. "I didn''t say that." Lily let out a pronounced sigh in disappointment. "However, Lance is not the kind of person who would show his interest or affection towards any girl until he is sure how he really feels towards her. You said you met each other just a couple of days ago and this is just the second time that you two got to see each other, so don''t expect him to show any interest towards you just yet if he does have any. Based on my experience, Lance would tell me if he is interested to someone. If you are lucky, who knows, maybe one day, he would speak up to me." J was not usually very conversant but this is her sister-in-law she is dealing with and they are talking about her best friend Lance. Lily''s eyes brightened up. "You''re right! Haha! Sister in law you are so right! How can I be so pessimistic? We''ve only just met! It''s not like he''s never ever be interested in me. Oh my God! It''s so great that you are my sister-in-law and his best friend at the same time!" Lily exclaimed in excitement. She stood up and take one long stride to J''s seat and gave her a hug. J felt depressed. Did she gave Lily another false hope? After all, Lance is very meticulous when it comes to choosing his girlfriend. Even if he liked a girl, when he find just one fault, he would never date her. She suddenly felt exhausted. "By the way, since when did you became best friend with Mr. Kho?" Lily suddenly asked. Since she is his best friend, she would find out everything about him from her. "I don''t know." J shrugged her shoulders and looked outside the window. Lily''s apartment is located at 8th floor. The view at night in her apartment is spectacular. J could see the lights in the buildings outside her apartment. "We grew up together." Lily felt envious. Since they grew up together, didn''t they felt any romantic affection towards each other during those times? She looked at J with jealousy. "Don''t look at me like that. We never had any romantic feelings for each other." J knew what would Lily felt so with her gaze fixed outside the window, she corrected any wrong thoughts that Lily must have in her mind. Lily smiled apologetically. "He he. Now that I think about it. I guess my brother was jealous of him as well. Am I right?" A small smile appeared at the corner of J''s lips. "Yes he did." And still does. After she said that, J yawned. It is already 2 o''clock in the morning. She didn''t noticed the time until she felt sleepy. Lily felt infected with J''s yawn. "Ah... what''s taking them so long." Her head is starting to throb. After all, she is not completely sobered up yet. Chapter 229 - Identity "Novus Rex?" Lance asked Jacob. "You suspect that they were the one that''s sending the threats?" Lance continued. Jacob nodded. "I already got my hands on Oliver Garcia. He is a member of Novus Rex." Lance was flustered. "But we don''t have any evidence against them. How can you be so sure?" Lance seems to forgot that he is talking to Jacob Parker, the Chairman of Twelve Army. Jacob''s gaze turned cold. "I''ll have the evidence soon in my hands." "You know how to identify a member of Novus Rex. Have you seen any of them get close to her?" Jacob asked in a serious tone. "You are right, I can recognize any of them, all of us members of the Society can. But you must''ve forgotten, ever since we came back five years ago, I never had a chance to get close to J nor watch over her. So how could I know if any member of Novus Rex came to her." Lance replied in an equally serious tone. Jacob didn''t say anything, so Lance continued. "As of now, the only persons who can tell is you and your team since you were that one that watch over her closely, that is if you guys can identify one." Jacob furrowed his brows at Lance. Lance continued. "If you want to know if there were any members of Novus Rex around J, you should ask Diana or J herself. You can even find out the member of Novus Rex that works at CLP Hospital." Jacob take note of that. Then he asked Lance. "How to identify them?" "Okay, there were three ways to identify them." Lance searched around Lily''s apartment and found a piece of tissue from the kitchen and a pen. "The first one is a tattoo of their emblem in any parts of their body, usually around their neck, in their arms or on their hands. Most of the time, it is not hidden. The emblem would look like this." Lance drew something on the piece of tissue. He first drew a vertical rectangle, then on the rectangle he drew a triangle overlapping the top of the rectangle then a straight line in the middle. "The rectangle represents a throne, while the triangle represents a wing, the line in the middle is the king." "But you cannot see the emblem at first look because it is usually placed over another design of tattoo. For example, the founder of the Novus Rex, Jack Ogden''s tattoo is a medieval knight''s helmet, their emblem looks like it was engraved on the helmet." "The second one is a small cut on the tip of either left or right ear and the third one which only the higher ups have a silver piercing of their emblem that is found just below the cut on the tip of their ear. The only persons who have this piercing were the members of the Ogden family, their first, second and third in command, legal advisers and group leaders." "If you wanted to find out their activities, you should watch over Alex Ogden. He is the grandson of Jack Ogden. Since Jack Ogden left the country ten years ago to expand their operations, Alex Ogden has taken over the group in the country. It is easier to watch over them freely for now since you and J haven''t announced your relationship. They would never suspect the Twelve Army''s relation with The Robin Hood Society yet." Chapter 230 - Lilys punishment Lily who was getting bored and uneasy can''t help but slightly open the door of her bedroom. She didn''t peak or dare to listen to what Lance and her brother was talking. She just put her mouth in the small opening of the door to make sure that her brother would hear her. "Um... brother... are you done yet? My sister-in-law is kinda sleepy and she looks tired. Don''t you think it''s time for you guys to go home and rest. If mom found out that you are keeping my sister-in-law awake until dawn, she would nag at you. You know how she is when it comes to sister-in-law, especially now that she wants the two of you to have a baby, keeping her awake late is not good for her body. Mom said that in order to boost her fertility she should have enough rest. Have you forgotten?" J was flabbergasted. What the heck is she talking about? She pinches the area between her brows. Lily, if you want to live a long life you should pretend to be dumb. Upon hearing Lily''s words, Jacob''s temper became worst. How dare she use Jenny just to escape her death? "What? You... you guys are trying to... baby?" Lance was surprised. Jacob gave him a deathly glare which made him gulp and tensed up. "Come out there." Jacob said in a cold tone that made the whole room''s temperature dropped to several degrees. Lily''s whole body trembled. Oh no... did I made it worse? She steps out of the room stiffly. She was followed by J. "From now on, you''ll be staying at my house." Jacob said in a callous tone. "What?!" Lily exclaimed belligerently. "No! You can''t do this to me! Brother, please..." "One... you get drunk in a club... " Jacob started counting in his fingers assertively without looking at Lily. "Two... you drink with a male investor." He then turned to look at Lily with a smirk. "You deliberately violated two of the rules that I gave you before entering the entertainment industry." Lily started to panic. "But... but... I didn''t intentionally get drunk. I came with my friends. I just met Mr. Kho at the club. I didn''t go there with him. I swear!" "Still... you get drunk with a male investor." Jacob stood up and seemed to be ending this conversation. "If you don''t want to stay with me and your sister-in-law. Either you stay at the Parker''s Mansion or retire from the entertainment industry. Up to you." Jacob said plainly then walked towards J. He strokes J''s hair affectionately while staring at her face. Lily was right, she seemed sleepy and tired. He felt guilty. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lead her out of Lily''s apartment. "Let''s go home." "I''ll see you at the headquarters tomorrow. Don''t get followed." Jacob said to Lance as he passed him. Lily weighed the options that Jacob gave her. She definitely can''t just leave the entertainment industry. However, if she chose to stay at the Parker''s Mansion, her mom will never give her peace. But if she chose to stay at Evergreen Villa, at most, she will be seeing her brother at night since he works all day at the hospital and she will be having more time to spend with her sister-in-law. She dropped her shoulder in defeat. "Wait! I''m coming with you!" Then everyone left Lily''s apartment. Chapter 231 - The Return of Beauty and Beast At Evergreen Villa. Lily followed Jacob and J inside the villa feeling dejected. Inside, she walks towards the guest room but Jacob stopped him. "You''ll use the other guest room." "Oh... okay." Lily replied casually without bothering to ask. She just wanted to take a shower and have a sleep so she dragged herself to the other guest room. Evergreen Villa only have three big rooms. The master''s bedroom which Jacob and J occupied, and two guest room. One guest room is being occupied by Arthur and Stefan while the other one will be using by Lily from now on. "Are they home?" J looked at Lily''s retreating back then glanced at the other guest room. She is referring to Arthur and Stefan. She wonders if the two take a three-days off like she instructed them. "No. They''re probably at the headquarters." Jacob paused for while then continued. "But somebody is." With a furrowed brows J looked at Jacob. "What do you mean?" After saying that J heard dogs barking coming from the kitchen. Her eyes were wide in surprise upon seeing two dogs running towards them. In an instant, Beast pounced on her while Beauty was taking time to reach them since she is still recovering from her wounds. "Oh my God! Beast... Beauty... come here sweetie..." J was teary eyed upon seeing Beauty and Beast back. Since she was abducted, the two of them stayed at the vet. Beast only had cold but Beauty was shot that caused her to lost her pups. She strokes the head then the back of the dogs. "Jacob, since when did they came back?" J stood up and asked Jacob. Jacob keep looking at her with a gentle smile. "Just today. I asked James to bring them home." They stayed for a couple of minutes with Beauty and Beast before they retreat to their bedroom. While Jacob is tucking J, she asked him. "Don''t you think you''ve gone overboard with your punishment to Lily? She''s not a kid anymore." "Rules are rules. And she violated them. She deserves it." Jacob said casually. "But it was Lance. He wouldn''t do anything to her." J replied. "Still, he is a male investor, and she got drunk with him. What if it was a different person?" Jacob said while he prepares to lie in the bed. "If it wasn''t Lance, Lily will not drink with him and will never got drunk." J said. "Mrs. Parker, you got something to tell me?" Jacob pulled her into his embrace and stare at her face with a quizzical smile. J stared at Jacob''s amber eyes. She is contemplating if she should tell him about Lily''s feelings towards Lance or not. In the end... "Lily likes Lance." Jacob''s eyes turned icy then his lips curled. "That little troublemaker." "There is nothing wrong if Lily likes Lance." J said casually. "There is... I don''t like him." Jacob replied as if he was talking about somebody that is not related to them. J frowned. "What is wrong with Lance? He is such a good person. And he is going to be a good brother-in-law." Jacob chuckled. "Honey, this is the second time that you tell a joke and I''m not impressed." J clenched her jaw. "Are you insulting my sense of humor?" "Ha-ha. No. It''s just that, I expected more from you." "Well, I''m not joking around." after saying that she turned her back on Jacob and tried to free herself from his embrace but Jacob didn''t let her. "Does he like her?" "No." "That asshole." Chapter 232 - Baby Sitter The next morning. Lily was surprised to see two men in the kitchen. While Felix and Stefan who were having breakfast was stunned to see a celebrity in the same room with them. They were called in by Jacob to report at Evergreen Villa while Arthur and Daniel were left at the headquarters. "That... is... Isn''t she? Lily?" Felix''s jaw fell when he realized who is the girl who just came in the kitchen. "You''re right, it is Lily. The famous singer. Oh my God!" Felix''s reaction was nothing compared to Stefan''s. Who would''ve thought that these hunky looking guys who is an expert in espionage and professional sniper would follow a female celebrity? Lily panicked. She didn''t expect to see two strangers inside her brother''s villa. "Who are you? And what are you doing in my brother''s house?" Lily recovered from her surprise and panic asked with assertiveness. "They are Felix and Stefan." Lily suddenly heard the voice of her brother behind her. Upon seeing their Boss, Stefan and Felix stood up. "Good morning, Boss!" they greeted him simultaneously. "This is my sister Lily." after hearing that, Stefan and Felix made an ''Oh'' sound. "My wife is still asleep. She''ll be back to duty this afternoon until midnight. Stefan, you''ll be the one watching over her for the mean time." Jacob gave his order to Stefan then he turned his head to Lily. "I called your manager. You don''t have any schedule for today, so stay at home. Felix, watch over her." "I''ll be going back to headquarters. I have to deal with something." Jacob said. Stefan and Felix knew very well what is that ''something'' that their boss have to deal with. Before Jacob could turn to leave, Lily quickly grabbed his arms and hug it. "Brother... Brother Jacob, I promise I''ll stay here at home. I''ll never go anywhere. I won''t drink and I won''t meet anyone. So, I don''t need a personal security." Lily gave him a cute smile. Jacob stared at his sister for a while before he said. "Lily, Felix is one of your sister-in-law''s personal security. Now she is lacking one. And I can''t allow that." Upon hearing that, Lily''s eyes glimmer with hope. "So, I''ll try and find someone suitable to be your own personal security. So, don''t cause any trouble for Felix, okay? He is too overqualified to deal with a spoiled brat." Then he brushed off Lily''s arms and patted her head. Which made Lily scowled at him. Felix was like ''Yeah! I''m a professional spy, a top agent. I am not trained to be a baby sitter!'' Lily turned to look at Felix then stomped her feet back to her bedroom. J came out of the master''s bedroom a little late. She found Felix and Stefan in the living room but didn''t find Jacob and Lily. "Where is Jacob and Lily?" J asked the two men. "Good morning Miss J. Boss went in the headquarters while Miss Lily is in her room." Felix replied. J was curious. Wasn''t Felix supposed to be out with Daniel investigating the Food Corp and Crocus Offshore Oil Rig? And where is Arthur? She looked at Felix and Stefan with narrowed eyes but didn''t ask further. After having breakfast, she called Stefan and Felix. "Take me to the headquarters." J said assertively. Felix and Stefan looked at each other with furrowed brows. Did she find out about Oliver Garcia? After all, they have already witness how keen observer their lady boss is. Chapter 233 - Where is He? Stefan takes J to the Twelve Army headquarters. Felix was left to look after Lily. He also sent a message to Jacob that the Lady Boss is on her way to the headquarters. "What happened?" Jacob asked Felix. He called him immediately after receiving the message. He was wondering why did J suddenly wanted to go to the headquarters. "Boss, nothing happened. When she came out of your room, she looked for you. We said, you went to the headquarters. Later on, she called us and told us to take her to the headquarters." Felix paused waiting for response. Jacob however remained quiet on the other line. Felix continued. "Boss, do you think Miss J find out that we have found the person that is sending the threats?" Jacob was still quiet. He never told J that they have found out who sent those threats and the possibility that Novus Rex is involved. He wanted to wait until he is certain about some things. But he forgot that his wife has such great skills in observing her surroundings, and her instinct turns out always correct. "Okay." was Jacob''s short reply. J arrived at the Twelve Army headquarters. This is the second time to be there. The first time was after her car accident at Naupaka Racing Circuit. Stefan parked the car in front of the main building. J haven''t been here. It turns out that the clinic where Jacob takes her last time was in another building. J was impressed, she wonders how many buildings this place has. Stefan helped her out of the car. "This way Miss J." J followed Stefan. As soon as they entered the main building, they already grab the attention of everyone inside the building. "Isn''t that Stefan?" One of the men in a Twelve Army official uniform asked the lady beside her. "Yes. I heard that their team is assigned to a VVIP. Do you think that girl is the VVIP?" the girl replied. "I don''t know. They said their mission is confidential. No one knew who was that VVIP." "She looked like a celebrity or a CEO of a company." J who was wearing a black pants, white shirt topped with beige blazer that is folded up to her elbows and a black stiletto. Her hair is tied up in ponytail and as usual she doesn''t wear any make up. But she still emits that domineering aura. Soon Stefan stopped in front of a door, he opened it and let J in. Inside, J assumed that it is Jacob''s office. But Jacob is not there. "Where is Jacob?" J asked Stefan again. "Boss, instructed me to take you here and wait for him. He is on his way." Stefan replied and stood three meters away from J who is now sitting in the sofa. After a couple of minutes, the door of Jacob''s office opened. Jacob came in with James. Upon seeing J, he instructed James and Felix to step out of the office. "Honey, you should''ve told me you were coming." Jacob walked towards her and gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead which J finds sweet. Thou she knew that he used to be like that, she still shot him an icy stare because she knew that behind that sweetness, Jacob is guilty that he is hiding something important to her. "Where is he?" She immediately asked with a narrowed eye. The corner of Jacob''s lips curved slightly. "How did you find out?" he asked. Chapter 234 - Having an affair J crossed her arms in front of her chest and raised one of her brows. "During our days at the Parker Mansion and Lodgepole, you were spending extra hour on the phone and having video conference behind my back. Why would you do it secretly if it was only about the hospital or Twelve Army unless it is something about me or you were having an affair." J said casually while Jacob laughed at her last word. "Yesterday, you said that you were going to pull out Diana on her mission. You wouldn''t do that unless you find Food Corp innocent or you find the real culprit." "Last night, you told Lance to meet you at the headquarters. Last time I remember, you told him to stay away from us as much as possible." "Then today, you sent Felix and Stefan over at Evergreen. Wasn''t Felix supposed to be spying over the Food Corp and Crocus Offshore Oil Rig? And where is Arthur?" "Therefore, I assumed that you find the culprit, you detained him here with Arthur and Daniel watching over him while you asked Lance to come over here to help with the investigation. Am I right?" J said nonchalantly. Jacob was impressed. This past few days, he has been careful not to give his wife any idea. But he underestimated his wife''s detective skills. "If I told you that your thoughts were wrong, you would judge me of having an affair. And that is not right. Why would you think me of that way?" Jacob said sounding that he was wronged. J raised her brow, not affected at all. "Why? You said you were a lady''s man. Do you think that I believe you would stick with only me forever?" thou J said that casually, she still felt a thousand needle pricks in her heart. Jacob''s expression turned grim. He never thought that his wife still doubted him. J noticed the change in Jacob''s temper so she cleared her throat and said, "Take me to him. I want to see him." Jacob didn''t say anything. He turns around and walked out of the office. J silently followed him. The two of them silently walked out of the building with certain distance between them, they were followed by James and Stefan. They went inside another building and take the elevator to the basement. Finally, they reach a room, James opened the room, Jacob let her in before he and Stefan followed. Inside there were various equipment and computers operated by Daniel and Lance. On one side of the room is a wide one-way glass mirror where they can see what is happening on the other room. Jacob gave her a chair then he sits beside her. She looked at the persons on the other room. Inside was Arthur sitting on a chair with a laptop in front of him while on the farthest side of the long table opposite him is a masculine man. J looked at the man and studied him. She stood up and take a closer look while Jacob is observing her every action and expression. "He is a member of Novus Rex. Not just a member. He is a group leader. He is not paid to do the job. If someone would hire them to do the job, the group leader will just order one of his lackeys to do the job. He will never do it personally." After saying that, her brows furrowed. Did she do something to catch the attention of Novus Rex? Chapter 235 - The culprit Then she heard Jacob speak on the mic. "You may start now." Arthur heard him over an ear piece. J heard Arthur speak. "Tell me your name, age and where you from." The man was calm when he replied. As expected from a group leader of Novus Rex. "Oliver Garcia, 38, from Crocus." Arthur''s face was stern. "Where do you work." "At Crocus." Oliver''s answer was short and straight to the point. "This guy is cautious." Stefan commented on the back. To avoid making mistakes, Oliver Garcia only answer what is asked of him and never said any unnecessary extra words. But Arthur didn''t show any sulkiness. "What company and what kind of job." "South Crocus Steel Company. Warehouse man." Lance moved closer to J and asked, "Miss J, have you ever seen this man before?" "No." J replied nonchalantly. She paused then she turns to look at Lance suspiciously. "Did you... somehow offended them before?" Lance was taken aback. "What? I was very vigilant. There is no way I could''ve offended them." J continued looking at him with narrowed eyes which made Lance doubt his words. Did I become inattentive lately that I might have somehow offended them? Lance thought to himself but shake his head to dismiss the idea. There is no way I could''ve done that. "Why are you looking at me like that? I am definitely certain that I didn''t offended them. I never crossed path with them." Lance was indignant. Later on, they''ve heard every basic information about Oliver Garcia, now Arthur became more daring when questioning him. He put out two pieces of paper in front of Oliver. "Recognize this?" Oliver stared blankly at Arthur before he lowered his head and looked at the pieces of papers that lay in front of him. The first one is a crumpled small piece of paper. The other one looked like a business card. He read the notes on the papers then a smirk appears on the corner of his lips which didn''t go unnoticed to Arthur. Oliver leaned his back then crossed his arms on his chest before saying, "So, you detained me here because of that?" He said curling his lips. "Tell me." Oliver leaned forward with his hands together on the table. "What is it exactly that you want from me?" He said staring intently at Arthur but Arthur remained impassive. "Who paid you to send these threats?" Arthur asked directly. "No one paid me." Oliver replied. "So, you were ordered. By whom?" Arthur questioned him back. "By whom is none of your business." Oliver said then smirk. "It is our business." Arthur replied. "Indeed, it is. Since you are protecting that person." Oliver gave Arthur a meaningful look. Arthur stared back at him not showing any emotions. "Which person?" Oliver didn''t answer instead gave Arthur an evil look. Arthur noticed that he didn''t want to answer that question so he changed his questions. After all, he managed to confirm that he is the one sending the threats. The most important thing that they have to know is who ordered him. Arthur leaned back and crossed his legs. "What do you want from that person?" Arthur asked with an elevated chin. Oliver looked at the wall of the room and said, "Their position." J met his gaze. She put her elbows in the table and supported her chin with her hands. "Damn! He knew that we are here. Why does he have to be cautious earlier when later on he would become so outspoken." Lance exclaimed when he noticed that he is staring at their side. Chapter 236 - They wanted to marry his wife "Those letters were not threat at all. They were bait. They knew that Lance is going around the business circle in behalf of the Robin Hood Society. Somehow, they thought that Lance is representing the Society''s leader. They wanted to lure him out." Jacob said staring blankly on the other side of the glass. Arthur heard from his earpiece what Jacob said. He thought the same way too. He didn''t need to ask what position Oliver is referring to. Obviously, they wanted to take over the Robin Hood Society. The question is, how? "How to you plan to take their position?" Arthur asked directly. Oliver didn''t hesitate to answer. "By marriage." Jacob who was composed the whole time while listening to Arthur and Oliver lost his cool this time. "What the?! What marriage is he talking about?! They want marriage with death? Then I''ll give it to them!" Upon hearing the word marriage, he was certain that they mean to get married to J in order to take over the Society since J is next in line to the position. "Does it mean... It was Alex Ogden?" Lance was surprised. "No. It''s not him." Lance heard J''s voice so he looked at her. "Remember the email? The IP address is located abroad. The same country where Jack Ogden is." "So, it was Jack Ogden." Lance said rubbing his chin with his fingers. "Jack Ogden is an old friend of my grandfather and Elder Do. But they lost communication with him since he founded Novus Rex." Jacob interrupted. J furrowed her brows. "How did you know about it?" "President Martin told me. Did you know about it?" "No." J shake her head. "Now that I thought about it. I knew that Elder Do was hesitant for J to take over the Society once President Martin retires. In fact, he was against it. So, I guessed, that is also one reason why Elder Do marry Miss J to Jacob. He wanted Miss J''s husband to take over as President. And he chose Jacob. Jack Ogden must''ve known about it, so, he wanted to use this opportunity. He wanted his grandson, Alex Ogden, to marry Miss J so that Novus Rex can take control the Society!" Lance said in a tone like he discovered an immeasurable treasure. "But... they didn''t know that Jenny is already married to me. Elder Do chose me... which was a good decision." Jacob said with a wide grin. "Yeah! Yeah! You are right Dr. Jacob." Lance heaved a sigh of relief. That''s right, J is already married to him, so, there is nothing they can do about it. But... "They''re here. Aren''t they?" They heard Oliver speak again. "The person you are protecting. The person Atty. Lance Kho is protecting. They are here, right? Watching and listening to us." Oliver gave an evil look to the wall. Behind that wall, J received his evil look with a smirk. "Let''s get it straight. Since you are here, I would like to directly pass on the message of my Boss to you personally." Oliver paused. "Jack Ogden is coming. He will use every possible way to get his hands on the heiress of The Robin Hood Society and have her marry his grandson Alex Ogden. Once that happened, we will take over The Robin Hood Society." after he said that, there was chilling atmosphere in both rooms. Jacob clenched his fist and said, "Lock him up in the chamber." Because of the presence of Lance and Jenny, Jacob intentionally missed the word ''torture'' when he said chamber. Chapter 237 - Hes mine In an instant, Arthur was already behind Oliver. He was quick that Oliver didn''t even had a chance to react. Arthur holds a syringe with a clear liquid in it and has already injected it into his neck. In order to drag Oliver Garcia into the torture chamber without giving him any chance to escape, they have to sedate him. "Eh? I didn''t see that coming... was that necessary?" Lance commented upon seeing what happened. "It is." Stefan said with a glint in his eyes that made Lance shiver. He looked at Daniel and his eyes looked the same. He turned around to avoid looking at them. "Ah... Dr. Jacob that..." but he was not able to finish his sentence because Jacob''s eyes already turned murderous. He gulped and excused himself. When he was outside the room, he was able to catch up his breath that he was holding inside the room. Arthur dragged Oliver out of the room. They were followed by Daniel and Stefan. J and Jacob was left in the room. "You sure have a lot of trouble coming out of your sleeves." Jacob said amused at J''s calm expression. After what they found out, she was still calm. "Mm... hmm... " J replied not looking at him. She was playing with the swivel chair. "What are you thinking?" Jacob asked her suspiciously. J raised her head and looked at him impassively then she supported her chin with her palm on the table. "I heard that Alex Ogden is quite good-looking and most importantly not a playboy." After hearing that, Jacob''s expression slowly turned grim. "Why is this issue coming up again Mrs. Parker?" he asked trying hard to control his anger. J looked at him with an icy stare, her lips pressed together and her breathing is turning deep. She gritted her teeth before saying, "Last night, while you were asleep the other girlfriend called you." Apparently, last night after they got to bed, Jacob fell asleep immediately while J became restless. She can''t sleep. She is having trouble falling asleep at dawn that''s why she made it a habit to sleep before midnight. That is if she is not on a night shift. So, she got up and grab a book to read. While reading, she heard Jacob''s phone ringing. She wondered who could be calling him at that hour so she takes a peek. She frowned when she saw an unregistered number. She hesitated at first, but out of curiosity, she reached for the phone and answered it. Her face turned deep red when she heard a soft voice of a girl coming from the other line. "J-Jacob..." the voice of the girl was full of seductiveness which angered J more. "Please... c-can y-you pick me up?" The girl sounds drunk. J take a deep breath before she answered. "Jacob is already asleep. Last time I check, Jacob is a Doctor, not a driver of some legless princess." after hearing that, the girl from the other line was vexed to hear another woman answering Jacob''s phone in the middle of the night. "Who are you?" the girl''s tone sounds like she has sobered up. "None of your business. And please, don''t ever call him again. He''s mine!" After that, she hanged up leaving the girl frozen in her place. Thou she is drunk, she did clearly hear the voice of the girl who answered Jacob''s phone and the words that she said. Chapter 238 - Legless Princess After that call, J became even more restless. She didn''t even want to continue reading. All she wanted to do is to go to that girl''s place and kill her. Who dare to take someone that''s already hers?! Jacob''s jaw dropped. What call? And what girlfriend? He took out his phone without taking away his eyes from J. Then he checks the call history and found out that he indeed received a call last night. It was from an unregistered number. It turns out that J answered that call. His lips curved upwards and look at J mischievously. It was three in the morning when someone called him, what would a girl think when another girl answered Jacob''s phone during the times that he was supposed to be sleeping. "So, what did you tell her?" Jacob asked her with a wide grin. J was taken aback. Of course, she will never tell him what she told the girl last night, so she came up with another version. "I... I told her you were asleep and you can''t pick her up." J take a step back and avoided his gaze. "Pick her up?" "Yeah. Your princess is drunk and she wants you to pick her up. You should call her back and check if she had gone home." J''s tone was irritated. "Right, I should call her now." Jacob said impassively. J shot him a dark gaze before she turns around and acted to leave but he was stopped by Jacob. "Stay." She gave Jacob a piercing look but Jacob didn''t say anything. He is already on the phone making a call. After a couple of seconds, she heard the phone ring, Jacob turn on the loudspeaker. After a minute, they heard a voice of a girl from the other line. Her voice sounds sleepy indicating that she is still in bed. "Hello." After hearing Jacob''s voice, the girl was startled. The girl didn''t expected Jacob to call her back. "J-Jacob!" "Yes. You called last night?" Jacob asked nonchalantly. He would let the girl speak and tell him what happened. He wanted to know what Jenny told her because obviously, she won''t tell him the truth. Actually, Jacob doesn''t remember the number, and can''t even recognize the voice. He doesn''t have a habit of saving the number of insignificant persons. "Yeah!" the girl seemed to be awakened from Jacob''s question and suddenly remembered about the girl who answered his phone last night. Since Jacob called back, she would use this opportunity to play victim. "I called you last night. I just want you to pick me up because I couldn''t drive. But that girl answered your phone. That bitch called me legless princess! And she said that you are her''s! Who does she think she is? She didn''t even know your rules. Does she think you are going to marry her?! Jacob don''t be blinded by that kind of slut. I know that kind of girl, she is pretentious. She probably acts shy and innocent in front of you but later on she will suck on you and pester you. Didn''t you just come back from abroad? You told me that once you came back you would call me, instead you hooked up with that kind of shameful bitch." the girl kept talking while Jacob is listening to the girl with complex emotions. He was happy that Jenny called the girl legless princess, it turns out that she could throw insults after all. And he was in a bliss that she claimed him as hers. But the girl keeps on talking and saying harsh words towards his wife making his expression turn grim. On the other hand, J''s face was indiscernible. While glaring at Jacob, her lips were pressed together, her jaw is clenched and she is grinding her teeth. "If you don''t make her shut... I will." she told Jacob with an icy stare. Chapter 239 - Always and Forever yours But the girl on the phone heard her. "Who''s that? Jacob, don''t tell me you are still with that girl?" Jacob chuckled. "Yes, she''s still with me." Jacob replied looking at J tenderly. "And this girl that you were slandering earlier is my wife." Jacob made an explosive reply. There was silence on the other line. "W-wife? Ha-ha... Jacob are you fooling around with me? That can''t be-" The girl was still saying something but Jacob already hang up. He doesn''t have anything to explain to this girl anyway. J looked at Jacob with narrowed eyes, lips pressed together. "Call Stefan, I''m going back to the hospital." she said then she turned around to leave Jacob. But Jacob quickly wrapped his arms around J''s waist. He embraced her from the back making J''s back lean on his chest. Then Jacob whispered on J''s ears. Their closeness made J''s blood from her neck rushed up to her face. "Mrs. Parker, are you aware that you sound just like a jealous wife earlier and you are acting like a jealous wife right now." Jacob whispered coyly. J scowled at him. "Jealous wife your ass!" Jacob plastered a smile on his face. "Honey, don''t worry. I''m always and forever be yours. Just like your always and forever be mine." J was moved by what Jacob said. She felt like she can never ask for anything else as long as this man is beside her. She always felt blissful whenever she thinks that she will spend the rest of her life with him. "Having said that, that old man, Jack Ogden. I have to keep him busy so that he would stop thinking about marrying his grandson to you. As if that''s going to happen." Jacob said while keeping his position at the back of J. They remained like that for a couple of more minutes before they went back to Jacob''s office. That afternoon J and Jacob went back together to the hospital. They were followed by Stefan, Daniel and Arthur. The chamber were Oliver Garcia was left is guarded 24-hours by skilled guards so Daniel and Arthur were back as J''s security. After a couple of days, everything was back as it used to be. Lily still stayed at the Evergreen Villa. Jacob have already found a female personal security for her that makes her disappointed. Once in a while she would go out with her manager but the female personal security would still follow her. In a couple of days, she will start shooting her new film where Lance made an investment so that means she would see him more often. She has been training herself to act normal with the help of J when the time comes that she would be seeing Lance which of course she cannot avoid. Diana was also back in her duty at the Department of Surgery, lifting a big block of rock in Leo''s chest. She is still in the same schedule with J. While Arthur, Daniel, Stefan and Felix were back to J''s side more cautious than before. They already knew who to watch out for. They already knew how to recognize a member of the Novus Rex making their job easier. They were keen in observing the persons that come in close contact with J. Especially those that works in CLP Hospital. They found a couple member of Novus Rex that works as a normal employee at CLP Hospital. They have been investigating these people if they have ulterior motives other than working at CLP Hospital. Chapter 240 - Someones Going to Sleep on the Couch A couple of days past, J come to the hospital for her afternoon shift. As usual, she was accompanied by Arthur and his team. Arthur is driving the bulletproofed sedan with Felix on the passenger seat while J is seated behind him. They were being followed by Stefan and Daniel on their motrobike. This has become J''s daily routine. The four of them kept a close distance from her except when they reached inside the hospital. They watch over her almost 24 hours except when Jacob is with her. But this past few days, Jacob has been busy with the Twelve Army. J didn''t have to ask but she was quite sure that it has something to do with the Novus Rex. J was checking the board when Jacob entered the Department of Surgery, since everyone was gathered in the Nurse''s Station both of them didn''t made contact but when Jacob walked pass behind J, she heard him greet her in a low voice that only her could hear. "Good afternoon Mrs. Parker." hearing that made her roll her eyes but a small smile appeared at the corner of her lips. She walked back in the Nurse''s Station with her headset on and her hand on the front pocket of her scrub suit. She heard Jacob talking and laughing with Dr. Aaron Choi and other nurses there including Diana. She chose to ignore them and continued on with her routine. That afternoon, they only had a couple of minor surgery. Some of them will be assisted by Diana. Aside from that, they only had one major surgery and it is an ortho case. Orthopedics is not her forte, so she had someone scrub in. Everyone was talking and laughing jovially when they heard sounds of heels coming on their way. They all look to see who is coming. J who was reading a book, raised her head and her right brow as well. She doesn''t need to guess who is coming. After a couple of seconds, they heard the sweet and coy voice of Dr. Stella. "Jacob..." But before Dr. Stella could move closer to Jacob, they heard Nurse J''s voice. "Dr. Stella." her voice was somewhat daunting. Everyone looked at her. For some reason, they felt that the atmosphere became tense. "You got a call from the OB Ward, they need you there ASAP." J said impassively. Head Nurse Jing looked at her confused. Why doesn''t she remember the phone rang earlier? She thought. While Diana is looking at her with a meaningful smile. "Oh... but I just got from there." Dr. Stella said innocently. J shrugged her shoulders then said, "I don''t know. Maybe something happened to your patient." she said nonchalantly. "Okay." Dr. Stella said then turn to look at Jacob whose staring at J suspiciously. "Jacob, I''ll see you later." Jacob heard her but just gave her a nod and return his gaze at J who is now giving him a dark and warning look. J was fuming inside. Somebody''s going to sleep at the couch tonight. Her whole shift was peaceful after that. Her other co-nurses were busy with their surgery while she stayed in the Nurse''s Station almost all the time reading a medical surgical book. While everyone is in OR Theatre Two assisting and observing in an orthopedic surgery, J was left in the station since the station must not be left empty. It was already 10 o''clock in the evening. Her shift was about to end in an hour when the phone of the station rings. Chapter 241 - The Girl in Labor "Hello." J quickly answers the phone. "Hello, this is Head Nurse Amy from ER Department." a raspy voice of a female nurse was heard from the other line. J was alert. Since it was a call from ER Department, it must be an emergency surgery, probably trauma from an accident or gunshot wound that needs to be operated urgently or a patient in labor. "This is Nurse J, go on." J replied casually. "We have a patient here on active labor. Her name is Hannah Li, 25 years-old, G1P0, possible NSVD. Her cervical opening is 7cm and having contractions every 2 to 3 minutes lasting for about 60 seconds." Head Nurse Amy continued to talk about the patient while Nurse J is noting down the details. "OB?" Nurse J asked after a while. "Her OB is currently out of town so she would be taken care of by the OB on deck which is Dr. Ivanov. We''ve already notified her and is on her way to the Department of Surgery." "Oh... Okay." J replied impassively. Why does she feel uneasy every time Dr. Ivanov will be performing a procedure at the OR? "We''ll be sending the patient over via stretcher." Head Nurse Amy said. "Mm." J replied then hang up the phone. She then notified Head Nurse Jing about the incoming patient and started prepping the Labor Room. Ever since Dr. Stella came back, she never allowed anyone to assist her except for Nurse J and she was well aware of that. After a couple of minutes, the patient arrived via stretcher accompanied by a couple of orderlies and one ER Nurse. After the endorsement, the patient was transferred in the Labor Room. Nurse J then looked for the relative of the patient. At the waiting area of the Department of Surgery she found a middle-aged woman sitting on a bench clutching a handbag on her lap. She looked worried. "Excuse me. Are you the relative of Ms. Hannah Li?" J asked the middle-aged woman. The middle-aged woman was startled, she raised her head. When she saw J wearing a white scrub suit with face mask holding a patient''s chart she immediately stood up. "Yes! I''m her mother-in-law. Is everything okay?" the middle-aged woman replied with a worried look. J was surprised. Based on her experience, it is usually the husband and the patient''s mother who accompanied them during times like this. But this time, it is only the mother-in-law. She must be a good mother-in-law, the patient is lucky. "Uh... May I ask, is her husband is here so I could take her inside the Labor Room?" J asked. Nowadays, there are hospitals that allow the husbands to accompany the mom-to-be inside the labor room and CLP Group of Hospitals are not an exception. "Oh... That... My son is not here... he is in duty. Can I go in instead?" The middle-aged woman replied. J was disappointed, the girl''s husband chose his duty over her who is in labor for their first child. She felt sorry for the girl. But J didn''t lose hope. "Have you notified him, there is still time, he might make it." The middle-aged woman shakes her head. "They are not allowed to receive personal calls while on duty. He''ll be off by eleven or twelve, by that time, Hannah must''ve already given birth." J frowned, what kind of company that gives that kind of rules? She looked at the patient''s data. She searched for the name of the husband. Chapter 242 - Daniels First Born She raised her brow then she read aloud the husband''s name and occupation, "Daniel Li? Private Security?" The middle-aged woman nodded her head. J had suspicions. "By any chance... does your son works at Twelve Army?" The names of the persons that work in the Twelve Army are highly classified and their job title were always written as Private Security regardless of their actual job. So, the middle-aged woman was taken aback when she heard Nurse J asked her. The middle-aged woman didn''t have to reply, based on her reaction, J already knew the answer. "Okay, I get it." J said then she walks back in the Department of Surgery in a hurried step. The middle-aged woman was left confused. J take out her phone from her front pocket and dialed a certain number. "Where are you?" Daniel who was outside the hospital frowned when J called him and asked of his whereabouts. If something happened, she would call Arthur or Jacob first. "We are outside the hospital. What happened?" Daniel asked in a calm tone. J didn''t answer instead, "Meet me at the lobby of the Department of Surgery ASAP." there was a sense of urgency and intimidation on J''s tone so Daniel hurriedly dropped the call and walked inside the hospital followed by Stefan. "What happened?" Stefan asked confused. "I don''t know." was Daniel''s reply. On their way, they called Arthur and Felix who were on the room that James provided for them at the 10th floor. Soon the four of them meet at the lobby of the Department of Surgery where J is waiting for Daniel. J was pacing back and forth when she heard hurried footsteps. She frowned when she saw the four of them. "I only called for Daniel, why are you all here?" J asked them furiously. "Never mind. You!" J pointed at Daniel with a frown. "What are you doing guarding outside the hospital while your wife is in labor? Follow me!" Everyone was speechless. What? Daniel''s wife is giving birth? How did Miss J know about it? Everyone thought. Daniel followed J confused. Did he heard Miss J said that his wife is giving birth? At that thought, he felt a complex emotion but still followed her anyways. Inside the Department of Surgery, J helped Daniel put on a surgical gown, mask and cap. "Wash your hands then follow me." J said assertively. Daniel obeyed then followed J. After a couple of minutes, both were inside the Labor Room. "Nurse J, where have you been? She''s on her second stage and the baby is crowning." Head Nurse Jing asked as soon as J and Daniel enters the Labor Room. "The husband is here." J said through a face mask. She looked around and noticed something, she frowned then ask, "Where is Dr. Stella?" "I''m here." Dr. Stella enters the Labor Room wearing a surgical gown, mask and cap. Hear hands are help up facing her face indicating that she already washed her hands. As she struts her way inside the Labor Room everyone frowned. J scowled at her. "Dr. Stella, are you wearing stiletto''s inside the labor room?" Dr. Stella looked at J with a confused look. "Huh?" "And earrings?" J looked at her in disbelieve. Dr. Stella looked at them then suddenly seemed to remember something. "Oh right!" Then she hurriedly went out of the Labor Room. Chapter 243 - In Debt Daniel who was watching felt worried. Is this dumb doctor really my wife''s doctor? He thought. He looked at J and asked in a low voice. "Miss J, is my wife going to be okay?" Everyone knows that you should not use the shoes that you wear outside the hospital inside the operating room. There is a designated footwear that the nurses and doctors should wear. And earrings and jewelry should be removed because it may fall and contaminate the sterile area. J gave him a fake smile. They were distracted when they heard the girl on the operating table screamed in labor pain. Upon hearing that, Daniel squatted beside his wife and hold her hand. The girl was surprised to see her husband beside her but she didn''t question him as she is overwhelmed by the strength of the contractions. After one hour, Hannah Li gave birth to a baby girl and Diana is getting her ready to be transferred back to her room while the baby was brought in the nursery. At the hallway of the Department of Surgery, J grab a chance to talk to Daniel. "I asked James to transfer your wife to a VIP Suite room on the 9th floor. You guys should head over there first. I''ll be transferring her there in a couple of minutes." her tone was calm and collected than before. Daniel who was still in complex emotions didn''t know what to say to J so he just nodded his head and walked back to the lobby. After Diana cleaned up Hannah Li and changed her to a clean gown, J transferred her to a VIP Suite in the 9th floor. Since Hannah Li is the wife of Daniel, J used her position as the CEO''s wife and ordered James to make some arrangement and transfer her to a VIP Suite. Although James was surprised and confused, he still obliges without further question. Since Daniel is putting his life at risk just to protect her, she felt compelled to do something for him in return. And she doubts if Daniel and the others would let her so she finds this one a good opportunity. J thought that Daniel cannot refuse if she tries to make his wife comfortable in the most possible ways during and after giving birth. That is why she made sure that Daniel would be present during her labor, although she just found it just earlier, at least Daniel made it. It was so fortunate that Daniel was just around the hospital, or else, he wouldn''t make it. Inside the VIP Suite. "Daniel, how did you find out?" the middle-aged woman who turned out to be Daniel Li asked him. Daniel had already foreseen that his mother would ask him so he already made up an answer. "The nurse called me." "Oh... is that so. Fortunately, you were already off your duty." his mom said satisfied with his answer. But she seemed to remember something. "By the way, that nurse in the OR, do you know her?" "Why?" Daniel asked with a frown. "She seemed to know that you work in Twelve Army." the middle-aged woman said like she was still remembering that moment the J asked her if Daniel was working in Twelve Army. That time she was shocked and didn''t know how to reply. Fortunately, J didn''t ask for more. Felix who were also inside the room together with Arthur and Stefan exclaimed. "Ha-ha! That can''t be. She probably saw that Daniel works as a private security. She must''ve heard about the Twelve Army. Maybe she was just assuming." Stefan nodded his head while Daniel Chapter 244 - The VIP Suite Did Miss J almost reveal her real identity to Daniel''s mom because of this incident? Daniel frowned while Arthur seemed to be in deep thinking. "By the way, I only booked for a regular room. This room doesn''t seem to be a regular one." Daniel''s mother looked around the VIP Suite. Since J arranged for it, she was not informed that they were transferred. She was just led here by Daniel. The VIP Suite has two rooms. When you enter the room, you would''ve thought that you were not in a hospital room at all because you will be welcomed by a living room with comfortable seating enough for a big family. It was fully decorated with wall paintings. There is also a wall mounted television for the visitors. In the corner is a 6-seater dining table. The room also has its own bathroom and shower surfaced with marbles to be used by visitors and family members. Connected to the living room is the patient''s room. The room''s footwall has an entertainment center facing the patient''s bed. There is also a desk provided for the private nurse to use. The walls were decorated with hardwood and wall shelves with displays like sculptures and vase. The patient has its own bathroom and shower as well. Over all, it doesn''t seem like a hospital room at all if it weren''t for the hospital bed at the center with various equipment attached to it. The four of them rummaged their brain to come up with a good reasoning until the door of the room opens. Felix sigh in relief. ''Oh, dear God, why is Miss J making our life complicated.'' Felix said that to himself. Obviously, they were not trained to deal with a mother''s questioning. The first one to enter was the private nurse that is assigned to Hannah Li. Upon seeing the private nurse. Felix and Stefan looked at each other. They were thinking the same thing. If Daniel''s mother found out that her daughter-in-law have a private nurse, she will start to question them again. They have to make sure that they already left before that happens. They would just let Daniel deal with it. Next to the private nurse is the stretcher with Hannah Li on it. It was pushed by two orderlies. Behind them is Nurse J and Nurse Diana. The private nurse leads the orderlies to the patient''s room and helped them transfer Hannah to the hospital bed. As soon as Hannah is set comfortably in bed, Nurse J started to endorse the patient to the private nurse. "I''ve already brought the patient''s medicine and IV Fluids. I left it in the nurse''s station. Please check if everything is in there." J said to the private nurse casually. "Thank you Nurse J." then the private nurse left leaving Nurse J and Nurse Diana to make a final check on Hannah Li. After the private nurse has left, J turned to Daniel''s mother. "Auntie, your granddaughter is already in the nursery. You can check out on her." J said without any hint that she is trying to push her away. "Really? I can see her now?" Daniel''s mother was pleased. J nodded with a smile. "Okay. Daniel, look after your wife. I''ll just check on your daughter." Then the woman left with a hurried footstep. It was obvious to everyone that she is excited. She even forgot about her regular room that turns out to be a VIP Suite. Chapter 245 - The most painful yet fulfilling milestone Now, aside from Hannah Li that is comfortably asleep in the bed, there were only Daniel, Arthur, Felix, Stefan, Diana and J left in the VIP Suite. Daniel is looking at his wife tenderly while stroking her hair before he kissed her on the forehead, like they were the only one in the room. Everyone was flabbergasted. It was their first time to see Daniel express such soft emotion. "She''s asleep, due to fatigue. It was painful after all." J said casually while watching Daniel caressing his wife''s hand. "Fortunately, you made it on time. Giving birth is probably the most challenging and painful thing that a girl could ever experience. Yet it is also the most fulfilling. During labor, one is in too much pain that they can''t even think properly, they cannot make any decisions. It was so painful that for a moment you will forget about the reason why are you having this kind of pain, all you can think about is to just get over with it. She was lucky to have you during those painful yet beautiful milestone in her life. Having a husband beside you to share the pain, to comfort you, to encourage you and to tell you how wonderful you are doing." Diana who was looking fondly at the couple enlighten them how painful Hannah had experience, after all, she shared the same experience with her. "When I gave birth to Timothy, I was depressed that I am alone." later on her voice were filled with envy and sadness. J gave her a meaningful gaze. At first, she was moved by what Diana have said. She didn''t have that kind of experience so she cannot say those words. And even if she has, she doubts if she can say such moving words. But her last words made her lips twitched. "Is it that depressing that it was I who was beside you during that time?" J said indifferently. Diana coughed when she realized what she has said. During her pregnancy until birth, J was always beside her scolding and nagging at her. She never told anyone about her pregnancy except her. She rented an apartment near Mt. Celandine during her pregnancy. J always visits her every other day after her duty. "Of course, since Miss J is beside me during those times, it was not too depressing." After hearing Diana''s words that she intentionally said for the four men to realize, Daniel felt grateful towards J. He looked at her with great admiration and gratefulness. If it weren''t for her, he wouldn''t be able to find out that his wife is about to deliver their daughter. He suddenly realized how lucky he is to be assigned in this mission. If he was in another mission, he probably wouldn''t know that her wife has given birth after a couple of days or weeks. As a rule of Twelve Army, every agent is not allowed to take their personal phones while on their mission. Usually it would take about a week to months before they could get a leave or for a mission to be completed. So, they will only hear news from their family during those times. As an agent of Twelve Army, their mission should always be their top priority. Chapter 246 - Go and sleep at home J gestured for them to leave Hannah alone in the room to let her rest and regain her strength. They all went to the living room. The four men stay standing while J sit in one of the plush chairs while Diana chose to sit in one of the chairs of the dining table. J leaned her back and pondered for a moment before she speaks. "Felix, how''s your wife? Is she pregnant as well?" J asked Felix out of the blue. "Huh?" Felix was surprised by her sudden question. "No! I mean, not yet. Ha-ha. I am not ready for that kind of responsibility yet." After hearing that, J becomes serious. "I know that working under Twelve Army, your top priority has always been your mission." J paused for a moment. "But that won''t work for me." J stood up and walk towards the door that leads to the patient''s room. She put both her hands on her front pocket and look at the sleeping girl. "Since you are also working for me, I have to make my own policy." She turned to look at the four men. "From now on, I don''t want you to put aside your family just because of me. If anything like this is to happen, you have to inform me immediately." After hearing that, Arthur was the first one to retort. "But Miss J..." But J didn''t seem to hear him and continued speaking. "You''ll have your personal phone with you all the time. Daniel, I''m giving you one week... no... one-month leave. I''ll have James arrange the necessary papers. Felix, you don''t have to stay at Evergreen Villa. You will only work on the day. But as soon as the night fell and Jacob is with me, you don''t have to stay with me, just go home to your wife. Arthur and Stefan will take turns in staying at Evergreen. Meaning, you''ll have your chance to go home every other day. Is that clear?" "But Miss J this is not meant..." Arthur was stopped again by J. "I''ll deal with Jacob. Is that clear?" "Miss J, you know the situation right now with the Novus Rex." Arthur didn''t bother with J''s persistence. "Arthur, what am I asking you?" J''s look darkens. And the four of them was startled. "I only asked for Daniel to take a leave, it is very timely since his wife just gave birth. Then I asked Felix to go home at night. And I ask you and Stefan to go home every other night." J was becoming irritable. "What do you do at night at Evergreen? Sleep. Then why not do it at your own home? You are not leaving me alone at all because I have Jacob and at least one of you. If Jacob is not yet around then you cannot go home yet. It won''t affect your daily duty at all." J said matter-of-factly. "Miss J, we don''t just sleep at night at Evergreen, we take turns in watching the surveillance camera." Stefan said feeling dejected. J was taken aback. She didn''t realize that at night, they don''t stop working at all. "Oh... you do?" She felt embarrass for a moment. The four men felt like she would finally let go of this idea. But something flashed in J''s eyes. "Then I''ll have Jacob hire someone to watch over the surveillance camera at Evergreen 24-hours." "That''s it! I''ll finish up some documentations then I''ll meet you at the basement." And with that, J dismissed them. The four men was left plastered. She was quite assiduous. Chapter 247 - The Uxorious Jacob At Evergreen Villa. Jacob was in his study when J arrived with Arthur and Stefan. Daniel was left in the hospital starting his month-long leave while Felix was forced to leave the villa as soon as they arrived. And since, they haven''t found someone to watch over the surveillance camera of the villa 24 hours, Arthur and Stefan will both be staying there for the night. At the bedroom. J told Jacob about Daniel''s wife giving birth and the events that happen before and after that. As well as the decision that she come up to after realizing that the life of Arthur, Daniel, Felix and Stefan revolves around her setting aside their personal lives, especially for Daniel and Felix who were already married. She felt sorry for the wives of Daniel and Felix. She realized that if she was in their position, she would''ve definitely divorced them a long time ago. Why would she marry someone that have no time for her? As the marriage vows goes, ''For better or for worse, till death do us part, but it turns out that for them, for better or for worse their husband was never there. Jacob was not surprised at all. Apparently, Arthur had already reported about that to Jacob, after all, he was supposed to report everything directly to him. "You already knew, don''t you?" J looked at him indifferently with a raised brow. She was already preparing to bundle herself with a blanket when she realized that Jacob is not saying anything. She was expecting him to throw questions at her and objects in most of the things that she said but he seemed to be unusually just quietly watching at her. "Mm.." Jacob nodded as he helped tuck her under the soft blanket. "So?" J was looking at him expectantly. "So? What do you expect me to say?" Jacob teased her. "Aren''t you going to object?" J furrowed her brows. She was anticipating Jacob''s remonstrance but he seems like he is not taking her seriously. Jacob chuckled. "Mrs. Parker, as I''ve heard, you seemed to be so adamant earlier. Are you giving me a chance to object now? After all, you broke a couple of rules of the Twelve Army in just an hour. You don''t want me to enumerate them to you, do you?" Jacob said as he took her into his embrace. After hearing that, J who was now facing Jacob''s chest raised her head in wary and look at Jacob''s face. "Of course not! I was just saying so you know. And I won''t accept any objections." Jacob smiled faintly. "I know. Sleep now. You should wake up early tomorrow. A couple of people from Twelve Army will come to watch over the surveillance cameras 24 hours." After saying that Jacob gave her a kiss on the forehead. J''s face lightened up. She couldn''t come up with any more words to say but a simple "Thank you." She felt like a doted wife now. Just now, she discovered how uxorious Jacob is. "Why do I feel like you cared more about your guards than me?" Jacob sound like he was mistreated. J rolled her eyes. She knows that he was just acting out. "You can have me with you anytime in 24 hours, what are you complaining about?" J said as she squeezed herself into Jacob''s chest. Satisfied with her answer, Jacob suddenly positioned himself on top of J as he kissed her passionately. Chapter 248 - The new car The next morning at around 7 o''clock, the three agents from the Twelve Army came just like what Jacob said last night. They will take turns in watching over the surveillance cameras in the whole villa. Except for the three bedrooms, the whole villa is equipped with CCTV cameras inside and outside. Before, it was the A team who took turns in watching over it but since the situation has changed or rather, J has changed the situation Jacob have to call for an additional agent from Twelve Army. Lily who noticed that there were additional three agents in the house said, "Bro, did the Twelve Army headquarters transferred here?" Jacob gave Lily a nefarious smile. "Yeah. Actually, there were three more female agent coming later. An additional guard for you." Lily became incensed. "You! Don''t you dare!" Lily almost cursed on Jacob. She hates it when someone is interfering with her freedom. After Lily left, and everyone has taken their breakfast they heard a sound of a car engine that enters the villa. J furrowed her brows and looked at Jacob. There were only five cars in the villa''s garage, one SUV, one luxury car and three sports car. J know that that sound doesn''t come from any of those cars. And she was very familiar with the sound of that car. While looking at Jacob, J can''t control the corner of her lips curving upwards. Jacob shrugged his shoulder as if he doesn''t know what is happening. In just a blink of an eye, J banished in front of Jacob. She was already outside the villa ogling at the latest race car model in front of her eyes. J can''t hide her excitement. She searched for her phone in her pocket and dialed Buck''s number. After a couple of rings, Buck answered. "The car is here!" J exclaimed. "What car?" Buck''s voice was confused. "Don''t fool around with me. The new race car is here. Why didn''t you tell me that you already ordered it?" "I''m not fooling around Miss J. The insurance company haven''t compensated us yet. I am starting to get anxious because the Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship is in less than two weeks yet you don''t have a car. JK''s team is spreading rumors that you will forfeit the race. You know, you are one of the three biggest threat in JK''s career ever since M42 retired last year." Buck sounds upset over the phone. "Okay! Okay! I''ll call you again." J said nonchalantly. She was now wondering, if this isn''t the new car that she will be using for the race then whose car is this? For that fleeting moment she was excited but now she is feeling skeptical. J is staring stupefied at the blue sports car. The driver of the car stepped out and look at the person behind her. She now realized that Jacob is standing behind her. The driver said something to Jacob then hand him the key of the car then he left the villa. J looked at Jacob with her brows furrowed. "I knew it will take long before the insurance company compensate you so I ordered your car in advance. You''ll just have to pay me back once the insurance company has compensated you. The race is in two weeks, right?" Jacob said enthusiastically. J was dumbfounded. "You bought this for me?" Jacob nodded but noticed that J looked unconvinced. "Why? You don''t like it?" Chapter 249 - The doted wife "No! I mean yes! But..." J was surprised. She never expected that Jacob would take the initiative to buy her a car for the upcoming Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship. She very well knows that Jacob is against her racing specially after the accident almost two weeks ago. He didn''t even allow her to touch a steering wheel after that. J looked at Jacob with narrowed eyes. "I ordered the latest and most innovative fire suits for you. You must wear it during your practice and the Championship. And also, I had someone from abroad to help set up the latest design of safety devices in your car. They should arrive tomorrow. Tell your team to cooperate well with them. And, call your manager, tell him to pick up your car here and take it to Naupaka Racing Circuit. I won''t allow you to drive it unless it is not yet fully set up with safety devices." Jacob said in his most assertive tone. After saying that Jacob turned around and entered the villa leaving J slack-jawed. J walked fast to follow Jacob. "Jacob..." J wanted to ask Jacob why did he bought the car even thou he doesn''t like the idea of her racing but Jacob suddenly stopped walking making her face bumped into his broad back. "I still don''t approve of you racing or joining that championship. But will you oblige if I told you not to race? No. Will you stop if I told you to stop? No. I don''t want to have a misunderstanding between the two of us just because of this. So, instead of complicating things, I''ll just have to support you in anything that you want to do even thou it is against my will. But still, I have to make sure that you will be safe." Jacob said facing J in a close distance. J didn''t know what to say. Jacob didn''t give her a chance to say something or ask. Anyway, he was able to answer all the questions and doubts that J had in mind. Right now, she was just so elated that she wanted to run towards the new car and drive it around the city in its fastest speed. She gave Jacob a warm smile and said, "I told you I hate surprises." "So you hate this." Jacob said referring to him buying her a race car. "No. Thank you." J said without averting her gaze from Jacob. "Do you know how complicated I feel right now? I got you bunch of A-teams to keep you safe yet here I am, putting your life at risk by buying you a car that almost cost you your life once just to make you happy." Jacob sounded like a defeated child. He was not supposed to buy that car in the first place. He was actually happy that the insurance company is taking long to compensate her giving her a low chances of joining the upcoming race. But the thought of her sad and angry at most making him unease. So, he made the decision to buy her the car. J rolled her eyes. "Okay. What do you want?" Jacob gave her an insidious smile. "How about a kiss?" J glared at him. Pervert! Have you forgotten that we are not alone here at the villa anymore?! Arthur, Stefan and Felix who were still in the living room heard what Jacob said and out of respect, they walked out going back to the kitchen to give the couple some privacy Chapter 250 - Show of Gratitude Seeing the three men walked out of the room made J felt embarrass. But although they were only the one left in the room, J remembered that surveillance cameras were installed all throughout the villa and the living room is not an exception. And today, because of her idea, Jacob assigned three agents to watch over the surveillance cameras 24 hour. Meaning, even thou there were only the two of them in the living room, there were another three pairs of eyes that are watching them right now. J suddenly regretted her idea. J stepped closer at Jacob and murmured something. "Are you crazy? Did you forget that there were three people watching over us through the surveillance camera?" "Of course, I won''t forget that brilliant idea of yours. So, aren''t you going to show your gratitude yet?" J widened her eyes is shame. This guy''s not only pervert, he is also shameless. J closed her eyes and take a deep breath. "Are you serious?" "Damn serious." Jacob replied earnestly. J felt defeated. After a moment of hesitation, J take another step closer to Jacob and tip toed to reach Jacob''s face. But due to Jacob''s height, she still can''t reach him so she said, "Can you lower your head a little?" J said innocently. Her tone and expression made Jacob smile at her with admiration. Of course, he was just teasing her. He would still get his kiss one way or another. He just enjoyed teasing her. The way she glowered at him looks appealing to him. He somewhat finds it cute. Jacob was very submissive and leaned his head towards her face. But before J could move closer, Jacob already grasped her back closer to him while is other hand slide at the back of her neck to support her. In an instant, the supposed to be J''s kiss to Jacob became the other way around. Jacob kissed her passionately that surprised J at first, but she soon gave in. She returned the kiss without hesitation which made Jacob tighten his arms around her. The three agents watching the monitor at a certain room was taken aback when they saw that in one monitor, their Boss, the Chairman of the Twelve Army is kissing the girl that they saw earlier in the living room. Of course, they were not aware yet that she is the wife of Jacob. They were not supposed to ask. After all, they knew about the reputation of their boss when it comes to girls. She is probably one of those that would throw themselves at Jacob even after the reality that Jacob cannot give them any assurance of a serious commitment. But they didn''t expect it, because, they thought that J wasn''t that kind of girl. They thought that she is a distant relative since Lily, Jacob''s sister is also there. She is different from those girls that they have seen with their Boss before. When they saw her earlier, she was aloof and indifferent unlike other girls that were too clingy and skittish towards their Boss. Although they can''t hear what their Boss and that girl is talking, they can say that the way that their Boss looks at the girl, he is very devoted towards her. While the girl, thou seemed to be glaring at their Boss most of the time, there is a hint of affection in her eyes towards their Boss. She eventually softens as soon as she is held by their Boss. Chapter 251 - Hannah Li That afternoon, J went to the hospital earlier than she used to. She decided to give Hannah Li a visit first before she heads towards the Department of Surgery for her shift. As usual, Arthur drove her while Stefan and Felix followed them in their motor bike. Jacob, this past few days spend the morning in the hospital conducting meeting and rounds while most of his afternoon was spent in the Twelve Army headquarters. But he makes sure that he would come home first before J. Ever since he found out about the Novus Rex''s interest with J, he didn''t slack off and tried to be ahead of them by monitoring their every move. He had requested someone from the Robin Hood Society to work together with an A-team from Twelve Army to watch over the Novus Rex. During this past few days, he had found out that Jack Ogden had arrived back in Lotus City but is not making any moves yet. He didn''t meet with his grandson as well. While Alex Ogden, has been frequently seen at Rendezvous by Lance. However, they don''t see anything unusual yet. J used the stairs of the emergency exit from the 10th floor to the 9th floor where the VIP suites are located. Hannah Li was transferred to one of this rooms. Inside the VIP Suite, Hannah Li was now sitting in the sofa watching TV while cuddling her one-day old daughter. Her mother-in-law went home to prepare the house and the room for the baby as soon as they received order from Dr. Ivanov that she will be discharged tomorrow morning. While Daniel went at the admin department to settle their bill. She was watching tenderly the little angel who is asleep in her arms when she heard a knock on the door. She thought that it is probably her private nurse. She still can''t believe that the Twelve Army gives this kind of privilege to a wife of their agent. Having a private nurse and being admitted in a VIP Suite is quite overwhelming. It is less surprising if it was Daniel who receive this privilege but it was her, who is not directly related to Twelve Army. Are they really this generous? Although that is what Daniel told her, she still doubts it. Because she has another reason in her mind. "Please come in." she said. The door opens to reveal a simple yet stunning woman carrying a basket of carnation in different shades of pink. The woman wears a white nurse uniform, her hair is in a ponytail and she wears no makeup at all. She looks at Hannah with a sweet smile before she introduces herself. "Hi, I''m Nurse J from the Department of Surgery." Hannah instantly recognize the girl who entered the room and she gave her a gentle smile. "Of course. Please have a sit." Hannah said motioning J to sit in a vacant plush chair. J obliged and put down the basket of flowers in the cocktail table in front of them. "These are for you and your baby." J initially wanted to buy a bouquet of flowers for Hannah but she is not familiar with her so she was not sure what kind of flowers she like. So, she resolved in buying carnations because it was soft and delicate just like the mother and daughter in front of her right now. She chose a different shade of pink because it was a baby girl. Although it was a bit traditional, coming from J, it was actually very considerate of her to bring something since she is Daniel''s wife. If she was another person, she wouldn''t bother herself to bring anything. Chapter 252 - The police officer "Thank you. You shouldn''t have bother yourself. After all, you''ve done so much for me, my daughter and Daniel. If it wasn''t because of you, Daniel would have missed the precious moment that this angel stepped out in this world. And this privilege..." Hannah looked around the VIP Suite ecstatically before her eyes landed on J. "... this is overwhelming. So, I am grateful towards you. I hope I can repay you someday." Hannah said appreciatively. J cocked her head and her brows pulled together. Hannah sounds like she knew that J was the one who called Daniel and that she is also the one who transferred her from a regular room to a VIP Suite. But she didn''t say anything, she continued on peering on Hannah. Seeing the suspicion in her eyes, Hannah continued. "Don''t worry, Daniel never said anything to me. He just said that he protects a VVIP. Aside from that, nothing else. I just realized that the VVIP that he is protecting must''ve been working here when he said that when the time comes, I should gave birth at CLP Hospital, it will be convenient for him." "Then my speculations became more certain when my mother-in-law told me that the nurse in the OR seemed to know about Twelve Army and that Daniel works there, then you came with him in the OR, I was transferred from a regular room to a VIP Suite, and now you are here." Hannah Li smiled at her then she stood up, she walks towards a crib then placed the sleeping baby on it before she sits back in the sofa. J was impressed the way the girl analyzes the situation. She is the same with Daniel in that aspect. But she didn''t deny nor confirm her speculation. "If you knew that Daniel was just around, then why didn''t you call him when you were in labor?" J asked. The girl smiled. "Because, he cannot accept any calls from me while he is on duty. That''s a rule. I planned to call him later on." "Why does it sounds like you are fine with this rules?" J still can''t accept this kind of rule in the Twelve Army. "Because I understand." J frowned. "We both work in the same industry. The safety of the people is my top priority, and as for Daniel, his mission takes priority over any other matter." "You are a soldier?" J was surprised. The girl is so calm and soft-spoken. Who would''ve thought that she is a soldier. "Police Officer." Hannah corrected J. J was astonished. The girl laughed. "Daniel had the same reaction when I told him that I am a police officer. In fact, everyone''s reaction is the same as yours." J was taken aback. "I''m sorry. I just didn''t thought that you are a police officer." Soon the two of them felt at ease at each other''s company. J found out that Hannah and Daniel were already married for five years now and just decided to have a baby a year ago. When the two of them met, Daniel was already an agent of Twelve Army. He wasn''t in Arthur''s team yet, but he was assigned in a mission to protect a Senator who was in a hot spot during those time because of his involvement to drug syndicate. At the same time, Hannah is an agent of Criminal Investigation Group under the Police Department. She was secretly investigating the senator''s involvement with a drug syndicate. Chapter 253 - Hannah And Daniel Since Daniel works as a private security of that Senator, Hannah thought that he might also be involve with drug syndicate. But she later on found out that he is a personal security hired by the Senator from Twelve Army. She is well aware that a personal security that was hired by certain person from the Twelve Army is not allowed to be involved in any of their illegal doings, and whatever they see or hear about the person they are protecting should remain confidential and should not be disclosed to anyone including their team leader and higher ups. But when Daniel met Hannah, she was disguised as an author that is writing a book about that particular Senator. Because of her sweet talking and excellent cover, she was granted a temporary pass to the Senator''s office. She was also given an opportunity to have an interview with that Senator and the person''s that are relatively close to him. But Daniel was a keen observer, he noticed something amiss about this girl. So, when Daniel was granted a day off, he took the opportunity to investigate and follow Hannah without letting anyone know. Although Hannah was extremely cautious when carrying out her mission, her cover was still blown up by Daniel. But Hannah didn''t panic, she knows that Daniel''s mission is to protect the Senator against threat in his life, while her mission is to investigate the Senator''s involvement with drug syndicate. So technically, she doesn''t pose a threat to the Senator''s life. And she also knew that Daniel would not involve himself into the Senator''s personal and illegal matters. In fact, Hannah even managed to get Daniel to help her in her investigation. Although he knew that they were not allowed, Daniel still helped her. No one knew that once in his past, Daniel violated a rule of the Twelve Army. He only did that, surprisingly because of Hannah. Since then, he never violated any rules of the Twelve Army. And if ever he would have to, he will only do it for Hannah. Later on, the Senator was proven guilty with his involvement with the drug syndicate yet no one knew until now that his downfall was because of Daniel and Hannah. Since then, they started dating and later on got married. Daniel came from an ordinary family while Hannah was an orphan from an age of five. Daniel''s father was a Lieutenant Colonel but went missing in action when Daniel was just a teenager. After that, Daniel was raised alone by her mother. "Have you heard of Miss Eve''s?" Hannah asked. J''s mouth twitched upon hearing a familiar name. She nodded her head without saying a word. "I grew up at Miss Eve''s. When my parents died at that plane crash, I don''t know any relatives and I was only five back then. So, I was brought to Miss Eve''s. I was raised and taken cared of by Miss Eve''s. The orphanage sent me to school and supported me until I graduated in college and became a police officer." "Are you still in contact with them?" J asked. "Yes. I still visit them once in a while. But this past few months I haven''t got a chance to. Daniel didn''t allow me due to my pregnancy. But he promised me that we''ll visit there together once I regain my strength after birth." Hannah said with a genuine smile. J have seen a couple of people who grew up at Miss Eve''s making a visit but she never crossed path with Hannah before. Chapter 254 - The possessive celebrity For a short period of time, the two of them became at ease with each other''s company. J felt that she has found herself a person that she can consider if not a friend at least a close acquaintance. Because of her aloof countenance it was rare for her to have a close acquaintance much more a friend. J believe that real friends will just come along naturally so she is not striving to find one. They heard someone knock on the door then the door opens revealing Daniel. His gaze was fixated on his wife who was sitting on the sofa. Then he became wide eyed when he noticed a familiar figure sitting in the plush chair with her back facing him. But it was only for a short moment. He was able to conceal the surprise look in his face before his wife could noticed it. Daniel walked over to his wife who is smiling sweetly at him. He put a couple of papers that he was holding into the cocktail table before he sits beside her. He turned to look at J and gave her a nod. J cleared her throat. "I should go. Take care of yourself." J gave Hannah a genuine smile which she returned instantly. J stood up and walked towards the door. As soon as she was gone Hannah said, "Sweetheart, your boss is such a nice person." Upon hearing that Daniel was dumbstruck. Did Miss J told Hannah her real identity or did Hannah uncovered. Knowing his wife, it was probably the latter. ..... At the lobby, a girl wearing a shades and hat strut her way to the elevator avoiding to catch attention from anyone in the hospital. When the elevator opens, luckily no one is inside. She walked in and pressed the button to the 10th floor hoping that no one will recognize her. When she reached the 10th floor, she immediately saw a familiar person. "Miss Anne!" James was surprised to see her. Anne is an award-winning actress and also a spoiled daughter of a Senator. She was the one who called Jacob in the middle of the night to pick her up but instead of Jacob answering her call, it was a girl who answered it instead and according to Jacob, that girl is his wife. But she refused to believe. Jacob dated her for a couple of weeks before he went abroad but didn''t had a formal relationship with her. He just thought she is going to be a good and decent company since she is an award-winning celebrity and a daughter of a senator. But it turns out that she is brimming with obsessiveness and possessiveness. Once she laid her eyes on something, she would fight tooth and nail just to get it. If she wanted to win best actress, she would definitely win best actress. And when she met Jacob, she makes it her ultimate goal to have him. Thou she didn''t wish to marry him. She just wanted him to be hers. Finally, she catches Jacob''s attention. But later on, Jacob realized how possessive she is. Jacob hate commitment because he doesn''t want to be chained. Yet, Anne wants to chain him to her even thou they were just dating and does not have a serious relationship at all. Until Jacob decided to go abroad. He used that alibi to free himself from her. And now that he is back, she wanted him back to her side. Chapter 255 - Leave now "I''m here to see Jacob." Anne announced while she continued walking towards Jacob''s office but James was quick to block her way. "I''m sorry Miss Anne but Dr. Jacob is having a surgery." James said. Actually, it was a lie. Jacob is inside his office reading and singing papers. He could even hear the commotion going on outside his office. Upon hearing the familiar voice, he pinched the area between his brows. After the incident with Dr. Stella, Jacob instructed James that he doesn''t want any visitors from any of his previous flings. That is to avoid any misunderstandings with J. So, when James saw the arrival of Miss Anne, he was alerted. Anne crossed her arms in front of her chest and casually said to James. "I don''t believe you. I know he is in there. I have to talk to him. Tell him I don''t believe that he is already married and I won''t leave until I see who that girl is." James was dumbstruck. How did Miss Anne find out about President Jacob''s marriage? Did something happen? That was the scene that unfolded in J''s eyes as soon as she opened the door from the fire exit to the 10th floor. She could even hear the girl''s name from behind the door. So, she clearly heard what she said. Her brows furrowed hearing the familiar voice. James was surprised but he still remains calm when he saw J coming their way. "Miss J." He immediately greeted her. "I''ve been calling you but you are not answering your phone." J said casually but her gaze was fixated at the other girl. James took out his phone and found out that J has been indeed calling him. But because he was busy blocking Miss Anne''s way, he didn''t notice it. J who was still looking at the girl understand why was James unable to answer her call. She averted her gaze from the girl and looked at James. "Miss Hannah Li will be discharged tomorrow. Please make some necessary arrangements." J said assertively. James nodded his head and said. "Consider it done Miss." Anne''s curiosity was piqued. Why does this girl sound familiar? And she acts so superior over James who is an executive assistant, while she looks like just an ordinary nurse? She is a famous celebrity but why does this girl look at her without any recognition at all? "And Miss..." J turned to look at Anne. "I heard you just said that you won''t leave until you see Jacob''s wife?" J said, her tone was sullen. James who was watching the two women in front of her felt like there is some storm brewing in the 10th floor of the hospital. But he didn''t panic, he was still calm as ever. After a moment of silence. "You can leave now." J said without waiting for Anne to say something. J stared at the girl with a stern face. James started to panic. The girl was speechless but after contemplating, a faint smile appeared in her red lips. "I understand." It seems that the girl just realizes who that nurse is actually is. "It''s a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Parker. I won''t trouble you then." then she turned and left. Although she is extremely possessive, if she knows that if she can''t have him, she won''t waste her time on him. She will only fight tooth and nail for someone that she knows she can have. She detested mistresses and would never ever join their club. That is something that is commendable about her. Chapter 256 - Eavesdropping She left leaving J and James speechless. It turns out that the storm is just a false alarm. But J wasn''t at ease, she is still on high alert. After all, there are some girls who seemed to be more cunning than what they look. It was different with Anne, she really doesn''t want to be involve with a married man. She can have any man she wanted but not a married man. Jacob have heard everything that happened outside his office. The mood inside his office was somewhat euphoric when James entered. "Did they leave already?" Jacob asked. A smile was plastered on his face. James nodded. "Miss Anne already left the building while Miss J is already in the Department of Surgery. If your flings keep on coming like this, I am afraid I cannot keep Miss J on leash." "Just let her be. She''s actually cute when she is angry and jealous." Jacob said, He is obviously still on cloud nine. James gave him a side-eye. "Are you sure we are still talking about your wife and not a puppy?" Jacob let out an infectious belly laugh. Days quickly passed and it was soon the eve of CLP Hospital''s Foundation Gala. Jacob was still persuading J to attend. This past few days, Jacob has been coercing J to attend the gala but J was resolute. J was unwavering that she won''t go to any social gathering as it will only take much of her energy. She is just too lazy to socialize. She would rather sleep at home all day or play with beauty and beast. "Okay, if you don''t really want to go. I won''t force you anymore." Jacob sigh in defeat. He obviously sound disappointed but he still smiled at J and gave her a kiss at her forehead before he went to the bathroom to take a shower. J felt guilty, actually there is no problem with her going to the gala, she just doesn''t feel like going. Like a total introvert. Tomorrow is her day off and she plans to stay at Naupaka Racing Circuit for two days. This past few days since Jacob bought her a new race car, she spent her mornings every day at Naupaka Racing Circuit to practice. She would just return to Lotus City after lunch and go directly at CLP Hospital for duty. In one week, the Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship will be held and she just wanted to spend her spare time practicing. But she felt guilty for rejecting Jacob''s request. Come to think of it, Jacob has never requested anything from her ever since they got married. Well, of course, except for her to be safe. This is the first time that he was eagerly pleading her. She was already preparing to go to sleep when she heard the door of the bathroom opened. As soon as Jacob came out, he lays in bed beside J then he pulled her to his embrace. "Why do you want me to go?" after hesitating, J finally asked. "Tomorrow, Dad, is going to formally announce my position as President and CEO of CLP Group of Hospital. I just want you to be there. But if you really don''t want to, that''s okay. We can just celebrate at Naupaka after the gala. Just wait for me there. Hm?" Jacob said as he leaned closer to give her a kiss at the forehead. J was torn in two. She really doesn''t want to go but she doesn''t want to disappoint Jacob as well. Chapter 257 - Can you teach me how to fire a gun? The next day, J went early in Naupaka Racing Circuit with Arthur, Felix and Stefan while Jacob went straight to Twelve Army Headquarters. After a couple of laps, J went to rest at one of the log cabins. While sitting at an outdoor sofa, she was staring blankly at the rows of trees surrounding the log cabin. J is still thinking about if she should go to the foundation gala or not. Arthur was standing next to her while Felix and Stefan were on close watch somewhere. "Miss, tonight is the foundation gala." Arthur reminded her. J nodded. "Should I go?" she replied nonchalantly. "I believe so." Arthur replied with the same impassiveness. J went silent. Then she took a deep breath. No one could read what could she be thinking that time. After a moment, the caretaker of the log cabin which is a middle-aged plump woman appeared carrying a tray with lemonade on it. The caretaker place it on the coffee table in front of J then she left. J took a sip of the lemonade, as she placed the lemonade back to the coffee table, she asked Arthur. "Any news from Novus Rex?" "Jack Ogden is in Lotus City, but he''s not making any moves yet." "How about Alex Ogden?" Arthur contemplated for a moment before he replied. "He has found out about your identity?" The corner of J''s brows twitched. "How much does he know?" "Just the fact the you''re a nurse at CLP Hospital." Because of Jacob''s strict arrangement, no one knows when or how does J get in and off her work at CLP Hospital. So even thou Alex Ogden''s men watched over her inside the hospital, they wouldn''t have known where does she go home. So, they could only watch her when she is in CLP Hospital. "Does Jacob know?" "Apparently yes." Arthur replied. After all, Jacob has been spending most of his time at Twelve Army Headquarters, and part of it was spent monitoring Novus Rex. He had people from Twelve Army and Robin Hood Society watching their moves. "We are on a close watch, you''ll never know when one of Alex Ogden''s men would approach you." Arthur said with a stern face. J leaned her back to the sofa and closed her eyes. "I understand." That means she have to be more careful and avoid going out without Arthur and his team around her. "Can you teach me how to fire a gun?" J said out of the blue that made Arthur surprise for a second but later on regained his composure. "Of course, but I guess Stefan is the best person for this job." Arthur said. Although Arthur had a extensive and dynamic fighting skills, when it comes to guns, Stefan is considered to be one of the best in Twelve Army. "Oh... Okay." So that afternoon, instead of practicing in the circuit, J lead Arthur''s team, to the indoor shooting range which is part of the estate where Naupaka Racing Circuit is. Inside the shooting range, Stefan placed a various type of guns in the table in front of her. Stefan chooses these guns from the storage because it is the most commonly used guns by women. "These are the Glock series. Glock 19, Glock 26 and Glock 43." Stefan started off by orienting her with the specifics of the guns. He pointed out three guns that were on the farthest from J but nearest to him. Chapter 258 - Shooting lessons "The Glock is a series of polymer-framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols. They were commonly used by armed forces, security agencies and police officers. They are also popular among civilians." Stefan continued while J listened to him attentively without interrupting him. Stefan pick out one gun. "This is a Glock 19 primarily used by military and law enforcement. It uses a magazine with a standard capacity of 15 rounds. This one here is Glock 26, it is smaller than Glock 19, most commonly used by civilians. Its pistol grip can only support two fingers, it has shorter barrel and slide. It has a double-stack magazine and has a standard capacity of 10 rounds. While this one is the Glock 43, this is the slimline version of Glock 26. It has a single-stack magazine with a standard capacity of 6 rounds." As J listens to Stefan, she took one gun after another to test which is easier for her to grip. She is quite familiar with Glock 43 as she could see Arthur and his team carrying them in either inside the waistband concealed carry holster or ankle holster. "How about this one?" J pick up a smaller pistol. Much smaller than Glock 43. "That is the Sig Sauer P238. It is smaller than Glock 43 but its magazine has a standard capacity of 10 rounds." Then J looked at the last one. It is a slim, lightweight pistol that is almost the size of her hand. "That''s a Smith & Wesson M&P 9 Shield. It has a standard magazine capacity of 7 rounds." Stefan said. Stefan discussed more details about the pistols then he let J choose what she wanted to use. Since J has a small hand, she immediately eliminates Glock 19 and Glock 26. She decided to try to shoot Glock 43, Sig Sauer P238 and M&P 9 Shield. While J is standing in the firing lane, Stefan acts as range master while Arthur and Felix stayed to watch at the control booth. J is wearing a safety glasses and earmuffs. Stefan thought her a shooting stance that will enable her to fire any weapon effectively. It is called the fighting or tactical stance which was developed in the military. Another reason why Stefan chose this stance for J among other traditional stance is because it doesn''t have a downside. J is square to the target. Her feet are slightly wider and her right foot is slightly behind the left foot. Her knees are flexed. She leans slightly forward while extending the arms straight out, bringing the sights to her eyes. Her head is kept level to maintain balance, especially when moving. According to Stefan, this stance will allow her to defend herself with her hands, baton or firearm all from the same platform. Stefan signal J to start shooting. Using the Glock 43, she fired the first bullet to the stationary paper target. Feeling ecstatic, J fired another one followed by another one until she completed the 6 rounds therefore emptying the Glock 43''s magazine. Thus, making Arthur, Stefan and Felix slack-jawed. Stefan checked the targets and to his surprise, J hit the bullseye six times. With a gaping jaw he looked at the control booth where Arthur and Felix are watching then to J. He scratched his head and thought that she was just lucky, then he hands her the Sig Sauer P238. But to his surprise, she was able to hit the bullseye ten times with Sig Sauer P238, then seven times with M&P 9 Shield. Chapter 259 - Toxophilite As far as they know, J have never held a gun before much more fired a gun before. So, the three of them were in awestruck. J removed the earmuffs and safety glasses to check the paper target and a faint smile appear on the corner of her lips in contentment. With wrinkles spreading across Stefan''s forehead, he walked to J and asked to confirm. "Miss J, have you fired a gun before?" "No." J replied casually. Obviously, Stefan didn''t believe so he rephrased his question. "Are you sure you haven''t fired a gun before?" "Yes." J said nonchalantly before he turned to look at Stefan with a knitted brow. "But I''m fond of archery." she said casually. Stefan was surprised. No wonder. Although target shooting and target archery differs from stance and mechanism their target is almost the same and their goal is both accuracy from a set distance. If J is accurate when it comes to archery, it would be easier for her to be accurate as well with shooting guns. After all, both need the same level of concentration and accuracy to be able to hit the target. Apparently, J is a toxophilite. Archery has been her sport since she was eight years old and is now an expert in archery. But she is not into competitive archery. It was only for her recreational activity. If in racing she finds a sense of fulfillment during adrenaline rush, in archery, she finds a sense of calmness. When she was a child, whenever she is upset, her grandfather would take her outside the Lodgepole Mansion, he would set up a target and would teach her to shot an arrow to the target. Soon it became a recreation for her, she became fond of it and later on become an expert. One time, her grandfather takes her out for hunting in an island near Lodgepole Estate. That island is uninhabited but there were some large migratory birds who stop there to rest and eat. Elder Do taught her how to hunt using a bow and arrow, but the moment she pointed the arrow to that large bird, her hands trembled and her heart tightened. She can''t seem to do it. In the end, she split the arrow into two and throw it in the sea. But that didn''t stop her from archery, she would still do target archery but despised bowhunting. She seemed to have valued life ever since she was a child. When she was studying abroad, she became a member of International Bow and Arrow Federation. She would sometimes represent her school in archery competitions. But whenever she wins, she doesn''t have that sense of fulfillment. But archery taught her how to concentrate and to be calm. After graduating in college, she stopped participating in archery competition and would only use the bow and arrow as her recreation. After her target shooting lessons, she didn''t practice racing anymore. Instead, she told Arthur that they would be going back to Lotus City. When she arrived in the Evergreen Villa, it was almost seven o''clock in the evening, the house is empty. Lily is already filming her movie in Mt. Celandine, so she would be gone for a couple of weeks. Jacob is probably already at Elm Palace Hotel where the CLP Hospitals Foundation Gala is to be held. She felt somewhat down. She thought that she might see Jacob when she arrives and if he persuade her one last time, she might go with him. Chapter 260 - The blue dress She walks in the bedroom disappointed. When she enters the room, she noticed a beautiful box laid in the bed. She walks towards it and found a note on top of it. It said ''In case you change your mind.'' The note was from Jacob. She opened the box and saw an off-shoulder royal blue mermaid dress. It was so beautiful that J can''t help feeling its texture. She held the gown and a feeling of excitement arose from her. Actually, the reason why she didn''t practice racing that afternoon was because she has decided to go to the foundation gala. The whole day she seemed to be at a loss, she can''t decide whether to go or not. She supposedly wanted to do archery to calm herself and clear her mind so she could decide. But she doesn''t have bow and arrow at hand. So since there is a shooting range in Naupaka Racing Circuit, she thought it might give the same effect if she shoot a gun instead of an arrow. And surprisingly, it did. So after shooting, she went back to Lotus City only to find that Jacob had already left. She thought that, maybe, it is better for her not to go. But after seeing the dress prepared by Jacob. She finally decided. "Get ready. We are going to the Foundation Gala." J sent a text message to Arthur. The three of them were in the guest room when they received J''s text message. In front of them are three sets of suits. Seems like Jacob have already predicted that J would change her mind. After changing into that mermaid dress, J just straightened her long hair, instead of her usual updo and ponytail hairstyles, she just let it down giving her a sleek and sexy yet elegant look. She didn''t do much for her make up after all, she''s not good at putting make up. She just added a little blush on, nude lipstick and eye shadow. When she is ready, she went outside to see if Arthur, Felix and Stefan were ready. She looked at the three men in approbation. They were all good looking in their own different way. Stefan is cute, he probably doesn''t have all the good looks but he is endearing and adorable. Felix on the other hand is attractive, thou he possesses a relatively good looks but for some reason, you find yourself very attracted to him. While Arthur is a combination of a handsome and hot man, he is generally the tall, dark and handsome guy, he carries himself well but isn''t aware how hot he actually is. He is the type of man that can get any girl that he wants to. But no matter how good looking these men in front of her is, J doesn''t have an inch of romantic interest in them. Because she already has a beautiful man of her own. Jacob is like a pinnacle of life itself. He is so stunning that can make anyone stop in their tracks and startled. For her, Jacob is perfect in every aspect. Upon seeing J approaching them, the three men look at her with adoring gaze. For them, she is the definition of beauty. She is exceedingly gorgeous, a heart of gold and a smile like a meteor, rare to see yet once it appears it will attract people. "Miss J you look stunning." Felix can''t help but praise her. "No, she is radiant." Stefan seemed like she wants to catch her attention. Chapter 261 - The Foundation Gala(1) J rolled her eyes. "Stop with the nonsense. Let''s go." J said embarrassed. "How is that a nonsense? That''s the truth." Felix retorted back. And Stefan nodded his head in agreement. Arthur shot them a look that scared them. As the days passed by, J got used to the presence of not just Jacob but these four men as well. For her, it was like she has found her four big brothers that would protect her from any kind of harm that would approach her. Be it physical or emotional harm. In fact, their relationship doesn''t seem like that of a guard and a VIP at all. That is why she felt the highest gratitude towards them. If a time comes that she could be of any help to them, she would definitely grab the opportunity. She would also protect them in any way that she can. When they reached the Elm Palace Hotel, the gala had already start. They walked in separately. Arthur, Felix and Stefan find themselves a place where they could see J from a distance while J entered the hall alone and searching for Diana. She didn''t inform Jacob that she would be coming and forgot to inform Diana as well. She took her phone from her purse and called Diana but she is not answering her phone. Of course, she couldn''t call Jacob so she just sent him a message that she is here. But didn''t get a reply from him. The hall was filled with CLP Hospital employees, nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners, board of directors and some close friends of the Parkers. Chairman Parker and Madam Kelly were there. Leticia and Mark Sloane were there as well. The Parkers were in one table with some of close family friends while Jacob is sitting with Dr. Aaron Choi in another table. There is a Jazz singer that sings in the background making the whole place so cozy and elegant. Jacob is sitting beside Dr. Aaron Choi, beside Dr. Aaron is his wife. While beside Jacob, Dr. Stella find her a place. Although everyone can bring in their escort and partner, Dr. Stella didn''t bring any. She knows that Jacob wouldn''t bring anyone with him so she grabs this opportunity to silently treat herself as Jacob''s partner for the night. She came in with her father who is a member of the CLP Group of Hospital''s Board of Director and her mother. On the same table is Dr. Gonzales and his wife, they also brought their son, Atty. Nicholas Gonzales in the hope that J would attend the gala. Head Nurse Jing and her husband is also in the same table. Jacob is talking to Dr. Aaron when he saw Diana with a familiar person beside her. It was Leo. Jacob nodded to Leo as soon as their eyes met which Dr. Gonzales noticed. As a council member of The Robin Hood Society Dr. Gonzales is very familiar with Madam Victoria''s right-hand man Leo as well as with Diana. Seeing that Jacob seems to know Leo, he wonders how are they acquainted with each other. Diana seemed to saw someone then her face brightened up. "Nurse J!" Diana was surprised to see her so she rushed towards her who was still in the entrance of the hall. Leo who was left lazily followed Diana with his impassive yet handsome face. Jacob was stunned to hear that name. Then he turns around to look at the direction that Diana is going to. The others look at the same direction as well. Chapter 262 - The Foundation Gala(2) At the entrance of the hall they saw a stunning girl wearing a royal blue dress. Her dress was plain, her hair and makeup is simple yet she emits that elegant aura in her. The girl looked at Diana unaware of the eyes that is currently admiring her. She gave Diana a gorgeous smile. It was a rare smile that transform her from an aloof person to a gentle and sweet one. "I thought you weren''t coming." Diana pursed her lips then pounced on her. "I had a change of mind." J shrugged her shoulders and said nonchalantly. She saw Leo behind Diana and nod at him. "Come! By the way, does President Jacob know you were coming? Look at that Dr. Ivanov, as soon as she arrived, she attached herself to Jacob like a leech." Diana started to mumble to her with her hand anchored on J''s elbow as they walk towards the center of the hall. Mrs. Gonzales saw that the newcomer is Nurse J. Seeing that she came alone she instantly stood up to welcome her with the intent of pushing her son to her. "Nurse J! I am so glad to see you. Did you just came? I see you don''t have an escort with you. Why don''t you sit beside me? Nick is also here, you haven''t seen each other for a while, this is a great opportunity to catch up." Mrs. Gonzales was bold enough to indirectly offer his son to J. J smiled faintly then scanned the other faces in Mrs. Gonzales''s table. She saw Jacob looking at her and beside him is Dr. Stella. Her face darkened for a second before she nodded to Mrs. Gonzales. Seeing that she already found a seat, Diana leave J and headed towards her seat with Leo. On J''s right is Mrs. Gonzales and Dr. Gonzales while on her left is Atty. Nicholas but preferred to be called by Nick. If there is one word that girls could describe Atty. Nick is, it would be hot. He got that athletic body. He carries himself well, dress well and smells well. Overall, he looks like a handsome military man. J met him a couple of years ago but they are not in constant contact with each other. After they met, Nick have to go abroad for only one year. Then he came back just last year. When he came back, he showed his interest to pursue her but J rejected the idea. But the other party was still willing to wait for her. And because they were both busy with their profession, they rarely get in touch or get to see each other. Nick is an ambitious man. Although he has a notable family background, he still opens up his own Law Firm on his own rejecting the help of his parents. In the eyes of the others, J and Nick is a perfect match. But in the eye of someone, is a boiling rage wanting to split the two apart and take J home and lock her to his bedroom. J and Nick were chatting casually. J is careful not to show any emotions that would be mistaken as her flirting with Nick. She just looked like a very civilized person casually chatting to an acquaintance. While chatting with Nick and Mrs. Gonzales and once in a while with Dr. Aaron Choi, she is occasionally taking glances at Jacob and Dr. Stella making her grumpy. Chapter 263 - Stealing her daughter-in-law In the end, J returned to her usual aloof and indifferent countenance. It seems that J and Nick didn''t find any topic to talk about that would pique both their interest. Nick talks more about Law and Politics which is the least that J is interested with. Finally, J looks bored which is instantly noticed by Jacob. Madam Kelly saw that her daughter-in-law surprisingly came. She saw that she is sitting in the same table as Jacob. She didn''t resist the urge to approach their table and unintentionally praise her since she looks indescribably stunning that night. Mrs. Gonzales noticed that Madam Kelly is approaching their table so she stood up to greet the lady. "Madam Kelly, you look elegant tonight." Mrs. Gonzales immediately praise the lady. "Thank you, Mrs. Gonzales. I am glad that you came." Madam Kelly express her gratitude with a warm smile. "I see your son is here as well." Madam Kelly quickly recognize the man sitting beside her daughter-in-law. "Right, my son has been very busy with his Law Firm, I almost failed to take him with us today if I haven''t told him that there is a possibility that Nurse J would come." Mrs. Gonzales express her thoughts enthusiastically. Upon mentioning the name of her daughter-in-law, Madam Kelly''s brows twitched. What the heck is this old lady talking about? Is she playing matchmaker to her son and my daughter-in-law? "By the way, Madam Kelly, this is Nurse J, I am talking about." J heard how eager is Mrs. Gonzales to have the opportunity to introduce her to Madam Kelly. At first, she just wanted to stay fixated in her seat and show lack of interest. But she doesn''t have the heart to disrespect the old lady, after all, she has been good to her. And also, she will be facing her real-life mother-in-law, so she should show them at least some respect. But she doesn''t expect the way that Mrs. Gonzales would introduce her. "Isn''t she beautiful. And aside from that, she is also smart. One of the most outstanding nurses of CLP Hospital. It has always been a dream of mine to see her getting married to my son. But Nurse J seemed to be not interested yet. But of course, I won''t force her if she doesn''t want to. As for now, my son have to work hard and start pursuing her." J felt awkward. Upon hearing that, Madam Kelly''s reaction turned grim. Then she shot Jacob with a menacing look. "Mom, I haven''t started pursuing Nurse J yet. Don''t give her a hard time." this time it was Nick who stated his opinion. He was right, although he had expressed his interest to J a couple of years ago, he hasn''t got a chance to pursue her yet. Madam Kelly gave them a forced smile. She doesn''t want to stay there anymore because she is afraid, she might accidentally blurt out that Nurse J is already married to her son. She walked away after saying that she still has to greet another guest. As she was walking towards her table, she was clenching her fist and fuming inside. As soon as she reached their table, she immediately expressed her irritation to Chairman John Parker. "That Mrs. Gonzales is too shameless! She keeps on saying to every one of her dream to see my daughter-in-law getting married to her son! I''m afraid that dream of her will only stay as a dream! Why can''t Jacob do something about this? They should announce their marriage!" Chapter 264 - Chairman Johns Speech That moment, J already wanted to go home. She felt bored, awkward and irritated. Bored because, she is not used to this kind of social gathering. Awkward because of what Mrs. Gonzales said to Madam Kelly. Although, she didn''t directly say it, it was obvious that Nick wanted to pursue her but she rejected the idea. And irritated because, Dr. Stella keeps on flirting with her husband in front of her. Although Jacob is not giving her much attention, at least he should give her a face and keep his distance to Dr. Stella. But Jacob just keep on talking to Dr. Aaron and Dr. Gonzales while watching her on the corner of his eyes. By the looks of her, he could tell that any moment she would be standing up and leave the place. And he was right. J has already reached the pinnacle of boredom. She was about to stand up and leave but she stopped when the host of the event speaks to the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is now the time for the Chairman of CLP Group of Hospital to make a speech so please, may we call on Chairman John Parker on the stage." a plump gay person called the attention of everyone in his most animated way. Everyone applauded. J who was about to stand and leave, decided to stay for a moment and wait until the Chairman gave his speech. If it was before, when she was just an ordinary nurse she would just leave, and no one would care. But this time it is different, the person on stage is the father of her husband. It would be disrespectful if she leaves while her father-in-law is making a speech. Although, others wouldn''t mind if she leaves now because they don''t even know her relationship to the person on the stage. It would be impolite if her father-in-law see her leaving while he is having a speech on the stage. So, she remains seated. "Good evening everyone." Chairman John started off by greeting everyone in the hall. He looks so majestic in his black suit while standing in the stage, holding the mic on his right hand, his left hand on his pocket. "55 years ago, my father, Benjamin Augustus Parker founded Camila Lopez Parker Hospital in the name of my mother. This is the first hospital he founded under the CLP Group of Hospitals. It started out as a 50-bed capacity. Who would''ve thought that after 55 years, our family would grow ten times bigger? But this will be impossible without the unparalleled effort of each and every one of you. I believe there were some of you here who were there when CLP Hospital started and remained loyal. A hospital is nothing without the Attending physicians, residents, interns, medical students, specialist, nurses, assistant nurses, patient advocate, therapist, pharmacist, social workers, dietitians, rad tech, med tech and clerks and orderlies. In short, we are not only celebrating the 55th year foundation of CLP Hospital but we are celebrating the 55 years of unrivaled hard work of each and every member of CLP Hospital''s health care team. So, tonight, everyone should enjoy, because this celebration is for you." After Chairman John paused for a while, all the people in the hall applauded him. Chairman John was sensible enough to not claim all the credits behind the success of CLP Hospital. After all, he knew that he and his father wouldn''t have done it without the trust and loyalty of their employees. Chapter 265 - The Formal Announcement After the round of applause ceased, Chairman John continued. "A couple of months ago, my son Dr. Jacob Parker came back from abroad. And I know that every one of you have seen him acting the position as President and CEO of CLP Group of Hospitals. With his extensive and comprehensive skills and experience here and abroad, it is just right for him to be in the position of President and CEO of CLP Group of Hospitals. So, tonight, I am formally announcing and introducing Dr. Jacob Parker as the newly appointed President and CEO of CLP Group of Hospitals." after saying that, Chairman John gestured Jacob to come up in the stage and there was another round of applause. Jacob stood up from his seat and walks towards the stage. Everyone''s eyes were fixated on him. He looks dashing in his royal blue suit that purposely matched J''s royal blue mermaid dress. Most of the girls in the hall were screaming at the top of their lungs. They were not able to hide their admiration towards the CEO who has captivated the hearts of most girls in the hospital not only because of his cool and heedful countenance but mainly because of his perfect beautiful features. As soon as Jacob stood at the stage, the girls including Dr. Stella stared at him in a lecherous manner. J on the other hand has her eyes fixated on him with warm and tenderness behind her unreadable stare. Jacob received the mic from his father then his eyes wandered through the sea of eyes that stares at him before finally stopping at a particular pair of eyes. Their eyes were locked for a couple of seconds before they both averted their eyes at once before anyone could notice. Jacob cleared his throat before he speaks on the mic. "Actually, since I have been working at CLP Hospital for quite some time now as the President and CEO, I don''t think that this formal introduction is necessarily. After all, has there been anyone who doesn''t recognize me?" Jacob half-heartedly joked which made the girls giggle. This past couple of months that he assumed the position of President and CEO everyone have seen the both side of Jacob. While some became a fan, others feared him. "But still, thanks to Chairman John, my father for the introduction. Thanks for the trust, and I promise that I will not fail you." Jacob said while looking at his father with a smile. "I have nothing much to say because, my father have already said most of the things that I wanted to say. I have a suspicion that he must''ve peeked at my notes earlier and copy my supposed speech. James was becoming a little careless this past few days. Man, we are getting senile." Of course, Jacob was just kidding and everyone laughed. He is not a fan of long boring speeches. "Anyway, I just wish for another 55 years of us working together harmoniously. By that time, I would probably be 90 years old and speaking the same speech that my father did. And my son would probably be speaking the same speech that I did. Let''s see who among you would still be present when that time comes." Jacob said with a smile that made everyone applaud him. He was about to pass the mic to the host but Chairman John who was standing on the side of the stage grab the mic from him and give him a tap on the shoulders. He said, "Stay for a while." Chapter 266 - Another Introduction Everyone saw that Chairman John was about to say something again so they became excited. They were assuming that since it is the foundation gala, the chairman is probably giving bonus and incentives. So, everyone''s gaze was fixated on him. "I would like to take this opportunity as well to introduce a special person." This first sentence of the Chairman made every one look with each other in confusion. Jacob looked at his father. Madam Kelly, Leticia and Mark Sloane looked at Chairman John with anticipation on their faces as if they already knew what is coming. J who was sinking in the abyss of boredom had a twitched on her brow. "Five years ago, there was an additional member of the family. But due to some matters, her introduction was delayed. And now it is long overdue." Chairman John continued. After hearing that, Jacob suddenly look at a certain direction. He met J''s eyes who seemed to have the same thought. Five years ago? Is the Chairman talking about her? "So, I wanted to formally introduce her to everyone. A member of the Parkers. My only daughter-in-law. The wife of my only son, Jacob. Please welcome, Miss Jenny Do-Parker!" and boom! This introduction shocked everyone in the hall. Everyone knew that their CEO never had a girlfriend, only flings and never plans to get married. Did they hear it right? The Chairman, just said that Dr. Jacob Parker is already married for five years now?! It was a shocking revelation indeed! Dr. Jacob is married to a girl named Jenny Do. Most people in the hall seemed to have heard the name before but they cannot seem to remember it. However, most of the people in the Department of Surgery is looking at one direction with disbelief. Of course, of all people, they are the one who knew who is Jenny Do. J was still stunned in place. She didn''t see it coming. Why is there a sudden announcement of their marriage? Why did Chairman John announce it in front of everyone? Did he plan it? Did Jacob know about this? Dr. Aaron and Head Nurse Jing couldn''t believe it. They knew how aloof and indifferent Nurse J is. And they knew that J never had an interest to get married. How come she is suddenly married to Jacob? Dr. Gonzales and Mrs. Gonzales felt hopeless. They have come to realize that the reason why Nurse J didn''t give Nick a chance to court her is because she is already married. While the ones who knew about this like Diana, Leo, James and the Parkers and Sloanes were surprised at first but there was evident smile on their faces. Well of course, except for Leo who remains deadpan as ever. But among everyone, only Dr. Stella expresses disgust and anger towards the girl in front of her. She clenched her fist as she remembered that Jacob told her the he already have someone that is why he doesn''t want anything to do with her anymore. So she is that person. All this time, it was her. That is why she felt like Nurse J treated her like her nemesis. As she can''t contain her anger, she stood up and was about to attack and confront Nurse J when suddenly two large men in suit block her way then another intimidating man stood beside Nurse J to protect her. J was startled when she sensed the presence of Arthur, Felix and Stefan near her. As soon as they saw that Dr. Stella was about to attack her, they instantly moved to protect her. There is no point protecting J in the dark since the Chairman had already announced her relationship with Dr. Jacob. Chapter 267 - No one would harm you The only reason why they can protect her only from a certain distance is that because her identity as Jacob''s wife and heiress of the Robin Hood Society cannot be revealed yet. So, it is quite questionable if she would be seen walking around with four security. And now that her marriage to Jacob is announced publicly, at least that would be a valid reason for them to be seen around J. "Miss J, are you okay?" There was a tone of concern in Arthur''s voice. J didn''t reply. Seeing that J isn''t moving from her seat, Madam Kelly walked towards her. "Jenny, sweetheart. Come, your father is waiting." then J was dragged by Madam Kelly to the stage. J didn''t know how did she managed to get up and down from the stage. She was too preoccupied. She still can''t get over. Why not? Her relationship with Jacob was revealed. Will she ever be treated like a normal employee in CLP Hospital? Her identity was also revealed. The foundation gala is being covered by a couple of famous media outlets, some were also invited. For sure, this shocking revelation will be published and forecasted in the news as soon the gala ended. That means, the Second-Class Elites will eventually identify her as the heiress of The Robin Hood Society. Things will be a lot complicated from now on. She felt her hand being held tightly by someone, and a warm palm touched her face. She blinked her eyes and saw Jacob''s worried face in front of her. "Honey, are you okay?" Then she heard the voice of Chairman John. "Jenny, I''m sorry that I have to do this. This is a mutual decision between me and your father. After that incident with CEO Wang. We are afraid that there were others who might have known your identity. We have decided that it is best that we announce your marriage with Jacob and your relationship with the Parkers. With this, no one would dare harm you. And we are sure of that." After hearing that, J come to her senses. And she immediately understands. She closed her eyes and take a deep breath. Finally, she calmed down. She nodded to Chairman John and said, "I understand." Jacob felt relieved. They were about to go back to their table prepared to receive the questions that would be thrown to them by Dr. Aaron Choi and the rest when they again heard the animated voice of the host. "Wow! Seeing a beautiful couple unveiled in front of us, why don''t President Jacob and his lovely wife lead the first dance of the night? Yes?" The host nod his head in excitement. Jacob was delighted by his suggestion but he still asked for J''s permission. J was hesitant, after all, she never danced in front of a lot of people before. In fact, she is not used in getting this overwhelming attention from a huge crowd. She felt like everyone''s eyes were on her. And she is shrinking in her place from embarrassment. Fortunately, Jacob is still holding her hands. Thou, her hand is starting to get cold and sweaty from nervousness, he still never let her go. Jacob wanted to take this opportunity, after all, they never had a chance to dance before. This is going to be the first time. But still, he is too considerate of J. He knew she wouldn''t like the idea so he rejected the host''s suggestion. "My wife is a bit shy. So maybe some other time." Chapter 268 - The First Dance But then Jacob felt a tug from her hand. He looked at J with furrowed brows. "It''s okay." J said in a calm tone. "Are you sure?" Jacob was hesitant. J nodded her head then she smiled sweetly at him. Everyone in the hall was watching the couple and they saw the way J smiled at Jacob. Everyone knew how cold and distant Nurse J is. She is someone that they rarely see to smile. If she did, it was always a faint smile, or forced smile. This is the first time that they see her smile so sweetly. And that was intended only for Jacob. They didn''t know that behind that aloof and intimidating woman was a soft and tender wife. "Okay then." Then Jacob led her in the center of the dance floor. The live band played a country song that is very familiar to J but they made their own arrangement on it. It is one of her favorite classic country songs by Shania Twain, titled From This Moment. J felt like it was their wedding dance. Jacob placed his right arm in J''s lower back while J put her left arm around Jacob''s shoulders. Their two other hands were clasped together near their chest. Jacob pulled her closer making them almost an inch apart. Then they slowly sway to the music. "This is quite embarrassing." J mumbled while hiding her face into Jacob''s chest. Jacob chuckled. "If you don''t want to..." J shot him a look and said. "I''m not backing out." Jacob gave her an affectionate look. "Why didn''t you tell me you were coming?" "I did. I sent you a text message. But you were busy with your girlfriend number one flirting with you that''s why you probably didn''t noticed." J scowled at him. "You said it yourself. She is the one flirting, not me. And for the last time, there is no such thing as girlfriend number one and so on and so forth. Thou I do have a wife, and she is stunningly dancing with me right now." Jacob said with an alluring smile. "Mr. Parker what are you playing up to? Are you flirting with me?" J tried to conceal a smile but her eyes betrayed her. "Mrs. Parker, flirting and flattering are two different words. You should have your vocabulary checked." Jacob retorted back. Then Jacob pulled her closer making them seemed like embracing. "But you are obviously doing both." J said. "What''s wrong with me flirting and flattering my wife? After all, I would only do those things to you." Jacob gave her a smile that could melt her heart. "You are such a sweet talker." J narrowed her eyes but her heart is jumping in delight. "Only to you, my dear." Then Jacob closed the small distance between them so now they were technically embracing each other while dancing. J seemed to have forgotten the hundred pairs of eyes that are watching them as she leaned her head into Jacob''s chest. That moment, everyone in the hall seemed to have banished and the two of them were transported into a magical place with no one but them. Everyone watched the couples bickering and display of affection as if they were the only one in the hall. There were hint of surprise, disbelieve and astonishment in their faces. Most of them seemed to have noticed that, although the couple had no plans of revealing their relationship that night, they both came in a matching outfit. The two of them looked good together. They were a perfect match, a match made in heaven. Then they realized that there is only one person that could contain Dr. Jacob and that is Nurse J. While there is only one person that could soften Nurse J and that is Dr. Jacob. Chapter 269 - The News (1) While watching the couple dance in the center of the dance floor, Dr. Gonzales who was in disbelieve finally he came to the realization that the announcement earlier is real. He looks around to see some of the familiar faces. His gaze stopped in the table where the Parkers are. He checked out the reaction on the face of Mark Sloane. Mark Sloane is also one of the council members of The Robin Hood Society. His brows furrowed to see that there is no evident surprise in the face of Mark Sloane. In fact, he seemed to have anticipated this already. Then he searched around and saw the person closest to Madam Victoria and Miss J, Leo and Nurse Diana. Diana is obviously brimming with happiness while Leo remains impassive. But it was obvious that they both knew about the relationship between Jacob and J. Among all the people in the hall there were only Diana, Leo, Mark Sloane, Dr. Gonzales and Mrs. Gonzales that are members of the Society. And it seems that, the Gonzales'' were the only ones left in the dark. Dr. Gonzales excuse himself to make a call. He went to a hallway of the hotel where no one could hear him. "Hello." Came the voice of President Martin. "President Martin. I am here at the Foundation Gala of CLP Hospital. Did you know? Chairman John Parker announced that Dr. Jacob Parker, his son, is married to Miss J. And they''ve been married for five years now. Is it true?" although Dr. Gonzales is expecting that President Martin knew it, he was still hoping that he would deny it. After all, President Martin is aware that his son, Atty. Nick is planning to pursue J. "Yes." President Martin replied directly. Dr. Gonzales was astounded. "But... How did it happen? And Chairman John announced it in the public. In just a couple of hours the news will spread and..." "Carlos, it was me who suggested that their marriage should be publicly announce. Tomorrow, we''ll have a Council meeting. Be sure to attend. I will clarify all your doubts." After that, President Martin hanged up. Dr. Gonzales didn''t have a choice but to wait for tomorrow''s meeting. An hour after Chairman John made that announcement, news and photos about the secret marriage of the President of CLP Group of Hospital to a nurse that has been revealed that night was published online. Meanwhile, in a penthouse that sits on the 58th floor of Lotus Skyline, the highest apartment ever built in Lotus City, Alex Ogden sits in a Cantilever chair facing an oversized window looking at the sweeping view of Lotus City skyline. On his right hand is a glass of wine while on his left hand is a picture of a girl wearing a nurse uniform sitting in a cafeteria. He is lazily leaning his back on the chair while his legs crossed looking at the picture affectionately. "Boss." When suddenly the voice of his assistant Jeric was heard few feet behind him, his face returns to its usually cold demeanor. He put out the picture in his pocket before he drinks the wine in one gulp. "What is it?" came his deep and chilling voice. "You should take a look at this." Jeric walked towards him and pass him his phone. Alex looked at the phone first before passing Jeric the empty glass then he took the phone from him. Chapter 270 - The News (2) He looked at the screen of the phone and saw a picture of a couple in a matching royal blue formal outfit dancing. The girl looked at the man with a sweet smile while the man looks at her affectionately. At first, he was confused as to why would Jeric show him a picture of a couple but when he takes a closer look at the girl the veins in his neck started to get visible. He scrolled down and saw a news article about the photo. As he read the article, his grip on the phone started to tightened as he clenched his jaw. When Jeric saw Alex''s reaction, he closed his eyes as if waiting for something to happen, then bam! He heard his phone clashed in a wall. Alex threw it in anger. At the same time, in a hotel at the foot of Mt. Celandine. The cast and staffs of the movie that Lily is filming were having dinner. Aside from them, Lance and Mr. Ray were also present. Lance is sitting in a table with Mr. Ray and the director while Lily is sitting in the table near him along with Sarah and another artist. Lance have a clear vision of Lily. Suddenly one of the female artists in Lilys table exclaimed. "Oh my God! Is this for real?! Dr. Jacob Parker has been married for five years? And to a nurse?!" As soon as Lance heard that, he looked at Lily''s direction and found her looking at him with the same expression. Even before he went abroad, Jacob has been popular in both the political, business and entertainment circle. His return to the country was never announced to the public so there was no news about him since he returned. And the news of him being married to a nurse came as a huge surprise to both circles. Lance went out in the back garden of the hotel to make a call to J. After a couple of rings, J finally answers. She was still in the foundation gala, after their dance, Jacob led her to sit with his parents instead of going back to Dr. Aaron''s table. After the announcement, they assumed that people will bombard them with a lot of questions, and Jacob thinks that J is not ready to answer them yet. J originally wanted to go home already but since Chairman John had announced her relationship with Jacob and the Parkers, it will not look good if she leaves the gala. "What happened? The news is everywhere." Lance said in a worried tone. J sighed. Of course, even thou the gala haven''t finished yet a news as big as this will soon be published online. "Chairman John announced my marriage to Jacob." "Did he? Does President Martin know?" "Apparently, it was Dad''s decision." J said nonchalantly. "Great! Now your name is spread online. You are now a chicken loose in the tiger''s den. But I doubt if the tiger would launch on you. They are smart, they knew what''s waiting for them if they attack you." "Yeah. So, don''t worry too much. Focus on your film." "Alright! By the way, tell your husband that his little sister is drinking again. Should I care or should I not care?" J rolled her eyes at this question. Of course, after what happened last time, even if Lance care, he would not dare care about Lily. So, J decided to vouch on him. Chapter 271 - The News (3) "Just take care of her. Don''t let her get drunk. Jacob knows that you are there as well. So, if Lily gets drunk, you are doomed for the second time." J gave him a chilling warning. Of course, Lance knew what she meant. Just like what Lance said, the news about Jacob''s marriage quickly spread. Although, the middle class was surprised and delighted at the same time that an outstanding man with a prominent and notable family background choses to get married to an ordinary nurse, the elites became suspicious of the girl. That''s because they have never heard of the name of the girl before but that surname is quite familiar. There were only few people in the country with the surname Do and most of them were not in the business circle. Yet the most prominent and famous people with the same surname is the founder of The Robin hood Society, Elder Do, its fallen leaders, President Martin Do and Madam Victoria Do and the heiress which name is still unknown to everyone but famous as The Missing Do. Among the suspicious elites is Jack Ogden, as soon as he heard the news and saw the name of the girl, he had someone investigate her background. But, just like Jacob and James, they didn''t find anything except for the record of their marriage. But Jack Ogden is almost certain that this Jenny Do is the missing granddaughter of his old friend Alexander Do, after all, the grandfather of Dr. Jacob Parker is the closest friend of Alexander Do, which is Benjamin Parker. These two old friends of his must''ve arranged this marriage years ago. After the call, Lance hanged up then turned around to be startled by Lily who was standing a few feet behind him. "How long have you been standing there?" Lance quickly recovered and asked. "As soon as I saw you stand up from your seat, I followed you. I knew you were going to call sister-in-law. So, technically I''ve been standing here since you made the call." Lance was taken aback. She''s been standing there for long. Did that she heard everything I said from the beginning till the end? "So, what happened?" Lily take another step then asked Lance with knitted brows. Lance sighed. "Chairman John announced their marriage at the Foundation Gala. It was the decision of your father and J''s father." Lily was surprisingly calm in front of Lance. "Will she be fine?" Lily understands the situation of her sister-in-law. She was told of J''s real identity and their involvement with The Robin Hood Society. Ever since she lived at Evergreen Villa, she found out from J that she and Lance were a member of the Society and that she is the granddaughter of its founder. She has also found out that Lance used to be J''s right-hand man before she was replaced by Arthur. Now he works as J''s business adviser and represents the Do''s in the business circle. Lance gave her a confident smile before replying. "Well, her name is being attached to your brother''s. Its as if she received a lifetime immunity from any harm." Lily was lost in Lance smile for a while. "That''s good then." They stared at each other for a couple of seconds with unreadable emotions. Lily felt awkward so she averted her gaze. "You should go back in." Lance said after a while. Lily nodded then she left. While Lance was left staring at the retreating back of Lily. Chapter 272 - Lily is Missing (1) Lance stayed at the back garden of the hotel to make another call to President Martin. After the call, he stayed for a couple of minutes before he decided to go back inside the hotel. When he returns most of the staff and cast has already left and went back to their respective rooms. But a couple of artists including Lily and her manager were left drinking alcohol. Lance''s brows furrowed at the sight of Lily drinking again. He contemplated if he would stop her or not. But she is surrounded by other artists so he decided that he should just let her. After all, she is with her manager. Nothing should happen to her. So, he decided to go upstairs to his room. Lily who was drinking saw Lance went to the elevator in the corner of her eyes. She felt dismayed that Lance didn''t even care about her. The last time she got drunk, she was surprised that it was him that send her home, so she thought that he has at least a little care about her. Little did she knows that they were just set up by her friends. When she followed Lance at the back garden of the hotel she accidentally heard him told her sister in law that she is drinking and he even asked her if he should care about her drinking. It turns out that he doesn''t care if she gets drunk again, as long as he is not around her. As long as she won''t give him any trouble. She felt downcast when the reality dawned on her. When Lance returned to his room, he kept himself busy on his laptop. But he was feeling uneasy, he would sometimes, walk back and forth. Then he would turn on the TV which he usually never does. He is not fond of watching TV. He would scan the channels then turn it off. Then he would go back working on his laptop. After one hour of uneasiness, he didn''t finish working on anything. Lance couldn''t take it anymore so he grabbed his jacket and strode out of his room. He went back to the bar of the hotel were Lily and her manager along with other artists were left drinking. When he came back, he noticed that they were all gone, so he assumed that they all went back to their respective rooms. When he was about to leave, he bumped into Sarah. She looked worried and frustrated holding her phone into her ear calling someone. "Mr. Kho!" Sarah was surprised to see him. Everyone is already resting in their rooms, so she was surprised to see that Lance is still awake at this hour. Lance sensed something so he asked, "Is there something wrong?" Sarah hesitated to tell him but then she realized that she needed help, and Lance has helped her already in the past with Lily. So, she stepped closer to him and said in a low and worried voice. "Miss Lily is missing." Lance looked around. He knows that Sarah didn''t want anyone to hear what they are talking about. In a much lower voice he asked, "What do you mean she''s missing?" Sarah went to narrate what happened. Apparently, when Lily came back, she became a little emotional and just keeps on drinking, Sarah tried to stop her but Lily said that she would be fine, she just needed a drink. She said that she will eventually stop if she thinks that she is already getting tipsy. But as time goes by, she didn''t stop, other artists even encouraged her, they haven''t seen her drink like that. So, Sarah decided to just let her because she seemed to be having a problem. She would just have to keep an eye on her. And once she falls asleep, she would just take her to her room quietly. Soon everyone left, leaving her and Lily. Chapter 273 - Lily is Missing (2) Lily became visibly drunk. She is getting drowsy so Sarah helped her stood up and walk towards the elevator. But as soon as she stood up Lily became nauseous, Sarah helped her to the nearest restroom where Lily vomited everything that she ate and drink that night. When Sarah was about to reach for a tissue paper, she realized that the restroom is out of it. So, she hesitantly left Lily to try and find someone to ask for a tissue and get a bottle of water as well. She was only gone for two to three minutes but when she returned to the restroom, Lily was nowhere to be found. "Have you checked her room?" Lance initially asked. Sarah nodded her head. "But she''s not there." "Does she have her phone with her?" Lance asked again reaching for his phone on his pocket. "I guess so. But I''ve been trying to call her yet she is not answering my call." Lance was about to call Lily but he realized that he doesn''t have her contact number so he asked for her number from Sarah. "Alright, I''ll search for her around the hotel. You go and search inside the hotel. Check out each floor and don''t let anyone know that she is missing." Lance said afterward. Then he left. The hotel is a four storey hotel that is almost secluded from the town. There were no passing vehicles and no neighboring residential house. Although the whole hotel and its surrounding is well lit with a warm yellow light, beyond that is a dark and dangerous forest since Mt. Celandine is a protected forest reserve. Lance had searched all around the hotel but he cannot find her. He is worried that Lily might went too far beyond the hotel''s perimeter. The hotel sits on a 2,000-acre land surrounded by forest, waterfalls, rivers and towering cliffs. Aside from the main hotel, there were also private luxury cabins around the hotel. Lance had searched around the hotel a couple more times but still can''t find Lily. He is starting to get anxious. Then he paused to think for a moment then he remembered something. When he checked in at the hotel, there is a huge map of the whole property at the lobby of the hotel. At that thought, he hurriedly dragged himself at the lobby of the hotel. Then he finds the map. He checked out the places that he has been. He saw the main hotel, then rows of private luxury cabin, the housekeeping residence, manager''s residence, pool, parking, fitness center, horse stable, tennis court, hiker''s camp and helipad. Then he looked for places that he hasn''t been. At last, he found the Observation Deck and Viewing Bench. These two places were located in a different direction but on a similarly elevated place. He took out a picture of the map then he went out to check the Observation Deck first. But when he reached the Observatory Deck, she is not there, into his dismay. He only have one place and that''s the Viewing Bench. He has high hopes that he can find Lily there. If she is not there, then it is going to be chaotic. The way to the Viewing Bench is steep, fortunately there were spike lights on the side to light the way. Lance is wondering, if Lily is really there, how did she manage to get there considering that she is drunk. After about fifteen minutes, he finally reached the top. He found a bench sitting on a deck surrounded by solar powered lantern lights. Sitting on the bench is Lily curled up in a tuck sitting position. Her head is in between her knees. Chapter 274 - The Most Beautiful Sunrise (1) Lance was relieved to have found Lily, but then¡­ His heart unexpectedly broke when he heard Lily sobbing. Earlier, Sarah said that Lily seemed to be emotional so she let her drink. Does she have a problem, that''s why she went up here? Lance slowly approached her afraid that he would startle her. He just stood there watching her. For some strange reasons, he felt an immense relief and happiness when he found her. But then, when he saw her crying, he felt strings tugging his heart. After a couple of minutes standing there, he silently sit beside her making a certain distance. Lily sensed another presence around her, she looked up and saw beside her the very reason why she is feeling downcast. Seeing the charming face of Lance, her sob became even more louder. Lance felt compelled to comfort her. When he was about to reached out his hand to stroke her hair Lily suddenly shot him a icy look. "Why are you here?" Lily asked in between her sobbing. Lance was about to answer when she speak again. "Are you pretending to care? Did my sister in law told you to care for me? Huh?" Lance was taken aback. He shot her a confused look. Then Lily continued crying. "You don''t even care about me so why are you here?!" She''s throwing a tantrum, Lance thought. So, he just let her cry and let out all her emotions. "Why can''t you care about me? Do you only care about sister in law? Is there any body else that you care aside from sister in law? Can''t I be one of those person that you care? Why don''t you care about me?!" Lily throw him a lot of questions then she continued to cry. Lance almost had an idea as to why is she acting like that. A faint smile appear at the corner of his lips. Lily had drunk a lot so she is emotionally unstable right now. She also seemed to have lost inhibitions and have said some things that might expose her feelings towards Lance. Lance look at her with warm expression. He reached out to stroke her hair. Lily shot him another icy glare. Every time that she gave off that look, there was strong similarity between her and her brother Jacob. "Come now. I came to look for you because I care for you." Lance said in a soft voice. And that was the truth. When he saw her drinking, he was uneasy. When he found out that she was missing, he was scared. And when he can''t find her, he was worried sick. Lily narrowed her eyes. "You cared for me because you invested a lot on me. You only cared for your money." Lance laughed. "How can you think of me that way?" But Lily didn''t reply and just glared at him. Lance noticed that her emotions seemed to be stable now after crying a dam. "Hey, you feel better now?" But instead of replying, Lily looked at the dark feeling drowsy. Lance stared at her, her cheeks, ears and nose were red. There were dark circles under her eyes and her short hair is a mess. "Come on, I''ll take you back to the hotel." Lance said afterward. "Go, I''ll stay." Lily said void of emotions. "You can''t stay here. It''s dangerous out here." Lance said then he looked around the dark forest surrounding them. "I don''t care, just let the darkness swallow me whole. Let the bears eat me." Lily rest her chin on her knees as she mumbled to her self. Her eyes were half closed. Lance chuckled. "There are no bears here." Chapter 275 - The Most Beautiful Sunrise (2) Lily''s half closed eyes widened and shot him again with an icy glare. "How did you know? Did you live here? Did you create this mountain? Did you tell them not to live here? So, how can you say that there are no bears here!" Lance can''t helped but be amused by this girl. "Okay, so what are you going to do here." Lily gave him a side-eye then she closed her eyes. Lance realized that there is no point arguing with her. She wouldn''t let him take her back to hotel as long as she is conscious. So, he decided to wait until she is in a state of deep slumber. After a couple of minutes just looking at the girl, Lance remembered that Sarah is still looking for her so he decided to send her a text message instead of calling her, afraid that it might wake Lily if he speaks over the phone. But, he didn''t expect that Sarah would call him. The ringing of the phone startled Lily, but Lance was quick to answer it. Fortunately, Lily didn''t wake up. "Hello, Mr.Kho. You''ve found her? Where are you? Are you going to take her back now?" came the voice of worried Sarah. Lance glanced at Lily to make sure that she is still asleep. In a low voice he replied, "She''s fine. Don''t worry, I''ll take her back to hotel once she''s deeply asleep." Lance was startled when Lily suddenly grab his phone, he thought that she is already asleep. How come she was still able to hear him. "I am not going back. I will sleep here. So, tell this man to go back and leave me alone and don''t pretend that he cares about me!" Lily shouted on Lance phone then throw it at Lance. Fortunately, Lance was able it catch it. Sarah on the other line was startled. "Mr. Kho, are you sure she is fine?" Sarah inquired. "Yes, she is. She is just a bit emotional." "It''s just that, all this year that I''ve been with her, she''s never been this too emotional." Sarah became worried. Lance looked at the girl, he was in deep thought. "If she want''s to stay here until the morning, then I''ll stay with her. Don''t worry, you can trust me. I''m a friend of Jacob. And he knows that I am here with her. I promised that I will look after her. I wouldn''t let anything happen to her. I''ll wait until she calm down." Lance said casually. Actually, although Jacob knew that he is with her at Mt. Celandine, they never talked about it. It was J who asked for him to take care of her, and he made that promise. In fact, even if J didn''t ask for it, Lance would still unconsciously look after Lily. Sarah was taken aback. Since Lance is a friend of Lily''s brother, then that means he knows about her identity. And if Jacob knows that Lance is here at Mt. Celandine as well and found out that something happened to her, he would blame it to Lance for not taking good care of her. So, Sarah choose to trust him. After almost half an hour, Lance noticed that Lily''s position is uncomfortable. She is asleep while in a tuck position and her head rested on her knees. If she stayed in this position, she''ll have leg cramps and stiff neck and back. Chapter 276 - The Most Beautiful Sunrise (3) Acting on instinct, Lance moved closer to Lily, he slowly lifted her head to make it lean on his shoulder. Lily made a low raspy sound then she positioned her self in a more comfortable position. Lance looked at her with a gentle smile on his face then he turned to look at the endless darkness in front of them. The tranquility of the night is deafening although there were hooting of an owl in the distance and chirping of crickets surrounding them. There were an overflowing of unsaid emotions. One was certain but disheartened while the other one is uncertain yet promising. Lance stayed in that position and didn''t dare to fall asleep. He was true to his word that he would take care and look after Lily. He wouldn''t let even a mosquito approach her. Soon it was dawn, the gray sky turned gold. Lance realized why there is such a thing as viewing bench in that area. Because in that exact place where the two of them is sitting is the most beautiful sunrise you would ever see. Lily was awakened by the ecstatic chirping of birds. As soon as she opened her eyes, she was mesmerized by the breathtaking beauty of the faint golden glow that starts to send light in the vast forest thru the mountain range. Lily realized that she was leaning at someone''s shoulder. She raised her head and saw that it was Lance, she was about to say something but Lance put his fingers on her lips afraid that her nagging would ruin the atmosphere. Lily remained silent while staring at Lance who is staring the sky as its hues transforms into a different color. No one knows what the two of them were thinking. As soon as the clouds were visible and the sky turns blue, Sarah reached the Viewing Deck. Earlier while Lily was still asleep, Lance sent Sarah a message and told her to pick up Lily. He was taking precautions, if someone saw the two of them together came out of nowhere early this morning rumors might spread and it might ruin Lily''s reputation. "Mr. Kho, thank you for taking care of Miss Lily." Sarah said as soon as she reached the Viewing Bench and saw the two of them. But she was moved to see Lance''s appearance, he looks like he didn''t slept all night. While Lily looks like she had a good nights sleep despite their her unusual situation. Lance smiled at Sarah. "You''re here, please take Miss Lily back to the hotel. She needs to rest before the filming start." Lance said casually. Then Sarah takes Lily away. Lily looked at Lance then to Sarah with confusion. She wanted to ask something but didn''t know how to start. Lance didn''t even looked at her. So, Lily followed Sarah dispirited. When they reached the hotel, she started asking Sarah some questions. "How did I ended up in there?" Lily asked with furrowed brows. Sarah looked at her amused. "You don''t remember anything that happened last night?" Lily shook her head. Sarah sighed and sit beside her in the bed. Lily was done taking a shower and she was about to take a nap before the filming start. Sarah told her about her getting drunk and went missing. She told her that Lance help her look for her and he was also the one that found her at the viewing deck and how she refused to go back at the hotel and insisted that she will sleep there. Chapter 277 - You’re Lulu? Lily was now lying in bed trying to take a nap but her mind is busy. She was trying to remember the events that took place last night. She seemed to remember that after she accidentally heard Lance talking to the phone, she went back to the hotel and get drunk. But after that, her memory were bits and pieces. Sarah was out to get her breakfast. Lily almost had a headache trying to remember what happened at the Viewing Bench. Finally, realization dawned at her. When she remembered what she did and what she said to Lance, her eyes widened, face turned crimson and her heart was pounding. When Sarah entered the room she noticed the look in Lily''s face and started to worry. "Sarah, help me. I need to talk to Mr. Kho." Lily said with trembling lips. "Mr. Kho?" Sarah asked with a knitted brows. But Lily didn''t reply, instead, she rushed towards the door. "Wait, Mr. Kho had already left." Lily suddenly stopped. "He already went back to Lotus City." After hearing that, Lily''s tears dropped unconsciously in despair. ¡­. "Good morning." It was the beautiful face of Jacob the greeted her the moment she opened her eyes that morning after the night of the Foundation Gala. It was an eventful night. "Good morning." J replied with her sweetest smile. "Do you have plans for today?" she then asked afterwards. "That depends. You want to go somewhere?" J didn''t hesitate. "Can you take me to my parents?" Jacob smiled. "As you wish." "Alright then, I should go and prepare breakfast." J was about to stand up from the bed but Jacob stopped her by tightening his arms around her waist. J is still lying in Jacob''s arm. "You don''t have to." Jacob said as he snuggled close to her neck. J pulled her face away from Jacob''s face with an inquiring look. "From now on, Lulu will take care of everything that concerns the villa." Jacob said seeing the look on J''s face. J''s brows furrowed. "Lulu?" J immediately released her body from Jacob''s embrace and stood up to rush towards the kitchen barefooted. This past few months being married, Jacob discovered that J is a possessive and jealous wife. But J didn''t realized it. Or rather, she is not aware of it. When she reached the kitchen, she saw woman about fifty years old. The woman saw J and immediately stop what she is doing and greeted her with a warm smile. "Good morning, Miss J. The guards were having breakfast at the poolside. Do you want me to serve your breakfast in the poolside as well or should I bring it to your room?" J was astounded. "You''re Lulu?" She didn''t expect that the Lulu that Jacob is talking about is a middle aged woman. Upon hearing the girl''s name from Jacob, the first thing that comes to her mind is ''Girlfriend number three''. But from the looks of it, it doesn''t seem like it. She was relieved. "We''ll have breakfast at the bedroom." J said casually after realizing her mistake. Deep inside, she felt embarrassed. When she came back in the bedroom, Jacob is already up with his back leaning on the headrest. He looked at her with a dampened smile. "You''ve met Lulu?" Jacob asked. J gave him a side-eye. "Don''t give me that look. You didn''t give me a chance to explain who is Lulu." J raised her brow then crossed her arms in front of her chest waiting for Jacob''s explanation. Chapter 278 - The Headquarters "Lulu is the caretaker of this villa. The day that I brought you here, I sent her away for a vacation since you didn''t want anyone to know about our marriage yet. And now that our marriage is all over the news, I thought that it is just about time to have her back. After all, I don''t want my wife doing all the household chores." Jacob said as he stood up from the bed. "I don''t mind doing the household chores. I am used to it alone back in my apartment." "But I do mind." Jacob is now standing in front of J. He reached out for her chin and lifted her face. In a matter of seconds his lips touched hers. "Let me be a good husband to you, so that I may have a peace of mind. Hm?" Jacob said as he look at J''s eyes. J was moved. She was about to say something when someone knocks on the door. "Dr. Jacob, I brought your breakfast." They heard Lulu''s voice. The couple was having breakfast when Jacob received a call from James. And at the same time, J also received a call from Arthur. Apparently, President Martin called for a Council meeting and he wanted Jacob and J to be present as well. The message was relayed by Peter to James and Arthur being the right-hand man of Jacob and J in the Society. J looked at Jacob. "Do you think it has something to do with Chairman John''s announcement last night?" Jacob nodded. And reached out for J''s hand that is in the table. This is going to be the first time that the two of them will be facing the council of The Robin Hood Society. The couple arrived at the log house that morning followed by Arthur, Stefan and Felix. It was also the first time of the A Team at the Robin Hood Society''s headquarter. James will be arriving later in the afternoon since the council meeting will be held later. As the right-hand man of J and Jacob, Arthur and James will be required to be present during the meeting. The log house which is the official residence of the President of the Robin Hood Society is located in a mountain in Naupaka County. Just a few kilometers from the log house just above the mountain lay the Robin Hood Society''s headquarters. It is not as big as the Twelve Army headquarters as it only houses its main base, camps, arsenal and computer lab. Although their facility is not that big, their members and influence spread all over the country. The main base is like a command center. It enables the society to perform its daily operations. All the planning takes place at the main base. It is manned 24 hours a day to monitor daily events and to make sure that order is maintained. Around the main base were log houses used as temporary accommodations of the members of the Society. The people that works in the computer lab, arsenal and main base resides here. Although there were about 2,000 members of the Society, only 100 of them temporarily resides in the camp. Those were the people that works in the computer lab, planning and monitoring team and the guards that watch over the headquarters 24 hours. The other members who doesn''t reside in the headquarters have their own houses in their respective provinces. They were only called in whenever their time and talent are needed. Chapter 279 - The Council Members Although as much as possible, the Society don''t want to be involve in violence, they have their own arsenal where arms and ammunition are stored. The Society uses arms and ammunition mainly to protect themselves. Adjacent to the arsenal is the firing range. While the computer laboratory is maintained by various computer experts like security hackers, IT Experts and Computer Engineers. Their main job is information protection, telecommunications and information gathering and evaluation to assist in formulating an attack against potential target. They were also the ones responsible in concealing the identity of the members of the Society including Jenny and obliterating all traces of their operations. President Martin also opens a recreation center that includes archery range which is specifically built for Jenny. Soon, the time for the council meeting arrived. The members of the council arrived one by one in the large conference room in the main base. Among them is Mark Sloane, although there were other members of the Society in the industry of politics, Mark Sloane was chosen to be member of the Society because of his clean work history. And the citizens and other politicians trust and respects him. Dr. Gonzales is also a member of the Council that arrived, aside from working as a cardiothoracic surgeon at CLP Group of Hospitals he also manages a foundation that provides medical assistance to less fortunate and members of the Society. Of course, this foundation is a subsidiary and funded by the Society. Lance together with his father and grandfather also arrived. Everyone in the Society was aware that Lance represents the Do''s in the business circle but they are not aware the he is a childhood best friend of their heiress and used to be her right-hand man. His father on the other hand is the personal lawyer of President Martin and Madam Victoria while his grandfather is the head of the Society''s legal team. Miss Eve and Miss Nancy were there as well, being two of the first members of the Society and the most trusted by Elder Do, they were the first council members of the Society. Both of them were head of some charitable institutions under the Society. Miss Eve''s focus is on education and children while Miss Nancy is focused on abandoned elderly and women who are a victim of domestic violence. When all the twelve members of the council were already seated the door to the adjacent room which is President Martin''s office opened. The first one to enter was Peter and Leo, they were followed by President Martin and Madam Victoria. When they thought that the entourage has ended, everyone was surprised to see Jacob and J entered followed by James and Arthur. Upon seeing Jacob and J, the council members looked at each other. So, this meeting really has something to do with the news that started to spread last night. Leo and Peter remained standing in the left corner of the room while James and Arthur stand in the right corner. Jacob, J and Madam Victoria seated while President Martin remain standing facing all the members of the council. "Everyone, thank you for coming to this meeting despite the short notice. I called you here to answer all your doubts and speculations. But first, let me introduce to you some important persons among with us this afternoon." President Martin started the meeting by greeting every council members without much introduction. Chapter 280 - The Council Meeting (1) "This is the first time for some of you to meet my daughter, Jenny Do." When J heard her name, she stood up and bowed at the council members as a curtsy without saying anything. Her gesture showed reverence towards the council member yet she still managed to emit that majestic aura. "And this is my son-in-law Dr. Jacob Parker." The way President Martin introduce Jacob made everyone looked at each other with a raised brow. Jacob stood up and said. "Good afternoon. I''m Jacob Parker." Then he bowed his head to everyone. The council members looked at Jacob then to President Martin. Their conjectures were right. President Martin sits up and leaned his back. His elbows rested on the armrest of his chair while his hands were clasped together near his chest. "Last night at the foundation gala of CLP Hospital, Chairman John Parker made an announcement that probably shocked everyone of you. It was about the marriage of his son, Dr. Jacob Parker and my daughter Jenny Do. The news spread overnight and I called you here to confirm it. This meeting is open for everyone''s question. You may start now." Every time that the Robin Hood Society is having a meeting, President Martin encourages everyone to voice out their opinions, objections and suggestions. He makes sure that everyone engages in the dialogue and this meeting is no different. As a rule, anyone who wishes to speak will raise their hands before they start talking. If in case there are two or more people raised their hands at once, President Martin will choose who to speak the first. This time, almost everyone raised their hands. President Martin gestured a 50-year old gentle looking woman with a brown shoulder length hair that is slightly parted to the side to speak first. Her face is long with a slightly pointed chin but doesn''t seem to be unpleasant to the eye. She is Professor Iris Parham, the head of the computer laboratory and also a Dean of College of Engineering and Computer Science in Lotus City University. "President Martin, is it true that they were married for five years?" Professor Iris asked what is probably what most of the council member wanted to ask. "Yes." "Then why is it brought up just now?" Everyone nodded their head when the heard Professor Iris'' follow up question. President Martin didn''t answer her question instead he looked at Jacob. Jacob instantly understands and cleared his throat to answer the question. Everyone''s attention diverted to him. "We are indeed married of five years now, but I only just found about it a couple of months ago. While Jenny on the other hand knew about it since Elder Do died but didn''t believe it because of lack of proof." Jacob said in a firm voice. "Miss J." Professor Iris wanted to ask J but hesitated because it was the first time that she is going to talk to her and her aura is similar to that of Madam Victoria, they were quite intimidating. "Go on." J said nonchalantly. She didn''t intend to sound daunted but she did. Professor Iris was taken aback. She is a professor but she felt inferior to this young lady that is looking at her. She wanted to hold back but the young lady is looking at her with anticipation. "Uhm... How did you find out about your marriage with Dr. Jacob?" Professor Iris finally finds her voice. "Grandfather told me. I didn''t believe him because he was dying and he didn''t tell me who the guy is." J said indifferently. Chapter 281 - The Council Meeting (2) "I''m confused, Miss J knew she was married but didn''t know to whom, while Dr. Jacob just find out about the marriage a couple of months ago. So, how did you two, found out the you were married to each other?" an average looking plump man seemed too have forgotten that he was talking to the heiress of the Society and the Chairman of Twelve Army. He is Robert Mayo, the Director of the Society''s Human Resources Management. His main job is recruitment, human resources information system and training. Upon hearing the man''s comment, J''s face turned sour. She felt that this guy is doubting their judgement. She looked at him with a grim expression, without words spoken. Robert Mayo seemed to realized what he did, he cowered in fear. J felt her hand that was under the table was squeezed by Jacob''s hand. She looked at him but Jacob''s face was looking at the council with pleasantness. Then she heard him speak. "I''m sorry, but we seemed to have made you misunderstand and confused. Let me summarize every event in details." Jacob said with a smile plastered in his face. "Five years ago, my grandfather left an envelope addressed to me at my home office before he went nomadic. During those times, I was about to leave the country to work overseas so I wasn''t able to open the envelope which my grandfather seemed to never mind. A couple of months ago, I came back and found the envelope. When I opened it, I found out that it was a marriage contract. My marriage contract. It says that I was married to a person named Jenny Do five years ago, a couple of weeks before I left the country. The witnesses were my grandfather and Jenny''s grandfather. On the other hand, five years ago, when Elder Do was dying, he told Jenny that he married her to some guy which Jenny didn''t believe because first, Elder Do was dying so she thought that he is having a delusion, second, there is no marriage contract and third, Elder Do didn''t give her a name." "The first thing I did was to find her." Jacob skipped the part that he prepared and planned to divorce her once he found her. "But, surprisingly, I cannot find her name anywhere. That made me suspicious about her identity until one day while performing a surgery with Dr. Gonzales, with Jenny as the assistant nurse, whom I only know by the name Nurse J, I heard one of the nurses said that her real name is Jenny Do. And the rest is history." When Jacob finished, everyone was silent for a minute. It was Dr. Gonzales who breaks the silence. "Mark, did you know about this?" he knew that Mark Sloane is Jacob''s brother-in-law. "Yes, a couple of months ago when Jacob introduced Miss J to the whole family." Mark Sloane replied with an unreserved tone. "President Martin, are you sure that this marriage is authentic and their signatory were not forged?" "Yes." "But you didn''t know that you signed it?" Dr. Gonzales looked at Dr. Jacob then to J. "No." Jacob replied. Every one became confused. "How did that happened?" Jacob shrugged his shoulder. "That is a mystery that only the Elders can answer." After a while, a dignified looking man wearing an official military uniform speaks. He is General George Lee. Base on his uniform, any one can tell that he is a high ranking official in the military. "This seems to be an arrange marriage by Elder Do and Elder Parker. President Martin, do you think the two elders wanted to coalesce the Twelve Army and the Robin Hood Society?" Upon hearing that, James, Jacob and J was startled. Is that really possible? Is it necessary? J and Jacob looked at the direction of President Martin anticipating his reply. Chapter 282 - The Council Meeting (3) "That I am not certain. But I have other speculations." Upon hearing it, everyone looked at the direction of President Martin. J peered at his father. Is there any other possible reason for this marriage aside from her protection and union of the two organization? President Martin remained seated ruminating on something for a couple of minutes until he finally speaks again. "I was trained by my father at a young age to be the leader of the Society. Every day, after school he would let me stay here and he will personally train and teach me. At a young age, I was groomed and molded to be the leader of the Society. But with Jenny, it was different. When Jenny was just a kid, I saw how my father treasure and protects her until she grew up. He never let her engage in the Society''s operations or activity. After the accident twenty years ago, we became separated. I thought that my father would personally train her but I was wrong. Instead, he sent her abroad to study and let her live a life that she wanted away from the Society." President Martin paused letting the council guess where he is leading. "President Martin, you mean... Elder Do didn''t want Miss J to assume the position of President of the The Robin Hood Society?" it was the Director of the country''s Police Department, Police Major General Alejandro Sato. He became a member of the Society when he was only a Senior Police Officer. Elder Do and President Martin saw his capability and loyalty to the Society so they supported him to reach his position now. And now that he holds a high position in the Police Department, it was just right that he became a member of the council. President Martin nodded his head. Everyone looked at each other with confusion. If Elder Do didn''t want his granddaughter to assume the leadership then who is going to lead them once President Martin steps down? Everyone started to deliberate until they all settled in one conclusion. Elder Do wanted Jacob to take over the Society in behalf of J. Because he loves his granddaughter too much, he doesn''t want to put her life at risk by giving her a dangerous position. Instead, he finds her a man that is capable enough to lead the Society and to protect his granddaughter. Elder Parker definitely would agree to this, because after the marriage, his grandson, Jacob, will have the right to take over the leadership of the Society. While J, on the other hand, will also have the right to have whatever position she wishes in the CLP Group of Hospitals or the Twelve Army plus the guarantee of her safety. Anyone would think that this arrangement favors J the most. But for Jacob, it is the other way around. As the discussion is getting deeper, the crease between J''s brow deepened as well. But she remained quiet as she listens and observes the people around her. She processes her thoughts internally. President Martin looks at his daughter and quickly understands her unspoken thoughts. "Not that I doubt you Dr. Jacob. I have known you for quite some time now and I noticed how well you managed the Twelve Army. I know that the Parkers were not that covetous. No offense, but... you were only related to the Do''s by an arrange marriage. No emotions involve. No one can predict the future. No one can say that a person will stay the same after acquiring such power. We just wanted to protect the interest of the Society. We want to make sure that the Society and Miss J will not be taken advantage of in the future." Although General Lee is aware of Jacob''s capability, he still dares to be outspoken. Chapter 283 - President Martin’s Decision But Jacob didn''t mind. So, his reply was "I understand. After all, the reason why accepted this marriage is because of J and not her position or identity. If my wife wanted to be the leader of the Society, I wouldn''t mind." Jacob stressed the word ''wife'' indicating that he is not talking about their heiress but a person that is special to him. "She is a bright, logical and wise person. I know she will be a great leader in the future. If that time comes, I will just stay beside her and protect her with all my might." Instead of convincing the council of his capabilities, Jacob convinced them with J''s capabilities which made J, President Martin and Madam Victoria moved. "How about you President Martin? Do you agree on this? Will you let Dr. Jacob Parker take over your position in the future?" Miss Nancy asked. Now everyone turned to look at President Martin''s direction. They were anticipating his reply to General Lee''s question. Will he let Jacob take over his position in the future? "No." President Martin paused to scan the reaction in each face. "Not yet. I don''t doubt his capabilities and experience. I even think that he will be able to surpass what my father and I did for the Society. But before I decide to hand him the position, I have some things to consider." President Martin looked at J''s direction. "First, I would like to talk this out with my daughter first. After all, this concerns her. Although we''ve only been with her for the first ten years of her life, I know that she is a born leader. At a young age I''ve seen how disciplined and organized she is. She has a strong work ethics. Whether she wants to take this position or not, I still have to discuss it with her." J didn''t show it but she was emotionally moved by his father''s words. She thought that she will be neglected when it comes to decision making in this family. "Secondly." Then President Martin looked at Jacob''s direction. "I wanted to make sure that Jacob genuinely cares about my daughter. If he cares about my daughter, he cares about everything that is important to her, and that includes the Society." After all, capabilities and experience are nothing if you don''t care and held importance to your position and purpose. Everyone nodded in agreement including Jacob. In due time, President Martin will decide to whom is he going to hand over the leadership of the Society. To Jacob and J, it didn''t matter to whom, as long as they are together, they will help and protect each other. The meeting ended with a dinner. It was a celebratory dinner to welcome the heiress of the Society and to welcome their newest members, Arthur, Felix, Stefan and Daniel. Although Daniel is on leave, J asked him to be present only for this dinner. Aside from Jacob, President Martin asked for Chairman John and his family to be a member of the Society which the latter contentedly accepted making him, Madam Kelly, Leticia and Lily an official member of the Society. But it was only Jacob that is present in the dinner. His presence is enough to represent the Parker Family. The council also comes to a mutual decision to make Jacob and J an official member of the Council making it a 12-person council. Chapter 284 - The Log House The couple stayed at the log house the next day. Usually J would spend her 2-days off at Lodgepole Estate but this time, she chooses to spend it at the log house with her parents and Jacob. Although J told Arthur, Stefan and Felix to go back to Lotus City to have a day off, they choose to stay as well. While Daniel went back to his wife and newborn daughter. Lance on the other hand didn''t go back to Mt. Celandine to attend to some matters regarding J''s share at AM Entertainment. This past few weeks, they were trying to acquire another 5% share from AM Entertainment. For some reason, J and Lance wanted to gain as much power in the entertainment industry. The Do Family''s official residence is a 3,000 sq meter log house with a rustic interior design that sits in Naupaka Mountain with an impressive view of the Lotus City and the mountain''s vast forest. The house has eight bedrooms including the master''s bedroom that is being used by President Martin and Madam Victoria, two rooms intended for their right-hand mans which are Leo and Peter. The room that was used by Elder Do was remained kept and unused. Another two rooms reserved for J and her right-hand man, Arthur. As a right-hand man, Leo, Peter and Arthur have to be around the Do''s at all time so it is a privileged for them to stay in the log house. Two more rooms can be used as guest room, although there is a small guest house behind the log house near the pool. Aside from the eight rooms, there were also twelve bathrooms, three living area, one of which is located at the ground floor. It is the biggest room in the house connected to a lanai. This is where the Do''s usually held multiple events. A big kitchen is also located at the ground floor adjacent to two dining rooms. The first dining room is exclusive for the Do family but President Martin and Madam Victoria rarely used it because they feel like it was still a bit too big for the two of them. So, the couple usually eats at the lanai or the balcony of President Martin''s office. The other bigger dining area with a long table is used whenever the log house have guest, mostly being used after a council meeting. On the basement is the garage, a playroom with bar and the cellar. At the back of the log house is a guest house, pool and not far away is the servants house. Over all, the log house is warm and cozy except for its emptiness. During normal days, only President Martin, Madam Victoria, Peter and Leo and a couple of servants and guards could be seen roaming around this extensive log house. But today, the house seemed to be warmer with the presence of J and Jacob. Although J used to have a cold aura, the completeness of her family gave a sense of warmth in the house. It fills the emptiness of the enormous log house. Plus the addition of James and three hunky men in the name of Arthur, Stefan and Felix, the considerable size of the log house seemed to have lessen. On the corner area of the second floor is President Martin''s home office. Aside from under the big oak tree at the back of the house, the couple spend most of their time here. Chapter 285 - What if she gets married to another man? The walls of President Martin''s office is adorned with wood panels except for the west wall which is a glass wall with sliding door at the middle connecting to the huge balcony with magnificent view of Lotus City''s sunset. The east wall have two doors. One leads to the corridor of the second floor while the other one leads to the master''s bedroom. The north side of the office is President Martin''s desk made of old wood slabs while behind it is a wall decorated by a large mirror, bookshelves and black wooden cabinet making the office looked vintage. Then on the south wall is a fireplace, above it is a wide QLED TV. In front of the fireplace is two brown leather sofas facing each other. On one of the sofa is President Martin while on the other one is Madam Victoria and J. Madam Victoria''s hands were sandwiching J''s right hand which J finds sweet and touching. "Sweetheart, please don''t hold grudges against us, specially to your grandfather. He just wanted you to be safe and protected. He cares a lot about you. You are the only heir he got." Madam Victoria said to J with a pleading tone. "He should''ve taught me how to fire a gun instead of throwing arrows. In that way, I could protect myself. Then I would be safe." J said indifferently taking back her hands from Madam Victoria. "Jenny, don''t speak like that." President Martin retorted. "Remember twenty years ago, me and your mother almost lost our lives because of my position. We were lucky to have survived. Father was just worried about you. What if the same thing happens to you? What if you are not as lucky as we were?" President Martin has a point. J sighed. "I don''t hold grudges. It''s just that¡­ this whole thing has taken my rights to make a decision for my life. And it was a huge decision." For the first time, J blurted out how she feels about this arrange marriage. Madam Victoria holds J''s hand again. This time she will not let it go. "We understand your sentiments. And we are sorry about this. But, your life is more important." "Fortunately, this marriage between you and Jacob turns out to be a good decision. Because it seems like Jacob is deeply in love with you and I know you feel the same way. Don''t you dare deny it in front of your parents." President Martin said animatedly which earn him a glare from Madam Victoria. Upon hearing that, J looked outside the glass wall. The sun is starting to set illuminating the trees outside the log house. J thought internally. His father was right. Fortunately, his grandfather married her to Jacob. What if her grandfather married her to another man before meeting Jacob? She would probably divorce that person. Because she couldn''t see herself being married to anyone except Jacob. "Forget about you and Jacob because obviously, you two are getting along well with each other." J heard Madam Victoria speak up again. She turned her head to look at her who is now facing her. "Sweetheart, no one doubts your capability. But, put yourself in my shoes. What if someday, you get a daughter, would you want her to be in the position of President of the Society knowing how dangerous it is?" Chapter 286 - Her Calling President Martin stood up and walked towards them. He sits on a rustic apothecary style coffee table in front of J and Madam Victoria. "Dear, when I noticed that father has no plans to train you, I have decided that in the future, I will personally train and teach you everything that I know. Because I know that you can handle all this. I have seen how you remain calm and clear-headed under pressure even when you were just young. You are highly intellectual and have good planning skills which were a good characteristic of a leader." President Martin started to praise her but to Madam Victoria he doesn''t sound like just praising her. "Martin, are you convincing your daughter? Really? In front of me?!" Madam Victoria glared at her husband. "She is my daughter, my flesh and blood. She came directly from my womb! There is no way I am going to put her on a chopping table!" "No! Of course not! I am just saying how I see her. How confident I am of her. That she is going to be a good leader whatever her decisions maybe." Then the husband and wife started to bicker. Among the family, it was only President Martin who seemed to be fine with J taking over the leadership of the Robin Hood Society, he has high confident on her. While Madam Victoria and Elder Do were the ones who are against it. "Mom, dad. Stop it please. After all, you were only in your 50''s and I don''t see you retiring anytime soon. So don''t rush things." President Martin look at her with confusion in his face. "You mean, you are not going to decide yet." "No, you guys decide. I''m good at anything." J shrugged her shoulders. J never dreamed of becoming the President of the Robin Hood Society. Her calling has always been being a nurse. She wants to save people''s life. But as she grows up, she realized that her family doesn''t have anyone to take over that position except her. Her mother is a mixed race. She have no known relatives in the country. Although she have a couple of relatives abroad, J thinks that they wouldn''t be capable in taking over the Society. She even doubts if they knew its existence. While her father, President Martin have no siblings. Elder Do and his wife were an orphan and grew up in the orphanage which has long been demolished. The Do''s managed to be on where they are now on their own without relying to anyone. So, if in the future, J would have to take over the leadership of the Society, she would accept it with all her heart. She knew how his family worked hard to put up this kind of organization and she will never let it fall on the wrong hands. She is willing to sacrifice her own dream for the sake of her family''s dream. And that is to save people from starving, violence and neglect. "Okay. Actually, I have nothing against Jacob taking over the Society. But you are right, it is too early to decide yet. After all, Jacob has a lot of things to handle right now. He is the Chairman of the Twelve Army, which is going on an international expansion. While he had just taken over the CLP Group of Hospital. If he is to take over the Society, we''ll have to make sure that everything on his side is in his control." President Martin said afterwards. Then they heard a knock on the door. "Madam, where do you want me to prepare your dinner?" One of the servants ask. Although, President Martin makes the decision within the Robin Hood Society, when it comes to the log house Madam Victoria always has the final say. "By the poolside please." Came Madam Victoria''s reply. Chapter 287 - Handing over the CLP Group of Hospitals After the dinner, J and Jacob''s group decided to leave the log house. J''s two-days off is over and tomorrow, she will be back in the CLP Hospital not just an OR Nurse but the wife of the CEO. Some might castigate her for hiding her identity, others might mock her for being just a nurse finding a handsome CEO as a husband while some might be envious of her. But she doesn''t care. Who cares what others think of her? All she wanted is to do her job peacefully and for them to treat her the way they treated her before. She doesn''t want any special treatment. J and Jacob left in the bulletproofed SUV with Arthur on the driver''s seat and James on the passenger seat while Felix and Stefan were leading them in their motorbike. J is far from getting used to this kind of entourage but she just chose to not mind them making it less irksome. After they exited the gate surrounding the whole of the Society''s headquarters, Jacob asked J. "What do you think about it?" J turned her head and looked at him with a furrowed brow. "Do you want to take over the Society?" Jacob asked her directly as he move closer to her. J stared at him impassively. "Do you want me to?" Jacob smiled then he reached out for her hand. He watched as their hand intertwined, Jacob played with the tips of her fingers sending tingles in J''s spine. He raised his head and looked at J''s eyes. "If you want to, I will support and protect you with my life. If you don''t want to, then I''ll take it over for you..." Jacob paused for a while studying J''s engrossed reaction. "To be fair, I will hand the CLP Group of Hospital over to you." His last words came as a surprise to J. She didn''t expect him to make such a bold suggestion. Or is it a suggestion? She continued to gaze at him. James who was sitting in the passenger seat in front of them was startled. He became conscious, his future became uncertain. James thought internally. If Miss J will take over the CLP Group of Hospitals, would that mean that he will become her right-hand man? Then how about Arthur? James turned to look at the driver''s side. Will he become Dr. Jacob''s right-hand man? Arthur was trained to be an agent and not as an executive assistant. But to Arthur, there is nothing that he could not do. After all, as a right-hand man, means that you have to be able to do whatever that is asked of you. So, he was not apprehensive at all. J was in a daze for a moment until she snapped back. She glared at Jacob and said, "Are you playing with me?" Of course, why would he let an outsider take over a family business. Has he gone mad? Jacob laughed affably then he pinched J''s cheeks. "Of course, not!" J raised her brow at him. "We''ve announced our marriage already. Next, I will announce to everyone that you owned 20% of CLP Group of Hospitals. If I step down on my position as CEO, with your 20% plus my shares, you have all the right to assume the position of CEO." Jacob said ecstatically. Chapter 288 - At the Hospital Entrance J pondered for a moment, Jacob was right. She sighed. She unconsciously rubbed her temple with her right hand that is free since her left hand is being held by Jacob. There is a lot of things going on. The announcement of their marriage, the council meeting that turns out to be a brainstorming revealing the possible reason of her arrange marriage with Jacob. And this whole lot about who''s going to take over The Robin Hood Society and now the CLP Group of Hospitals. J felt like her head is about to explode. Her two-days off was supposed to be relaxing but she never thought that it could be this exhausting. Jacob noticed the exhausted look on J so, he pulled her over and let her rest on his shoulder. J felt his warmth then she closed her eyes. "Can I just take a break from all this stuff about the Society and the CLP Group of Hospital?" "Are you asking for a vacation?" Jacob''s face turned into a grin. "Right! We haven''t have our honeymoon yet. Where do you want to go?" "Ouch!" suddenly the back of J''s left hand hit Jacobs stomach. "Forget it!" J said indignantly but a slight curve in the corner of her lips appeared. Arthur and James looked at the rear view mirror to check on what is happening on the back. They are not being nosy. They were just attentive. Actually, J didn''t mean a vacation. Because there is something that she have to deal with first. The Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship. The next day, J is in the morning shift so Jacob drive her to the hospital. "What are you doing?" J looked at Jacob with confusion. "I''m dropping you off." Jacob said casually as he was taking off his seat belt. "You are dropping me off at the entrance of the hospital!" J was enraged. At first, she thought that Jacob just stop at the entrance of the hospital but upon hearing that he is dropping her off she instantly become enraged. "Yes, I am dropping you off at the entrance of the hospital." Jacob said as a mischievous smile appeared in his face. Then he opened the door and walked around the SUV to J''s side of the door. Then Jacob opened the door to J''s side. The guard in the entrance was anticipating. He knew that at the foundation gala, the Chairman introduced Nurse J as the wife of the President. Of course, he knew Nurse J. Everyone knew the beautiful yet aloof and intimidating Nurse J. Everyone getting in the hospital is looking at Jacob''s SUV. They knew that it is the SUV of the President and they were surprised to see it appear at the entrance of the hospital. Usually, it would park in the 1st level basement parking which is exclusive for the President only. Is President Jacob Parker and Nurse J going to be public with their relationship now? "Jacob, you are dropping me off at the entrance of the hospital. Are you kidding me?! Why would you drop me at the entrance of the hospital?! Are you insane?" J was outraged. Even if she repeats the fact that Jacob is dropping her off at the entrance of the hospital for a couple of time, she still can''t believe that it is happening. She thought that they would go to work in their usual routine like nothing happened but she never expected that Jacob will deliberately flaunt their marriage to the public. Chapter 289 - Perfect Match Jacob chuckled, he is amused at the cuteness of his wife. "Honey, I have something to do at Twelve Army Headquarters, James is already waiting for me so, I have to rush there now. Everyone already knew that you are married to me, so, what is wrong if they see us together?" J felt helpless. Does this man can''t understand that she is angry. He is obviously doing this on purpose. He had always wanted to announce their marriage but she always refused and now that the public already knew about it, he wouldn''t let this day to pass by without displaying his affection towards his wife by simply driving her off to work and dropping her off at the hospital''s main entrance so that everyone could see them. J closed her eyes and sighed. While Jacob reached out to unfasten her seat belt. He helped her get out of the SUV, then with his hand on her lower back he led her to the entrance of the hospital. Arthur quickly followed them while he let Felix parked the bulletproofed sedan at the 1st Level Basement Parking. After Chairman John Parker announced that Dr. Jacob Parker is married to Nurse J at the foundation gala, everyone anticipated to see the couple together the next day. But the couple didn''t make an appearance for two days. Everyone talked about it and finds out from Nurse Maggie, J''s co-nurse at the Department of Surgery the it was Nurse J''s two-days off. So, everyone assumed that Dr. Jacob Parker took his day off as well with his wife. And today, everyone was surprised to see a beautiful couple making an entrance at the hospital''s main entrance. Come to think of it, they have not seen Nurse J enters the main entrance this past couple of weeks. As for Dr. Jacob Parker, they knew that the 1st Level basement parking was exclusive for him and from there he would use his private lift going to his office at the 10th floor. Now, they finally realized that Nurse J is probably going to work together with Dr. Jacob Parker and is using the 1st Level Basement Parking and the private lift as well that is why no one noticed about them being together. Jacob looks dashing wearing a white dress shirt with the top two buttons undone and sleeves folded until just above his elbows, tucked in a khaki pants paired with brown loafers. His left hand is placed on J''s lower back showing how protective and possessive he is towards her, as if saying ''Back off. This is my woman.'' While J matched up with Jacob wearing a plain white top with crew neck and three fourth sleeves tucked in a red brown trousers and white sneakers. Her hair hangs loose as she let it dry naturally. Before, nurses go to and off work wearing their uniform but under Jacob''s management, he doesn''t allow it. He wants the nurses and all staffs to arrive and leave the hospital not wearing their uniforms carrying the name of the hospital. That is after an incident involving a male nurse getting drunk and getting involve in a fight in a club wearing the hospital uniform. The two of them looked good together. They think that they match each other perfectly. They wouldn''t have thought of that before since they were used to J''s aloof and cold demeanor while Jacob is easy going not until they saw them dancing together at the foundation gala. It was like they saw a different version of J and Jacob when the two of them were together. J and Jacob reached the private lift, Jacob kissed the forehead of J then he sends her off. But before he left, he told Arthur to look over her since he will be working all day at the Twelve Army. Chapter 290 - Arthur’s New Job While inside the lift, J made a call to Buck. "I want you to send me all the news related to the upcoming Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship." Arthur heard her. It seems like she is starting to prepare for her upcoming race which will be held in one week. "Right away Miss. But.. I heard that JK is investigating about your identity. Do you want me to do something about it?" J heard Buck said on the other line. J remained indifferent. "Leave that to me. Focus on the car." Then J hanged up. Then they reached the 8th floor. To J''s surprise, Arthur followed her until the lobby of the Department of Surgery. It looks like, since her marriage and identity has become public, Arthur and his team has gone public as well. But of course, that is until the lobby only because once J enters the restricted area of the Department of Surgery, Arthur will return to their spot at the 10th floor. But before they separated, J called out to him. "Arthur, I want you to check out all the racers that have the higher chances of being on the top five, specially a racer that goes by the name JK. I want to know their professional background, family background and their weakness." "Got it." "And by the way, JK is investigating my identity. Make sure he won''t find anything." After all, no one knows that the Black Heiress is Jenny Do, the heiress of the Robin Hood Society, the wife of DR. Jacob Parker. Arthur nodded before he left. He knew that her identity as the Black Heiress is confidential. It was now part of his job to assist J in any way that she needed his assistance and that includes investigating someone that is possibly going against her way. When J arrived at the Nurse''s Station after changing into her white uniform, everyone in her shift is already there including Head Nurse Jing and Dr. Aaron Choi. Dr. Ramos is also there since he is going to have an operation with Dr. Aaron. Upon seeing her, every one became mute. Suddenly the whole station was filled with awkwardness. Specially Dr. Aaron who have warn J about Jacob after seeing Jacob treating her affectionately. Although, J remains as aloof and intimidating as before, everyone''s thought runs wild. How would they address her? How would they treat her? They suddenly became conscious around her as if they are being monitored and any mistakes will be reported directly at the CEO. "Good morning Nurse J!" Everyone was startled to hear Nurse Diana greeted her the way she greets her before. They all turned to look at her with amusement. J looked at everyone then to Diana. Then Diana hooked her arm into J''s arm. Everyone came to realize that since Nurse Diana is Nurse J''s best friend, she probably knew about Nurse J''s relationship with Dr. Jacob. That''s why she still treated her like nothing happened. "I heard about the council meeting." Diana said in a low voice near J''s right ear. "Did Leo told you?" Diana nodded her head. "Have you decided?" "No. Mom and Dad will decide." J replied casually. "But, what about you?" J shrugged her shoulders as she looked at the OR''s schedule Board. "I am fine with anything." Then after a while, she turned to look at Diana and asked, "What about you? As a member of the Society, is it alright if Jacob takes over?" Chapter 291 - Madam "That''s fine with me, of course, I know Dr. Jacob well." Diana replied ecstatically. But how about those who don''t know Jacob personally? J thought to herself. "Ah...by the way. I think you should talk to them." Diana said pointing her lips towards the nurse''s station. J gave her a side look as she studies the OR schedule board. "Why should I explain myself to them?" "I''m not telling you to explain yourself. At least, say something, after all, they are still in shock. Since I came this morning, I''ve heard them talking, they knew that you will return to duty today and they were asking Dr. Aaron how are they going to treat or address you. You know, after finding out that you are the wife of the CEO. But Dr. Aaron was feeling confused as well, I think he hasn''t recovered from the shock. After all, he is a friend of Dr. Jacob and didn''t know that his friend is already married. I heard that he''s been trying to call Jacob to ask for an explanation but he is not answering." Diana continued ranting on about what she heard from Dr. Aaron. J ignored most of what Diana is saying, she grabs her phone from her front pocket and dialed a number. "Hey, Honey what''s up." Jacob connected his phone to the Bluetooth of his SUV and answered J''s call. "I think you should call Dr. Aaron," J said nonchalantly. "Why? Is he throwing questions at you?" "No. Not yet. That''s why you should call him first before they bombard me with questions." "Ha-ha. I don''t think they would do that." Because they were afraid to do that. "Okay, I will hang up now and call Aaron." Not long after, Dr. Aaron''s phone rings. J and Diana looked at his direction and watch as he answers the call. They watch as Dr. Aaron''s expression turned from grave to tense then finally relieved then blissful while looking at J''s direction. J wasn''t worried at all about what might Jacob tell to Dr. Aaron, moreover, he wouldn''t tell him that it was an arranged marriage and that they didn''t know about it since a couple of months ago. He wouldn''t let anyone know about that. He would just tell him to act normally as nothing happened and to treat her like the way they normally do. J glanced back again at the schedule board before she returns to the nurse''s station. Dr. Aaron and Dr. Ramos are going to perform a partial colectomy at 8 o''clock and J is going to be the assisting nurse. Partial Colectomy is a procedure where the surgeon removes part of the colon. It is done to treat diseases such as uncontrolled bleeding, colon cancer, Crohn''s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and Diverticulitis. In this case, their patient is diagnosed to be in his early stage of Colon Cancer. At the nurse''s station, J took out the chart of the patient when she heard Dr. Aaron speak to her in his most reverent tone. "Madam, the surgery will start at 8 o''clock, I''ll have Nurse Maggie prep the Theatre Two so, you''ll just have to rest here and wait for the patient." Diana burst out in laughter after hearing Dr. Aaron called J Madam in his most respectful way. While J suddenly dropped the chart in the table making a loud sound that startled everyone. J gave Dr. Aaron an icy glare making him shiver down to his spine. Seeing J in her black temper, everyone in the nurse''s station cowered in fear. Chapter 292 - The Dogs are Lonely J closed her eyes and take a deep breath to compose herself. When she finally calmed down, she asked, "Did Jacob told you to call me ''Madam''?" Dr. Aaron stuttered, "Y-yes." Then suddenly his phone rings again. It was Jacob who is calling back. Dr. Aaron suddenly didn''t know if he should answer him in front of his raging wife. He looked at his phone then to J. J seemed to understand so she said, "Answer it." in her cold demeanor. With his trembling hands, he answers Jacob''s call. On the other line, Dr. Aaron heard Jacob asked. "Did you do what I told you? What was her reaction?" Upon hearing this, Dr. Aaron finally realized that Jacob is probably playing a trick on them using his wife. So, he replied, "Are you fucking kidding me?!" J gestured Dr. Aaron to hand her his phone which the latter immediately obliged. J put the phone on her ear and said, "The dogs are quite lonely at night, I think you should accompany them tonight." Meaning, Jacob will probably sleep with Beauty and Beast tonight. After saying that, she didn''t wait for Jacob''s reply and handed back the phone to Dr. Aaron. "I''ll go prep Theater Two." Then she walks towards the OR Theatre. She was followed by Diana leaving everyone in the Nurse''s Station stupefy. Dr. Aaron snapped back when he heard Jacob still speaking on his phone. "Hey, honey I was just making a prank on Aaron. Honey... are you still there?" After hearing that, Dr. Aaron was fuming. "Damnit, Jacob! Are you trying to kill me?! Do you have any idea how scary your wife is when she is not angry? What more when she is angry? She almost set the hospital on fire!" Jacob laughed. "Is she that angry?" "Angry my ass! She looks like she is about to eat everyone here alive!" Dr. Aaron was angrier. "Forget it! You guys have been with her for five years now. With her character, you should''ve known that she wouldn''t want to be treated like a boss. Didn''t you realize that?" Dr. Aaron suddenly came to his senses. He was too overwhelmed to have found out the J and Jacob were married and forgot about the fact that J is such an introvert who doesn''t want to socialize. She doesn''t want any attention so why would she want to be treated with such high regards. He slapped his forehead with his other palm. "Damn you, Jacob!" Jacob heard it and can''t help but burst out in laughter. "She doesn''t want any special treatment so treat her the way you used to. And don''t call her Madam." Jacob said then he hanged up. Dr. Aaron soon relayed Jacob''s message to the nurses and doctors in his Department and other departments. Thou it is very rare for the other Department to see J since she barely roams around the hospital. After the partial colectomy performed by Dr. Aaron Choi, J help Diana transferred the patient to his room while Diana was left to clean the Theater Two. On her way to the patient''s room, she saw a couple of nurses and hospital staff. Some greeted her while some were obviously wary of her which J chose to ignore. When she''s back to the Department of Surgery, she searched for her phone. Sure enough, there were messages from Buck. He sent her the links to the news regarding the upcoming Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship. She opened the links one by one. Chapter 293 - JK The first news has a headline ''Black Heiress Poses a Threat to Win Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship''. It was an article about her, her interest was piqued so, she opened it first to read. But it says nothing much except for the obvious facts. J or Black Heiress has been participating in the Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship for five consecutive years now ever since she came back in the country. And during those times she ranked three runner ups, one top four and one top six. Her records were quite impressive. If not for the fact that she hides her identity behind her racing helmet, she might have earned a lot of money now from endorsements, interviews, and TV guestings. But unfortunately, she is not interested in this kind of exposure, she just wanted to satisfy her thirst to race. Although she hides her identity, that didn''t prevent her from being famous among racing fanatics. Upon reading the article, there were parts that caught her interest. It mentioned that there were fans and personalities who already have an idea as to who really is Black Heiress. One of which is JK. JK stands for Juan Kolton, he is 31 years old and has been racing since he was 13 years old. He started his career in kart racing. Later on, he moved abroad to pursue his dream of becoming a Formula One Racing Driver and has become a two-time Formula One Champion in the world. In Lotus City, he is regarded as the greatest Formula One driver. Seven years ago, he returned back to Lotus City and suddenly announced that he will be participating in the Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship. Since then, he became one of the best contenders but has always been the runner up. He is loved by the media and fans because he always entertains them whenever and wherever and because of his good looks he is known to be the most popular race car driver in Lotus City. But despite his popularity, he still managed to keep his private life a secret. He is only known by his first name and no one knows his last name or his family background. Although he has good looks, he doesn''t have an appeal to J because of one particular reason. His conceitedness. He is too proud of himself and his ability that he thinks he can make everyone bow down to him. There were a couple of times that he tried to reach out to J through Buck but Buck knew that J would refuse so he didn''t have to ask for J and refused him instantly. Last year after J became the runner up of the Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship, JK ceased on reaching out to her. Buck thought that he has grown tired of it and finally gave up. But who would''ve thought that JK will change his tactic this year? It seems that JK wanted to find out who is Black Heiress on his own. But of course, J would never let that happen. Her identity as Jenny Do, the heiress of the Robin Hood Society and wife of Jacob Parker were all revealed in just one night. She wouldn''t let the identity of Black Heiress to be publicized as well. And regarding JK''s matter, she would just let Arthur handle it. So, she made a call to Arthur before she looked at the other news links that Buck sent her. Chapter 294 - M42’s Predictions J was not surprised that the other headline is about Hans threatening to be in the top five. Hans started as a second driver of J during the Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship but has been joining some local racing competition as a full-time race car driver. And this year, he has been qualified to join the Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship. He will be driving his No. 36 race car for Black Heiress Racing Team. While the other headline is about the former Annual Lotus City Speedway Champion and now retired racer M42. His nickname was derived from the first letter of his name and last name which is Maverick Mabe. He is driving a No. 42 race car. After winning the championship in five consecutive years making a record, he decided to retire this year. But, just recently in an interview in a sports magazine, he made a brazen prediction about who is going to make it in the top five in this year''s Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship. And because of his 40 years of experience, his words were trusted by fans, media, and sports enthusiast. He predicted that among the top five, J has the biggest chance of winning. But what, made every sports enthusiast confounded is that there is a possibility that JK wouldn''t make it in the top five because of two rookies. And one of those rookies is Hans. But then, he says that his predictions were just based on his observations of this racer''s skills and abilities this past few years. Still, it will be this racer''s skills and abilities that will determine who is going to win. After reading the news about M42''s prediction, she scanned the other news links that Buck sent to her. Some were not that interesting and some were only repetitions of what was being reported. They were just being rephrased. Soon, her shift ended and as she and Diana were about to leave the Department of Surgery, J found Arthur in the lobby of the 8th floor waiting for her. After the announcement of J''s marriage to Jacob, Arthur''s Team has been overtly going around her. Although she was a bit embarrassed to be seen by her co nurses with personal security surrounding her, she hurriedly walked towards the lift. She was followed by Arthur and Diana. There were no other persons inside the lift except for the three of them. Inside the lift, J noticed a white folder that Arthur is holding in his left hand. "Have you done what I asked of you?" J asked Arthur looking at his reflection on the door of the lift. Her tone was inquiring with a bit of surprise. Arthur was standing behind her and Diana. "Yes, Miss. Do you want to take a look at it now?" Arthur replied nonchalantly. That was fast. J thought to herself. And she can''t help but compare him to Lance. If it was Lance, it will take him at least a day. Finding out about her biggest competitor in the race is simple but finding out information about JK''s background that is deliberately concealed is a bit tricky. And J was surprised that Arthur finds it out within eight hours. No wonder he is one of the top agents of the Twelve Army. J nodded her head and reached out for the folder that Arthur is handing over to her. Diana looked at her with curiosity. "Did you find yourself another enemy?" Diana said with a quizzical smile. "It''s about the upcoming race," J replied shortly. Chapter 295 - JK’s Elder Sister "Oh... that''s right. I heard it from Leo. He said that Madam Victoria wants to talk to Jacob and help her stop you from joining the race. He said that Madam Victoria was worried about you and that she is really against you joining such dangerous sports. But President Martin intercepted her from doing so. He knew that not even Jacob can stop you." Diana narrated with a smile. "But Miss J, you should be careful as always. Nonetheless, I know that you will be the Champion this time." Diana said with a thumbs up, her smile reaches her eyes. Soon they arrived on the ground floor and Diana has to step out of the lift leaving only Arthur and J. When the lift reached the 1st Level basement parking, J noticed that it was only the bulletproofed sedan that is parked in the parking area. She frowned and asked Arthur, "Did Jacob come here?" Arthur shakes his head and said, "No, he is at Twelve Army." J cocked her head. "Is he busy with something?" Arthur nodded his head. As they continue to walk towards where the car is parked. "Is it about Novus Rex?" Arthur nodded again as he opened the door of the back seat to let J in. Because of the sudden announcement of her marriage to Jacob, the council meeting then the upcoming race, J almost forgot about Novus Rex. All this time, Jacob has been busy finding insider information about them. He is doing all of this because of J. Her face became stern and said to herself that after the race, she will focus on helping Jacob deal with the Novus Rex. As soon as Arthur is seated on the Driver''s side, he asked, "Miss?" J understood and replied with, "Naupaka Racing Circuit." Since the Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship is in one week, J planned to spend her afternoon in the Naupaka Racing Circuit. When the car exits the basement parking of the hospital and the light of the day enters the car, J flipped open the white folder that Arthur gave her. Arthur was efficient and precise with his investigation. On the first page is the complete list of the qualifiers for the Championship with their real name, alias, car, number, team, years of experience, professional achievements and weaknesses. There are exactly 36 qualifiers for this year''s Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship. On the second page, Arthur highlighted the top 10 strongest qualifiers with much detailed information. Among them are JK and Hans. J took her time to study the list on the first and the second page until she felt her neck getting stiff. She stopped for a while, close her eyes as she massaged the back of her neck. Later on, she rested her head on the headrest with her eyes still closed. After resting for fifteen minutes, she opened the folder again and continued reading on the third page. The third page is the complete details of JK. Everything is in there including information that was concealed to the public. While she was reading, her eyebrows raised from the information that is written. Surprisingly, JK''s complete name is not just Juan Kolton as everyone knows. Kolton is his second name, not his surname. So, his complete name is Juan Kolton Ivanov. He''s got an elder sister and younger brother. What surprised her the most is that her elder sister is Dr. Stella Ivanov. Chapter 296 - Followed "This JK is Dr. Stella Ivanov''s younger brother?" Although her question is not specifically for Arthur, Arthur replied with a ''Yes''. Arthur felt that there is a sense of doubt in J''s tone so he confirmed it. "I had Felix confirmed all the information I gathered." J''s brows furrowed, she is getting suspicious about this JK''s identity. "Apparently, the parents are against him racing, so at an early age, he left the country leaving his family to race abroad. His parents cut all ties to him. But his sister was supportive of him. She is the only one who remained in contact with him." Arthur continued. "Did he find anything about the Black Heiress?" J inquired after a while. "No. We''ve been intercepting all attempts." J cocked her head and looked at Arthur''s direction. "Ever since we found out about your real identity and other identities, Chairman Jacob instructed us to monitor any attempt to investigate the heiress of the Society and Black Heiress. As soon as we did that, we found out a number of attempts and one of those is JK. He''s been probing on Black Heiress. Fortunately, he hasn''t found anything." After Arthur said that, J noticed that he sped up. She looked outside the left and right window then behind and find Stefan and Felix was left behind. "Are we being followed?" J asked. She was too preoccupied with the information on her hand that she didn''t notice it. Arthur nodded and said, "We''ll have to re-route. You two take care of them." His words were intended for Stefan and Felix. Just like what he said, they take another route, instead of taking the road going to Naupaka, Arthur exited the highway and took the other road going to Camella Province. J remained calm as usual. She wondered, who have the guts to follow her in the broad daylight knowing that she is being guarded by Twelve Army''s top team? Whoever they are, it''s either they knew and didn''t care that she is being guarded by Arthur''s team or they didn''t know who Arthur''s Team is. After the announcement of her marriage to Jacob, they assumed that no one would dare to make a move on J, after all, Jacob is the Chairman of Twelve Army, which would mean that he would probably surround J with top agents from the Twelve Army. If you are one of those elites that have been hunting J you would think of this probability and the consequences if you are to make a move on J. Not unless you think you can vanquish the Twelve Army. While if you are just an ignorant onlooker, who brazenly followed J, you just dug your own grave. And Dr. Stella Ivanov just proved how dense she is. Soon, J and Arthur reached the Naupaka Racing Circuit while Felix and Stefan were left to deal with the ''stalker''. They found out that it was Dr. Stella Ivanov. She just assumed that it was J who is inside that bulletproofed sedan that came out of the 1st level basement parking. Everyone knew that the 1st level basement parking is intended only for Jacob and his family. She knew that Jacob didn''t arrive in the hospital so she came to the conclusion that it was J. But she didn''t know that J is heavily guarded. So, she was panic-stricken when two motorbikes blocked her way and two hunky men started interrogating her. Chapter 297 - The Stalker "Miss. Step out of your car now." Felix said with a threatening tone as he gestures Dr. Stella Ivanov to step out of the car. In normal conditions, if he cornered a stalker, he would initially point a gun at them as he threatened them to step out of the car. But when they found out that it was a dumb-looking woman following them, he immediately hides his gun on his waistband gun holster. "Who do you think you are ordering me to step out of my car?! Don''t you know that you are harassing me? I will call the police right now!" Dr. Stella tried to speak with arrogance but she failed. It was obvious from her facial expression and the tone of her voice that she is panicking as being caught red-handed. And faced with two hunky men, thou good looking, still looks terrifying. "We are not harassing you, Miss. It is you that are following us, so, it is just right for us to question you." Felix didn''t lose his composure and still talk to her in his most professional way. Stefan who is watching the two of them argue suddenly realized something after looking at the woman. He nudged Felix and say, "Hey, doesn''t she look familiar to you?" Felix frowned and scanned the face of the woman who is still inside the car that looks like a doll with her makeup. Dr. Stella Ivanov became more anxious as the two men looked at her as if studying her features. She wanted to step the gas and flee away from them but one of their motorbikes is behind her car while the other one is in front of her. She simply doesn''t have the courage to just hit the motorbikes with her car as her knees became feeble and didn''t seem to react to what she wanted them to. Her thoughts were in shambles right now. "Right! She''s Dr. Stella Ivanov!" Felix exclaimed after realizing that the woman in front of him is the same woman that almost cost the life of their lady boss in a car accident. Dr. Stella almost had her heart fell when she heard that they knew her. She is in deep trouble, she thought. And she didn''t even know why they are saying that she is following them while the one that she is really following is J''s car. She didn''t even notice their motorbikes in front of her. They just came into her vision when they suddenly blocked her way and now, they are accusing her of stalking them. "Okay Dr. Stella Ivanov, since you don''t want to get out of your car. Let me just ask you." Felix continued questioning her as he leaned his back into Dr. Stella''s car and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Why are you following us? Oh, let me rephrase it. Why are you following Miss J?" Dr. Stella was flabbergasted. Her lips trembled. Did Nurse J found out that she is following her so she called these guys to harass her? After all, J probably holds a grudge on her after she kissed Jacob in front of her and tells everyone that she is Jacob''s girlfriend. J is probably having her retribution against her. At the thought of this, Dr. Stella suddenly burst into tears. Although she is just being questioned, she felt like she is being tortured. "I-I just wanted to talk to J-Jacob. I haven''t seen him for a couple of days. I just wanted to talk to him and ask him if he is really married to that woman. I just needed an explanation and thought that following that woman would lead me to him." Dr. Stella explained in between her sob. Felix and Stefan sighed. This girl is hopeless. Did she really think that Jacob owed her an explanation? She doesn''t even have a relationship with Jacob before. Chapter 298 - Two Cars "I already sent Felix to follow her in case there is much more to her act earlier." "Good," Jacob replied. Arthur was very efficient. As soon as they reached the Naupaka Racing Circuit, he already reported to Jacob about the incident with Dr. Stella and he has already done what was supposed to be done without waiting for Jacob''s order. J has already found out that it was Dr. Stella Ivanov who is following her for some dumb reason. And she can''t help but be cautious with her. She was glad that Arthur thought the same thing. Because of this incident, Dr. Stella almost finds out her identity as Black Heiress and knowing how supportive she is of her brother, she would definitely tell him this information. Fortunately, she is a no match for Arthur and his team. They would never even spare a single sweat on her. Later on, J came out of the dressing room wearing a blue and black overall suit. Then she walks towards the pit road followed by Arthur. "Miss, Dr. Stella has been taken care of." J nodded her head. She knew Felix''s capability. All four of them in Arthur''s Team were a keen observer making them good at espionage but what makes Felix a cut above the rest is his love for thrill and excitement. He loves to indulge himself in situations that are uncontrolled. Sometimes J thought that Felix is a bit suicidal, always wanting himself to be in the most dangerous mission. So, spying an airheaded such as Dr. Stella who didn''t know how to think before she acts is just a piece of cake to him. At the pit, J saw Buck and the rest of the team. There were about twenty members of the rosters including the organizational rosters, road crew and the pit crew that takes care of J''s safety and her car. But only pit crew were allowed over the wall and those five were the best and strongest in the team. They should be able to perform sets of technical procedures under pressure and as fast as lightning. This includes tire changing and refueling, all this should take effect in just a matter of seconds. And J''s pit crew holds the title of the fastest pit stop ever in the history of Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship. Their record is 9 seconds. "I see you don''t have your husband with you." Buck tease her. He has heard the news obviously. He glanced at J''s new right-hand man behind her. J raised her right brow and said. "Do you want to sit down for a while and have a girl talk?" J returned his mockery. Buck laughed and said, "I''m just kidding. Come on." Then he led her to her car that is surrounded by the pit crew. J peered at Buck. "Two cars?" Buck is hubristic. "You didn''t know but your husband got you two cars. That one, you will be using here at Naupaka Racing Circuit while the other one is your winning car. You''ll use it at the Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship." J was rendered speechless. The crew chief saw J''s reaction and immediately explain. "The previous car you used at the speedway is not designed for a short track like this. I believe that is another reason for your accident last time. We designed this car with a maximum downforce so that it could go around the tight turns of Naupaka Racing Circuit." The Crew chief explained as he led J towards the two cars. Chapter 299 - Modifications J understands and nodded her head. She goes around the two cars and examined it. One car that she is going to use for short tracks is painted blue and white with number 88 decals, the team''s logo and the nickname Black Heiress at the windshield. Its body is mounted far back on the frame and its front fenders are much pronounced and curved. While the other one is painted with Black and Blue, the no.88 decals on the side are painted white, the logo of the team is on the hood and her nickname Black Heiress in printed on the windshield. The body of the car is mounted forward on the frame and the side and front fenders were less contoured than the other car. J nodded her head as the crew chief explains every modification that they did with the car. "We''ve already modified the frame using square and round steel tubing. The frame and the thickness of the materials have already been checked and passed the standards." J walks around the cars and checked the body of the cars then she touched the windshield. "Lexan?" "Yes, Miss." The Crew Chief replied. "The same materials used in a fighter-plane canopy." Lexan or polycarbonate are used for race cars instead of glass because it is durable but soft that if something hits them it wouldn''t shatter into pieces protecting the driver from shards of glasses. "We''ve already replaced the headlights and taillights with decals and also added roof flaps." "How about the engine?" J asked as she raised the hood of the car revealing the engine of the car. "We already have done tons of engine testing Miss." The Crew Chief said with an elevated chin. Obviously, the Crew Chief is trying to suck up to J, after all, the rumors were spreading that she would be taking over the Society in the future. J remained indifferent as she continued to examine the cars. The checked out the treadless tire, the roll cage and finally the restraint system. The cars were equipped with the five-point harness restraint system, two straps over the driver''s shoulder, two circles the waist and one on the leg. The straps should be strong yet comfortable. This should keep the driver tightly on the seat in case of an impact. "And Miss," Buck interjected in between J''s diligent probing on the cars. "The suits that you and the team are going to wear are ready. They are all made of Nomex." "Okay." J nodded. "Let''s begin in ten minutes." Then the team started working on their own. "By the way, Buck." Then J turned to look at Buck. "Did you bring the simulator?" Buck furrowed his brows as he looked at J. "Yes Miss. Why?" "I''ll be using them this couple of days. It is not enough to practice on a short track when the competition is being held in a superspeedway." J said that more to herself while she is sitting in a director''s chair looking at the cars. Buck was surprised. He knew that J doesn''t want to use a race car simulator. Why does it seem that she is becoming more serious in this competition that before? In the past years, J only joins this kind of competition as a past time but now she acts like she competing seriously. These days, even professional race car drivers use an advanced race car simulator routinely to practice racing so J thought that maybe she should step forward and use these innovations as well. And Buck was right, J didn''t understand it herself but she feels more serious than before. She intends to win this time. Chapter 300 - The Cabins J started her laps and in one hour she finishes it before it gets dark. This is also another reason why she wanted to use the simulator. Because of the long drive from the hospital to Naupaka Racing Circuit, she only got one to two hours to practice before it gets dark. Definitely, Jacob would not let her practice at night because it would be too dangerous since race cars don''t have actual headlights and taillights even thou the race tracks are well lit. So, she would use her spare time at Naupaka practicing the race car simulator at night before she went back to Lotus City. But to her surprise, Jacob was already waiting for her at the pit. Jacob helped her get out of the car as she removes her helmet and handed her over to one crew member. "What are you doing here?" J asked. Jacob simply replied. "I don''t want to sleep with the dogs." J almost forgot about the incident earlier at the hospital when Jacob played a trick to Dr. Aaron and instructed him to call her Madam. But since Jacob reminded her of that incident, her anger replenished. But before she could say something. Jacob tried to save himself. "Since it seems like you are going here every day after your duty for a week, I''ve decided that we should stay in one of the cabins here for a week. It is more convenient for the two of us. It is just a few kilometers from the Twelve Army Headquarters and you don''t have to travel back to Lotus City at night after your practice. That way, you can have an early rest after your practice. What do you think?" Jacob said with a wide grin. He definitely avoided sleeping with the dogs tonight. J thought for a while and realized that Jacob was right. That way, she could save some time and energy. After changing from her overall suit to a casual attire, J and Jacob headed to the area where the log cabins are located. It is no too far from the race track and could be accessed by foot thou it is a bit elevated. So, they walk their up to the cabins. It was already dusk when they reached the area. There were still light in the sky so J could still clearly see Jacob''s bulletproofed SUV parked in front of one of the cabins. There were three cabins in the area, each is about 150sqm. J and Jacob with Arthur and Stefan will occupy one of the cabins while Buck, Hans and the rest of the team will occupy the other two cabins. The cabin was cozy and warm with a rustic interior. The temperature in Naupaka is lower than Lotus City so each cabin has a fireplace to keep the whole place warm. There was one bedroom, living area, kitchen and dining area on the ground floor while on the second floor were two bedrooms and a living room. Outside is a long and big porch with a great view of the big towering trees. The three cabins were located a couple of meters away from each other. There is also a gazebo and a bonfire area that can be used by the visitors. Chapter 301 - The Fourth Level of Happiness J wanted to take a rest while everyone is preparing for dinner, so, she went into the bedroom upstairs. But to her surprise, there is a huge basket of red tulips on the king-size bed. Red tulips symbolize true love. Regardless of its color, tulips are J''s favorite flower. She turned around to look at Jacob who is just behind her. Her lips partially opened as if wanted to say something while her right brow is raised. Instead of asking, she waited for Jacob to explain. Jacob closed the door behind him and walked towards the king-size bed where the tulips lay. "I just realized that I haven''t given you flowers yet," Jacob said with a beautiful smile that captivates J''s heart. J was trying to keep a big smile from appearing from her face but a small smile from the corner of her lips was hard to conceal especially that her heart now is fluttering. She walks towards the bed and examines the lovely flowers. "What''s next, are you going to give me chocolates?" J said with a sweet smile. Jacob chuckled. "Do you want chocolates?" Jacob already made a research about the likes and dislikes of J and he knew that she is not a fan of chocolates. And if she were to eat chocolates, she prefers it dark and with almonds. J shrugged her shoulders and said. "I am not a fan of chocolates. Are you making up for what you did earlier at the hospital?" J asked as she picks up one tulip and brings it to her nose to sniff its smell. Jacob steps closer to her and twirls her to face him with his hands on her shoulders. "Hm... which one?" J frowned, earlier, he dropped her off at the main entrance against her will because she didn''t want to catch attention from the hospital''s staff then he made a prank to Dr. Aaron and told him that she preferred to be called Madam. It made her enraged that he told Jacob that he will be sleeping with the dogs tonight. But Jacob managed to avoid his punishment by coming over the Naupaka Racing Circuit and decided to sleep there instead of going home to Evergreen Villa. And now he is giving her a basket of red tulips. It is very much obvious that he is doing this to make up for what he did that day but J still finds it sweet and her heart felt an immense joy. She received flowers before but she never felt this way. She would usually be indifferent or irritated whenever she receives flowers but receiving flowers from Jacob or probably anything that came from Jacob is nothing but a sheer bliss for J. If J thought that what she feels that moment is blissful enough, she was mistaken. Because the next words from Jacob would put her heart in the fourth level of happiness. The kind of happiness that is the most difficult to describe, the ultimate and perfect happiness. Jacob looked at J in his most affectionate way while he strokes her cheeks with his palm. His other arm circled around J''s waist as he pulled her closer to him. His touch brought warmth to J''s body. "Honey...I love you. I love you more than any word can say. And I want everyone to know that. I want to show everyone how much I love you. I would do whatever it takes to keep you by my side. You might not know how much you mean to me, even I couldn''t describe how much you mean to me. All I know is that you are my life and without you I am nothing." Chapter 302 - Let’s Have a Baby J unconsciously became teary-eyed after hearing Jacob''s sudden confession of love to her. Although she has heard him say that he loves her, this is the first time that he said those heartwarming words while looking in her eyes. Her lips were partly open, she wanted to say something. She wanted to say that she loves him as well, that she wants him to be always by her side as well. She wanted to say that he is the only person she wanted to spend the rest of her life. That he is her happiness, her strength, and everything. But she doesn''t know how to express herself. Jacob seemed to understand her thoughts and said, "If you can''t say the words, it''s fine. Action speaks louder than words, after all." Then he smiled at her genuinely. J was enchanted by his smile and immediately realized what he meant. So, she takes another step closer to him, tipped on her toes and wrapped her arms in Jacob''s neck as she pressed her lips to his. Jacob returned her kiss and it became deep and passionate. After a couple of minutes, they parted to catch their breath. With their forehead touching each other, Jacob murmured some words to J. "Actually, there is a much better way to say that you love me," Jacob said mischievously. J frowned and said, "What do you mean?" "Let''s have a baby." Of course, having a baby with him means she is really willing to spend the rest of her life with him. A baby is supposed to be a fruit of two persons deeply in love with each other. J was surprised, she never thought that Jacob is willing to have a baby with her. This is the first time that he voiced this out. While J has been thinking about it every time they do it. Ever since she realized that she loves him, she has always dreamed of having a baby with him. So, his suggestion brought pleasure to her. If it was before, she wouldn''t mind if she didn''t get to have a baby even if she reached the age of 50, after all, she didn''t plan to get married. But the situation now is different. She got Jacob and seeing herself with another man is impossible, more so, having a baby with another man. Jacob''s face was serious as he waited for J''s response. On the other hand, J looked at her husband tenderly, there was a spark in her eyes before her lips curved into a smile that reaches her eyes. She nodded her head as she says "Okay". That moment Jacob felt an explosion of lights in different colors surrounds them. His heart was instantaneously filled will joy that he thought it was going to explode. He had never felt this happy before. Even if J doesn''t tell him, Jacob could feel that she feels the same way as him. But he wanted more, he wanted to know if she is willing to bear his child. There were different kinds of women, one who loves you but doesn''t want to bear your child, the other one wants to bear your child but doesn''t love you and the other one is the one who loves you and is also willing to bear your child. Base on J''s personality, she would never want to bear a child of a man she doesn''t love. So, Jacob dared to ask that question to confirm two things. Although, J''s answer is not the most direct one for Jacob it was the best answer. It just proves that she loves him and she wanted to have a baby with him. Chapter 303 - Overused Line Actually, Jacob was not in a rush to have a baby, but the thought of having one with her excites him. And also, the fact that he is already 35 and J is turning 31 in just a couple of weeks made him eager to have a baby. As everyone knows, once a girl turns 30, the chances of getting pregnant declines as time goes by. "Do you know how happy you just made me?" Jacob said with a broad smile that he can''t contain. J shrugged her shoulders and said, "Care to tell me?" "You just made me the happiest person in the world." was Jacob''s reply. J rolled her eyes and said, "That line is so overused." Although J couldn''t count how many times, she had heard that line in the movies and how many times she had read that line in the books, she still felt jubilant after hearing it from his man. But after saying that, J felt herself being lifted by Jacob then after a moment, she was laid in the bed with Jacob on top of her. And before she could protest, Jacob had already claimed her lips. "Are you sure you want to have a baby with me?" Jacob asked in between his kisses. J only nodded her head as she couldn''t possibly speak. "How about now?" After hearing that J''s eyes widened then she tried to push Jacob on his chest making a small distance between their face. "How about next week?" J said with a forced smile which made Jacob frowned. So, J immediately explained. "I still have a race to catch. It is not wise to get pregnant then race. Right?" Knowing Jacob, if J gets pregnant before the race, racing would be impossible. Fortunately, Jacob understands. "Okay, next week it is." But that doesn''t mean they are not going to do ''it'' now, because Jacob continued to keep his mouth and hands busy. But he was disturbed by a continuous knock on the door. "Miss J, Doctor Jacob, dinner is ready." They heard the voice of a young boy that her team hires to be an errand boy. J heard Jacob groaned. "We''re coming." J let out a quiet laugh as she looks at Jacob''s annoyed face. Jacob frowned as he looks at J. "You are enjoying this, aren''t you?" Later on, everyone was gathered around a long table that the team set up in the porch of J''s cabin. They enjoyed the dinner that the team had prepared. After the dinner, others went to the bonfire area to have a drink while J instructed Buck to set up the race car simulator in her cabin''s living room. Soon, the sofa and chairs of the living room were set aside for the simulator to be placed at the center of the living room. While on one corner, the engineers set up some computers to watch and download data while J is having her sim work. The simulator uses huge screens with a seating mechanism similar to that of a race car. As the software continues to improve, the racing team around the world uses these innovations to improve the skills of the drivers. Although it looks like a video game and not realistic at all, it definitely becomes a useful tool. Since the racers were not allowed to do on-track testing most of them have to rely on the simulator and it has been very helpful. Chapter 304 - She’s Puking! J is now sitting in a simulator as the Crew Chief discusses her some pointers. Buck and the engineers were behind the computer to monitor her. "We adjusted the simulator based on your car. You''ll be familiar with the track because it is the Lotus City Motor Speedway. Since we cannot test your car in the actual. This is going to be helpful. This will allow the team to determine which adjustment would likely work during the race. In that way, the team can focus on the adjustments that we needed to make." J nodded her head understanding the situation. This is the first time that she is going to use the simulator and she doesn''t know what to expect. When J started, she felt the seat moves to simulate how it would feel in the actual race car. Her gaze is focused on the huge screen. It shows the track of the Lotus City Motor Speedway. J is very familiar with it so she knew every turn. Jacob is sitting on one of the accent chairs as he watched J do her sim work. But after a couple of laps, J stopped and suddenly run towards the comfort room. Jacob was startled as a worried expression flash on his face. He immediately stood up from his seat and followed J to the comfort room. Arthur and Stefan who were also watching looked at each other. Arthur tilted his head which Stefan instantly understands then he followed the direction where J and Jacob went. While Arthur was left, he looked to the crew chief then to Buck with a grim expression. The team who saw Arthur''s expression gulped their saliva as they started to sweat. To make matters worse, Jacob returned with a much grimmer expression on his face. The combination of Jacob and Arthur''s demeanor made the whole temperature in the room dropped to the lowest degree. "What the hell just happened?" Jacob said in a cold tone that made everyone shiver. Buck and the crew chief were sweating profusely knowing that the question was intended for them. "D-Dr. Jacob...T-that...normal." Buck stuttered as he tried to explain. "Normal? She''s puking!" Suddenly Jacob burst out in annoyance. When he followed J in the comfort room, he saw her puking everything that she ate at dinner. His heartache at the sight of J suffering. So, after J calmed down, he left her to Stefan and deals with the team. And now the team is facing Jacob''s infamous bad-temper. Everyone who knew Jacob knows how easy going he is but when one messed with him, it could be the end of them as well because when he becomes grumpy, he lost his rationale and sometimes becomes unethical. Buck realized that he must''ve used the wrong word so he tried to rephrase it. "I mean..." He paused for a while to gulp the saliva that is forming in his mouth due to too much stress. "Almost all drivers who use the simulator the first time feel queasy. Hans also puked a couple of times when he first uses a simulator. But after that, he got the hang of it and used the simulator at least three times a week as part of his practice routine." Buck explained efficiently so he wouldn''t get his head off. "Boss..." Suddenly Stefan appeared behind him. "Miss J calls for you." Everyone looked at him like he is some kind of a superhero. Stefan noticed the look on the team''s face and turned to look at Arthur. "Did I miss something?" Chapter 305 - Overreacting "Let''s call it a day," Jacob said before he left everyone to breathe. J knew that Jacob would probably send her team to a death sentence so she made the right time to call for him. When Jacob reached their bedroom, J is already having a shower. Jacob took this opportunity to calm down. After 30 minutes, he heard a knock on the door. When he opened the door, he saw the errand boy carrying a tray with applesauce and crackers on the side. These foods will help J''s stomach settle after vomiting. Jacob gave the boy an approving look before he took the tray from his hands and closed the door. At the same time, J finished her shower and saw Jacob holding a tray on his hands. "Your team''s errand boy is quite proficient," Jacob said as soon as he saw J came out of the bathroom. J looked at the tray on Jacob''s hand and saw applesauce and crackers. "He''s a nursing student," J replied. "Oh." Jacob quickly understands. He walked towards the bed and put the tray on the side table and gestured for J to sit on the bed which she obliged. Then Jacob takes out another dry towel to dry J''s hair. "What were you doing downstairs?" J asked. "I was lecturing your team," Jacob replied. He knew that J was inquiring about when he left her to Stefan to return to the living room where her team is. J smirk and said, "I think the most appropriate word is scaring my team." Jacob didn''t reply as he continued to dry her hair. "It is normal for the first-timer to feel a bit queasy during a simulation. You are a doctor, you should know the physiology of nausea and vomiting." Jacob feels J''s hair in his hand, once he felt that it was almost dry, he stopped drying her hair and take the tray from the side table and put it in the bed. He takes a spoon of applesauce and helped J to eat. J is now sitting on the bed with her legs crossed facing Jacob. "Okay, I overreacted," Jacob said in a much calmer tone. "So, you knew," J said sarcastically as she continued to open her mouth to eat every spoonful of applesauce that Jacob brought to her mouth. "You can''t blame me. That was the first time I saw your vomiting like that. You vomited everything you ate at dinner. I was so worried about you." Jacob said with a frown on his face. The wariness he felt was almost at the same level when he saw J lying in bed unconscious in CEO Wang''s mansion. J stared at Jacob with a stern face which later on turned soft and warm. "What if I got pregnant later on? How are you going to deal with my morning sickness? Are you going to get ill-tempered all throughout my pregnancy?" Jacob was stunned. Then after a minute of contemplating he said. "I think I might have a Couvade Syndrome." After hearing this J let out a chortle. Couvade Syndrome is a condition in which the father-to-be experiences morning sickness instead of the mother-to-be. And the thought of Jacob experiencing morning sickness made J gleeful. Not that she wants him to experience that, it''s just that Jacob is very much willing to experience it just so J wouldn''t have to experience this difficulty. "How can you be so sure about that?" J said with a hint of a smile. Chapter 306 - Have You Changed Your Mind? Jacob sighed. "I change my mind. Let''s not have a baby." Jacob suddenly thought about her pregnancy. During pregnancy, J would definitely feel a lot of difficulties from morning sickness until after labor. More so pregnancy could pose a threat to J''s life. Some actually died during and after pregnancy or while giving birth. And Jacob thought about the ''what ifs'' and the result scared him. And he was certain that a life without her is impossible. So, he will prevent that from happening. J''s face turned dour. "Jacob, I want to have a baby." J didn''t realize until now how eager she is to have a baby with Jacob. "Honey, I can''t. I can''t let you suffer. And I cannot lose you." Jacob became stern as well. J suddenly realized where he is coming from. A dazzling smile appeared on her face. "You are overthinking things." "I was just being sensible." Jacob was still able to reply after being stunned by J''s dazzling smile. Jacob takes out the tray from the bed and offered J a glass of water. "Morning sickness is normal, some doctors even said that it is a good sign because it means that the placenta is forming well. While this past few years the maternal mortality rate had dropped from 385 to 216 deaths out of 100,000 live births and it is continuously dropping. And most of the causes are preventable so the key is prevention." "216 is still 216. I would change my mind again if that 216 dropped into 0." Jacob said as he walked in the bathroom to take a shower which made J slacked-jaw. "You''re impossible. How could you change your mind so quickly?" J said as she pursed her lips. Jacob ignored her and closed the door of the bathroom. When Jacob finished his shower, he found J to be already asleep. She seemed tired. The whole day has been too busy for her. Plus, the fact that she has to travel for more than one hour from the hospital to Naupaka Racing Circuit is too troublesome for her. If he hadn''t decided to stay for a week here at Naupaka Racing Circuit, she would have to travel back at Evergreen Villa at this hour leaving her only a couple of hours to sleep. He walked towards the bed, pulled the blanket and lay beside his wife whose back is facing him. He gently places his arms under her head as a pillow and pulled her close to him. J''s back is now touching his chest. Her soft and warm body seemed to have an unimaginable effect on him. It is something that he got used to and would never want to lose. Actually, he really wanted to have a baby with her, that is why he was the first one to suggest it to her. But the thought of her in pain, difficulty, and danger during her pregnancy made him hesitant. He pulled her closer to him as he tightened his arms around her waist. No matter what happens and whatever the circumstance maybe, he will never let go of this woman beside him. J felt Jacob beside her, so, she turned around to face him. "Hmm...have you changed your mind?" J mumbled as she squeezed herself in Jacob''s chest. Jacob chuckled and said, "Silly. Go to sleep now or else I might not be able to control myself to make a baby with you right here right now." A flash of a smile appeared on J''s lips as she wrapped her arm around Jacob''s body. She closed her eyes and drifted to her own dreamland. Chapter 307 - You knew nothing about me Another week quickly passed by and soon it is already the day of the Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship. J and her team spent the whole week at Naupaka Racing Circuit. In the morning, she would have her duty at CLP Hospital, then in the afternoon she will rake her laps in the Naupaka Racing Circuit and at night she does her sim work. Unlike the first time, J gets used to the simulator and she made sure that she will do her sim work before her dinner. The Black Heiress Team arrived at the Speedway two hours before the actual race started. J and Buck stayed in the VIP Rooms provided for the Team while the rest of the team headed to the pit to prepare for the race. Before the race started, Jacob arrived with James. They decided to arrive separately with J since J cannot reveal her identity as the Black Heiress. They already bought a VIP Passes beforehand so entering the Speedway Is not much of a hassle. The Lotus City Motor Speedway is a 2 miles oval track with 60,000 bench capacity. Jacob and James seated in VIP seats secluded from most of the audience. Most of the personalities in the VIP seats were elites from the business, politics and entertainment industry. Some of them nodded their heads at Jacob upon recognizing him. One even dared to approach him. "Dr. Jacob, I didn''t expect to see you here." A plump looking man said as he reached out for Jacob''s hand. Jacob didn''t hesitate and courteously shake hands with the man. "You know, I''ve been meaning to ask for a meeting with you from James but he said that¡­" The man started off with a wide smile but his smile eventually fades when Jacob deliberately stopped him from talking. "I''m sorry sir, but I am here to watch a race and not to talk business. So, if you please excuse us. Thank you." Jacob said with a smile. He chose to address the man with ''Sir'' since he doesn''t actually have an idea who the man is. With a crestfallen face, the plump man left Jacob and James. After a moment of peace, another person appeared in front of them. Although this person is surprised to see Jacob, the latter was not surprised at all. "Jacob?" "Dr. Ivanov." Jacob addressed her with formality. He only looked at her in a couple of seconds then turned his head away. Dr. Stella didn''t mind his cold demeanor towards her. She was much too surprised to see him here. All these years, she never knew that Jacob is a fan of racing. "I¡­ I''m surprised. I never knew that you are interested in race cars as well." Dr. Stella stressed out that they have the same interest. I am not really interested in race cars, I am just interested in a particular race car driver. Jacob thought to himself. Of course, he cannot voice it out loud. After all, he has to be cautious around Dr. Stella. Jacob knew that Dr. Stella is the sister of JK, J''s biggest competitor in the race and also the person that''s digging up information about the Black Heiress. And if Dr. Stella would find out that J is Black Heiress, things will become complicated. "You actually knew nothing about me. Because I never let you." Jacob said indifferently. Dr. Stella was dumbfounded for a while. Jacob was right, all these years whatever their relationship is, Jacob never opened up to her anything about his personal life. In fact, in the fast flings that he had, he made sure that his personal life never gets involved with whatever relationship he had. Chapter 308 - Arrogant Meanwhile, at the office of the Chairman of the Lotus City Motor Speedway. "Did everything go smoothly?" the owner of the Speedway asked his assistant. "Yes sir, we already had a driver''s meeting earlier and everyone attended except for Black Heiress." the assistant replied. "She hasn''t arrived yet?" The owner asked with a frown. "I believe she is. Her team manager attended the meeting. But I doubt if she will make an appearance until after the opening ceremony." "That brat! Acting too arrogant! Who does she think she is? She''s been hiding her identity for years now and been violating the rules and regulations that I had implemented in this competition. If it wasn''t for the fact that she is so promising and her mysterious approach is giving this event free publicity I would''ve banned her from the speedway already!" the owner clenched his jaw feeling infuriated. The first year that the Black Heiress joined the competition without revealing her true identity made him furious. As a rule, everyone who wishes to race in any event at the Lotus City Motor Speedway should declare their identity. But the Black Heiress Team remained unmoved and persist on racing while hiding the identity of the Black Heiress. In the first year, it made a huge impact on the sports industry. Everyone''s interest was piqued by this mysterious racer and the fact that this mysterious racer is a female. Never in the history of the Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship was there a female racer. She is the first and only one. So, the next year''s race became the most anticipated race competition in the history of the Lotus City Motor Speedway. The Black Heiress gained a lot of fans. There was also an increase in ticket sales and the speedway profited a lot because of Black Heiress. So, the owner of the Lotus Motor City Speedway made an exemption and let the Black Heiress go on in its way even if it means violating some of the rules of the speedway. He even gave her VIP access at the speedway, meaning, she can have exclusive access at the speedway whenever she wants. But five years had passed now, still, the identity of the Black Heiress remained unknown. He had gone to a meeting with the organizational crew of the Black Heiress Team rosters yet they refused to give him exclusive information about the Black Heiress. Now he felt like they were challenging his authority. Still, he can''t just penalize or ban the Black Heiress and her team because they were still at the peak of their popularity and he can still make money out of them. So, he would just let them be for the meantime. "Fortunately, JK is doing better this year. I''ve seen his practice and I am confident that he could win. The popularity of Black Heiress will surely decline as time passes by that she doesn''t win. The fans will see her as ''always the runner up but never the champion''. When that time comes, it would be easier for me to banish her from the speedway." "But sir, base on M42''s prediction and analysis, JK wouldn''t even make it into the top five this year." The assistant retorted. The owner scoffs at his assistant. "Have you checked your vocabulary recently? That was just M42''s prediction, his own thinking. Others have their own prediction and analysis as well and they were all different. It doesn''t mean that he predicted it, it''s really going to happen. Who does he think he is? It only made JK more eager to win and prove him wrong." Chapter 309 - It’s time In actuality, M42''s prediction is not just a prediction but his professional analysis. He believed that JK has come to the point of ''do or die''. If he didn''t win, he will make it so that it will be difficult for the other racers to win with him around. JK although appears amiable in front of the fans and media, he is known to be aggressive in the track. M42 had suppressed him these past years making it impossible for JK to win the trophy. But now that M42 has already retired, JK became more aggressive to win. He will not let others suppress him this time. But according to M42''s analysis, JK''s aggressiveness would lead him to his downfall. But, little did the owner know that his frustrations will soon come to an end. He didn''t have to wait for Black Heiress to become unpopular. "Buck." At the same time, J is resting at the VIP room while waiting for the opening ceremony to finish. She was being accompanied by her manager, Buck, and Arthur. Later on, Arthur will disguise himself as part of the Road Crew. Stefan will be disguised as a popcorn vendor as he roamed around the audience. Felix will be disguised as a reporter of a sports magazine so he could roam around the pit and can freely observe other teams. While Daniel, although still on a vacation reported only for a day as requested by Jacob so he could help them monitor the surroundings and protect J. He is seated in the highest bench where he could see everything that is happening inside the track with his binoculars disguised as an audience. Jacob and Arthur planned this set up so that they could protect J. Their top priority is to keep the identity of the Black Heiress. If her identity as the heiress of the society accidentally revealed in this heavily crowded place, it could pose a danger to her. After all, the place has more than 60,000 and for sure among them were elites who wanted to get rid of the heiress of the society despite the protection from the Twelve Army. "Yes, Miss." Buck who is watching the live broadcast of the race turned to look at J. "Do you remember what I told you the first time I race with the identity of the Black Heiress?" J said in a serious tone. Buck thought for a while before he answered. "You said that Black Heiress will remain until you get your hand on the trophy." After all these years, J never won a trophy, only a rookie of the year award. She never won first place. Because unlike full-time professional racers who spent their daily lives practicing, she was only a part-time racer who rarely practice and race only as a form of breathing space. "I think it is time," J replied that made Buck grin from ear to ear. "It is long overdue," Buck said. While on the corner Arthur who is watching the live broadcast while listening to the two talking received a call from Jacob. "Stella is here. Don''t let anyone come near her." Jacob said on the other line. "Yes, Boss," Arthur replied with a stern face. J heard that and look at the direction of Arthur. She more or less knew what''s already happening. Chapter 310 - The most anticipated racer She was about to ask something from Arthur when there was a sudden commotion heard in the live broadcast. Apparently, JK was seen wearing his all-black suit and waving his hands to his fans then upon noticing that his face is shown in the large LED TV he searched for the camera and gave it a big smile. Buck smirk, "This guy sure loves being in the spotlight. He should''ve been an entertainer instead of racer." J just watched the live broadcast. Actually, with JK''s looks, he will surely pass as an actor. But he is a bit, selfish, impatient and insecure. With Arthur''s help, J was able to find out JK''s strengths and weaknesses, so she already knew how to deal with him on the race track. After a while, they saw on the live broadcast that the opening ceremony has just ended and in just a couple of minutes, the marshal will announce that the driver should now start their engine. With that, J stood up from her seat and said, "Let''s go." She put on her helmet and walked out of the room followed by Arthur and Buck. As the start of the race grew closer, the audience became more exhilarated as they anticipate the appearance of the most popular race car driver in Lotus City. They knew that since the opening ceremony has ended, Black Heiress will soon make an appearance and they were not disappointed because, in just a couple of minutes, the huge LED TV flashed the most anticipated racer. Black Heiress is wearing a blue and black overall suit and a blue helmet walking towards the pit. Although no one has ever seen Black Heiress, because of her body frame, everyone assumed that she is a woman making her more famous. Behind her is Buck who is an all smile and confident and Arthur who is wearing a cap and shades to conceal his identity as well, since there were few who knew that Arthur is protecting the heiress of the Society. So, if they saw him around Black Heiress, it would suggest that the Black Heiress is the heiress of the Society herself. Luckily, his face was hidden behind J''s. Everyone in the audience roared in excitement and a round of applause was heard. Just the mere presence of Black Heiress was enough to make the audience wild. This is one reason why the owner of the Lotus City Motor Speedway and the organizer of this event cannot just ban Black Heiress. "She sure knows how to make an entrance," Jacob said to James without mentioning a name. Soon Black Heiress boarded her car, she puts on her harness and had a chat with the crew chief using a two-way radio system without taking off her helmet. After a while, they heard the marshal announced that the drivers could now start their engine. Later on, everyone became more excited as they saw 36 cars on the oval track. The royal blue race car with no.88 decals is in the pole position. It is the most favorable position at the start of the race, usually the inside of the front row. This position is given to the previous title holder which is supposed to be M42. But, since he is already retired and not participating in the race, the position was given to the runner up, which is Black Heiress. Just beside the no.88 car is a no. 36 black race car driven by JK who seems to be challenging the no.88 car which the latter ignored. Chapter 311 - First Stage The Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship is a 400-mile stock car racing event that is held annually at Lotus City Motor Speedway. The owner of the Lotus City Motor Speedway personally sponsored this event. The whole race will take 200 laps divided into three stages and will take around 3 hours to complete. Luckily, the weather seems to be good, although there were large masses of clouds in the sky, it won''t probably rain all day. Rain will cause a delay in the competition since it will be dangerous for the racers to race in a wet slippery track. The 36 cars were now taking warm-up laps before the pace car. They were now in their third lap and after this everyone is anticipating the green flag as soon as the track is clear. Black Heiress is now driving in the pole position following the pace car at a limited speed. As soon as she saw and passed the green flag, the pace car was nowhere in front of her, she stepped on the gas and speed up. But, she didn''t speed up to her maximum, she just let the other racers and herself enjoy the first stage. The first stage of the race has already started, but Black Heiress was already left behind by JK and other racers despite her advantage of being in the pole position. Everyone noticed how aggressive JK is at the start of the race while Black Heiress seemed to be having a stroll on the track putting her in either the 10th or 11th spot. On the two-way radio, Black Heiress heard the calm voice of the Crew Chief. "Miss, is everything fine in your end?" "Yes, everything''s good. Kind of enjoying this." Black Heiress replied. "Okay, whatever your plan is. Enjoy!" Black Heiress stick to her position 2 seconds behind the lead. While JK who is in the lead is becoming more aggressive as he enjoyed his position. The first stage runs smoothly without any caution or accident. On the 43rd lap, the pit stop opened giving chances for the cars to refuel and change tires but Black Heiress didn''t take the pit stop until the 45th lap. As soon as they saw no.88 car enter the pit road, the pit crew immediately jumped over the wall one carrying the fuel, one carrying the jack and the others carrying the tires. In 10 seconds, refueling and tire changing was done making the audience and other teams gasped in awe at the efficiency and fastness of Black Heiress'' pit crew. Soon Black Heiress is back in the track, but instead of sticking to her previous position, the no.88 car started to catch up with the top five cars and now she is in the 3rd spot. The audience who were doubting earlier if Black Heiress did really come to race now has their butt slightly rising from their chairs. There were only 15 laps before the end of the first stage and now everyone especially the fans of Black Heiress and JK is getting anxious and excited. Who is going to win the first stage? Five laps left and now Black Heiress has already surpassed Hans who is performing well on the 2nd spot. Black Heiress is now 0.17 seconds behind JK. "JK, Black Heiress is behind you." The Crew Chief of JK warned him. JK wanted to say something but keep it to himself, instead, he remained silent. Because of the in-car communication equipment making it possible for radios to broadcast his conversation with his crew, safety and security staff and the officials. So, even if JK wanted to curse out at Black Heiress, he chose to remain quiet because it could ruin his image. Chapter 312 - A cat toying a rat Sensing that Black Heiress is now on his tail, JK speeds up to distance himself from her but the latter remained on his tail. Three laps before the end of the first stage and Black Heiress is now 0.10 seconds behind JK. "Will she win the first stage?" Stefan who is carrying a basket of popcorns walking around the bench once in a while stops to watch the race. Felix heard him through their secret communicating device replied. "Of course! She can be faster than her current speed, she can outrun JK any moment now if she wants to." He said while pretending to capture photos of the behind the scenes. Before the race, Arthur''s team and Jacob had put a secret communicating device on them so they could communicate with each other easily in case something happened during the race. "She doesn''t have the intention to win this stage." The three of them heard the cold voice of Arthur. He was also heard by the road crew and they all looked at him with curiosity. But, Arthur refused to explain his analysis to the road crew. But Felix and Stefan got their explanation from Daniel. "Felix is right, she is definitely faster than her current speed, if she intends to win this stage, she would''ve been in the lead since the beginning of the race. But she settled herself at the 10th or 11th place. While the first stage is nearing, she speeds up and pretended to race after JK but she is just making him anxious. She is just threatening him then will let him have a taste of victory." Jacob and James who were in the VIP seats also heard Daniel''s analysis. A small smile crept up the corner of Jacob''s lips. "Looks like Miss J is playing him." James couldn''t help but make a comment that only they could hear. It is now the final lap and Black Heiress is back to her 3rd position but as soon as she saw the green and white checkered flag indicating the end of the stage, she speeds up her car and outruns the car on the 2nd place. She positions her car in the inner lane beside JK which looks like she is challenging him. She is close to winning the first stage but remained in her current speed landing her on the 2nd place, just 0.05 seconds behind the 1st place which is JK at the end of the first stage. In that last couple of seconds of the final lap, Black Heiress looks like a cat toying a rat with its paws then, later on, released it, only to be chase again. The first stage belonged to JK, and his rosters and fans cheered for him. But it was only the first of the three stages. A lot of things could happen in the next two hours. Black Heiress on the 2nd place while Hans is on the 4th place. That was their position as they followed a pace car waiting for the green flag indicating for the start of the second stage. But just a couple of seconds before the start of the second stage. Black Heiress speaks to her Crew. "Connect me to JK." When her Crew Chief heard this, he immediately connected Black Heiress to JK''s frequency. "Congratulations on winning the first stage. Thou, I am afraid that it''s going to be your last." After that, the line was cut. JK was startled to hear the unfamiliar voice of a woman. As far as he remembers, he doesn''t have any woman on the crew except for her sister that is part of the organizational crew of his rosters. At last, he finally realized that it was the voice of Black Heiress. Her voice was pleasant to ear but for some strange reason, it sends chills to JK''s spine. Chapter 313 - Let the fox play Eventually, the radio frequencies that are broadcasting the race caught the message of Black Heiress to JK and immediately broadcasted it to the public making everyone surprise. Black Heiress never did this before. No one has ever heard her speak before except for during the race when she speaks a word or two to her crew chief. This made everyone speculate, is she publicly challenging JK. Is there any grudge between the two racers? There were speculations before that JK has been trying to probe on the real identity of Black Heiress and just recently, there were rumors that he already succeeded. Is this the reason why Black Heiress is deliberately threatening him. But, the truth is Black Heiress is really doing this because JK was the first one who challenges her by being so nosy. And it irks her. Black Heiress or J could be shallow at times. If someone irks her for no reason, she will deliberately provoke them. More so, if someone irks her because they are probing with her personal life, she will not just provoke them, she will play with them before shutting them down. The whole of the speedway is filled with the sound of cheering from the audience and engines from the 36 cars on the track. Soon, the second stage started and Black Heiress speeds up scaring JK behind. She made quite a distance of 0.20 seconds, that caused quite a loud cheering and clapping from the crowd. Although she started lazily on the first stage of the race, she heated up the track on the first lap of the second stage. Making her fans thought that she was just giving everyone a heads up. Black Heiress never let JK or anyone get any closer to her until the 10th lap. Everyone noticed that Black Heiress seemed to slow down a bit allowing the other cars to catch up to her. JK is now, 0.15 seconds behind Black Heiress but she didn''t speed up. Until JK was about 0.05 seconds behind and could almost outrun Black Heiress, that was the time that Black Heiress speeds up again leaving JK to eat the dust. Jacob who is on the VIP seat burst out in laughter with James the moment they saw what J is doing at the track. "I didn''t know she''s got a lot of tricks hiding in her sleeves. She sure is crafty." Jacob said only for James to hear. "What the?!" While Felix who is roaming on the pit can''t help but exclaimed when he saw on one of the monitors what happened. Fortunately, the other teams didn''t notice him as they were still stunned when they realize what Black Heiress is doing. Buck and the rest of the team laid back with a smug smile on their faces. "Let the fox play," Buck said to the road crew. While everyone on the track was left furious. This made everyone more aggressive. They want to catch up with Black Heiress. Specially JK who is now 0.20 seconds behind Black Heiress. Black Heiress is obviously doing this trick purposely, slowing down for the others to catch up and as soon as JK or one of them is about to outrun her, she will eventually speed up leaving everyone behind. Black Heiress and the crowd are enjoying her tricks when on the 20th lap she heard her Crew Chief speaks. "Caution ahead." Chapter 314 - Came out of Hibernation Indeed, as she completed the 20th lap there were two cars ahead of her that had an accident. The car on the 28th spot hit the tail of the car in front of him making the two cars lost its grip and they both hit the wall. One of the drivers loses its control and just keeps on hitting the wall until he comes circling in the middle of the track that almost hit Black Heiress'' car when she passed the area. Luckily, she was able to turn the wheels on the other way avoiding a possible collision. The other cars behind her did the same. Fortunately, it was just a minor accident and the drivers were safe but unfortunately, they were automatically out of the race. Up until the end of the second stage, Black Heiress maintained her position while she played with the cars behind her from time to time making the second stage looked like a playground for Black Heiress. But, she soon gets bored. At the last 3 laps of the second stage, Black Heiress slowed down and allowed JK catch up to her but she never let him outrun her. She just stayed in front of him deliberately blocking every attempt to outrun her. Finally, at the final lap of the second stage, she totally got bored so she speeds up leaving JK in a distance of 3 seconds. She continued to run on the track searching for the green and white checkered flag. Soon, the second stage ended with Black Heiress on the 1st place, JK on the 2nd place Hans on the 3rd place. Black Heiress slowed down as the pace car takes its position in front of her waiting for the restart of the race. The third stage or the final stage is the deciding factor who is going to win the race. While Black Heiress who lost her interest keeps herself within the top five on the first couple of laps the audience in the VIP starts to discuss to themselves. Who else will be able to discuss the race in a professional way than the veterans and sports analyst? Among them is M42. "This girl seems to be purposely suppressing herself this past couple of years." One of them analyzed. "You''re right, she is quite impressive and her moves and turns are smooth. Looks like she''s been like this all this time. She just didn''t show her talent before. You are lucky that you retired first before this girl came out of her hibernation. Obviously, she''s got talent but she''s been sleeping all these years." One of the veteran racers who retired a year before Black Heiress came to Lotus City said to M42. "I''m quite surprised as well. But I wonder why did she suddenly turn out aggressive this year." M42 said. "Looks like someone provoked her. I heard JK has been digging up information about her this past couple of years but recently he became more and more curious." The old man in his late 50''s said. He is the editor of a sports magazine. "Rumors must be true. That he already finds out about her identity that makes her mad like a bull toying him on the track." M42 said. "Look she''s now in the 6th spot. Just what is she planning?" one of the veterans crossed his leg and supported his chin with his hand. Chapter 315 - Five more laps "I am not sure about this. She''s been like that even when I was still in the race. There was always a moment when I feel like she is getting bored causing for her so slack off and be left behind by the top five. But, nevertheless, she always makes an exciting turn of events at the end of the race putting herself in the 2nd place." M42 replied as he raised his hand to catch the attention of the popcorn vendor who turns out to be Stefan, pretending to be selling popcorn but is actually listening to the conversation of the VIPs. "Are you still confident about your prediction? It is already the 30th lap of the third stage yet the person you said who''s going to win is still slacking off and the person you said who won''t make it in the top five is dominating the track." "I wonder how are you going to redeem yourself after the race ends and your predictions did not happen." The veterans laughed. Although it was just a joke, M42 became a bit annoyed at the veteran''s comment. As soon as Stefan realized that it was just a normal chit chat of the veterans, he turned away from them and roam around the bench selling popcorn while looking out for any suspicious persons. While Felix settled himself near JK''s team as per Jacob''s instruction. Somehow, Jacob and Arthur felt that they should be cautious with JK''s team. And Daniel on the other hand, although sitting on the highest bench opposite the VIP seats hold his binoculars watching over Dr. Stella. On the 35th lap, another minor accident happened that put the competition under caution. The car on the 17th spot lost its grip and lose control making his car swerve out of track. Apparently, something has gone wrong with his car making it impossible for him to continue the race. By this time, Black Heiress is back on the 10th spot. "Miss, are you still there?" the whole time, Black Heiress has been quiet since she asked to be connected to JK. This is not unusual. The whole team is used to this. There was even a time that during the whole three hours of racing, Black Heiress didn''t say even one word. "Uh..huh," J replied nonchalantly. "Don''t you think it''s time to step up the game?" the crew chief asked. "Five more laps. Just focus on Hans. He needs to be in the top five." J replied. Five more laps? The Crew Chief was stunned. What does she mean by five more laps? Does she have a plan? But she didn''t even bother to discuss with them a game plan even if they want to have a game plan. Looks like they''re going to have to wait for five more laps before they could find out what her plan is. Meanwhile, in the VIP seats, Dr. Stella glance back and forth to Jacob''s direction. She really didn''t expect to see him here. Although, Jacob really didn''t disclose to her any personal information about him she made her own research about him because of her obsession with him. From the information that she gathered about him, she knew that he is into a couple of martial arts like modified Judo, Muay Thai and Krav Maga. And he also loves shooting. She didn''t even find out when and where did he meet J that''s why she was surprised to find out that they were married. Among this information, being interested in race car driving was not likely in his character. Chapter 316 - Binoculars Dr. Stella has been watching the race ever since her brother joined and she never missed a year. And during those years, she never saw Jacob. That''s why she is wondering why did he suddenly appear this year. She thought for a while. Then she suddenly snaps a look at Jacob. Come to think about it, why isn''t he with his wife? She looks around using her binoculars but didn''t find her. It has been over an hour since the race started and ever since Jacob has been with James only. They don''t even have a reserved seat beside him. Meaning his wife is not with him. She takes out her phone from her bag and dialed a number. "Hello, CLP Hospital Department of Surgery how may I help you?" a voice of a female nurse. "This is Dr. Ivanov, can I talk to Nurse J?" Dr. Stella speaks arrogantly. "Oh, Dr. Stella, Nurse J is on a two-day off." The nurse on the other line replied. After hearing that, Dr. Stella immediately hung up. Nurse J just had her two days off a week ago, and now she''s on a day off again? Then where she is, how come she is not with Jacob? It turns out, even thou she is a bimbo, she still has her gut feelings after all. She used again her binoculars to search for her surroundings. In front of her, she found a man with his binoculars looking in her direction. But she didn''t mind it at all, after all, it was a big place and there were about 60,000 people in there. The man was probably looking at another person in her direction coincidentally. What she didn''t know is that particular man is observing her. Daniel, on the other hand, finds her suspicious. Throughout the race, he has been observing the surroundings and watching over Dr. Stella at the same time. And during those times, he takes notes that she only looks at two directions, the track, and Jacob. But this time, she is scanning the whole place, although she might be just innocently checking out her surroundings, he still finds it suspicious. So, he takes the necessary precaution. "Stefan, position yourself near Dr. Stella." Everyone heard him including Jacob so, he instinctively glanced at Dr. Stella''s direction. "Got it!" Stefan replied then he walks over the direction where Dr. Stella is carrying his popcorns. Since she didn''t find anything unusual around her, she brought her attention at the center of the speedway where the teams are. She takes notice of Black Heiress''s team. Everyone is wearing royal blue and black suits and uniform. Scanning each of them because of curiosity she noticed one particular hunky person with the road crew. He is wearing shades and cap but his handsome face is quite distinguishable among the crew. She furrowed her brows. Why does this person look familiar? She thought to herself. She stared at the man for quite a while then she noticed him takes a call and look at a particular direction. She followed the man''s gaze as he was talking to his phone. To her surprise, the man is looking at Jacob''s direction and what a coincidence! Jacob is also talking on the phone looking at the man''s direction. "Arthur, Boss, drop the call. She''s suspiciously looking at both of your direction." After hearing that from Daniel, Jacob immediately hang up and look at Dr. Stella''s direction. Indeed, she is looking at him. But she immediately averted her gaze. The other''s thought, they were wearing a secret communicating device, so, what it is that Jacob has to say to Arthur that they were not supposed to hear? "Stefan, be on guard. Boss, should we give Miss J a warning?" Daniel asked. Chapter 317 - Bye Bye "Not now," Jacob replied. Dr.Stella has her eyes on the Black Heiress Team and if Arthur stood up to have a word with the Crew Chief, Dr. Stella might be more suspicious. "Watch out if she tries to contact JK," Jacob added as he looks at Dr. Stella with a grim expression. While Dr. Stella who didn''t know that she is being watched over continued staring at a particular man in Black heiress rosters. They were all too preoccupied that they didn''t notice Black Heiress had already made her move. They were now in the 40th lap, halfway through the end of the third stage and she is now side by side with JK. Not a millisecond behind him. Everyone is now ecstatically cheering on the bench. Some were now even standing making the crowd behind them shout at them in irritation since they were blocking the view. Dr. Stella takes a look at the track and was surprised to see what is happening. Just a minute ago, Black Heiress is on the 10th spot, how did she manage to get into her position now?! She became apprehensive. Is her brother going to lose again? This time from a different driver, more so, a woman? She watched as the two cars run another 3 laps side by side. On the huge LED screen, they are broadcasting live the drivers of the no.36 and no.88 cars. On the 44th lap, Black Heiress who is in the outer lane was seen looking at the direction of JK. In the next couple of seconds, what Black Heiress did make everyone surprise. She waved her hand to JK as if saying ''Bye Bye'' then she sped up leaving JK and everyone behind. Black Heiress maintained a good distance of 0.20 seconds from the 2nd spot in the next 5 laps. While during this time, Dr. Stella still can''t get the image of a particular man in her mind. She really felt like she had seen this person before. She just can''t remember when and where since the man is wearing a cap and shades. If that person could only take off at least his shades, she''ll be able to recognize her easily. Although she is a bimbo in the eye of the others, she has a good memory when it comes to people and events. The race is now on the 50th lap when suddenly Dr. Stella''s memory flashed back to the day that Jacob dropped J in the hospital. She was coming out of her car when she saw Jacob and J enters the hospital. They were being followed by a man wearing all black attire. At first, she thought that the man was just a visitor in the hospital until she saw Jacob talk to him then the man and J enters Jacob''s private lift. She realized that the man was probably hired by Jacob to protect J. That man is the same person in Black Heiress road crew! Dr. Stella''s eyes widened in realization. More or less she have an idea now why is Jacob and that person is here. She quickly grab her phone and called JK''s crew chief. "Let me talk to my brother." Dr. Stella said making the crew chief on the other line astounded. "But, Dr. Stella, he is in the middle of the race." He replied. "I don''t care! Just put me on the line!" Dr. Stella said with her tone a little bit higher this time. Stefan heard this and immediately talked to Daniel. Chapter 318 - It’s Her! "She''s about to talk to JK," Stefan said in a low voice. "Got it!" After saying that, Daniel take out his phone and he did something to get access to JK''s team radiofrequency. In just a couple of seconds, he could now hear the conversation between JK and his crew chief. Jacob who could also hear the conversation of Daniel and Stefan straightened his back. "What is happening?" He said in a low voice which only Arthur''s team could hear. But Daniel was still getting information so everyone was silently waiting. "JK, your sister wants to talk to you." Daniel heard JK''s crew chief said. "Seriously! At this time?!" JK retorted back. "Yes, it seems urgent." After saying that, the crew chief connected his phone to the radio. In a couple of seconds, JK heard her sister''s voice. "Don''t let Black Heiress get away from you. It''s her!" Dr. Stella said. "What are you talking about?!" But after a while, JK seemed to realize something and said. "I understand." The siblings didn''t reveal anything in their conversation. After all, their conversation could be broadcasted in public. But JK knew already what her sister meant. There is only one woman that she has been talking to him about this couple of days ago. The only woman she seemed to have a grudge with and wanted to have an act of revenge too. So, he will avenge her. After being separated from his parents, he only got his sister who supports everything that he does. So, he won''t let her down. Daniel heard their conversation and eventually send the message to everyone. "She''s been found out. Alert Miss J." After hearing that Arthur walks towards the Crew Chief. "Let me talk to her." He said with a sense of urgency. The crew chief wasn''t able to say anything because the look on Arthur''s eyes made his words block his air passageway. "Miss, from now on, JK is specifically targeting you. Be careful." J who is now on the 53rd laps instantly understands the message. "Okay." Jacob who now understands the situation glared at Dr. Stella''s direction. He could see the evil smile on her face but he controls himself from walking towards her and strangle her to death. If anything happens to his wife because of this bimbo, he cannot promise a good future for her. Upon hearing it JK tried to catch up to Black Heiress. He was now 0.17 seconds behind her. But aside from him, there were also three cars tailing her. He is getting frustrated, he has to get close to Black Heiress. But unfortunately, Black Heiress doesn''t have a plan to slow down yet. She still keeps her distance from other cars. But on the 65th lap, JK''s luck seemed to have arrived. Another accident happened to put the competition under caution. A pace car appears in front of Black Heiress to limit her speed until the restart of the race. Because of this, JK and the other cars were able to get close to her. So, JK will take this opportunity and as soon as the track is cleared and the race restart, he will not let go of Black Heiress. Indeed, that''s what he did at the restart of the race. Black Heiress was positioned on the inner lane, however as soon as the race restart, JK was able to switch position with her putting Black Heiress in the outer lane. Chapter 319 - Out of the Race "He''s making a move Miss, what are you doing?" the crew chief tried to catch Black Heiress'' attention but he was ignored. It was obvious that JK will try to harass her but why did she let him be in the inner lane and why isn''t she speeding up. It was apparent that she is planning on something. 15 laps left before the end of the race, JK and Black Heiress were sides by side. Black Heiress is waiting for JK''s move but he didn''t act until the 12 laps were left. Before they take a turn, Black Heiress noticed that JK is pushing her near the wall so she assumed that he is going to strike sooner. And she was right, just before the turn, JK moves his car to the right to hit Black Heiress to the wall but before he could do that Black Heiress has already foreseen this. She steps up the gas to increase her speed as she turns to the curve making her car get into slight contact with JK''s car. At this moment, Black Heiress managed to get into the inner lane as she takes the curve undamaged while JK, due to the impact loses control and the back of his car hit the wall. For everyone watching, it only looks like JK had lost his control at the very beginning making him almost hit Black Heiress but because Black Heiress suddenly increase her speed at the curve, she managed to circumvent the supposed accident. Half of JK''s car was damaged, as a rule, if the damage cannot be solved within 5 minutes, the driver will be automatically out of the race. This makes M42''s predication comes into actuality. JK really end up not getting into the top five because of his aggressiveness. Meanwhile, everyone in the crowd was astounded including Dr. Stella. She just wanted her brother to harass her nemesis but she didn''t expect that it would cause him to be out of the race. She felt guilty. Black Heiress became impatient. She wanted to end this race as soon as possible so she could get her hands on that scoundrel. Soon, the race ended and the winner, of course, is Black Heiress. M42''s professional predictions turn out to be reliable after all except for only one rookie gets into the top five. Black Heiress on the 1st place while Hans is in the 4th place. JK obviously didn''t make it to the top five. As soon as the race finishes, Black Heiress left her car in the pit road and rush towards JK. Arthur saw this and immediately followed her but she was too fast that he wasn''t able to stop her from hitting JK on the face. "Were you trying to kill me?! Huh!" Black Heiress couldn''t hold on her anger, after all, she almost had another accident back there. She was grasping JK''s collar when Arthur reached her. He pulled Black Heiress away from JK as he tried to calm her down. "What''s going on?" Jacob noticed the commotion. "Miss J hit JK on the face." Felix who was still astounded replied when he heard Jacob''s voice. He was just around when that happened and as soon as he saw the situation, he was able to block the cameras of other reporters waiting to catch a good story. "Keep her away from him and contain the news." Although Arthur and Felix had already done that, Felix still replied with, "Yes Boss." Chapter 320 - Helmet’s Off After hearing that, Jacob stood up from his seat and walked toward Dr. Stella who was still stunned at what happened. She didn''t even notice that Jacob got near her. "You were just too brazen to plot against my wife. I applaud your courage but pray that she didn''t get even a tiny scratch, nevertheless, I won''t be easy on you." Jacob said with a grim expression which made Dr. Stella startled. She raised her head to look at Jacob. "What do you mean?" "Of course, you know what I mean." After saying that, Jacob walked away from her followed by James. Black Heiress has now calmed down with the help of Arthur and Buck. While they were waiting for the awarding ceremony. "Miss, you should stay away from him. Let us handle this matter." Arthur said in a cold tone. The two of them exceed a cold and aloof aura which made everyone around them scared of saying a word to them. Black Heiress being the winner was supposed to have an interview but Buck refused it on behalf of her. He said, "Let''s leave it for later." Whatever he means, the reporters were willing to wait. Finally, after half an hour. The award ceremony started. The owner of the Lotus City Motor Speedway steps up to the stage to award the trophy to Black Heiress while other teams and reporters surround them. The Black Heiress Team walks near the stage. There were other awards to be given first before the championship award like Rookie of the Year which was given to Hans who ends up in the 4th place and Most Popular Driver of the year which was given to JK. Although there is a bruise on his face, he still went up to accept the award. "Miss, are you sure about this?" Buck asked Black Heiress. They were now standing side by side below the stage. Black Heiress didn''t reply. She just nods her head. On his way to the awarding stage, Jacob instructed Arthur''s team to stay close to J and keep everyone away from him as soon as the awarding ceremony ends. By that time, Daniel, Stefan, and Felix were now standing near J. Soon, the owner of Lotus City Motor Speedway together with M42 called Black Heiress to the stage to pass her the trophy, everyone waited for her and anticipated her speech. But, everyone is wondering, is she going to make a speech, this past few years she never entertains any interview. It was always her manager who speaks up on behalf of her. This time, is the manager going to make the speech on behalf of her as well? There were only two steps up the stage, J takes the first step followed by Buck and Arthur behind her. On the second step she paused and to everyone''s surprise, she took out her helmet and passed it on Buck before she walks towards the center of the stage to accept the trophy. Everyone gasped in astonishment. The girl on the stage wearing a blue and black overall suit, known to everyone as Black Heiress is standing before them without any helmet. There was temporary stillness before the first-ever sound of a camera was heard. Then the other reporter snaps back and did the same as well. They cannot let this chance to take a photo of the Black Heiress without the helmet. The camera shot continuously afraid that Black Heiress would suddenly put on her helmet again. Chapter 321 - Not a speech but declaration of war The owner of the speedway and M42 were stunned as well. They did not expect that the cunning and intimidating racer beside them would look like a beauty queen. In fact, a beauty queen could not even be compared to her aura. Despite her messy hair and bare face, her appearance, every movement, style, and behavior resemble that of a monarch. Her regal bearing made everyone speechless. She remained graceful amidst the surprised and questioning gaze from the crowd that surrounds her. She looked mysterious, soft yet strong. But what made everyone more astounded is that this royalty appears indifferent. She doesn''t seem to care at all about what is going on around her. But no one would understand her more than the man who just came to watch her as she receives the trophy. Their eyes locked together and everyone saw a small smile appear on the lips of the cold Black Heiress. They looked at the direction that she is looking and found a familiar person. It was the man in the news the previous week. The Chairman of the Twelve Army and at the same time CEO of CLP Group of Hospital, Dr. Jacob Parker. Who was said to be secretly married to a nurse at that hospital for five years now. Everyone came to realize that Black Heiress is that nurse! So, she is the wife of Dr. Jacob Parker? But for some of the elites there, the fact the Black Heiress is the wife of Dr. Jacob Parker it also means that she is the heiress of the Robin Hood Society. Suddenly, everyone became cautious about the couple. Although Jacob is carefree and easy-going on the outside, everyone especially the elites know how ruthless and sometimes devious he is on the inside. So, no one dares to get into the bad side of Dr. Jacob Parker. While Jenny Do, also know as Black Heiress is the heiress of the infamous Robin Hood Society and is now being protected by Dr. Jacob. This couple is not someone you should mess up with. They suddenly realized what happened at JK. Was it really an accident or Black Heiress purposely did it to JK as retribution for being so intrusive? Finally, it was time for Black Heiress to make her speech. The crowd watched as the marshal pass over the mic to Black Heiress. Will she take it? To everyone''s surprise, she did. But, will she make a speech? The crowd looked at her with anticipation. "The first time I race using the nickname Black Heiress, I told my manager that Black Heiress will remain as my identity in the racing industry until I get a trophy. Buck understands that Black Heiress will forever be my identity as a racer because I actually don''t have a plan to get a trophy. I''m simply not interested. But recently someone provoked me by being a busy body so I changed my mind." J paused to look at a certain direction. JK and Dr. Stella felt the piercing gaze that J is casting on them. "I am a selfish person, what''s mine is mine and I don''t plan on sharing them with anyone." It was not a speech, it was a declaration of war. That''s what everyone felt after hearing J''s ''speech''. She was about to pass the mic to the marshal but Buck snatched it from her. He felt like he must say something to make the crowd and her fans at ease. Chapter 322 - I’ll be Okay "Everyone, what Black Heiress means is that, since she got the trophy, she will remain in her position as a show of appreciation from everyone''s support. Miss J, I mean Black Heiress and the whole team is forever appreciative of you and the organizer of this event. In return, we will be attending the banquet." J who was now passing the trophy to the assistant manager on her way down the stage suddenly stops when she heard Buck said. She turns to glare back at him. Who is going to the banquet? Every year after the Lotus Coty Motor Speedway Championship, the organizers will hold a dinner celebration. And every year, Black Heiress and her team refused to attend. But, this year Buck, the manager announced that they will be attending making everyone surprised and excited. "Yes, we will be attending the dinner celebration," Buck repeats himself as he nodded his head ignoring the piercing glare from his Boss. ''This girl! Acting as if the world is going to end if she socialized for just one night.'' Of course, Buck only said this to himself. He knew that his body is going to die now that he made a decision to attend the banquet, he won''t let his soul die by making a bold comment in front of his Boss. J continued to walk towards the crowd where Jacob is. She was closely followed by Arthur''s team shielding her from the probing reporters and fans. As soon as she reached him, Jacob pulled her in for a tight embrace. She almost had an accident earlier means, so Jacob''s heart would not settle until he has her in his hands. The crowd watches as they keep a good distance from the couple. "Are you hurt?" Jacob asked with full concern. J shakes her head, Jacob is still holding her tight in his arms. "As long as I''m with you, I''ll be okay." J didn''t know what got into her mind to be able to speak that way. She realized that she sounds like a young girl in love. But she already said the words, so, she is not going to take back what she said. After all, it was not a lie. Jacob was stunned, this is the first time that he heard her speak with such kind of affection. And it makes him want her to kiss her there and then. But, instead, he controlled himself and said something indistinctly on her ear that made her blush. He said, ''Let''s go home and start making babies.'' J already made him a promise and now she doubts if Jacob would let her take back her promise. Soon the couple walked out of the track, followed by Arthur''s team and James. But the reporters decided that they should get a chance to have a rare interview of the Black Heiress. After all, they were not certain if she will appear again next year without her helmet on. They just cannot take an opportunity at the banquet because it will be exclusive and the media are not allowed. So, the reporters run after them, it''s now or never. The reporters block their way. They thought that it would be wise if they ask Jacob permission. "Dr. Jacob, can we have an interview with your wife?" Jacob didn''t get angry, he gave the reporters a smile. But his response made them take a step back. "This is Arthur, if you want to have an interview with my wife, you have to get pass-thru him." Meaning everyone will undergo a thorough investigation first before they could have an interview with J. The reporters look at Arthur, his cold and aloof demeanor sends chills to the reporters. He is too intimidating that made the media speechless. Once in awhile, Jacob has to keep his carefree attitude whenever he is with J. So, he let Arthur deal with the media. Chapter 323 - The Country’s fastest driver is my wife A week has passed since the Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship. Now the most awaited dinner celebration is just around the corner. It was just the usual dinner celebration that was organized just like that way it is every year. But this time, everyone is anticipating if Black Heiress Team will really arrive. As of now, no reporters were able to get passed thru Arthur''s strict requirements to have an interview with Black Heiress. In fact, there is no such thing as requirements. J didn''t want any exposure so why would she bother herself. It would be just a waste of her energy. "Have you chosen what to wear yet?" Jacob asked J after he got out of the bathroom. He is now wearing his usual house shirt and pants. J who is sitting on the bed with her back rested on the headrest reading a book didn''t even raise her head when she said, "No." Jacob looked at her amused. "The banquet will be tomorrow night, don''t you have any plans of going?" J takes a deep breath. She was not supposed to attend this dinner celebration if it wasn''t for Buck making such a hasty decision. "I''ll check it out later," J said without any emotion. "How about we check it out now?" Jacob said. "Now?" J asked with confusion. It was already at 9 o''clock in the evening. Is he planning to go shopping at this hour? "Mmm¡­hmm." Jacob nodded and pulled her out of the bed. "Come." J''s brows furrowed. "What are you doing?" Jacob didn''t say anything as he pulled her out of the bed and take her to the living room. There she found a couple of dresses. "What''s this?" J asked. "I ordered it for you." "What?!" J couldn''t believe what she heard. There was about ten evening dress laid on the sofa and Jacob ordered them all for her. "Why would you order ten dresses for only one night?! Are you going to have me change looks at least every 15 minutes?!" Jacob smiled and said, "Of course you''re not going to wear all of it. You just have to choose one." J''s shoulder fell on the sides. "You''re unbelievable." Jacob laughed. "I know." "You should have let me choose before you order it all." But Jacob ignored her. "Do you like this red one? I think you would look stunning in this one." He said. "I''ll wear that black one." J quickly decided without even checking out on them. Fortunately, Jacob didn''t order any dress that is too revealing so he was confident whatever she chooses. "Huh? That fast? Okay." J just shrugged her shoulders then she walked back to their bedroom. But, she reminds herself to thank Jacob for his effort. Once on the bed, Jacob lay J on his arms. It has been their usual position before going to sleep until they woke up. "By the way, tomorrow, Dr. Ivanov will have major surgery. Do not assist her no matter what." Jacob said on the top of her head. J frowned and raised her head to look at Jacob. "What do you mean?" "You''ll see." J knew that Jacob is up to something so she didn''t probe anymore. "Thank you for the dresses," J said with a tone of shyness. This time, Jacob looked at her in the eye. "You''re welcome." Actually, if it weren''t for Jacob, she would''ve to grab anything in her closet even if she had already worn them before. "I got them for you so that I could boast to everyone that the most beautiful and fastest driver in the country is my wife," Jacob said with a wide grin which made J rolled her eyes. But, her heart is fluttering. Chapter 324 - I want Nurse J The next morning, J reported back to her morning duty. Ever since the announcement of her marriage to Jacob, everyone still treated her like the usual. Anyways, she has always been aloof and intimidating even before they found out that she is the wife of Dr. Jacob Parker. So, no one dares to approach her casually except for Diana. After all, everything about her is still the same except for the fact that she is married to the hospital''s CEO. When she checked on the schedule board of the Department of Surgery, she found out what Jacob meant last night. At 8 am she will be assisting Dr. Carlos Gonzales in open-heart surgery. And at the same time, Dr. Stella Ivanov is also scheduled to have a Caesarean Section with Tubal Ligation. Since the incident at the Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship, Dr. Stella never showed herself in the Department of Surgery for a while. This will be going to be the first time. J went to prep the OR Theatre Two while waiting for Dr. Gonzales and the patient. After a while, she heard a commotion in the nurse''s station. It turns out that Dr. Stella has found out that she will be assisted by another nurse and not J. This made her furious. "Head Nurse Jing! I demand that you replace my scrub nurse now! I want Nurse J to assist me" Dr. Stella said with a domineering tone. "Dr. Stella, that won''t be possible because nurse J will be assisting Dr. Gonzales in open-heart surgery. And Dr. Gonzales only wants Nurse J to assist him with his major surgeries." Head Nurse Jing explained patiently. "I don''t care! If you have to reschedule Dr. Gonzales'' surgery then do it!" Dr. Stella is starting to get unreasonable. This time, Dr. Aaron heard her as soon as he came. "What''s happening?" Head Nurse Jing felt relieved to see Dr. Aaron Choi. He is the head of the department so he should help her deal with the situation. So, Head Nurse Jing explained to Dr. Aaron what Dr. Stella wanted to happen. "Dr. Ivanov, we cannot just reschedule Dr. Gonzales'' surgery. It''s open-heart surgery and besides, his schedule for today is full. If we reschedule his surgery, the other surgeries will be affected." "Then reschedule my surgery until Nurse J is available." This statement of Dr. Stella made everyone dumbfounded. Has she gone nuts? An open-heart surgery will take about 3 to 6 hours and she wanted to wait for nurse J for 3 to 6 hours so she could assist her in a CS?! Dr. Aaron Choi scratched the back of his neck in bewilderment. "Dr. Stella, if we delay your CS, the baby might be implicated." He said that simply to make Dr. Stella realize how dumb her statement is. But Dr. Stella is adamant. She glowered at everyone and said, "Well, I don''t care. It''s either Nurse J will assist me or I will not perform the surgery!" Everyone looked at her like she has lost her mind. Then Dr. Stella walked out of the Department of Surgery. It didn''t take long before the incident reached the 10th floor. Jacob has been expecting this so he eventually called James. "It'' time." "Right away Dr. Jacob." Afterward, Dr. Stella received a call from James that she has been summoned by Jacob. At first, she didn''t want to go but then she realized that this is her chance to talk to him about the announcement of his marriage to J. This is her opportunity to clarify his relationship with J. So, she went to the 10th floor. Chapter 325 - Terminated "Jacob." Dr. Stella called out his name full of affection. But Jacob''s reply was cold as ice. "I heard about the incident in the Department of Surgery. Did you know that it is the negligence of duty? Are you aware of the consequences?" "I''m sorry but, I cannot trust anyone except nurse J to assist me with the surgery. Of all the nurses, she is the only one that is most capable of." Dr. Stella tried to put up a good word towards J in the hope that Jacob would soften on her. "Those nurses can assist in even complex surgeries yet you cannot trust them with CS and thinks that they are incapable?" Jacob smirk. "I didn''t mean that. It''s just that. I got used to Nurse J''s capability." "I know. You got used to her capability that you became dependent on her." Jacob made a sarcastic comment. "Jacob, what are you saying? It is not like that." Dr. Stella started to tremble to realize that her tricks have been found out. This time Jacob stood up from his seat. "Why? Can''t you perform an operation without my wife? All this time you have been relying on my wife''s assistance so that you could successfully perform even a simple operation. Do you think I didn''t know that? And yet, you dare plot against my wife during the race. What if something happened to her? Will you be able to bear the consequences? Didn''t you realize that without her, you are nothing in this industry? I didn''t realize that your stupidity has reached this low. I don''t know what I''ve been thinking back then when I associated myself with you." "No, no, no Jacob. This is not what you think." Dr. Stella''s tears started to fall one by one as if she was the victim. "If it is not what I think, then what?" Jacob became furious seeing that Dr. Stella is still trying to act innocent. "I''ve already seen thru you, Dr. Stella. It''s time for you to drop your act." Ever since she returns to the CLP Hospital, Jacob has been receiving reports and complaints about her from the patients and nurses saying how she misdiagnosed some patients and if it wasn''t for the knowledgeable nurses, she might have given the patient with the wrong treatment. There was also an incident when she wanted to perform a normal delivery to a breech position baby. When they received those complaints, Jacob instructed the Department of OB-Gyne and ER to lessen the patient to be assigned to her to avoid implicating the hospital. And if ever she got any patients, the patients themselves personally transfers from other doctors. Jacob has long realized that having Dr. Stella will ruin the reputation of the hospital. He was just waiting for the right time to terminate her. Until she stepped over the line and almost killed his wife for the second time. He knew he needed to act now. "You may have kept your license with you but I guess your knowledge has long been gone. I suggest that you go back to where you''ve been this past five years and pick up the pieces of your brain that you''ve left behind. Starting today, you no longer work for this hospital." Jacob''s words made Dr. Stella frozen in place. Jacob pulled out a paper from his drawer and hand it to Dr. Stella. "You are terminated." Chapter 326 - A better job "No!" Dr. Stella screamed. "You can''t do this to me!" "Well. Guess what? I just did." Jacob gave her an evil smile. Dr. Stella is trembling with fear and anger. She clenched her fist before pointing a finger at Jacob. "My family owns a share at this hospital! You are not allowed to treat me this way, Jacob!" "The more that I should terminate you as soon as possible. I cannot let your incapability implicate the hospital. Don''t you realize that your stupidity might ruin the reputation of this hospital and may cause a huge loss in its stock? If the hospital goes down, your family goes down as well. My family still owns a Pharmaceutical Company and the Twelve Army. And I can always put up another hospital. How about you?" Jacob continued to insult Dr. Stella. Aside from being a doctor, Dr. Stella didn''t know anything. She was just sucking up with the wealth and reputation of her family. While her family although a member of the elites, they don''t know how to handle a business. Their shares in the CLP Group of Hospital was only given to them by their ancestor. But they do know how to do dirty tricks. "Jacob, you should at least consider. I''ve been working in this hospital for eight years." Dr. Stella became calmer this time. After the insults and embarrassment, she knew that she should act humble now to keep her job. "Correction. If my math is correct, it was only three years. Because the five years you were gone somewhere shrinking your brain." But Jacob ignored her and continued to insult her. "You should go home now. Or maybe go to your brother. I believe he got a better job for you in his team. That is if he would still be able to keep his team." Jacob leaned on his chair and crossed his leg. This time, Dr. Stella throws a fit and couldn''t contain her anger anymore. "Damn you, Jacob! Damn you!" She wanted to pounce on him and hit him in the face but she doesn''t have the courage to do it. "Same to you Dr. Stella." Jacob was a ladies'' man and he was never like this before. She treats woman especially good and with respect. That''s why back then, with the Sano Twins, he just let Arthur kill Naomi. But this time, he realizes that he doesn''t have any respect and compassion towards those that try to hurt his wife. May it be a man or a woman. Dr. Stella stormed out of his office and soon gone in the hospital. Jacob called out for Arthur. "Have you done what I told you?" Jacob asked. "Yes, Boss." "Good. Tonight, your team will be attending the banquet with Black Heiress Team. By tomorrow morning, I want JK in the headquarters." Jacob said with a grim expression. "Got it." Then Arthur left to go back to his position. The news about Dr. Stella''s termination spread like a wildfire in CLP Hospital as well as the other subsidiary hospital of CLP Group of Hospitals. But all the staff of the hospital adheres to its rules that whatever happens, whatever you hear or say inside the hospital must be left inside the hospital. However, Jacob felt the termination is not enough, after all, his wife almost died in a car accident once and almost had another accident recently because of her indirectly. So, he hired someone to leak the information in the public. Chapter 327 - The red carpet (1) Soon, other hospital heard about her termination and eventually blacklisted her. If the country''s best and most advanced hospital decided to terminate her, why would they adopt her? If they wanted to step up on the same level as CLP Hospital, they would never hire someone like her. Later on, news reached the Board of Medicine and investigated Dr. Stella''s negligence, misconduct and the said incapability to perform her duty as a doctor and decided to revoked her license. That means, aside from being blacklisted from all the hospitals in the country, she will not be able to put up even a clinic or lying in clinic because her license is not valid anymore. ¡­ That night, the dinner celebration of the Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship was held at the Grand Lotus Hotel, a five-star hotel that is also owned by Chairman Gibbs, the owner of Lotus City Motor Speedway. The banquet will start at 8 pm and the guest had started to arrive one by one on the red carpet. Outside the hotel were reporters waiting for the guest to arrive. But the person that they have been anticipating the most is Black Heiress. Her team manager announced that they will attend the banquet so everyone is eagerly anticipating. The media would like to take this chance to take photos and if possible, a word from the famous Black Heiress. Thirty minutes before the banquet, Hans arrived with his team manager and some of Black Heiress Team Rosters. They were all dress in a black suit. Having found out that J will be wearing a black dress, the Team decided that they should match with her outfit. Later on, Buck arrived separately with the rest of the Team''s Rosters. The media has seen them and already had an interview with Hans and Buck. But, they still can''t see Black Heiress. "Is Black Heiress coming for tonight''s banquet?" one of the reporters ask Buck. "Yes, she will. Just wait and you''ll see." Buck replied with a dimpled smile. When the banquet was about to start, a black bulletproofed SUV and Black bulletproofed sedan appeared in the view of the media who were still waiting for a few guests that haven''t arrived. On the bulletproofed SUV came two easy on the eyes, equally good-looking hunky man. Everyone''s eyes were on them since they can''t recognize them as part of any Team. The two of them stood on the side while waiting for the people from the other car. The other car opens and reveals two handsome yet cold looking hunky man wearing black suits as well like the other first two men. The media watched them and instantly recognize one of them as part of the Black Heiress Team. During the race, Arthur disguised himself as one of Black Heiress Road Crew. Upon seeing Arthur, the reporters instantly gathered closer to the rope that separates them to the red carpet. They have already guessed that the newcomers probably include Black Heiress. And they were not disappointed. Because, on the back seat of the car, Jacob came out first. While Arthur''s team are wearing an all-black suit and a pair of Chelsea boots, Jacob chooses to wear the black suit with the classic white dress shirt and long black necktie with brass lapel pins and pearl cufflinks. He looks sophisticated and charming. Jacob walk around the car and help J. As soon as the reporters saw her, they were hesitant at first to take photos because they were having doubt if this woman is the same woman who appears to be Black Heiress at the awarding ceremony. But, she was with Dr. Jacob Parker! As soon as they realized this, the sound of the cameras clicking was heard around the entrance of the hotel. Chapter 328 - The Red Carpet (2) The first photo of Black Heiress that has been published, she was wearing a helmet and an overall suit. The last photo of her was during the Awards Ceremony at the Lotus City Motor Speedway where she was still wearing her overall suit but without the helmet on. Her face was bare without makeup and her hair was long and messy but still looked majestic. This time Black Heiress really did appear at the banquet. She is wearing a black metallic lace A-line gown with sweetheart bodice and off-the-shoulder straps. Her hair is in a messy up-do. Her make up is simple yet she looks elegant and sophisticated. But, she still emits that aloof and intimidating aura making the media hesitates to ask her questions. The couple started to walk on the red carpet towards the hotel, they are being followed by Arthur''s team. Although, the media wonders who these four hunky looking men following them, they didn''t think that they were J''s personal security. J continued walking not planning to stop for the media to take her photo. But Jacob suddenly stops and pulled her hand. "Wait." "What?" J asked, but she was surprised when Jacob pulled her closer to his body as he posed for the media to take photos of them. J''s eyes widened in surprise. "What are you doing?" She asked with a frown as they continued to walk the red carpet. "I thought I told you that I will be boastful tonight," Jacob said with a wide smile. Indeed, he was just showing off to the media and letting them know that he is the husband of Black Heiress. When they enter the function hall of the hotel, the place is almost filled with guest, racers and their teams. They looked around and found the table for the Black Heiress Team where Buck, Hans and the rest of the rosters were already sitting. They walk towards their direction. The people in the banquet immediately recognize the newcomers and can''t help but commend their unparalleled presence. So, the Black Heiress really did appear and steal the limelight again for the second time without any effort. The first time was during the awarding ceremony when she removes her helmet and accepts the trophy. "Finally, you came!" Buck can''t help but sigh when J came in their table. "I thought that you were going to ditch us." "I actually thought of that," J said indifferently while taking a seat which made Buck dumbfounded. While seated, Arthur''s team were cautious of their surroundings. They were searching for JK while silently scanning the whole place. Later on, they will execute their plan without anyone noticing it. The banquet started with a lot of speeches from Chairman Gibbs, his son which is the President of the organizing committee and a special guest which made J bored. Jacob noticed that J keeps on yawning so he pinches her on her palm which is permanently rested on his hands. Jacob is used to this kind of events, not that he liked it but because it was necessary. J felt a slight pain and glared at Jacob. "Do you want to sneak out?" But instead of getting angry, J''s eyes twinkled when she heard Jacob. He really knows what she''s exactly thinking. God knows how much she wanted to sneakily exits the hall and never return. She raised her right brow and asked, "Can we?" But before Jacob could answer they heard the host of the event called out her name. Apparently, she was called out for a speech, being the champion of this year''s race. Chapter 329 - I’ll make everyone disappear "No!" J crossed her arms in front of her chest in frustration. "Who says I am going to make a speech? Why didn''t I know about that? If I had known I never would''ve come." "Miss¡­ Please¡­ Just this once. The whole team will be embarrassed if you don''t go up to make a speech. Every winner of the competition did this every year." Buck pleaded J with beads of sweat on his face. "Am I an embarrassment to the team? Then go find another driver who will not embarrass you!" Jacob thought that J was a bit unreasonable. But he can''t blame her. She hates making speeches, she hates socializing and yet here she is attending a banquet and asked to make a speech in front of a lot of people. "Miss¡­" Buck felt helpless. While the whole team looks awkward. Everyone in the banquet is looking at their direction waiting for Black Heiress to stand up and make a speech. "Who told you to announce to everyone that I am attending this banquet?" J was still adamant. Buck felt defeated. He shouldn''t have made that announcement just to prevent her from getting interviewed during the awarding ceremony. He forgot about that speech. This heiress is not just an introvert but also has a severe case of glossophobia. Noticing that the situation is getting awkward and helpless, Jacob came to the rescue. "Honey, how about this. It has already gone to this situation so why don''t you go up the stage and make a little speech. Just pretend that you are the only one in this hall." J rolled her eyes. "There were about 1000 people in the hall so how can I possibly pretend that they don''t exist?" Jacob smiled. "Just ignore them. Look, I don''t think you''ll never get out of this." J pursed her lips and looks like she is about to cry. She has never done this before. Although she did make a little speech in front of her people before but not in front of a crowd. Just the thought of going up the stage and holding a microphone make her feel like she wants to faint. "I''ll take you to the stage, make a little speech while I make everyone disappear. Trust me." Jacob said looking straight to her eyes. J stared at his mesmerizing eyes. Although she knew that Jacob is saying that only to help her feel better but for some reason, she believes him. Why does she feel like Jacob really has a way to make everyone disappear as she makes a speech? She trusts this man so much to the point that she would believe everything that he says even thou it is impossible. There were a lot of points the J was good at, like racing, archery, surgery and other things that were not mentioned yet. But she is also lacking in some aspects. She is not good at socializing, she hates making public speeches, she is not a conversant person and doesn''t know how to express herself making others to misunderstood her. But she is good with her actions. Thou she is good with words, she''d prefer it written than being said. "Okay," J replied as she nodded her head. Although she agreed, she was still doubting her own decision. Will she be able to utter one single word? "Good girl." Jacob smiled and helped her stand up from her seat. J didn''t know how she managed to get on the stage holding a microphone. All she knows is that all this time until she gets on the stage, Jacob is holding her hands. And before he let her go, he whispered some words to her. "Just say what''s on your heart and do not look anywhere except me." Chapter 330 - Ambush Interview J closed her eyes and takes a deep breath before she scanned the anticipating crowd and searched for a particular face until she found Jacob who is looking at her. His beautiful face made her calm and serene. Their eyes were locked in together as she started her speech as if she was just talking to Jacob. It was strange, J thought. Because, that moment, the crowd eventually disappeared as she stares at Jacob''s mesmerizing eyes. It was like during their first dance at the Foundation Gala when everyone seemed to have vanished and they were transported in someplace with no one else except the two of them. Her speech lasted only for 2 minutes. It was mostly a thank you speech and she didn''t even introduce herself. When Jacob realized that her speech is about to end, he instantly stood up and helped her get down the stage. That moment, J felt that a great burden was lifted from her shoulders. It was as if that 2-minute speech was equivalent to a 48-hours duty in the hospital. As soon as she gets back to their table, she glared at Buck who was full of pride then. Buck felt chills on his spine and looked around to see J staring at him with a piercing glare. "I''ll get back to you when this is over," J said in a cold tone. Buck felt his palms sweating profusely and his knees went feeble. This was the first time that his boss glared at him like this. Damn! Didn''t she know that I am way older than her? I am practically qualified to be her elder brother but why does it feel like she was the one who gave birth to me and I owe her my life. Buck though internally. Jacob felt like J is not comfortable in this social event so he decided that they should leave soon. They only stayed for an hour but for J it was too much socializing that it drains her energy. They exited the banquet leaving the rest of the team and Arthur''s team. They still have a mission to accomplish after all. Upon exiting the hotel, they were swarmed by a bunch of reporters. But instead of asking questions towards J, the reporters'' questions were directed at Jacob. They were smart. They knew that they couldn''t get an answer from J, so, it is better to not waste their energy on her. But, they were still cautious around Jacob. So, they have to be careful with their questions. Although Jacob appeared to be easy-going, carefree and charming, for some reasons, he was still feared in the social circle especially by the first- and second-class elites. "Dr. Jacob Parker, since when did your wife become the Black Heiress?" one of the reporters asked as soon as he saw the couple walked out of the hotel. Jacob stopped while his arm is wrapped tightly around J''s waist. He gave the reporter a charming smile and said. "She has always been Black Heiress for 15 years now." Seeing that Jacob replied to the first reporter who dared, others followed suit and ask him another question. "But why does she have to hide her identity?" "My wife is a private person and she doesn''t want to be swarmed by reporters." Although Jacob is smiling, his response made the reporters taken aback. The message is clear. This is the situation that Black Heiress wanted to avoid that''s why she hides her identity. But then, they already got this opportunity so why not seized it. Chapter 331 - It is time "But, racing is very dangerous and also she is a woman. In fact, the only female racer in this country. Is it okay for you?" the reporter simply wanted to know if it was fine for Jacob that his wife is in this kind of dangerous sports. "Of course, I''m not okay with this. Her safety is my priority but on top of that, her happiness is more important. I cannot stop her from doing what she wants and what makes her happy. So, I''ll just stay on her side to protect her and keep her safe and secure. No one or nothing would dare harm her in any way." This statement was actually a warning. Now that J''s real identity has been revealed, he has to make everyone in the elite circle know that she is being protected and anyone who plots against her will be facing his retaliations. After that, Jacob and J walked towards their car that the valet has already prepared for them. Meanwhile, back at the banquet, Arthur''s team waited until almost midnight. They were waiting for the right time to execute their mission. Not far away from their table, Arthur''s Team is watching JK''s team. They noticed that some of them are now getting drunk including JK''s manager and assistant manager. While JK is a little tipsy. He has a higher alcohol tolerance than his managers. Arthur looked at Daniel, Felix and Stefan, it is time. Daniel was the first one to stand up and exit the venue. He directly went straight to a nearby gasoline station where a Transit Van is parked. He then started to work out on the computers there. After a while, Felix received a go signal from Daniel through their secret communicating device. He eventually stood up and left everyone. He went to a secluded comfort room of the hotel. "All is set." After half an hour, Arthur and Stefan heard Felix. The latter then stood up. After a while, a drunk woman wearing a short red evening dress approached one of the waiters. She said something to him, the waiter nodded his head and walked towards the host of the event. The drunk woman, on the other hand, walked out of the hall with her body swaying due to drunkenness. "Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to call the attention of the owner of a white sports car with plate number¡­" The music suddenly stops for the voice of the host to be heard by everyone. After hearing this, JK eventually stood up from his seat. Apparently, the sports car that the host mention was JK''s brand new sports car. So, he hurriedly went out to the parking lot. Upon seeing this, Arthur elegantly stood up and exited the hall. On the parking lot, the parking attendant waited patiently for the owner of the sports car. Not far away is another sports car with its hazard lights on. Soon, JK arrived and approach the parking attendant arrogantly. "I am sorry sir, but you parked in a VIP slot. The owner of this parking has arrived. I would just have to trouble you to move in a vacant slot over there." The parking attendant pointed a vacant slot in a corner. JK looked at the sports car not far away who seems to be waiting for him to leave and then he looked at the direction where the parking attendant wants him to transfer. Chapter 332 - I’m driving a sports car! JK frowned. Although, he is a bit tipsy his reasoning is surprisingly still intact. "Why didn''t you put signage here that it is already reserved? Your management is definitely lacking in common sense. The fact that there is no sign here saying that it is a reserve parking slot means it is vacant and open for everyone. Then now you''ll pester me to move into another parking slot. Are you fuckin'' kidding me?! There is no way I am going to move my car. Tell that damn VIP of yours to find another parking space or better wait up until I am done at the banquet!" But the parking attendant seemed unfazed. After 30 minutes. "We are on our way to the headquarters." Arthur said over the phone. He was talking to Jacob. "Good." He heard him reply then hanged up. Arthur is now driving Jacob''s bulletproofed SUV with Stefan in the passenger seat. On their secret communicating device they heard Felix shouting in excitement. "I am driving a goddamn sports car! Woohooo!!!" Behind the bulletproofed SUV is JK''s sports car driven by Felix while on the passenger is JK sleeping like a baby and doesn''t seem to be bothered by Felix''s screaming. While Daniel is driving the Transit Van behind JK''s sports car. It has already been a month since Daniel''s wife gave birth and now, he is back on duty. Just in time to be part of this mission. The three cars were now on its way to Twelve Army Headquarters. It is now almost 2 o''clock in the morning. And just as Jacob ordered it, he will be seeing JK in the headquarters as soon as the sun shines up. Arthur''s team has taken JK without anyone noticing it. So, how did it happen? Back then, when Daniel left, he worked out on his computer to hack all the CCTV cameras of the hotel, especially in the parking lot. He made it seem like nothing unusual is happening. Then, later on, Felix went to a secluded comfort room to change into a disguise. He left the comfort room disguised as a parking attendant. Of course, from the moment that he left the banquet hall, all the CCTV cameras have all been hacked by Daniel. So, in the monitors, Felix doesn''t seem like he left the hall. Later on, Stefan put on an act by changing his suit from black to maroon, then he wears a reading glass. Earlier, he already spotted a woman who is getting drunk. He approached the woman wearing a red short evening dress and use his charm to flirt with her. The woman is obviously charmed by Stefan that she did whatever Stefan asked of her. Stefan asked her to approach a waiter and tell him that someone is parked in the parking slot that is reserved for her. He passed her a piece of paper where the plate number of a car was written. Obviously, the woman is too drunk that she can''t possibly memorize the numbers. And also, due to this fact, Stefan was sure that this woman wouldn''t remember everything that she did that night including Stefan. Based on observation and information that they gathered. JK wouldn''t let anyone drive his newest sports car, more so a drunk manager or assistant manager. So, as soon as the host called out his attention. He eventually went to the parking lot to see if something happened to his precious car. Chapter 333 - Killing is not an option Meanwhile, Felix is in the parking lot disguised as a parking attendant. The other car with its hazard lights on were arranged by them but in reality, it has no driver in it. The car was actually owned by a hotel manager. They just used it for the act. They eventually returned it to its previous parking. But in the CCTV Cameras, Felix and that car were not there at all. Originally, their plan is to let JK drive his car in another parking lot and from there, Felix will put him to sleep and he will take the car with him. But JK became too arrogant and verbally aggressive so Felix put him to sleep then and there. He, later on, he changed into JK''s suit. He put JK in the passenger seat. And by that time, Daniel put the CCTV cameras back into normal. In the CCTV monitor, JK was seen getting into his car and then eventually left. But, in reality, it was just Felix disguised as JK. Later on, Stella will look for JK and find in the CCTV monitor that he had already left the hotel. The next day, when J was awoken, Jacob came out of the bathroom already dressed in his usual business casual attire. Upon seeing her morning look, Jacob laid back in bed again and pulled her into his embrace as if the whole night cuddled in each other''s hand is not enough. J inhaled his unique scent and said in a muffled voice. "Aren''t you too early?" Jacob kissed the top of her head and said, "I have some things to do at the Twelve Army Headquarters. Stefan and Felix will accompany you to the hospital for today." After hearing that, J raised her head to look at Jacob''s eyes with an inquiring look. J believed that yesterday''s incident with Dr. Stella Ivanov and her termination is Jacob''s own doing. And she knew that sooner or later, he will make a move towards JK. Jacob knew that he cannot hide anything from his wife. He still remembers that last time when he had Oliver Garcia in the Twelve Army Headquarters, he didn''t give her any idea but then, she still finds it out and suddenly appear in the interrogation room. This time, he knew that even if he doesn''t tell her, she will eventually find out sooner or later. "I got my hands on JK," Jacob replied. J narrowed her eyes and asked. "What are you going to do with him?" Jacob smiled and peck a kiss on her lips. "Don''t bother yourself about that. I''ve got a lot of ways to deal with him, so I haven''t decided on that yet. But, definitely killing him is not an option. Don''t worry." J sighed. "I''m not worried about him." "I know," Jacob said casually before he gave her another kiss. This time, it was deep and passionate. AT the Twelve Army Headquarters, JK woke up feeling light-headed. He stood up from his bed and went to the usual direction where his bathroom is. But when he came to her senses, he realized that he is not in his bedroom. He looked around and found that he is somewhere unfamiliar. He looked at the bed, it was a single mattress against the wall. He was surrounded by a glazed-block masonry wall with only a small window that he cannot even reach. In one corner are a stainless-steel sink and toilet. In one of the walls is a stainless-steel wire mesh cell front panel door. The whole room is small, about the size of a parking lot. It was lit with a light-yellow light. Although the room is clean, there is a depressing vibe on it. Chapter 334 - Detained It was not long when he realized that the room looked like a detention cell. His mind became puzzled. What the hell happened last night? He rummages his brain and tries to remember what happened last night. Did he commit a crime that''s why he is being detained? The last time he remembered is that he was called in the parking lot, he was talking to a parking attendant and he wants him to transfer his car in another parking lot. After that, he cannot remember anything at all. He walked to the stainless-steel door and called out for someone. "Hey! Is there anyone in there?! I want to talk to someone! Officer! Why am I here?! Why am I being detained?!" JK started to panic. As much as he can remember, he didn''t do anything illegal last night. He is not even that drank. But he cannot remember how did he get out of the hotel. When no one comes to talk to him, he became infuriated. He looked around and saw a CCTV Camera in the ceiling. He looked at the camera and waved his hands to catch the attention of someone that is watching behind. "Hey! Damnit! Who are you?! I want to talk to my lawyer!" JK continued shouting until someone talks to him but it was no use. He looked around outside the steel door, he saw other holding cell but it seems like he was the only one in there. Jacob arrived in his office followed by James, Arthur, and Daniel. And the first thing he asked is, "How''s he doing?" "He''s been screaming and cursing for a good few hours now ever since he woke up," Arthur replied. Jacob nodded his head. "Send him here." "Do you want me to order breakfast for him?" James asked as soon as Arthur and Daniel left. "No need. Who would have an appetite after waking up in a detention cell?" Jacob said. Meanwhile, JK was still screaming his heart out when he heard a metal clanking sound. Suddenly the stainless-steel door automatically opened. The detention cell has electronic cell-door locking hardware that can be controlled in the central control room of the detention area of Twelve Army Headquarter. When the steel door opens, JK hesitated to walk out of the detention cell, after all, he is not certain what is going to happen when he steps out of it. It was ironic that, earlier, he was screaming and cursing to let him out and now that the door is open he was skeptical. Slowly, he gathered up all his courage and walked out of the detention cell. Outside, is a completely empty hall but at the end of the hall is another steel door. Behind it, standing two hunky men in all-black rugged attire. JK thought that the two were soldiers. He walked towards them and asked politely, "Sir, I think there might be a mistake. I didn''t do anything. Why am I being detained?" But Arthur and Daniel didn''t answer him. They gave him a cold look and opened the steel door. After opening the door, Arthur and Daniel gestured him to follow them. The three of them walked quietly in the corridor. JK wondered what''s behind these walls. They turned left then turned right, JK never saw any other living persons on their way until they reached an elevator. They entered the elevator and JK watched as one of them pressed the button. The buttons lit up and it showed that they were currently at basement 1, the buttons also showed that there was also basement 2 and basement 3. He now wonders what is this place exactly. The elevator stops at the top floor which is the 3rd floor. TheYexits the elevator and walked again in a corridor. JK noticed that the corridors here were much better than that of the basement. The place now looked like a corporate building. Chapter 335 - Free Accomodation Soon, they reached a door. Arthur knocked and opened it. Arthur and Daniel let JK enter first before they followed him. Jacob was sitting on a chair with his legs crossed. In front of him are a coffee table, two sofas facing each other and another accent chair. "Mr. Ivanov. Please sit down." Jacob said in a cold tone gesturing JK to sit in an accent chair across him. James is sitting on a sofa on the left of Jacob. Arthur and Daniel sit on the right of Jacob. JK looked around the office then he scanned the faces of four men in front of him. He recognized the man sitting in front of him while he is not familiar with the other three. At first, he guessed that the two men who pick him up at the detention cell were police officers base on their body built and demeanor. While the other one, he guessed that he was an assistant. But from the looks of it, he is not in a police station so, the two men who picked him up is not a police officer. He couldn''t figure it out. The three men sitting on the sofa is not just mere assistants, because if they were, they should be remaining standing or probably have already left. But, they didn''t. His guess was right, they were not just mere assistants. Because although James is Jacob''s executive assistant, he is also his close confidante, a friend who knows all of Jacob''s secret. While Arthur and Daniel were not just an agent from Twelve Army, they were J''s private security and they promised J that they will take care of the matter regarding JK. In fact, J doesn''t consider them as private security. It is somewhere in between a friend, assistant, and personal guard. Or probably all of them. JK straightened his back and stare at the four of them in an arrogant manner. "Where am I?" "You are in the headquarters of Twelve Army." James was the one to reply. JK''s lips twitched. He was right. He is not in a police station. Although he knew that the man in front of him is the Chairman of Twelve Army, he was surprised to find out that they detained him here. "What do you want from me? I will sue you for illegal detention." JK said with a frown. Daniel smirk. "Last night you were drunk. Boss was kind enough to give you free accommodation. And that was considered already as Presidential Suite. You were lucky that the basement 2 and 3 were already full." JK''s eyes widened in shock. That detention could be considered as Presidential Suite? So, what could be in the basement 2 and 3? The thought of it sends chills at JK''s spine. In the basement 1 is where the detention cell for persons that have a high rank in the society. It was well lit, well maintained and still have a small window in each cell. But they rarely use it. Because Jacob wanted even the high-rank personality to be detained in the basement 2 or 3. He thought that everyone should be treated fairly. The basement 2 does not have a window, although it has lights but not the same as the basement 1. The cells there were smaller than that of JK''s. There were no beds or mattresses. Only bench that could fit one person to sleep. While in the basement 3 were the chambers. The cells were smaller than that of the cells in basement 2. It was cold, moist, dark. There were no sounds except for the moaning and groans of the detainee in pain and losing their sanity. Chapter 336 - Twelve Army Chambers So, why would Twelve Army have a detention cell and chambers? A long time ago, a couple of years after Chairman Benjamin Parker founded the Twelve Army, the detention cell does not exist yet. Until one time, someone kidnapped his wife, Camila Parker. The culprit was a kidnap for ransom group and was asking for a huge sum of money in exchange for Camila''s life. Benjamin Parker was willing to give them money but he was determined to make those kidnappers suffer in his own hands. The incident was reported to the police but it was the Twelve Army who was able to rescue Camila Parker. Benjamin Parker told the police that the kidnappers were able to escape but the truth is, he got his hands on the kidnappers. That was when the first chamber under the Twelve Army Headquarters was built. There were seven kidnappers, Benjamin Parker ordered to build seven separate chambers. He was determined to punish his wife''s kidnappers through isolation and psychological torture. The kidnappers were incarcerated in that dark chambers isolated from each other. They were forbidden to see any living creatures. Although they were given food and drinks, that was only through a small opening in their chambers. Their situation was worse than being dead. At least, if you are dead, you won''t feel or hear anything. There is no suffering. But in that chamber, what they hear, feel and see were all suffering. The kidnappers were only released when they all lost their sanity. Being in the country''s most-wanted list, one by one, they were found by the police roaming the streets. But they were not charged because of their mental condition. Soon, the rumors that these kidnappers were held in the Twelve Army''s chambers spread and this made everyone cautious of the Parkers. Since then, everyone who would dare go against the Parkers or the Twelve Army will be held incarcerated in the Twelve Army''s chamber. That was what Benjamin Parker''s rules that Jacob Parker is implementing until now. It was illegal but the law and the government can''t do anything about it because until now, there was no evidence of this chamber''s existence. The only persons who knew about these chambers were those who have experienced it. But what can the say, they have already lost their sanity even before they could present any evidence about its existence. "What happened to his face?" Jacob asked out of the blue while looking at Arthur and Daniel. JK was confused, ever since he woke up, he never had a chance to see his face in a mirror. He subconsciously touched his face. He didn''t know that he has a bruise at the corner of his left eye. "Felix punched him," Arthur replied directly. JK rose from his seat after hearing that and look for a mirror. When he found a large mirror behind him, he was shocked to see that there is indeed a bruise in the left corner of his eye. "Damn it! Who did this?" He exclaimed in anger. "My man did it to put you to sleep. He must''ve controlled his strength for you to be able to get only a small bruise. So, I wonder how did you fell asleep in that small impact?" Arthur said with a cocked head and a mocking tone. JK was embarrassed but he managed to calm down and sit back again before glaring at Arthur. But he received a piercing glare in return which made him avert his gaze. Chapter 337 - Know Thy Enemy "Why am I here?" JK asked again although he already knew why. "I just wanted to ask you a few questions," Jacob replied seriously making him look cold and intimidating. "If you want to ask me questions why do you have to detain me?" JK was doubting what he heard. But Jacob chuckled. "It is more convenient for me to have you here." Then he smiled smugly. "What do you want from my wife?" Jacob turned serious again. JK was known to be cheerful, arrogant and aggressive, but this time he looked to be in an intense trepidation. "Wh-what are you talking about? Why would I want some other person''s wife? I could have any woman if I wanted to why would I waste my effort in some other''s wife?" JK was panicking but still managed to be arrogant. Jacob''s expression turned grim. He could just break this man''s neck anytime if he wanted to but he controlled himself. He wouldn''t enjoy doing that. So, he looked at James gesturing him to speak. James understands and took out an envelope and passed it to JK. JK took it out of curiosity. When he saw what''s inside, his eyes widened. All the while, Jacob was leaning on his chair with his elbows resting on the armrest and hands clasped together in front of him. He was watching JK''s every change of emotion. "Mr. Ivanov, ever since Miss J or Black Heiress first stepped into the Lotus City Motor Speedway, you started investigating her identity. Why is that?" James asked after seeing JK''s reaction. JK was taken aback. How did they found out that he was investigating her? But, after a minute, he calmed down and thought of an excuse. "Well, you can''t blame me. Ever since she joins the race, she has always been hidden in that helmet. Everyone was curious and I am no exception. Everyone did their own investigation and I was one of them. If you are detaining me because of that then why don''t you detain others as well? It''s not like you will ever found each of them." JK smirk after successfully justifying his actions. Jacob became irritated. "You didn''t find anything yet, you persisted for five years. What was your intention?" "She''s my greatest competition so, I had to find out everything about her. There''s a saying ''Know Thy Enemy'', and that''s how you win a battle. I am pretty sure that your wife did this as well." JK continued defending himself. "Indeed, she did investigate you. But you investigating her is different. The fact that she is hiding her identity means she doesn''t want anyone to know about it. So, you have to respect it. But your persistence irks me that made me think there must be a reason for you to be annoyingly obstinate. Am I right?" Jacob said. "Damn it! It is you who is annoyingly obstinate. I said I just wanted to find out her identity. Nothing else!" JK this time lost his composure. "Is that it?" Jacob gave him a smug smile. "What do you mean is that it? Of course, that''s it!" JK didn''t give in to Jacob''s intimidating aura although his hands are starting to be sweaty. "Okay," Jacob replied which made JK surprised. That''s it? Did he believe me? He thought internally. But, before he could smile in victory, he heard him speak again. Chapter 338 - Are you her brothers? "Arthur, I heard you made a promise to my wife that you will deal with him." Jacob glanced at Arthur. It is true that he heard him made that promise to J after she punched JK after the race. He heard it through the secret communicating device that was kept open during the race. Jacob should have been furious, he would think that Arthur must have an inappropriate affection towards his wife. But Jacob could sense if another man has a romantic affection toward a woman and he cannot sense that from Arthur. "Yes. I did." Arthur replied. His firm reply confirmed that his conscience is clear. He doesn''t have any romantic affection towards J. Arthur was sure that his affection towards J is not romantic. He thought that it was platonic but he was fond and caring towards her, it was something that he would never feel towards Daniel, Stefan or Felix whom he considered as his friends. It was something that he would feel towards his sister. But towards JK, Jacob was cautious, he sensed that this man is interested in his wife because if not, why would he persistently probe on her identity for five years even if he cannot find anything. There is something amiss about this person that he has to find out. Jacob nodded. "Have you made a plan?" Although James and Daniel didn''t understand what this two were talking about, they didn''t show any reaction. But internally, they were thinking the same way. Did Boss and Arthur make a secret plan? Arthur nodded his head as his gaze is fixated in JK. It was cold and piercing. One that would make a heart froze. "Wait! Wait! Wait! What are you talking about?" JK suddenly panicked knowing that two of the scariest man in this room is planning something towards him. But, no one answered him. Instead, he received a haunting look from them. He suddenly doesn''t know who is he talking with. He knew Jacob, the wife of Black Heiress. His identity alone could lose his sanity. The other one is probably the most trusted executive secretary. Then how about these two other hunky men? Why would they make that promise to Black Heiress? If they are not the police, then who are they? "Who the hell are you?" JK mumbled to himself while looking at Arthur and Daniel. But his words were clear for the others to hear. But after a couple of seconds, something struck him. "Brother¡­are you her brothers?" After hearing that, the corner of Arthur''s lips curved while Daniel expresses a rare smile. Brother. That''s right, they were more like a big brother to her. But JK thought that it was probably not right. "No¡­ I know that she doesn''t have any siblings." Jacob frowned. This man, after finding out her real identity, he still dares to investigate more. "Having no siblings doesn''t mean she doesn''t have a brother," Arthur said. "In fact, she can even have a thousand brothers." Daniel supported Arthur''s words. Jacob cocked his head towards the two. These guys, are they really considering themselves as his wife''s brother? He thought internally. While James who was watching the three of them was surprised at first but now felt anxious. Chapter 339 - I regret it Jacob took out a deep breath and shot a glance at JK. After all, this is the person that had a bad intention towards his wife. He will deal with his army later. "You still investigated her, so you must''ve known that she is the heiress of the Robin Hood Society. And being a member of the Society means she has a thousand brothers. And these two were among them. And she''s married to me, the Chairman of the Twelve Army, do you know how many armies do I have? Thousands. Meaning, aside from having a thousand brothers, my wife also has a thousand army. They were all over the country and in every corner of the city. They were all watching her in case someone dare to touch even the tip of her hair. But, you¡­ You hit her car during the race and tried to corner her in the wall. Were you trying to kill her?" Jacob was surprisingly calm. Jacob was obviously threatening JK that if he ever dares hurt his wife again, that is if he will ever get out of this place alive, there will always be someone from a corner to deal with him even before he could touch J. JK''s eyes widened in surprise. They knew. He thought internally. But he still refused to admit and played innocent. "I do not know what are you talking about. It was clearly an accident. I even got chased out of the race because of that!" Jacob didn''t reply but looked at Daniel. Daniel understood the message that Jacob is trying to convey to him. Daniel take out his phone and placed it in the coffee table in front of them. JK looked at the phone with panic and curiosity. They all heard a static before the voice of a woman filled the whole office. "Don''t let Black Heiress get away from you. It''s her!" JK''s eyes widened. It was the voice of his sister. There is no mistake! Then after a while, he heard his own voice. "What are you talking about?!" There was a short pause then he heard his voice again. "I understand." The recording ended and Daniel takes back his phone. JK swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and started to show his panicked state. "What? Still, don''t know what we are talking about?" Jacob said in a cold tone. JK didn''t reply nor confirm but as he was sweating profusely, he started to inquire. "What are you going to do with me? Are you going to kill me?" He said while keeping himself from losing his consciousness. The corner of Jacob''s mouth curved upwards. "Someone hurt my wife before and I killed them. But I regret it afterward. I felt like I just did them a favor. I ended their suffering instead of making them suffer the rest of their lives." Jacob paused and stared at JK. "So, I changed my strategy. If someone tries to harm my wife, I wouldn''t settle down until I heard them beg me to finish their lives instead." There was an evil aura emanating from Jacob. "The last person who plots against my wife lost her precious career and will soon lose her every opportunity in the future. And I will do everything to make her roam the streets in the end." Jacob said as he grits his teeth. "I''m pretty sure you are very familiar with her," Jacob said again with a smug smile. Chapter 340 - I forgive you JK was stunned. Is he talking about his sister? After all, they were the ones who plot against Black Heiress. It was because of his sister that he dared to make that move against Black Heiress. His sister wanted him to avenge her. And just yesterday, she told him that she was terminated in the hospital. So, everything that Jacob is saying clearly points towards his sister. Realization dawned on him. Does this mean I will have the same ending as her? JK thought to himself. Will he lose his career just like his sister? His situation was different from his sister. If he loses his career, there would be nothing left with him. His parent has long cut all ties with him so he doesn''t have anyone to rely on except his sister. But his sister''s situation is somewhat dire now. He doubts if she would be able to help him. Her sister still has their parents. But, Jacob said that her sister will lose every opportunity in the future, does this mean their parents will be implicated as well? Terror struck him. He could not think of a way to escape this dreadful situation. He then decided to admit all his misdeeds. If he did, Jacob will probably forgive him. But, will he? "I''m sorry! I didn''t know that you two were married. I''ve seen and heard about Black Heiress back when I was still in F1 racing abroad. She was already making a name in the industry back then abroad. So, I was interested in her mysterious identity. After a couple of years when I came back here in Lotus City, I heard that she was one of the qualifiers of the Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship. I was surprised to find out that we were from the same country. So, it piqued my interest and started to investigate her real identity. Later on, it became an obsession, I realized that the reason I am investigating her is that I wanted to know her and possibly get close to her. But I swear I didn''t know that she was married. If I have found out that she was, I would''ve stopped already!" "My sister always dreamed to be married to you. But I didn''t know it was you. She just told me that the man she was dreaming of getting married to was already married. So, I promised her that I will help get her revenge. But I didn''t know that it was you. I didn''t know that it was her! I swear!" JK looks like he already lost his sanity just to prove that he didn''t intentionally do all of that. That he didn''t want to cross Jacob if he had known before. But unfortunately, Jacob is vicious. Especially that it involves the safety of his wife. Jacob glared at him but then he became suddenly calm. "Escort him out of the building." Everyone looked at him with surprise after hearing his words. Is he letting him go? Just like that? But Arthur replied. "Yes, Boss." James looked at Arthur then to Jacob. Are they planning something? JK was in disbelieve. He can''t believe that his pitiful act would actually work. It turns out that he is more fortunate than his sister. As Arthur and Daniel stood up, JK stood up as well and bowed at Jacob. "Thank you! Thank you for sparing me." This time, James already has an idea of what is going on. Jacob looked at JK with a smile and said, "I hope this is the last time I will be seeing you." Arthur and Daniel escorted JK towards the door of the office but before they could reach the door, it suddenly opened and revealed a familiar yet unexpected person. Chapter 341 - I’m a jealous person JK was stunned to see Black Heiress in front of him. James was surprised while Jacob, Arthur, and Daniel were impassive. They already expected her arrival. Felix sent a message to Arthur while Diana sent a message to Jacob that J left her duty and followed them at Twelve Army. She obviously wanted to personally deal with JK, but unfortunately, she was a little bit late because Jacob had already ''forgiven'' him. J raised her right brow and asked when she saw JK being escorted by Arthur and Daniel and was about to leave. "What''s happening?" She looked at Arthur then to Jacob who was still sitting in the accent chair. "Honey, he''s leaving," Jacob replied. J frowned. "Leaving?" Felix and Stefan who were standing behind her looked at each other, confused. "Mm..hmm." Jacob nodded and gave her a meaningful look. Jacob and J locked their eyes together as if they were talking with their minds. JK is starting to sweat again. For a short moment, he felt relieved that he was forgiven and was about to leave the place but the moment J appeared he suddenly doubts if he would be able to leave this place alive. God knows how much he wanted to run away but J and another two hunky men were blocking the door. And also, he is not familiar with the place. If he runs away, it will be like playing hide and seek at the enemy''s territory. But to his surprise, he heard J speak. "Okay." She said then she moves to the side to give way to him then she walks toward Jacob. Jacob and J were now left alone in his office. Jacob is now leaning on his office desk while J is standing in front of him with her arms crossed in her chest. "What are you doing here?" Jacob asked amused. "What are you planning?" J replied with a question completely unrelated to Jacob''s question. "Did you just abandon your duty?" Jacob asked again. "You are not answering my question," J said with slight irritation. "Because you are not answering my question. Obviously, I am the first one to ask a question here. So, you should answer my questions first." Jacob said with a hint of a smile. J''s eyes widened in annoyance. But Jacob just raises a brow at her. J closed her eyes and take a deep breath. "I want to talk to JK and personally deal with him. Yes, I abandon my duty but I told Dr. Aaron that I will be back soon. I don''t have a major surgery anyway. Only a minor surgery and I passed it on, Diana." J answered Jacob''s questions in one go. Jacob nodded and gave her a reassuring smile. "Regarding JK, don''t trouble yourself about him. Yes, I do have a plan but you just have to wait for the show. Do you think I will let him go just like that? Hm?" Jacob said as he strokes J''s cheeks with his hand. "I don''t want you thinking about another man. I''m a jealous person, you know." Jacob put his hands on J''s waist and pulled her closer to him. J knows that he is teasing her. "Let me handle him, okay? And besides, you got your brothers." J frowned. "Brothers?" But Jacob didn''t answer her, instead, he changed the topic. "By the way, is the baby on its way yet?" Jacob asked as he put his hands on J''s abdomen. J''s cheeks turned pink with his question. She gulped and replied with "No." Chapter 342 - What do you think of my wife? "In that case, I will work harder from now on." J''s face turned red from pink. Jacob noticed and he chuckled at his wife''s innocence. He stood up to embrace her. J returned his embrace, much tighter. "I have to go back now," J said in a muffled voice, while she remains in Jacob''s embrace. Although it is not right, J still abandons her duty at the hospital. She thought that if today, Jacob is going to deal with JK, she has to take this opportunity to have a word with JK before he¡­ you know¡­ die. Well, that was what she is thinking. Jacob killed the Sano Twins, so, she thought that he would do the same with JK. But, to her surprise, he didn''t. And he just let him go. She was actually surprised as well that Jacob just terminated Dr. Stella Ivanov. She thought that Jacob still has a soft spot for Dr. Stella. But just this morning, she heard from Nurse Maggie that the news about Dr. Stella''s termination was leaked to other hospitals and she was now blacklisted. So, she realized that this is not the end of it. Something huge is coming to surprise the siblings. She just can''t imagine how ruthless her husband could be. "Hmm¡­why don''t you just wait for me here. We''ll go home early." Jacob said on top of her head. J suddenly released herself from Jacob''s embrace. "Are you telling me not to go back to the hospital?" "Yes. I am the CEO and I have the right to pull you out of duty to attend to your personal duty to me. I''ll call Aaron." Jacob said with a mischievous smile. He did call Aaron and of course, Aaron cannot object with the CEO''s order. Afterwards, he called James and asked him to accompany J in his office while he deals with some things. J was left in his office with James while she was waiting for Jacob. While inside James'' own office, Jacob sits face to face with Arthur, Daniel, Stefan, and Felix. The four men looked at each other confused. After Arthur and Daniel sent JK out of the Twelve Army Headquarters they were called by Jacob asked them to meet him at James'' office. When they reached, Felix and Stefan were already there. Whatever it is that Jacob wanted to tell them, it must be something that J should not know. Since J is inside Jacob''s office and waiting for him, Jacob had to borrow James'' office. James'' office is smaller than Jacob''s. It definitely reflects James'' personality. The office is warm just like James, it''s a combination of white and wood. You can never find any personal items in it like pictures, trophy, diploma or certificate which shows how extremely private he is. The books and documents were neatly arranged on the shelves, his table is clean, you''ll never find any clutter in it. That''s how perfectionist James is. The five men were sitting in a brown modern sofa set with Jacob in the accent chair. He looked at the four men with a stern face and asked, "What do you think of my wife? I want an honest answer." Among the four, Felix was the one who is not hesitant to give his honest answer. "She''s like a sister to me." He said vehemently which earned him a deterrent look from his team. He just looks at them and shrugged his shoulder as if saying ''The boss wants an honest answer so I am giving him an honest answer''. Then he continued. "With no malice boss, but Miss J is so good to us. I''ve never met someone like her before. And she never treated us as personal security. In fact, she never treated us like we are inferior to her nor she acted like a superior to us. Although, she is cold and aloof and at first, kind of intimidating, she is never like that in reality. I''ve never met a boss that truly cared for us, although she doesn''t say it, she shows it. So, even if I am going to be pulled out of this mission, I will still look after her and protect her." Chapter 343 - Sister It was followed by silence, but then Stefan suddenly speaks up. "Boss, are we going to be terminated after this?" Jacob frowned at Stefan which made him straightened his back. "What do you think?" Stefan gulped and replied, "Honestly, I don''t think Miss J would let it happen." Jacob raised his brows and thought that he was right. And of course, he will not terminate them after this. He doubts if he will be able to find any more personal security that is more qualified to protect his wife than them. He was just asking them this question so he could have a peace of mind. "Actually Boss, Felix was right. For me, she was like an older sister that I never had. One time, she actually scolded me of being a playboy." Stefan is only 27 years old making him the youngest among them. "She acts tough and cold but she is full of care and kindness towards us. Which I didn''t expect from a Lady Boss. Because of our job, we were always treated like a robot that should follow orders all the time. But with her, it was very different, she treated us like a human, although I could not say if she is treating us like a friend but at least I could say that it was better than how she treats others. And it was almost like how she treats Miss Diana and Lance." Stefan started speaking with his head low but as he finishes, he now held his head high looking straight at Jacob. Jacob didn''t have to ask Daniel or Arthur, with their personality, he doubts if those two would say anything. By the looks of it, they feel the same way. But to his surprise, Daniel suddenly speaks. "My wife and I are in great debt to Miss J, but even so, I would still protect and care for her. Even my wife says she would do the same. She is not just a Boss to us." "I would treat her the way I treat my sister." Out of the blue Arthur said impassively not waiting for them to ask him. Everyone was surprised. Although they didn''t know how he treats his sister, it was obvious that he has some kind of affection towards Miss J. Arthur has a younger sister and he was strict, protective and affectionate towards her. Although he doesn''t show it, he cares so much about his sister. And that''s how he is towards J. He didn''t know why, but he had that kind of familial affection towards her. This time, Jacob is pinching the space between his brows. Did he let the wolves in their house to watch over his wife? He though internally. Among these four men, he was most cautious about Arthur. When it comes to looks and ability, he is superior to the others. And he is single and the same age as his wife. But he is the person he trusted the most when it comes to J''s security. That''s why he even appointed him as her right-hand man. J didn''t know that her personal security had grown such kind of affection towards her to the point that they even treat her like their sister and they will protect her like family. Whenever Jacob is not around, she was left with them. Whenever she would go somewhere, they were with them. She never treated them like a bodyguard. Unconsciously, she was treating them the way she treats Diana or Lance. She may be cold on the outside, but deeply, she cared for them. Chapter 344 - Deeply in love with his ex At home, if Jacob and J were not eating in their room, they will be eating in the dining or by the poolside with the four of them. She has grown accustomed to that. Although, she was used to living alone, when she got a company at home, she just cannot ignore their presence. She might be cold, but she cannot detach herself from them. It was rare for J to spend time with other people unless she chose to. And if she chose to spend her time with a person that means she is comfortable with them. Even at Lodgepole, she would eat together with Mrs. Potters and Mary. She doesn''t categorize herself as an elite royalty that should be treated highly by the people around her. She would become uncomfortable. The first time that she found out about Arthur''s Team, she just chose to ignore their presence but as time goes by, she just cannot ignore them. Specially that they had already became part of her life. And she had grown accustomed to them. Felix sensed Jacob''s frustration so he eventually appeases him. "But Boss don''t misunderstand us! Whatever affection we have towards Miss J, it is definitely not romantic. It was just platonic, or maybe a bit familial but nothing more than that I assure you!" "And besides, I and Daniel were both happily married and are very loyal to our wives. Stefan here, although he is a playboy, has principles, he never hooked up with an older and married woman. While Arthur¡­" He paused for a bit but didn''t look at Arthur''s direction. "Well¡­ obviously, he is still deeply in love with his ex." "Felix!" Arthur glared at him. Felix raised both his hands in the air. "Hey, at least I cleared your name! You were the closest to Miss J so Boss would probably be most cautious about you." "Okay, that''s enough. I was just making sure that you don''t hold any romantic affections towards my wife. Because if that''s the case, how could I leave her to your hands?" Then Jacob stood up. "These coming days, prepare for a big show." "Yes Boss!" they all answered simultaneously. All this while, J is not aware that there is some kind of interrogation going on in James'' office. She just knew that there were some things that Jacob have to deal with first before they go home. She was sitting in the accent chair where Jacob sits earlier while James is sitting in front of her checking out on his laptop. It was rare for the two to be left alone. J is not the type of person to initiate a conversation. But there is something that she wanted to know from James'' point of view. So, James was surprised to hear her. "Say, what are your thoughts of me taking over CLP Group of Hospital?" J asked without looking at James. Last time that Jacob said this idea to her, they were in the car with James and Arthur, so she was sure that James knew about it. James raised his head. This time, J is already looking at him anticipating his response. James smiled. "I don''t doubt your capability, Miss J." J chuckled. "You''re just saying that because I am Jacob''s wife." James is an insightful person. He can see through a person and he cannot be deceived by just how a person appears or says. "Miss J, I know you are a type of person that is not interested in power, but if given an opportunity you will be a great leader." J observes James for a couple of seconds. For some reason, James has a very convincing power. She smiled, "If that day arrives, will you still be the Executive Assistant?" "I would be very much honored to be of help," James said firmly. James is the type of person that could help someone realize what they are capable of. That''s why he has reached his position as an Executive Assistant. Chapter 345 - Paranoid When JK arrived at his villa, he was met by his sister Stella. "Where were you last night? Did you sleep with one of your girls?" JK was stunned to hear his sister''s question. It would be better if I really did sleep with one of them. But I was detained all night! He thought internally, but of course, he wouldn''t tell that to his sister. He only has her as his family. He will never let her worry about him. After all, she is partly the reason why he was detained by Jacob Parker. "Yeah." He replied nonchalantly not looking in her eyes. "You should''ve told me when you left. I was looking for you." Dr. Stella said with a hint of worry. "I''m sorry about that," JK said and paused after a while. Then he continued, "I heard that you were blacklisted in other hospitals? Is that right?" Upon hearing that, Dr. Stella''s face darkens. She nodded with a clenched fist. "Jacob must''ve done this. I knew he wouldn''t just let me off." She was sitting on a modern luxe sofa while JK is standing behind an accent chair. His hands rested on its backrest, he watches as his sister became furious. "How can you say that Jacob Parker did this? He already terminated you. Isn''t that enough?" JK asked. "He cursed at me and directly told me that he will not go easy on me in the future. I think he didn''t just plan to terminate me. He must''ve been planning something against me." Dr. Stella said with creases in her forehead. For all she knows, in the coming days, the Board of Medicine will start investigating her misconduct and negligence and with a bit of push from Jacob, they will eventually revoke her license. "Don''t worry sis, I''ll think of something to help you. In the meantime, you should stay here." JK said as he looks at his sister with a gentleness. Dr. Stella laughed. "Actually, you don''t have to tell me that. I''ve been staying here since last night. I just have to keep away from mom''s nagging. She''s been scolding me ever since I got terminated." Dr. Stella said with a pursed lip. "I''ll go upstairs. I''m a bit tired." JK said as he waves his hand and walked towards the stairs. "Okay." In his bedroom, JK lays in his bed. His head rested in his hands as he stares at the ceiling. On his way home he keeps on thinking. Did Jacob Parker really just let him off that easily? Jacob Parker said it himself, he killed those people that hurt his wife but he regrets it and thinks that what he wanted was to make those people that harm his wife to suffer for the rest of their lives. With regards to his sister Stella, Jacob had already terminated her and it looks like he is not done yet. But what about him, he deliberately hits J''s car during that race with the intent of crashing her on the wall. He also persistently probes on her personal life for five years. And yet, he was only detained overnight. Is that it? In the next few days, he became paranoid. He was cautious in every move he makes thinking that the members of the Twelve Army and The Robin Hood Society were just around the corner ready to make a move on him. Chapter 346 - Meeting of the Drivers The following weeks were really full of shows, the President of the Organizing Committee of Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship called for a meeting. Every driver and their managers were required to attend. They should also bring with them their Team''s Roster. J was driven there by Arthur and Daniel using the bulletproofed sedan with Stefan and Felix tailing them with their motorbike. No matter how J pleaded for Jacob to let her use her Sports Car, Jacob still declines her request for the very reason that her Sports Car is not bulletproof. After all, her safety is still his priority. Inside the conference room of Lotus City Motor Speedway, 36 drivers plus their managers were sitting with the son of President Gibbs in front of them. The rest of their rosters were held in another room. Only the drivers and managers were to attend the meeting. Among them is J or Black Heiress as the rest of them used to call her. It was quite unusual to see her attend a meeting. And she is not wearing a helmet. She is the only female in the room. She is wearing a plain white shirt, a while straight pants and a pair of black sneakers. Her hair is messy and flipped on the side. Beside her is Buck wearing casual business attire. "Good afternoon to everyone. I am glad that all of you were able to attend this meeting." The son of President Gibbs is the President of the Organizing Committee of Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship. He is an average looking fair-skinned man in his mid-30''s. His name is Mark Gibbs. He preferred to be called Mr. Gibbs. Everyone straightened their back when they heard Mr. Gibbs speak. Most of them were sitting lazily on their chair. "As you all know, three months after the Championship, we will be starting with the Qualifying match for next year''s Championship. So, that is our agenda today." Mr. Gibbs continued while the drivers and managers started to murmur to themselves. "Three months from now, the Qualifying Match will officially commence. It is going to be a series of three matches that will be held every three months before the Annual Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship. And as a rule, the top five of this year''s race will be automatically qualified for next year''s so they don''t have to join the qualifying match series." "So aside for the top five, the rest of you are welcome to participate again. My assistant will be passing you the registration forms." After saying that, his assistant, which is a female in her mid-20''s dressed in a classic black office attire stood up from the side and passed a paper to each driver except for J, Hans, and the other three drivers. "Aside from you, the Qualifying match will also be open for new racers." Mr. Gibbs said upon seeing that everyone already has the registration form in their hands. "You still have three months to decide if you will be participating in the Qualifying match. Once you have decided, you can submit that registration form to my assistant." Mr. Gibbs said with a smile. After a couple of seconds, his face turned serious. "And also¡­" Mr. Gibbs paused and scanned the faces of everyone in front of him before he continued. "You have heard of a doping scandal involving a football player a couple of weeks ago." Everyone turned silent and fixed their gaze at the serious Mr. Gibbs. Chapter 347 - Anti-Doping Policy The country has a very strict law about substance abuse and the National Sports Commission has been implementing Anti-Doping Policy to every sport organizing body in the country, and that includes Lotus City Motor Speedway. "The NSC has become stricter with their Anti-Doping Policy and we have to abide by it. Aside from the regular urine drug test, we will also have saliva, blood, hair and perspiration testing. And we will also be conducting it randomly." After hearing that, everyone started chatting with each other. Others were surprised, some were still calm while there is one particular person that seemed to be fazed. "But, Mr. Gibbs, isn''t it too expensive to conduct all of those tests?" One of the Team managers asked. Mr. Gibbs laughed. "Don''t worry about the expenses, we will shoulder all the tests that will be performing on each and every one of you during a random drug test. But, when it comes to the regular drug test that your team will be conducting 60 days before the race, you will be the one to shoulder them as usual." Everyone nodded their heads. "So, when are you going to start random drug testing?" One driver asks. Mr. Gibbs laughed again. "It is random so, definitely, it will not be announced. And the NSC will be the one conducting the random drug test. I guess they will just arrive in your doorstep without your knowing." "In fact, they will be having one now." J is observing JK, he is starting to sweat all over his face although the whole room is airconditioned. J also noticed that he is somewhat having short breathing. Base on her observation, JK is now panicking. A random drug test happening now made him anxious and J quickly understands. "Now? You mean, now?" JK''s manager asked, although he is trying to hide it, J still noticed that he is a bit anxious as well. "Yes. In fact, the NSC is already gathering the specimens from your crew as of the moment. And they will be here soon. I''ve been instructed that no one is allowed to leave the room without their specimen taken." Mr. Gibbs replied. JK''s manager looked at JK who is sitting beside him. J''s mouth curve into a small smile that was not noticed by everyone in the office. Within that day, the negative results of the urine drug test were received by the drivers and the rest of their teams. But, unfortunately, there were a couple of crew members and a particular driver who hasn''t receive a result yet. Speculations spread throughout the circle of Racing Teams. Apparently, a negative result will be received within the day while a positive result will take up to a couple of days to a week. JK, two of his pit crew and another one for another team''s road crew didn''t receive their result that day. Meaning, there is a possibility that the result of their drug test would turn out to be positive. After a week, the result arrived and it was indeed positive. Mr. Gibbs immediately called JK''s team and eventually suspend JK and two of his crew until they finished the rehabilitation program that the NSC will provide them. Two of JK''s pit crew was proven to have been taking Performance ¨C Enhancing Drugs. While JK has been proven to be taking a powerful opioid. Years ago, when he was still abroad, he had an accident that causes him to break a leg. JK has a low pain tolerance, so he asked his doctor to give him a stronger dose of pain medicine, stronger than the dose that is frequently prescribed by doctors. Although hesitant, the doctor prescribed him a powerful synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times stronger than the most common narcotics. Chapter 348 - Banned This synthetic opioid is one of the strongest pain relievers today, yet extremely dangerous when taken frequently or on a high dosage and is also highly addictive. Unfortunately, JK became dependent on it and taking it has become a habit. Even thou his doctor has stopped prescribing the drug to him, he was still able to buy it in the black market. Luckily, he was still alive because this kind of opioid is potentially lethal even in a small dosage. This type of opioid can be detected in urine for eight to 24 hours, in blood for up to 12 hours, in saliva for one to three days. So, during his regular drug test, his results were always negative because he could just simply abstain for a week. While during a random urine test, if he has just taken this particular opioid within 24 hours, he would just find a way to switch his urine with his manager whom he was sure that is not taking any drugs. His manager would just tolerate him and he was lucky all this time that he wasn''t caught. But unfortunately, the NSC performs a hair test. The kind of opioid that JK is taking can be detected in hair for up to 3 months. So even if it was 3 months or 2 months ago since he last took this opioid, it will stay in his hair and can be detected. The NSC asked JK for a medical certificate to prove that he is suffering from any severe pain and a prescription of drugs but he cannot show anything. Eventually, JK was put under NSC''s Rehabilitation Program and is subject to further observation and investigation since he has been buying those opioids in the black market. He was also forever banned in any type of racing. .... A week after JK was sent to the rehabilitation center, J casually talks to Jacob while sitting on a sofa reading a classic novel inside Jacob''s office adjacent to their bedroom. "How did you know that JK is involved in drug abuse?" J asked directly. Even if Jacob didn''t say it, she knew that he has something to do with the random test that the NSC conducts at Lotus City Motor Speedway during the meeting. Jacob was not surprised. "I investigated him." He casually said as he raised his head to look at the direction of J. He was sitting in an armchair while reading and signing documents in his office desk. "You knew? Right?" He then asked as he put down his fountain pen. J didn''t reply so Jacob takes that as a yes. "You were the reason why he suddenly stops racing F1 abroad," Jacob said. He was either asking or confirming a fact that he already knew. J stared at him and said, "It was not me. It was Lance." "Lance?" Jacob raised his brow. He stood up from his seat and walk towards J. He sits beside her and turns his body to face her. Their face was just a foot away from each other. He rested his elbow on the back pillow of the sofa while waiting for J''s reply. J closed the book she was reading and turn to face him. She nodded her head started to tell the backstory of Lance and JK. "When we were abroad Lance had a girlfriend. He was truly in love with that girl. Lance is not the type of guy that plays with a girl. He would only commit to a relationship if he was sure that he loves the girl and the girl loves him as well." Chapter 349 - JK’s first Visitor "Let me guess, the girl cheats and had a relationship with JK." Jacob made an assumption. J nodded. "A couple of months, Lance found out that the girl is also dating JK." "Lance is a vengeful person. He investigated the girl and JK. The girl at that time is also a lawyer. Lance found out that there was one time that the girl lends her name to be used as a counselor by her friend. It was a ground for disbarment." "So, the disbarment was Lance''s revenge?" Jacob said surprised. He never thought that this charismatic and energetic man could be unforgiving and intolerant. J nodded. "How about JK?" "JK that time was one of the most famous F1 drivers abroad. It was then that he had an accident and had to rely on opioids to relieve his pain. His pain tolerance was severely low. That was when he started to become addicted to it. Lance found out about it and even found that he is buying the opioid in the black market. But instead of reporting him to the authority and forced him to quit racing, he made him voluntarily quit racing by blackmailing him using the information that he got." "For a moment I thought that Lance was quite ruthless back there." Jacob didn''t hide his disappointment. He thought that Lance reported him and deliberately ruin his reputation as a driver. J shook her head. "Lance wanted him to suffer mentally before he is forced to quit his passion." "Isn''t ruining his reputation much better revenge?" Jacob said as took J''s hand to his. J smirk and said, "He is not as ruthless as you." "You are not done with JK, aren''t you?" J asked afterward. Jacob changed his position. He now lays on the sofa with his head on J''s thigh. "Nah¡­ Have you seen the rehabilitation center in Lehua? It was like giving JK a luxury vacation!" The Rehabilitation Center is a 250-acre facility located on an island called Lehua near Crocus Peninsula. Although it is located on an island, the rehabilitation center is not totally isolated because there is an existing community on the island. And patients were allowed to have a visitor every month. The first person to visit JK is, of course, Stella. Stella and JK were sitting face to face in an armchair. In front of them is a coffee table, Stella is having just water. "My license has been revoked," Stella said with a downcast expression. It was already a week since JK was sent to the rehabilitation center. JK''s face turned grim. "It''s probably his doing." "Do you think he did this to you as well?" Stella said worriedly. "I''m not sure, but if he really did this, I think this is just the beginning." JK''s face turned darker as he clenched the glass of water in front of him. Hearing this, Stella leaned closer to JK. "Kolton¡­" Stella is the only person who calls him by his second name. "Mom and dad talked to me. A shareholder of the CLP Group of Hospital approached them and said that he wanted to sell his 10% share to them." "What''s it got to do with me?" JK said irritatingly when he heard his sister mention their mom and dad. Ever since they cut their ties with him just because he pursued his dream, he harbors deep grudge towards them. He just can''t really understand why can''t they support his dreams of being a professional race car driver. Chapter 350 - Change of plan Stella, who is older than him originally dreams to be a supermodel but was forced by their parents to study medicine because they believe that it is more glamorous and professional. They thought that being a doctor has a better future. But part of the reason why they forced her to become a doctor is because of Jacob and CLP Group of Hospital. If she becomes a doctor, she''ll have a chance to get close to Jacob and a chance to get married to him. That means she will also be part of the Parker Family who owns the CLP Group of Hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Ivanov dreams to take over the CLP Group of Hospital. But they only own 16% of it, just the third biggest share. So, their only chance is for Stella to get married to Jacob. Unfortunately, Jacob is already married to someone else. So, the Ivanov couple changed their plan. "Kolton, mom, and dad want to buy that 10%, but they lack funding. They said that if you and I combine our savings, we can buy that share. If we combine our parents share and that 10%... it is more than what the Parker''s own. That means, we''ll have a chance to take over the CLP Group of Hospital from Jacob Parker." Stella patiently explains what her parent''s motive on buying that share. "You are talking about revenge?" JK''s expression lightened. Stella nodded. "What do you think?" JK contemplated for a moment. "5% will be under your name while the other 5% will be under my name. That shareholder said that he offers his share to mom and dad first before he offers it to others. If mom and dad can''t buy it, then he will give it to others. It''s a waste of chance Kolton." Stella continued to convince his brother. JK takes a deep breath the finally said, "Okay, I agree." Stella''s face brightened up. "Great! I''ll tell mom and dad about it." Stella hurriedly took out her phone from her purse and quickly called her parents. She stayed at the rehabilitation center for a couple more hours. JK tour her to the whole facility. Jacob was right, the whole place is like a luxury vacation on an island except for the fact the Cellphones, Internet, and Televisions are not allowed. The whole facility also has a strict rule. Everyone should already be awake at 5 am. They will have their routine exercise and daily chores. Each of them has a daily assigned chore from cooking, washing the dishes, laundry, gardening, and keeping the whole facility clean. All of that should be done by 7 am because that is the time that they will have their breakfast. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were only served for one hour. If you missed it, then you won''t be able to eat until the next scheduled serving of food. During their spare time, there were activities provided for them. At 9 pm, no one should be seen roaming around the facility. By 10 pm, everyone should already be asleep. "I should get going now. I''ll be back next month to bring you some good news." Stella smiled triumphantly at JK as if their plan is a sure success. He hugged JK tightly before she left. There is only one way to get in and out of the island. And that is via a ferry that delivers supply and visitors once a month. Chapter 351 - Early drop Over a month had already passed since the Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship. Since then, Daniel has already reported back to duty but most of his time was spent at the Twelve Army Headquarters to help Jacob in a particular investigation. J didn''t have to ask Jacob because she already knew that it has something to do with Novus Rex. Arthur remained by her side as her right-hand man and since then, he had already accomplished a couple of missions that J and Jacob left for him to handle. One morning, the couple, Arthur and Stefan were having breakfast at the poolside of Jacob''s villa. It has already become a scenery every morning not unless J and Jacob asked for their breakfast to be served in the bedroom. Arthur and Stefan decided not to take turns in going home, instead, both of them stayed at the Evergreen Villa, not unless they have some personal errands to attend to, they request for a night off especially Arthur who have seemed to be busy with his personal matters aside from being J''s right-hand man. While Lily has been staying at a hotel in Mt. Celandine since it is more convenient for her to stay there because it is the location of her film. Although, she would go back to Evergreen Villa or the Parker''s Mansion once in a while if she has time off. She still has her female security around her that reports to Jacob or J every day. They haven''t finished eating breakfast when Daniel followed by Felix arrived. Jacob invited them to have a breakfast or at least coffee but they declined to say that they already had it at home. That''s the perks of having a wife. "Daniel, you are coming again with me at the Twelve Army Headquarters. Felix, you come with D. I have a mission for you. Arthur and Stefan, stay with Jenny." Jacob gave them the day''s duty. Although initially they were assigned to J as her personal security, as time goes by, they have already become J and Jacob''s personal team including James may it be a mission for the Robin Hood Society or the Twelve Army. But as of now, their mission has always been focused on Novus Rex. "Yes, Boss." Their breakfast was about to finish. They were now just chatting since J still have time before she leaves the house for her duty. Suddenly, Lance came without any warning. Jacob''s villa is guarded 24-hours and those guards knew who are the only ones allowed to enter the house even without informing Jacob and that includes Lance. Jacob frowned at Lance''s sudden appearance. Somehow, he regretted giving him the prerogative to just barge in his house without his consent. "Good morning!" Lance greeted everyone enthusiastically. "Aren''t you too early to drop by?" Jacob said sarcastically while sipping his coffee. J gave him a disapproving look. Lance ignored him and take a seat beside J. "I have good and bad news." Upon hearing that, everyone frowned. What a way to start the day. "I won''t ask what you want to hear first. Here, take a look at this." Lance said as he passed his tablet to J. J took the tablet with curiosity. When she saw what is in the tablet her eyes widened in surprise. She snaps her head at Lance with eagerness. "Where did you find it?" "It was just posted on the website of GBC Auction Ball this morning," Lance replied. After hearing that, J''s fist clenched into a ball almost crashing the tablet in her hand. Chapter 352 - Massive J Jacob looked at the two of them with confusion, so he grabbed the tablet in J''s hand and check out what they were talking about. He saw a photo of an elegant necklace with a huge blue diamond pendant. "Massive J?" He said unconsciously as he read the title of the article. "That''s right, Massive J is the name of the gem. It was a rare massive blue diamond that is more than 20 carats. It was named Massive J because of the letter J that is engraved in the diamond''s girdle. But¡­ Massive J is actually not it''s real name." Lance left everyone who was listening to him hanging. "The name of the gem is ''Galaxy''. Well¡­ that was until the letter J was engraved on its girdle and was used as a pendant 28 years ago. GBC Auction Ball auctioned it 28 years ago as ''Galaxy'', during that time, it was a gem. When it was sold, it breaks the record of the most expensive gem ever sold in the country." "Wait, wait, wait." Felix blurted out in confusion. "You said that GBC Auction Ball auctioned it 28 years ago and it was sold at a record-breaking price 28 years ago, then now they were auctioning it again? Didn''t they know that it is the same gem that they auctioned 28 years ago? Or are they the one who bought it 28 years ago and just said that it was bought at a record-breaking price for a show so that they can auction it again? I''m confused." Lance looked at J who remained with a dark expression which didn''t go unnoticed to Jacob. So, he asked, "What does it have to do with Jenny?" Jacob leaned his back to his chair and crossed his arms in his chest. Lance takes a deep breath. "The person who bought the gem 28 years ago was none other than Alexander Do. The late grandfather of Miss J." "What?!" Felix and Stefan exclaimed simultaneously. They knew that the Do''s were rich but they didn''t know that they were that rich. "Elder Do bid for the highest price to get that gem. And when he finally got it, he contacted a famous jeweler abroad to engrave the letter J on its girdle. It was supposed to be a gift for Miss J. Although Miss J hasn''t seen that gem once. It was kept in the log house at Naupaka. On the day of President Martin and Madam Victoria''s visit to Miss J at Lodgepole Estate, they brought with them the gem as per Elder Do''s order. But that day was also the day that they were ambush. The gem was never seen since then." The four men and Jacob were enlightened. "So, it was stolen?" Stefan asked. "Apparently, yes. Although the people who ambushed President Martin and Madam Victoria were killed and some of them were taken into our custody, there is one person who managed to escape. Our guess is that he was the one who stole it." "Have you investigated that person or the Mayor?" Jacob asked. According to President Martin, it was the current mayor of that time that ordered to ambush them, so he probably knew about the gem. "We did, actually ever since that incident, we were ordered to find the necklace but we got no leads until now." Lance replied. Chapter 353 - The Robin Hood Society way "And also, I am not sure if GBC Auction Ball or the current owner of Massive J knew that it is actually Galaxy since the name was changed or maybe they did it deliberately to confuse the people." After remaining silent all throughout the discussion, J finally speaks out. "I''m going to take back what''s mine." Everyone looked at her in surprise. By the look in her eyes, they could tell how determined she is to get the gem back. "Don''t worry honey, I''m going to get it from you. Even if I have to bid triple the price." Jacob said as he holds J''s hand that was rested on the dining table. J looked at him indifferently. "Why would you pay for something that is originally mine?" "You mean?" Lance was in awe. More or less, he knew what J means. "I am going to take it The Robin Hood Society way." She replied firmly. Everyone''s eyes widened. "You mean, we are going to steal it?" Stefan said with complex emotion. He was excited, after all, ever since they became a member of the Society, he knew that someday, he would do what the society does. And that is to steal in a professional way. But he was also hesitant because he never did that even once in his life. J rolled her eyes. "Again, that blue diamond is mine. So why am I going to steal it? I''m just going to take it back." Stefan faked a laugh. "I understand!" But although she just made it sound different, he still thinks that it was stealing. "Okay. Give us your orders." Arthur suddenly said. He was just as firm as J. J frowned. "Who says you are going to do it?" They were all dumbfounded especially, Jacob. Looks like his stubborn wife is going to do this mission alone. "Honey, if you want to get that necklace back without spending a cent, then I''ll have it your way. But I am not letting you do this alone. Arthur''s team was already a member of the Society. They were not just your personal security. They are your personal team, and whatever you want to do, you''ll do it with me or with them." Jacob said with a grim expression. J glared at Jacob. She is being stubborn, and Jacob was right. Even if she doesn''t want Arthur''s Team to be involved in this kind of job that is not normally what they do as an agent for Twelve Army, she can''t do it alone. More especially that she hasn''t done this before. And she must admit, even if Arthur''s Team haven''t done this before, they were quite skilled in different aspects. So, she dropped her head in defeat. But she doesn''t want to admit defeat. "I want to find out when and where this Auction will take. Who possesses the Massive J and who was the beneficiary?" Everyone knew that she was giving the order to Arthur being her right-hand man but they all still nodded. After saying that, J stood up from her sit followed by Jacob. However, Lance followed them. "Miss J! Do you need my help?" J stopped and turned to him. "No need, just focus on your film and AM Entertainment." She paused for a while before she continued. "About the thing I asked of you? Any developments?" Lance knew what she is talking about so his reply was, "Same old, same old." Chapter 354 - Forged and Fake Driving his SUV with J on the passenger seat Jacob asked her. "What is that thing that you asked of Lance?" As much as possible, Jacob never wanted to involve himself with how his wife manages her assets. But her last words to Lance caught his attention. "I¡­" J stared at Jacob calculating his reaction. "We were looking for your grandfather." Jacob was not surprised. Because he himself is also looking for his grandfather. "Is it because of the marriage contract?" He asked and J nodded. There was silence before J speak again. "Are you mad?" Jacob chuckled then reached to stroke J''s cheeks. "Silly. Of course not." Then there was another silence. J looked outside the window. "Although Lance said that the marriage contract was real, still I don''t remember ever signing that kind of contract. What if it turns out that Lance was wrong and the marriage contract was a forged and fake?" J said without looking at Jacob. It was almost as if she was just talking to herself. Jacob reached out for her hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed the back of her palm. It looks like, they were both worried for the same reason. He smiled to himself. "If that''s the case, then, I''ll marry you and this time I will make sure that it is real. I''ll watch over as you sign the contract." J snaps her head to look at Jacob. Her heart is beating erratically. "So, are you going to marry me?" Jacob said with a mesmerizing smile. J can''t control a small smile that appeared at the corner of her lips. "Dr. Jacob Parker, is that how you are going to propose to me?" "Haha. Of course not! This is just a sampler. And besides, we are already planning to have a baby, do you think I would let you reject my proposal however way I do it? Hm?" Jacob said amused as he pinched J''s cheeks. Somehow, Jacob was right. J thought internally. Jacob just dropped J at the entrance of the hospital then left her in the care of Arthur and Stefan while he went to the Twelve Army Headquarters. ¡­.. After his short visit at Evergreen Villa, Lance headed towards Mt. Celandine. It has been a couple of days since he last visited the set. Upon arrival at the filming location, he scanned the whole place until he finally saw that particular person. Lily is sitting in a director''s chair while reading the script. It has been a couple of weeks since they last talked. The last time was when Lily gets drank and fell asleep in his shoulder at the viewing deck. Actually, after that incident, Lance thought that the two of them will get along well and become friends. But it looks like God has another plan. Because since that day, Lily never talked to him or maybe they didn''t get a chance. In fact, ever since that day, Lily decided to distance herself from Lance. She already learned how to control her emotions whenever he is around. And she has also started to act normal around him. But, as much as possible she would avoid any encounter with him. She also stopped asking about him to her sister-in-law. She knew that her feeling for him has always been one-sided and he doesn''t even care about her. She is not the type to run after a man so why would she waste her time and get hurt. So, she just chose to pretend that he doesn''t exist. Chapter 355 - Seth Lily sensed that someone is staring at her, she raised her head and look around. That''s when she saw Lance looking at her direction. It has been a couple of days since she last saw him and his appearance today made her uncomfortable. Their eyes locked together for a short moment. Lily nodded her head as a greeting before she dropped her head again and focus on her script. At least she didn''t act rude and appear like she is avoiding him. That''s the least she would want to happen. She doesn''t want Lance to notice that she is avoiding him so she remains casual to him. But that was she thought. "You came!" Lance heard the voice of his friend Mr. Ray. He saw him walking towards him. "Bob," Lance called his friends first name. "It''s been days since my last visit so I decided to drop by." He said as he taps Bob''s back with his right hand. His left hand is in his pocket. "Right. You''ve been busy this past few weeks." Bob did the same to Lance and led him towards the direction of the director where there were seats provided for them. Lance take a seat at a chair that was provided for him. Bob sits beside him. Someone from the crew approached them and gave him a bottle of water. Once seated, Lance looked at Lily''s direction. He frowned when he saw an unfamiliar boy approached Lily. He saw Lily gave that boy a sweet smile before she stood up from her seat and gave that boy a hug. Lance'' face turned darker. "Who''s that?" He asked unconsciously but Mr. Ray heard him. He looked at the direction that Lance is looking at. "Oh! You didn''t know him? That''s Seth. He is a famous singer. He is part of the film but he still has to finish his concert tour before he started filming. He just arrived yesterday. He is going to play Lily''s ex-boyfriend in the film." Lance heard his friend. "He looks young." Actually, he was not supposed to say that out loud but he did accidentally. He wonders if Lily has that kind of relationship with that boy that looks younger than her. "He is. He is just 22 years-old and promising. At a young age, he already released two sold-out albums and had three sold-out major concerts. He writes his own songs and is also a good actor." Mr. Ray continued blabbering not knowing that his every word makes Lance''s mood to drop an all-time low. So, is he the type of guy that Lily likes? Lance thought internally. He watched as the two chatted happily. Once in awhile, Seth would pinch Lily''s cheeks and Lily would tousle his hair making him pretend like he is angry. The two looked cute together. Even the crew who were watching the two are gossiping and talking how the two looked good together. Unfortunately, Lily is seven years older than Seth. But it doesn''t matter, because Lily looks ten years younger than her age so no one can really tell that the two have a huge age gap. "She looks close to that boy." Lance can''t bring himself to mention the name of Seth. He felt like he would betray himself. "Yeah. They were both on the same label and same manager. Actually. Lily is close to everyone. Even to the crew. At AM Entertainment she is like a sister to all. She is even called the AM''s Social Butterfly because of her friendliness." Mr. Ray opened his bottled water after then he looked at Lance. That''s when he noticed his grim expression. Chapter 356 - She’s dating someone "Well, except me." Lance thought, why is she close to everyone except him? He brought her home when she got drank. He knew her family. Her sister-in-law is his best friend. He let her sleep on her shoulder overnight and accompanied her in the viewing bench Shouldn''t they be friends now? Lance seemed to have realized it just now. "Wait. What''s with that expression of yours? Are you jealous?" Mr. Ray with a teasing smile as he waves a hand in front of his face saying how he looked. Lance was startled. "What? What are you talking about?" He didn''t realize it until Mr. Ray pointed it out. "Of course, I am not." But Lance denied it. "Is that so?" Mr. Ray says while looking at him indifferently and it irks Lance. "I thought you look and sound like a jealous man." Mr. Ray said and diverted his look at Lily and Seth''s direction. "Well, if there is someone to be jealous about is, it is not Seth." Mr. Ray paused as he takes another gulp of water from his bottle before recapping it. "It is the person that Lily is dating." Lance felt his heart tightened. If he is not jealous then why does he felt like that after hearing that Lily is dating someone? He felt like he wanted to crush someone. "She''s dating someone?" He tried his best to ask Mr. Ray casually without stuttering. Mr. Ray nodded his head. "Well, that''s what I heard. I heard that she is dating the son of her family''s friend." Mr. Ray shrugged his shoulder as he watches Lance''s reaction at the corner of his eyes. "I am not sure. Lily is a very private person. She never talks about it and never even talks about her family." Lance felt like there was some kind of explosion. He gripped the armrest of the chair tightly. He wanted to know if she really is dating someone but he cannot just walk over to her and ask her. He would look desperate and stupid. If there is anyone who knows if Lily really is dating that son of a family friend, it would be her family. And if there is anyone here who knows about her family, it was him. After realizing it, he excused himself and walk towards a secluded area far from the crew. He took out his phone from his pocket and dialed a certain number. "Yes?" J said nonchalantly after answering the call from Lance. "Is it true that Lily is dating the son of a family friend?" Lance asked directly that made J surprise. "Yes," J replied shortly. Lance was frozen in place. Can''t his best friend be more considerate and sensible? Lance composed himself then asked again. "Since when?" "About a month now." although curious, J can''t hide her irritation. A month now? Where was he? What was he doing that he didn''t notice that? Lance thought to himself. Well all this time, Lily has been avoiding him so of course, he wouldn''t notice. Lance dropped the call. This time, he is in a black mood so without telling anyone, he left the set and drive out of Mt. Celandine. No one noticed that he left except for Lily. Chapter 357 - Don’t Pick my wife "You are not going to the headquarters?" J asked Jacob when she noticed that their SUV enters the 1st Level Basement Parking of CLP Hospital. Aside from their SUV and the black sedan that was driven by Arthur, there were other cars parked in the 1st Level Basement Parking. Ever since they announced their marriage, Jacob opened the parking for other employees to use. Initially, it was exclusive for Jacob and J to use to hide their relationship but since they had already announced their marriage, there is no point hiding. "No." Jacob shook his head then take off his seat belt. "I missed working with my wife," Jacob said then gave J a beautiful smile. J felt elated. They walked towards the lift with their hands intertwined but this time they didn''t use Jacob''s private lift which is directly connected to his office on the 10th floor. Instead, they used the common lift going to the 8th floor. On their way to 8th floor, there were some employees who enter and exits the lift and saw the couple in there with hands intertwined. All of them have the same surprised and smile on their faces when they saw them. But the couple didn''t mind them at all. Jacob never released J''s hand until they reached the nurse''s station when J had to go to the locker to change into her uniform. "Good morning Dr. Jacob. It''s been a while since your last surgery." Dr. Aaron Choi greeted him. "Yeah. Been busy making a baby." Jacob said in a serious tone that made Dr. Aaron laughed out loud. "Ha-ha. You pervert! In that case, I should start looking for a temporary replacement for Nurse J when she gets pregnant." Dr. Aaron said as he handed Jacob a patient''s chart. "Well, you definitely should because I wouldn''t let her work for two years once she gets pregnant." Jacob looked at Dr. Aaron with a smile then to the patient''s chart. "Two years! Tsk! It will be chaotic if we don''t have Nurse J here. After all, most of the surgeons only want her to assist them and that includes you." Although two years is a bit exaggerated, Dr. Aaron believes that Jacob would definitely do that. But, unfortunately, it will kill J because of boredom. Jacob frowned. Dr. Aaron is right, most of the surgeons at CLP Hospital request that J would be their scrub nurse because of her extensive knowledge and unparalleled skills. But, it also makes his wife work extra hard. Although J never minds it because it keeps her busy, Jacob mind it. Jacob closed the patient''s chart and faced Dr. Aaron with a serious expression. "Having said that, why don''t you devise a program that let the surgeons choose a personal nurse to train as their scrub nurse so that they won''t keep on looking for my wife to assist them. With that, my wife will not be too tired when she gets home and it will also give other nurses the opportunity to improve themselves?" Dr. Aaron thought for a while. He was still contemplating when Jacob speak again. "And also, I don''t want any of them picking my wife to train. She doesn''t need that. They should choose other nurses. We have a lot of nurses here in the Department of Surgery to choose from. Keep my wife for me only." Jacob pause. "And also, to Dr. Gonzales." He knew that Dr. Carlos Gonzales would fight tooth and nail to have his wife as his scrub nurse. And he respects the man, not only because he is a council member of the Robin Hood Society but also because he is taking care of his wife. Chapter 358 - The Intern At first, Dr. Aaron thought that Jacob''s plan is merely because of his selfishness to keep his wife only to him and of course to dote her. But then, he realized that he got a point. This will really give other nurses an opportunity to excel. Other nurses in the nurse''s station who heard their conversation agrees with that as well. "Okay, I''ll think of that." Dr. Aaron nodded and it makes Jacob at ease. "By the way, aside from Nurse J, you will also be assisted by an intern." "Intern?" Jacob raised his brow. J who has already changed in her uniform heard that as well. "Uh-huh. You know that we already started accepting interns, right?" "Oh¡­right, I thought it will start next month." Jacob finally remembered that he indeed agreed on that in their last meeting. "I''ll go prep the OR Theatre Three," J said then she walked towards the OR theatre. After an hour at OR Theatre three, J is standing beside Jacob while in front of Jacob is a clean-shaven young doctor about the same age as J. He is about the same height as Jacob. He is not that good looking but he has that kind of charisma that makes him attractive. But to J, he is not attractive at all. Not just because he is already married to a very beautiful man beside her but she just finds this intern too outspoken and presumptuous. In between, them is a male patient about 55 to 60 years old. He is lying on his right side with his left arm above his head. Jacob is performing a pneumonectomy to this patient who was diagnosed with lung cancer. Pneumonectomy is a procedure that removes an entire lung. In this patient''s case, his entire left lung will be removed because of cancer. Jacob is a General Surgeon that sub-specialized in Laparoscopic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Surgical Oncology, and Transplant Surgery. J handed Jacob a bone cutter when she saw that Jacob is already preparing to cut a portion of the patient''s ribs so that he can get access to his left lung. "Nurse J here is quite impressive. I am pretty sure she can perform surgery better than I do." Suddenly the intern spoke out of know where which made J raised her right brow. He has been taking glances at J ever since he arrived which the latter ignored. While Jacob shot the man in front of him an icy glance. But the intern didn''t notice it because his focus is with Nurse J who doesn''t seem to mind him. Jacob lowered his head and said. "I am sure you''ll be better than her if you focus your attention to the surgery you are performing than the nurses that assist you." "Haha. Yes, President Parker." The intern laughed and addressed Jacob highly not knowing that Jacob preferred to be addressed as Dr. Jacob than President Parker. The nurses inside the OR Theater sensed that there is some kind of tension building up. Is this intern crazy? Praising Nurse J in front of his husband? Doesn''t he know that the nurse that he is obviously flirting with is married to the man in front of him that he just called President? The intern remained quiet for the next 30 minutes but he doesn''t seem to be the type of person that can be kept quiet for a long period of time. Chapter 359 - In Your Dreams Jacob had already deflated the patient''s left lung and is now starting to remove it when they again heard the intern''s voice. "Say, Nurse J. Do you have a boyfriend? Because I am really looking forward to working with you here at CLP Hospital after my internship. I hope that President Parker would consider giving me a position in the future." Although the intern''s face is hidden in a face mask and goggles, it was obvious that he is grinning because his eyes say so. That''s it! He really did not know that J is married to Dr. Jacob. Why didn''t anyone warn the intern before? Diana who is also inside the OR Theater as the circulating nurse thought to herself. J raised her head but not to look at the intern''s direction but to look at the man beside her. Jacob is already sending a piercing glare at the intern in front of him. J could already see the pulsing veins in Jacob''s neck and his grip on the scissor has tightened. Unfortunately, the intern is not aware that he had already dug his grave, any moment now, he will be dead. The nurses inside the OR Theater is panicking. Oh, God! Dr. Jacob, please finish the surgery first before you sent the intern into his death sentence. One of the nurses thought to herself. While in Diana''s thought, it won''t be long before that patient would be sent out and be replaced with the intern being ripped apart on top of the operating table. A deep and cold voice was heard, "If you keep on flirting with my wife, I don''t think you''ll get any position in any hospital. In your dreams!" After hearing that, the intern finally looked at Jacob''s direction who was just in front of him. He met his icy stare and felt chills all over his body. Beads of cold sweat started to form on his forehead. This time, he knew that he just screwed up. After several hours of being in the OR Theatre that felt like a cold chamber, the nurses including J finally relaxed at the nurse''s station. But Jacob seemed to be still infuriated. Head Nurse Jing heard from Nurse Maggie what happened and immediately reported it to Dr. Aaron. After the surgery, they''ve never seen that intern again. And it is possible that they would never see him in the future again. On their way home, it was silent inside Jacob''s SUV. J knew that Jacob did something to that intern and she would never argue or confront him because of that because she knows that it would be useless. She noticed Jacob''s tensed face, he is still angry. J is not good with words of comfort but she would definitely do something to console him. J stretched her left arm and reach out for Jacob''s right hand that is tightly gripping the steering wheels. She clasped it with both her hands and played with his fingers. Jacob was stunned, he looked at her who is looking at him with a mesmerizing smile. For some reason, it brought him serenity. His tensed face finally relaxed. Jacob sighed and finally released his thought. "That intern sure is presumptuous." "Because he doesn''t know," J replied. "Don''t fret. I''m forever yours." J probably didn''t realize it but those three words were like an equivalent to a confession of her feelings for Jacob. Jacob suddenly stops his SUV on the side and pulled her to his embrace. "I know." Only with her, he can have a sense of tranquility. Chapter 360 - The Oxeye Castle In a castle-inspired mansion in Oxeye Beach located in Oxeye Province, a red luxurious sports car enters the main entrance. The car parked in a 20-car basement garage of the mansion. Oxeye Beach is the most famous and luxurious beach in the country because of its white-sand beach. The existence of the castle-inspired mansion is a feast in the eye that made the view of the beach from the sea elegant and majestic. The mansion was therefore nicknamed The Oxeye Castle. Although no one knows who owned it, the people from Oxeye Beach have seen some luxurious cars comes and goes from its main entrance since a couple of months ago. That was unusual because this past ten years, no one lives in the mansion although it was well maintained and has kept its elegance, The Oxeye Castle is a 5,500 sqm mansion with 12 bedrooms and 22 bathrooms. It has a 500sqm infinity pool with a great view of the Oxeye Beach. In a long emerald green velvet antique sofa, Jack Ogden is sitting with a glass of Whisky in his hands. The old man is wearing a grey suit and a grey flat cap on top of his white hair. He is around ''80s but still had a healthy body physique. "Boss, your grandson has arrived." A man with a scar on the left side of his forehead said to the old man. Jack Ogden smirk before he drinks the whisky in his hand. "Led him here." He said. "Yes, Boss." The man with the scar on the left side of his forehead replied as he bowed his head, treating the old man in front of him like royalty. He is Jack Ogden''s right-hand man, Carlos. He has been serving Jack Ogden for 30 years now. After a couple of minutes, Alex Ogden came and sat lazily in front of Jack Ogden. "Grandfather, how are you?" Alex said in a lazy tone. "I came back a couple of months ago and it''s only now that you came to visit me?" Jack Ogden said to his grandson. Alex Ogden is the only grandson he had, the only heir after his son and his daughter-in-law passed away. Although he did have a granddaughter, the girl is nowhere to be found and wouldn''t probably want to be related to him. So, even if his grandson is cold and sometimes stubborn and unyielding, he can''t get himself extremely mad at him. "What can I do, you''ve caused quite a stir and it caused a great loss in the business." Alex Ogden said then he stoops to the coffee table and poured himself a glass of whisky. "I only sent them threats. And look at the result, they finally revealed the heiress." Jack Ogden replied with a smug smile. Alex Ogden scoffed. "Indeed. They revealed not just their heiress¡­" Alex Ogden paused as he swirls the glass of whisky in his hand. He watched as the ice on it swirls inside. "They also revealed her husband." Alex Ogden said bitterly. "You seemed to be affected by it." Jack Ogden said but got no reply. He felt that his son has something in mind that he is not telling him. But he didn''t probe on it further. "That was not part of the plan. I never thought that those two old horses will trick me. I should''ve acted earlier." "If you just leave it to me. After all, you already left the business in my hands." Alex Ogden poured another glass of whiskey. "How long have you been looking for her? You see, I already found her even before they revealed her to the public." Jack Ogden was surprised and looked at his grandson with raised eyebrows. "You did?" Chapter 361 - Don’t touch the girl Alex Ogden smirk. "You think I''m simpleminded? My men were far better than yours." "Then why didn''t you make a move?" Jack Ogden was unsatisfied. Alex Ogden remained silent. It is not that he didn''t make a move, it was just he wasn''t able to do it. He found out about her a little too late because the girl suddenly changed address, although he knew where she works, his men can''t get close to her because she is heavily guarded. "I was planning things out." He lied to his grandfather not willing to expose that he also has his flaws. "Did you know that she is already married?" Jack Ogden peered at his grandson. "No. They kept it a secret." Was Alex Ogden''s reply. "Is she now the leader of the Robin Hood Society?" "I don''t think so." Alex Ogden replied. Up until now, he cannot find the leader of the Robin Hood Society and he was sure that it is not the girl. They remained quiet for a couple of minutes drinking their whiskey. "How''s the business?" Jack Ogden finally asked. His grandson said that they had a great loss and he was slightly worried. Alex Ogden''s expression turned grim. "Some of the credit cards and debit cards information that we have been selling on the darknet market turned out to be fake. The buyers were demanding to get their money back. I don''t mind paying them back. But it caused a black mark on our reputation. We are the biggest seller of financial information on the darknet market, and our clients were now doubting us. Other groups were taking this opportunity to steal some of our loyal clients." "How did this happen?" Jack Ogden asked without a trace of apprehension. "I think someone is messing with our hackers. And I think you know that someone." Alex Ogden gave his grandfather a meaningful look. Jack Ogden scoffed. "No wonder Benjamin hand him over the Twelve Army." "Selling personal information only gives us a small profit. How about our main products? Were you still selling them on the darknet?" "I hold it for a while. We got a large contact in the black market so holding it for a while in the darknet will not cause us a great loss." Alex Ogden said as he stood up from his seat. "Good. Once all this is settled, I will take care of him. I will stop him from messing with our business." Jack Ogden said with a dark look in his eyes. Alex Ogden started to walk away from his grandfather but he paused on is track. "Do whatever you want. Just don''t touch the girl." He said without looking at his grandfather. Jack Ogden had an evil smile. "As you wish." After hearing that, Alex Ogden waved his hand in the air signaling the end of his conversation with his grandfather then he walked away from him. Alex stayed in his luxurious bedroom. He was lying in his bed with his head in his hands staring at the ceiling. He took out a photo from his wallet and stared at it. It was the same photo of the girl in a white uniform sitting in a hospital cafeteria. The edge of the photo was a bit crumpled indicating how many times it was taken out of his wallet. For some reason, ever since he saw the girl in the photo, he started to get obsessed with her. He even has a copy of the photo on his phone. He also made a couple of trips at that hospital but he never had a chance to see the girl. But that girl in the photo was already married. How unfortunate. Until now, he doesn''t have a concrete plan of how to get the girl. He was still contemplating. But for his grandfather, he has to get the girl. Chapter 362 - You’re not even friends A couple of days after his visit at the filming set of Lily''s film, Lance finally decided to visit J at Evergreen Villa. He made it sure that Jacob is not at home, so he went in the afternoon just after J arrived at home from her morning duty. Of course, he also made sure that Lily is still at Mt. Celandine. Driving his luxury car, he stopped at the entrance of Evergreen Villa''s entrance gate. He has to pull down his window as a mandatory procedure. Upon making sure that the driver is Lance and no other company or threat, the guard opened the gate and let him in. Once he parked his car, Lance went in the villa and searched for J which was not hard to do because aside from the personal study adjacent to her and Jacob''s bedroom, she usually hangs out in the poolside with the dogs. Lance found J playing with Beauty and Beast. While he can''t find Arthur and Daniel around, he saw Stefan and Felix not far away from J doing their own stuff but still alert. They even knew that Lance will arrive as soon as he stopped his car by the entrance gate. J is busy setting up an outdoor hanging doggie bungee rope toy in a nearby tree for Beauty and Beast to play and chew. Although she is not looking, she is very much aware of Lance''s presence. Lance walked towards her until he reached about 2 meters from her. He stopped and put both his hands in his pocket. He first glances at Felix and Stefan''s direction making sure that he is far enough from them that they won''t be able to hear what he is about to say. Felix and Stefan noticed it and looked at each other as soon as Lance averted his gaze and looked at J who is still busy with the rope toy. Lance cleared his throat. J heard him but she didn''t look at his direction. More or less, she already knew of his agenda. She was actually surprised that it took him days before he came to her. His perseverance is quite commendable, J thought internally. Although Lance rarely shows his real feelings towards a girl, his call the other day made J realized that her best friend must have grown some kind of affection towards her sister-in-law. Lance knew that J heard him so he continued. "Why didn''t you tell me that she is dating?" "Who''s dating?" J replied still not looking at him. Lance rolled her eyes. "You know who." This time, J turned to look at him slightly annoyed. "Stop going around the bushes." Then she walked towards another tree to set up another rope toy. Of course, they have two dogs so one toy is not enough. She cannot let the two fight over one rope toy. She is kind of spoiling them. Lance sighed and followed her. "You didn''t'' tell me that Lily is dating?" The corner of J''s lip curved upwards but her back is facing Lance so he didn''t see it. J composed herself before she replied. "Why would I tell you Lily''s personal and private matter? You are not even friends with her." Lance was taken aback. She was right. What right does he have? He is not even counted as one of Lily''s close acquaintance. J knew that Lily started avoiding Lance more than a month ago and she is not aware of the reason. Jacob instructed Lily''s personal security to watch over her and report to him if there is some strange connection between her and Lance. The agent was to report directly at Jacob while Jacob was to report directly at J. That''s how she found out that the two has somewhat grown apart. However, Lance doesn''t seem to care that Lily is avoiding him. In fact, J even thought that Lance doesn''t even notice it. Chapter 363 - Let her move on At first, she felt sorry for Lily but over time, she noticed that Lily has already moved on, she was not talking or asking about Lance anymore. And just recently, she accepted a blind date that her mother arranged for her. She probably realized that she is not getting any younger anymore and waiting for Lance to fall for her is like waiting for a drop of rain in the desert. "Who is she dating?" Lance asked. J sensed Lance''s imploring tone. She finished setting up the robe then she turned around to face Lance. She stared at him with curiosity, whatever it is that she wanted to know, she didn''t ask. She is not the type of person to probe on another person''s personal matter, even it that person is her best friend. If he wants to tell her, he would tell her no matter what and she will just wait for that time until Lance is ready. Lance felt defeated. His eyes downcast as he started his confession. "I guess I like her." J raised a brow. "You guess you like her?" She just repeated what he said in a question encouraging him to open up. Every time Lance would tell her that he like a girl, he was always certain. He will not tell it to her until he is certain. So, she wonders why this man is holding back. "I don''t know¡­ I was interested in her. And when she confessed to me, I was so happy, but after that, she became distant and started avoiding me¡­" Lance started with a complex of emotions. So, he does know that Lily is avoiding him and he cares. J thought internally. "She confessed?" She asked because Lily never told that to her. "Well. Actually, she didn''t directly confess." Lance started to narrate what happened that night at the viewing bench of the hotel in Mt. Celandine. After that night, he eventually left the hotel because they were called in for a council meeting at the headquarters of the Robin Hood Society. That was after the announcement of Jacob and J''s marriage and they were officially introduced with the council members of the Society. Unfortunately, Lily was left heart-broken. Lance didn''t know that that would be the start of Lily avoiding him. "I was actually planning to get close to her after that night, but I noticed that she is deliberately avoiding me and she treats me casually like what she said and done that night never really happened. It frustrates me." Lance said as he brushes his messy curly hair with his fingers. J finally cannot take it anymore so she asked, "Seriously, what are you planning to her? What is your motive? What do you want from her? If you are just interested in her and not even certain with your feelings to her then why do you care if she is already dating someone? If you don''t care about her then just let her move on. She probably knew that you don''t care about her so she just decided to let you go. I''ve known her even for just a short time and I know that she is not the type of person to run after a man." Lance was speechless. He is confused. Though he seemed to be uncertain, he doesn''t want Lily to date, anyone. In fact, he doesn''t want any man get close to her although that would be quite impossible because of the nature of her job and her personality. Chapter 364 - It was love at first sight He doesn''t seem to care but he does care a lot, he cared when she got drunk and was left alone at Rendezvous. He cared when she was caught by Jacob drunk with him in front of her apartment. He was worried that Jacob will be angry with her and will punish her. He cared when he saw her drinking at the hotel at Mt. Celandine. He can''t even be unease so he went back to check her only to find out that she is missing. He was so scared when he can''t find her and when he did, he felt his heart was pricked with a thousand hot needle when he saw her crying. He was never scared like that before, he never felt like that before. He doesn''t seem to care when she started avoiding him but he does care. He doesn''t show it but he became frustrated and ill-tempered, that''s why he visits the filming set much lesser. Because he doesn''t want to be disappointed when Lily avoided him again. He cannot take it. And when he found out that she is already dating someone, he felt his world turn upside down. He never went to Rendezvous for a week. He only focuses on business but her mind is preoccupied with Lily. Lily is dating and the next step to that, if everything goes well and perfect, she''ll get married. He will lose her. He will lose her without even trying. J looked at Lance, for some reason, she wanted to avenge her sister-in-law for taking her for granted. Who cares if Lance is her best friend? She is on the girl''s side. And at the same time, she wanted to help Lance have a clearer identification of what he truly feels towards Lily before it''s too late. "Actually, Lily told me that she liked you¡­" J said it in the past tense. She paused then continue. "¡­before." It was like giving Lance a glimmer of hope then take it back even before he could grasp it. "It was love at first sight," J said as she looked at Lance''s complex emotions. She was quite enjoying torturing him. "When she found out that you are my best friend, she kept asking me about you. Your likes and dislikes, your past girlfriends, hobby and everything. But just a couple of weeks ago, she just stops asking. I didn''t ask her what happened but it was obvious that she doesn''t want to talk about it." "Until Jacob told me that Lily will be going on a blind date arranged by my mother-in-law. I thought that she was just being obedient to her mother. But that blind date was followed by another date and a couple of more. So, I guessed that she was over you." This made Lance felt worse. J noticed that Lance is not looking good so she invited him to have a seat in a lounge chair by the poolside. Lance remained quiet while J waited for him. He seemed to be in deep thought that he wasn''t in himself when J dragged him to sit. J closed her eyes to take a rest. Fifteen minutes passed by when she heard him speak in his most earnest tone. "I''ll take her back." J was not surprised. Instead, she said with her eyes still closed, "She''s not yours, to begin with." But Lance didn''t mind her. "I''ll pursue her. I''ll do whatever it takes to win back her affection." Lance declared. "Tell me. Who is she dating?" Chapter 365 - Declaration of love J opened her eyes. She straightened her sit and stared at Lance seriously. "She is dating the youngest son of General Irwin Brown. Arthur''s cousin." J said as if challenging Lance''s conviction. Lance was stunned. "G-general''s son?" Lance stuttered. J nodded her head. "Arthur''s cousin?" Lance seemed like he doesn''t want to believe it. "Mm-hmm," J replied nonchalantly. "He is also in the army. A Major General." J said afterward. Lance stared at J for a couple of seconds. "Are you kidding me?" "Am I the type of person that joke around? You can even ask them. They knew." J rolled her eyes and pointed her chin at the direction of Felix and Stefan. "Damn!" Lance suddenly felt stressed out. He leaned his back on the lounge chair with her hand on his curly hair. "Mom is highly in favor of him, with his status and family background. Plus, he is also good-looking. Just imagine another version of Arthur in the military. And not to mention, Jacob is not in favor of you. I''m sorry, but you broke his sister''s heart before. So, what will you expect?" Lance was feeling downcast but then he suddenly lifted his spirits up. "Who cares about who''s in favor of who?! We are not even sure if they were in love with each other already! I am the one who truly loves her. So, I will fight for her." J looked at him with disdain. This man was just uncertain and confused with his feelings just a while ago then now he would flaunt that he is the one who truly loves Lily! J shrugged her shoulders. "That I am not sure. Lily has been talking about him with admiration. And the man seems to be into her as well." "Whose side are you? Really?" Lance scowled at J. Earlier she was pressuring him to confess his true feelings towards Lily and now she looks like she is discouraging him. "I am just giving you a heads up," J said nonchalantly. J was just torturing Lance. Because the truth is, Lily doesn''t feel anything towards the Major General. And the same goes for the latter. They were just keeping on dating to please their parents. The man actually is in love with another girl. But Lily and that Major General were really getting along well, but only as a friend. The man has the same demeanor as Arthur and having a company like Lily is quite refreshing to him, not because Lily is a celebrity but because of her personality. While to Lily, the man is like her brother, Jacob but less scary. And she also likes the company of a Major General, she feels safe. The next day, Lily received a bouquet of red tulips. Although Lily was not surprised because she often received flowers from admirers and fans, this is the first time that she received tulips. Because, usually it is Lily, Sunflower, Roses or Orchids. In the Victorian language of flowers, giving tulips to someone means you are declaring your love for that person. She took out the note but it only shows the letter L on it. She didn''t ponder longer for it because she thought the L means Lily. "Lily received a bouquet of Tulips at the set," Jacob said to J as he prepares to get into the bed. "Is that unusual? She is a celebrity, she is bound to receive flowers from fans." J said ignoring the meaningful tone of Jacob. "It is highly unusual because there is a note with a letter L on it. And their filming set is confidential, no one knows the location except for the crew and others that are involved in the film." "Probably Major General sent them," J said as she lay in bed facing Jacob then she wrapped her arms in Jacob''s waist to stop him for thinking any further. And she succeeds because Jacob''s attention was diverted towards her. Chapter 366 - J visits her in-laws The next day, J planned a visit at the Parker''s Mansion. Madam Kelly originally invited her for a dinner in a restaurant but J refused and insisted on visiting them at the Parker''s Mansion to have dinner. Every time she would go out somewhere, she would ask Jacob to let her drive her sports car but the latter always decline to say that this is the most crucial time and they have to be more cautious because Novus Rex might make a move anytime. J still finds it suspicious that neither Jack Ogden nor Alex Ogden has been making an appearance yet. Although she knew that Jacob has been busy monitoring Novus Rex''s activity, she didn''t know that he is also messing up with their business to keep them busy and not give them a chance to make a move on J. She arrived at the Parker''s Mansion with Arthur''s Team but the latter stayed on guard outside the mansion. After finding out that Paul and Paula were at the Parker''s Mansion as well, J decided to went straight there after her duty and not wait for Jacob. Somehow, she missed the company of the kids. J is very fond with kids that''s why Miss Eve''s orphanage has a special spot in her heart but she only got to visit them once a month. She also has her godson, Timothy but she also rarely got to visit him. And now because of Jacob, she has a nephew and niece. Subconsciously, she is wishing for her own kids with Jacob, but it''s been a couple of months now and she hasn''t conceived yet even thou they were not using contraceptives. "You''re here!" Madam Kelly saw J approaching the kitchen. She is busy preparing for dinner. She walked towards her and gave her a warm embrace. She glanced behind her and ask, "Sweetheart, is Jacob with you?" J smiled and replied. "No Mom. He is still at Twelve Army, but he will soon be here once he''s done with work." "Tsk! That kid! Is he overworking? The two of you should not tire yourself too much. You have to take care of your health. Work is important but health is more important. After all, how are you going to work properly if your health is failing? Come on, your Dad is in the backyard with the twins." Madam Kelly nags at her then pulled her hand to follow her. "Don''t worry mom. We are taking care of ourselves." J said. Although Jacob and Lily find Madam Kelly''s nagging a little annoying, she finds it pleasant to hear and can''t help but feel warm inside. For 20 years she never had a mother nag at her. Probably only Madam Kelly could do that. Because although strict, Madam Victoria is soft-spoken and dotes on her too much that she can''t even bear to raise a voice towards her. "Good, because even if that two of you do it a couple of times every night, you won''t be conceived if your body is not in condition." Madam Kelly said it ever so casually that it made J''s blood from her neck crept up to her face. They reach the backyard of the mansion. It has a lap pool surrounded by trees and lawn filled with thick green grass. Not far away she saw Chairman John Parker sitting in a white coffee table set. The set looks formidable being surrounded by green trees and grass. The twins where playing hide and seek while Chairman John Parker is reading a book. Chapter 367 - Protect your eggs "Hon, Jenny is here." Madam Kelly said as she helped J pulled out a sit. Although Madam Kelly already has two daughters and a granddaughter, she seemed to be especially attentive when it comes to J. Chairman John Parker put down his book and looked at J. The first question he throws at her is, "Is Jacob taking good care of you?" "Yes, Dad," J replied with a genuine smile. "Kids! Your auntie is here. Come give her a hug!" Madam Kelly called out her grandkids in an enthusiastic voice. The kids who were playing hide and seek run towards them and gave J a quick hug before they went back to playing. "I''ll leave you here first. I''ll just get something for J to drink." Madam Kelly said then she rushed back towards the mansion''s kitchen. After just a couple of minutes, she returned back with a glass of raspberry juice. J looked at the juice with suspicion. "Here, you should eat and drink lots of raspberries and blueberries. They are good for your fertility because it will protect your eggs from cell aging." Madam Kelly said in a matter of fact tone. Chairman John Parker who has his eyes on books sighed when he heard Madam Kelly. J smiled with a hint of shyness. Madam Kelly didn''t study any medicine-related course but she obviously did research on how to boost fertility even in your 30''s. J felt embarrassed and guilty. She is almost turning 31 now and she hasn''t conceived yet. Everyone knows that as a woman ages, the chances of her getting pregnant is getting slimmer. Although she and Jacob were trying, she must admit that she didn''t even make a research on what to eat or drink to boost her fertility. "Thanks, mom!" J didn''t say too much. She felt that the dinner will be filled with fertility booster foods with her mother-in-law''s advice and nagging on how she will get pregnant. No wonder Jacob and Lily keep on avoiding Madam Kelly. But to her surprise, Lily came just before Jacob arrives. At first, they thought that she just came alone but apparently, she is not. Because outside the mansion, her ''friend'' was left upon seeing his cousin Arthur. Madam Kelly was beaming with joy when she found out that Lily brought with her the Major General that Madam Kelly arranged for her to date. She strongly believes that in just a couple of months or weeks she might be able to hear wedding bells for her youngest daughter. "I''m surprised to hear that you are dating Miss Lily," Arthur said. He was not surprised to see his cousin arrived at the Parker''s Mansion with Jacob''s sister. He has already found out that his cousin had a blind date with her and they continuously see each other afterward. "What''s surprising about that?" The Major General replied impassively. "I thought you are head over heels with that military doctor," Arthur said in the same level of impassiveness as his cousin. The other three men who were watching the two of them in the corner of their eyes thought how boring these two cousins could converse. Major General Andrew Brown is a first cousin of Arthur. He is the same age as Arthur, the two of them grew up together and the elders expected the two of them to continue the line of soldiers in their family. But unfortunately, Andrew was the only one who pursues this line while Arthur chose to be an agent for Twelve Army. Although there is not much of a difference when it comes to the nature of their job, Andrew''s job is much more restricting, that''s why Arthur chose not to pursue it. Chapter 368 - Andrew "We are just being compliant with our parents. Nothing is wrong with hanging around with Lily. We are just friends." Andrew said nonchalantly. "Does your military doctor think the same way?" Arthur asked with a deep meaning. Andrew was stunned. He hadn''t thought about it. He became speechless until they saw a black SUV entering the Parker''s Mansion''s gate. "Brother''s here." They heard Lily''s voice from the entrance of the house. The cousins turned to look at her. Lily is beautiful and youthful. With her looks and personality, it''s no wonder anyone will be infatuated with her. But this infatuation rarely develops into a long-term commitment of true love. Infatuation can be sometimes mistaken as love but the intensity of its emotion is not as real as love. Lily turned to look at Andrew. "Let''s go, I''ll introduce you to my family." Although they were not having a romantic relationship, Lily felt compelled to introduce Andrew with her family since they were hanging out together. Especially to Jacob who seemed to be the strictest when it comes to the persons, she is dating. Although Andrew has already heard of the Parker''s especially Jacob Parker, he has never met anyone of them. He is especially curious with the newest member of the Parkers. In the dining table, only Leticia and Mark Sloane were not present but the twins represent them. Madam Kelly only invited Jacob and J for a dinner but unexpectedly, Lily came as well as Andrew, much to her delight. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss J." Andrew reached out his hand to shake J''s hand but the latter raised a brow first before she takes his hand. Andrew looked at J with intensity while J gave him the same look. Everyone noticed the tension between the two. Madam Kelly never thought about it before. Andrew is a Major General in the military whose mission is to protect the country''s interest while J is the heiress of the Robin Hood Society who steals and exploits money from the rich and politician. Although the Society''s deeds were widely accepted by the public it is still stealing and against the law. But no one was able to file charges against them simply because the Society is much too clever. Although it was obvious that they steal, they never leave any evidence that would point directly to them. So, having Andrew and J in the same roof is a bit nerve-wracking. The case with Mark Sloane is different, because even thou he works in the government, he is also a member of the Society. And with Jacob, it will not take long if Andrew will feel the same towards him if they found out that there is a possibility that Jacob will take over the Society in the future. As for Arthur, his family is not yet aware that he is already a member of the Society. But they do know that he is protecting the heiress of the Society. They found out after Chairman John Parker announced the identity of J in the public. Arthur knew that his family was having a complex opinion about it. "Ahem¡­" Jacob cleared his throat to divert Andrew''s attention. Although he is not against him dating Lily, he is not in favor of him as well. At least not yet. Chapter 369 - Have a Break "Oh¡­ right! Let''s now have a dinner." Madam Kelly exclaimed. After a while, the tension that builds up between J and Andrew slowly dissipated as the family started to have dinner. As expected, Madam Kelly indeed prepared fertility-boosting foods for J but no one noticed it except for J and Jacob. The two of them shared a meaningful glance at each other. After dinner, Lily decided to leave the mansion eventually saying that she has to return to Mt. Celandine while Andrew has to report back at the base early in the morning tomorrow. But the truth is, she is just avoiding any encounter between J, Andrew, and her brother. After sending the twins to their bedroom and tucking them up to sleep, Madam Kelly returned to the family room to have a chat with J and Jacob. The twins have been staying in the Parker''s Mansion occasionally as per Madam Kelly and Chairman John''s request to alleviate their longing for their kids who have already grown up now and started to have a family of their own. Their only hope now is for Jacob and Lily to give them more grandchildren to relieve their boredom. "Tell me, isn''t there any news with your tummy?" Madam Kelly started. This is the very reason why she invited the two for dinner. She just didn''t bring it up during dinner because of the presence of Andrew. J glanced at Jacob slightly embarrassed. "Mom, we''ll tell you immediately if there''s good news. Don''t be too impatient." Jacob said as he held J''s hand in his. "Well, you can''t blame me. You two are not getting any younger. A couple of years more and it would be much harder for the two of you to have kids. You know what I mean, you two are in the field of medicine. So, you of all people should know what I am talking about." "Mom, we''re trying, okay!" Jacob is starting to get irritated. "Just trying is not enough. I think your body is not in condition. You two are working too hard. Why don''t you have a break? Take a week vacation. You haven''t had your honeymoon yet. Don''t worry, I''ll plan everything out, you just have to leave for work." All this time, Chairman John was just listening. Although Madam Kelly is going a bit overboard, he thinks that his wife has a point. He too is longing for a grandchild from Jacob. This time, J has to speak up. "Mom, we are not over working. We are actually having a time out at Lantana Province during my day-off. A week of vacation is not necessary." "It is. It is decided. I''ll arrange for it." "Mom. The Novus Rex is just around waiting for the right time to make a move. I don''t think this is the right time to relax and have a vacation. If having a grandchild is your concern, we''ll definitely have it but I cannot compromise Jenny''s safety just because of it." Jacob said with a grim expression. J sensed that Jacob is trying his best not to explode in front of his mother. Madam Kelly and Chairman John were stunned. Jacob is right, but Chairman John didn''t show his emotion at that moment. Later on, Madam Kelly said, "Okay, I understand. I won''t persist anymore." J knew that Madam Kelly is disappointed but she is just hiding her real emotion. Chapter 370 - You don’t have to die "Don''t you think you''ve been a little too harsh on mom?" J asked Jacob. They were now riding J''s blue sports car and on their way to Lantana Province to spend two-days off at Lodgepole Estate. Jacob glanced at J and said, "Yeah, I actually felt a little bit guilty. But that can''t be helped. She seemed to have forgotten our situation." Although he is sometimes temperamental, Jacob is still sensitive and knows how to admit that he is wrong. J''s expression turned grim with the words that Jacob said. "I''m sorry that I dragged your family into this." She said with her head down. Jacob suddenly pulled the car on the side of the road when he heard J''s downcast words. After stopping the car, he faced her and reached out for her hand while his right hand stroke J''s cheeks. "Silly, what have you been thinking about. I don''t mind being drag into this. You are my wife and they are your family. Even if I have to die a hundred times to protect you, I will." Jacob said. J''s heart melted, she frowned and said, "You don''t have to die." Jacob chuckled and pinch his wife''s cheeks. "I know. I am just saying." Then he let go of her cheeks. J reached out to touch her cheeks that Jacob pinched earlier and it felt hot. "Your mom is eager to have a grandchild from us. And even if your dad does not show it, he obviously feels the same. But our situation is making it hard for us thus making it hard for them as well." She said with sadness. "Honey, even if we are in a different situation if the baby will come, he will come. Even if we take a vacation if it is not the time yet then its no use. Everything has the right timing whatever the situation is. If it''s meant to be, it''ll be. We''ll just have to wait and let it be. Mom is just exaggerating things, so, don''t be stressed out. Okay?" Jacob smiled at her. J stared at Jacob and quickly understands him. She nodded her head and smiled faintly. "Okay." "Good." Jacob returned her smile. "By the way, you said that there is another mare that might be foaling any moment now. Can I catch the foal?" Jacob said as he started to get back on the road. J smiled. She was so happy that Jacob is starting to like the things that she liked. "Sure." She replied. "Well then, I guess we better hurry. I don''t want to miss it." Jacob sped up after saying that. ... Lily was dropped off by Andrew at her apartment. Although she now temporarily lives at Jacob''s villa, she once in a while visits her apartment to get some things or sometimes to take a bath or a nap. This time, she decided to sleep in her apartment since it is already deep in the night and her brother and sister-in-law won''t be home for two days. When she enters the lobby, she saw her personal security waiting for her. During the first few days having female security, Lily was a bit annoyed but she, later on, realized that the girl is not annoying at all. She even became close to her and got used to it. She didn''t feel like she is being guarded at all. "Have you been waiting for too long?" Lily asked apologetically when she get closed to her personal security who is now standing at the center of the lobby. Chapter 371 - Blue Iris "No. I just got here." When Lily went to the Parker''s Mansion with Andrew, she gave her personal security a time to attend to her personal matters and told her to meet her up at her apartment at a certain time. "By the way, Miss Lily, the reception said that someone delivers this for you." The personal security gets the bouquet of the blue iris from a plush chair and handed it to Lily. "I''ve already checked it, it is safe. I''ve already checked the CCTV footages and it was indeed delivered by the flower shop''s delivery boy." As an agent of Twelve Army, they were trained to be meticulous. Before the person they are protecting receive anything from anyone specially an anonymous person, they will check it out first to make sure that it bears no threat to their client. Lily reached out for the bouquet of blue iris with curiosity. She searched for a card and found it. On the note is the letter L just like before with the bouquet of tulips. As she walks towards the elevator followed by her personal security, she thinks of a possible person that knew the address of her apartment and the filming set as well. There were only a few people who know the address of her apartment. A couple of close friends, her manager and of course her family. But among them, there were only her family, manager and one friend which is Seth who knows the location of the filming set. Her family wouldn''t bring her flower unless it is her birthday. Her manager, definitely would not. While Seth, why would he have a flower delivered to her if he can hand it to her personally? When she reached the front door of her apartment, she suddenly stopped in her track when she finally realized something. There is another person who knows the address of her apartment and the filming set. She was frozen in place and dropped her keycard on the floor. Could it be that the letter L in the note is not her initial but the initial of the sender? She thought internally. Her heart beats fast and her lips and hand started to tremble. She is in a complex emotion. "Impossible." She murmured to herself. Her personal security noticed that she seemed to be in a daze. "Miss Lily, are you okay?" She said with a worried expression on her face after she picked up the keycard that Lily dropped in the floor. ¡­.. Lance is at Rendezvous waiting for someone to arrive but that someone never came. She never came at Rendezvous for a couple of weeks now. Lance felt depressed. He was hoping to see her but he didn''t. He took out his phone and dialed a number. "Yes?" after a couple of rings Jacob answered his phone. He is currently driving so his tone was a bit annoyed. He can actually let J answer the call but he didn''t because it is Lance who is calling. If the call is something about his wife, Lance would call her not him. So, he was sure that it was about something else that does not concern J. "Can I talk to you tomorrow over lunch?" Lance asked directly. "I''m on my way to Lantana Province so probably we can once we get back," Jacob replied. "Okay." But Lance knew that it would take them two days before they came but, his matter can''t wait. So, he decided that tomorrow he will have a visit to Lodgepole Estate. Chapter 372 - It will cause my life The next day, J and Jacob were in the paddock watching the colts and filly strolling around. Unfortunately, Jacob wasn''t able to catch the foal last night as they came a little late. But the equine vet assured him that he would let J know ahead of time if another mare will be foaling so that Jacob could come and catch the foal in time. The couple saw a Hauler came and was surprised to see a familiar figure came out of it. Upon seeing Lance, Jacob scoffed. "How troublesome." Lance would always come around his villa anytime he wants and now even at Lodgepole Estate, he would just show himself without notice. Jacob is getting a little pissed off. Because Lance is the first guy that he got jealous off, he has always been wary of him and he can''t seem to change that. Although he knew that Lance doesn''t have any romantic affections towards his wife, he is still the closest man to his wife before he came and even until now. And now, it seems that his sister is infatuated with this man and looks like this man feels the same. Jacob knew that he just cannot brush this man off of his life that easy, in fact, that seems to be impossible. He just had to bear with it. "I''m sorry to trouble you guys," Lance said as soon as he reached the couple. There is a paddock fence that separates them. Not waiting for J''s reply, Lance looked at Jacob. "I know that I agreed that we will talk once you''re back at Lotus City, but this couldn''t wait. Any later, it will cause a life! My life!" My God! This guy is so embarrassing. Since when did he become like this? How pathetic. J thought internally. She sighed and left the two men to talk. She already knew what is going on and she doesn''t have anything to say about that. She doesn''t want to be a bias. Lance is her childhood best friend and the person that they would be probably talking about is her sister-in-law. She would just let Jacob handle it. After all, it seems that Lance knew that he has to get Jacob''s approval first if he has to take another step. Jacob leaned his back at the paddock fence with both his elbows rested on it as he watches the young horses. On the other side of the paddock fence, Lance take another step and rested his elbows on the paddock fence in front of him. His hands clasped together as he looked at the young horses. Both of them were technically standing side by side with a paddock fence that separates them. "I should be accompanying my wife now so don''t waste my time." Jacob said with a slightly irritated tone. Lance frowned, if it wasn''t for the fact that he is Lily''s brother that he has to get support from, he would''ve talked back to him already. Who cares if he is the Chairman of Twelve Army and the possible future President of Robin Hood Society? I am the childhood best friend of his wife. The closest to his wife. A position that even he, cannot match. Lance thought internally but chose not to voice it out because if he did, forget about having Lily. Probably even mentioning her name would cost him his life. Actually, Lance didn''t know what to say so he was a bit struggling. This never happened to him before. Usually, before he would come to a battleground, he would make sure that he is fully equipped and always certain that he would win. But this time, he came unprepared. He didn''t think about what to say to Jacob because time is his nemesis. If he slacks off, Lily might already belong to another man and he just can''t watch her be taken away. Chapter 373 - Pursuing the Brother All he thinks about is to show his sincerity towards Lily and gain Jacob''s favor then her parent''s. Although it should be the other way around, he knows that Lily''s parents were already in favor of the Major General. So, he has to get Jacob''s favor before he talks to her parents. At least, he already has someone backing him up. He just hopes that Jacob would favor him. Lance can''t help but be pessimistic. "Jacob, I like your sister. Because you are her brother, out of respect I believe that I should tell you this first before I pursue her. But, don''t get me wrong. I am not seeking your approval. Whether you approve of it or not, I will still pursue her. I am just here to let you know of my purpose. I am sincere with my feelings towards Lily, and I am certain of that. You must''ve known the type of man I am. I won''t date a girl unless I am sure about my feelings towards her. I am not the type of person to play around." Lance said with no inhibitions. Jacob scoffed. "Don''t you think you are a bit too late? She is already dating someone and from the looks of it, the two of them are getting along with each other. It won''t take long before the two of them gets married." That was a lie. Because Jacob knows that Lily and Andrew doesn''t have a romantic affection towards each other. They were just playing along with their parent''s schemes. But Lance remained resolute. "I don''t mind. I just want a fair competition. At least I tried and let myself showed how I really feel towards her, how I care about her and how important she is to me. Because if I don''t, I will regret it for the rest of my life." "What if she chooses him? What are you going to do about it?" This time, Jacob looked at Lance. Lance expression darkens. "I wouldn''t let Lily choose another man except me. I knew that Lily used to have a feeling towards me and I will try and try, I will not stop until I reclaimed that affection from her." "I am not sure about how Lily feels towards you. But I knew that you''ve already hurt her before." That was a lie as well because Jacob knew from the very beginning how Lily felt towards this man beside him. Lance lowered his head and looked at the grass on his feet. But his words were clear when he spoke. "If I showed her a little interest back then and give her hope and later turns out that it was just a short-term infatuation¡­" Lance paused and raised his head to look at Jacob. "¡­wouldn''t it hurt her even more?" Jacob stared at Lance for a while before he averted his eyes and chuckled. This guy is right. He had his own principle after all. But Jacob will not let his guard down. He is not in favor nor against Lance. But one thing''s for sure. He is not in favor of that Major General Andrew Brown for the sole reason that he is a threat to his wife''s security. "Actually, I do not like that Major General Andrew Brown. Not on a personal aspect but because of the nature of his work and his principles. Obviously, he does not like the Robin Hood Society. Even thou my family is not directly related to the Society, they do support them." Chapter 374 - Choosing the lesser evil "So, the Browns and the Parkers have a conflict of interest. And I don''t think that they thought of that before. The Browns probably know that I am married to the heiress of the Society but they probably didn''t know that the rest of my family has already become a member of the Society as well." Major General Andrew Brown''s family did know about the relationship between the Parkers and the Robin Hood Society but they set it aside as long as the Parker''s will not involve themselves in the activities of the Society. They liked Lily because of her personality and family background. They don''t actually mind that she works in the entertainment industry. So, they don''t mind having her as their daughter-in-law as long as Major General Andrew liked her. Little did they know that all the member of the Parker Family including Lily has already become a member of the organization that they despised the most. The whole clan despised the Robin Hood Society but unfortunately, one of them became a member of it. This is probably the reason why Arthur never told his family that he is already a member of it. "If I am to choose¡­" Jacob paused as he saw J approaching them holding Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth''s reign. "¡­I would not choose Major General Andrew for Lily." Lance''s face brightened. For a moment he saw a speck of hope. "But of course, it depends on my sister. Whoever she chooses as long as he makes her happy." "Does that mean you''re vote is in me?" Lance said feeling elated. Jacob smirk. "If there were other options, I would choose the other ones. But unfortunately, there were only the two of you so I would just choose the lesser evil." Jacob said as he walks towards J. Lance was left scowling at his back. It is not that Lily has only two admirers, in fact, she has a lot of them. But only two were brave enough to pursue her. Lily is very picky when it comes to who to date. And she is very outspoken, if she doesn''t like the guy, she will tell it to him straightly even before the guy could confess. That''s why no one would dare to confess If they already know that they don''t have a chance, to begin with. Jacob grabs the reigns of Elizabeth and they walked out of the paddock. "Are you going to stay at Lodgepole?" J asked. She is used to having Lance in the Lodgepole Estate. And this made Jacob frown. "No." Lance shook his head. "I have to go back to Lotus City." "Okay." J nodded her head. Soon, the couple left the place riding Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth while Lance went back to the Lotus City. His destination, the Parker''s Mansion. ¡­.. Earlier that night, Lance arrived at the Parker''s Mansion, but since the family''s butler is not yet familiar with him, he didn''t let him in yet until he got Madam Kelly or Chairman John Parker''s permission. Madam Kelly and Chairman John were chatting at the backyard of the mansion when the butler approached them. "Chairman, a certain Lance Kho is outside wanted to have a talk with you. He said that he is Miss J''s adviser and lawyer. The couple looked at each other with a frown. They have heard of his name but they never had the chance to meet him in person. They wonder what could be his reason for coming at this hour. Does it have something to do with the Society or their daughter-in-law? There is only one way to find out. Chapter 375 - Pursuing the parents "Bring him here." Chairman John said with assertiveness. "Yes, Chairman." The butler replied then he went to fetch Lance. After a couple of minutes, Lance is now sitting in front of Madam Kelly and Chairman John. "Atty. Lance Kho. It is a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for taking care of our daughter-in-law in the past." Chairman John Parker said appreciatively. While Madam Kelly is eyeing Lance. When it comes to physical attributes, Lance could be compared to the celebrity and models that Madam Kelly has seen on the television. But unlike them, Lance looks smart and carries himself in a dignified way. No wonder the Do''s entrusted J to him. Lance smiled. "The pleasure is mine Chairman Parker. You don''t have to thank me. It is my duty and responsibility not just her adviser and lawyer but more as a friend. You could say that I cared about her as a brother does to her younger sister." Lance said humbly. And he speaks well. Madam Kelly thought to herself. "But I didn''t come here to talk about Miss J," Lance said that made the two in front of him looked at each other. "I come here because of Miss Lily." Chairman John looked at him, his eyes were imploring while Madam Kelly was anticipating. She sensed that she is going to like what this young man in front of them is going to say. "I come here to ask your permission¡­" Lance paused for a while. "I mean, to inform you that I will be pursuing your daughter, Lily," Lance said confidently. Chairman John was rather surprised while Madam Kelly didn''t hide her delight. After the encounter last night between Andrew and J, the couple realized that if Andrew and Lily get together in the future, there will be conflicts that the two of them and their families will have to face. Lily is a member of the Society and it was just last night that they realized that Andrew and his family despised the Society. Now, Madam Kelly regretted matchmaking the two. Although she already received a good scolding from her husband, she cannot back out on her words now. She just had to hope that the two of them would just turn out to be friends. But if not, she knows that things would be hard for Lily if Andrew finds out her affiliation with the organization that he and his family despised. When she heard that Lance wanted to pursue her daughter, she looked at him with admiration. It was as if he is a savior. She was relieved that Andrew will have a competitor. If Lance turns out to be better than Andrew, then the chances that Lily''s attention will be diverted to Lance and she will be saved from possible heartbreak and hatred from Andrew. So, after a moment of silence, Madam Kelly speaks up. "I give you my blessing!" The two men turned to look at her shocked. Lance didn''t expect it would be this easy. While Chairman John already knew what is running in that brain of her wife. "That''s it? Aren''t you going to ask me questions like my family background? Or at least investigate me?" Lance asked confused. "That is not necessary. I knew my daughter-in-law well. She is not very trusting with people. She only has two friends and one of them is you. So that means she trusts you that much. Even Elder Do, President Martin, and Madam Victoria trusted you with her ever since she was a child. So, I know that I can trust you with my daughter. I feel good about you. You seemed to be a good man." Chapter 376 - Karma Although confused, Lance forced a smile at Madam Victoria. Chairman John sighed. Although it seems that Madam Kelly has already decided on it, he still has to make a background check on Lance. But Lance was confident. He came from a family of trusted lawyers. They have a good reputation within the circle. His grandfather was the adviser and lawyer of Elder Do. His father is the adviser and lawyer of President Martin and continuing the line, he is now the adviser and lawyer of Jenny Do. Aside from that, Lance is also known in the business circle. He doesn''t just acquire assets for J, he also acquires some for himself. All this time, Lily is not aware of the efforts that Lance is putting through before he could start pursuing her. All she believes is that Lance doesn''t care at least a bit about her. Hopefully, Lance is not too late. ... The following days, Arthur''s Team were busy gathering information for the upcoming auction where Galaxy a.k.a Massive J will be auctioned. While Lily who has been staying at Mt. Celandine again received two bouquets of flowers for two consecutive days with a note only with a letter L. During these days, Lance has never visited the filming set making Lily more frustrated. Meanwhile, Jacob is still busy with Novus Rex. This time his focus is not messing with Novus Rex''s darknet and selling of personal information. He managed to find one of the organization''s gunsmithing warehouse. Aside from smuggling weapons from other countries and selling it on the black market, the organization is also gunsmithing to satisfy the requests of their clients in case they cannot smuggle weapon or the black market is lacking supplies due to bulk orders. Jacob anonymously reported it to the police and the police afterward raided the warehouse and find weapons that were being repaired and modified. They even find customized weapons and weapons that were banned in modern warfare such as blinding laser weapons, poisoned bullets and cluster bombs. Jack Ogden was outraged and was certain that it was Jacob who is causing disarray in his business. He was not affected when Jacob messed up with their darknet, after all, they only lost a small amount of money. But he is now stirring up trouble with their weaponry business. Illegal smuggling of weapons and prescription drugs were their main and best seller product in the black market. It was considered as their bread and butter. ¡­. In the nurse''s station of the Department of Surgery, J is reading not a book but news on her phone. Diana accidentally saw what she is reading and asked in a low voice. "Is that about Novus Rex?" J''s reply was a simple nod. Diana took a chair and sat close beside her and peeked at her phone. "Is this Dr. Jacob''s doing?" J shrugged her shoulders. "Your husband sure is ruthless." Though she is not receiving a proper response from J, she didn''t mind. She is used to that. She leaned back and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Diana knew that J is worried about Jacob, after all, he is dealing with the number one and most notorious organized crime group in the country. "Don''t worry too much about him. You husband is too capable. And besides, he''s got the Twelve Army and the Robin Hood Society backing him up. It was the Novus Rex''s fault for threatening you. They are too greedy with wealth and power. Now they are suffering. This is called karma. They will soon receive their downfall." Chapter 377 - A devil exists J sighed. She knows that Diana is right, but she still can''t help but be worried about Jacob. Novus Rex hasn''t done anything yet, except for threatening her. And Jacob is being one step ahead of them. She wonders what the Novus Rex would do after this. "By the way!" Diana never runs out of topic to talk about. "I heard from Lance that you are going to take back Galaxy from GBC Auction Ball? Can I join?" Diana looked at J with her puppy eyes. She obviously doesn''t want to miss this kind of thrill. J looked at her. "You''re already part of the team." Upon hearing that, Diana''s eyes widened in delight. "You mean¡­" her voice was filled with excitement. The Robin Hood Society comprises of teams that carry out different missions. Each team is made up of skilled con artists, spies, mechanics, electric and surveillance experts, guns and explosive experts and hackers. Each member has to be good in hand-to-hand combat to be able to protect themselves in case something goes wrong during their mission. J has already requested for the formulation of a team under her to the council of the Society. Normally, it should be the council members to formulate a team they will also be the one to assign a team for a certain mission. But this time, their heiress requested it. And she was backed up by Jacob. President Martin and Madam Victoria were hesitant at first. The team will be composed of J, Lance, Arthur''s Team and Diana. Since J and Lance were a member of the council and they were backed up by Jacob who is also a member of the council, the formulation of the team was approved. "Our shift is over," J said while glancing at her wristwatch. Diana looked at the wall clock in the Nurse''s station. "Oh, you''re right!" She stood up and help J cleaned up the nurse''s station. Meanwhile, Daniel and Arthur watched the CCTV footages in their own control room on the 10th floor. They were looking at a monitor showing the lobby of the hospital. After a while, they saw a particular man walked in alone. He was then followed by Felix and Stefan. Upon seeing that the man enters the elevator with Felix and Stefan, Daniel and Arthur stood up from their seats and went to the 8th floor. Inside the elevator, Alex Ogden stood with Felix and Stefan in front of him. He looks devilishly handsome. His looks could be compared to that of Jacob but he has that cold and unapproachable aura. He is wearing a grey short-sleeves Henley shirt. It has been his signature look. He was always seen wearing either a short or long-sleeved Henley shirt in dull colors. He prefers to wear that because it can easily be dressed up. He looked relaxed and laid-back yet still professional. Though not looking behind them, Felix and Stefan watched Alex Ogden''s reflection in front of them and saw an evil smirk appeared on his mouth. Then they heard him speak. "Don''t fret. I won''t harm her. I''m just here to let her know of my existence." But Felix and Stefan weren''t affected. They stayed calm yet alert. At the lobby of the 8th floor, Arthur and Daniel waited. They were already notified by Felix earlier that Alex Ogden came, that''s why they have been anticipating him. Thanks to Lance, they were able to recognize Alex Ogden. It was not hard to recognize him because Alex Ogden has that unique presence. Chapter 378 - My Future Wife Soon, the elevator door opened up. Felix and Stefan didn''t move, they waited for Alex Ogden to walked out first then they followed suit as if they were his bodyguards. When Alex Ogden saw Arthur and Daniel waiting for him, he chuckled. He walks towards them in a laid-back manner with his hands on his pocket. He stopped two meters from them while Felix and Stefan stood two meters behind Alex. "Arthur Brown and Daniel Li. It was a pleasure to meet you but¡­" He paused for a second. "¡­I''m sorry, I''m not here to meet you." The four men surrounding him didn''t say or do anything. They just stood there looking at him with cautiousness. "Say, Miss J. When are we going to start preparing for the mission?" The five men heard the voice of Diana and instantly looked at her direction. But she is not alone. Diana is with J. The two women stopped in their tracks. Diana was frozen in place when she saw a familiar man surrounded by Arthur''s Team. Of course, she knew that it is Alex Ogden. She knows how to identify a member of Novus Rex and she is very familiar with this man and his grandfather. J, on the other hand, remained calm and impassive. She looked at Alex Ogden with no emotion. Just like Diana and any member of the Society, she knows how to identify a member of Novus Rex and she also knows of Alex Ogden. But this is the first time that she saw him in person. The whole lobby was eventually filled with coldness with the presence of J, Arthur, Daniel and Alex Ogden who were all a known cold person. J walked towards them and Arthur instantly acts to shield her but J stopped him. "Arthur, it''s fine." Alex Ogden came alone, that means, he did not come to take J away. At least not yet. "See, even your Boss knows not to be wary of me," Alex said derisively. "I am not their Boss," J said impassively. "Oh, right! Jacob Parker is their Boss." Alex Ogden deliberately avoided saying the word ''husband'' so he said Jacob''s name instead. And J noticed it so she looked at him with a slightly raised brow. J originally wanted to talk to Alex Ogden alone but she knew that Arthur wouldn''t let that happen so she set aside that idea. "Why are you here?" "I just wanted to meet my future wife." Alex Ogden said without a bit of reticence. J''s brows furrowed ever so slightly. Felix wanted to retort back but he stops when he saw Arthur raised his hand to stop him. "Mr. Ogden¡­" J was about to say something but Alex Ogden stopped her. "Not so formal dear, just call me Alex." J tilted her head. "I''m sorry but, I cannot force myself to act casually in front of you if that''s what you want, Mr. Ogden," J said stressing her last two words. Alex Ogden''s expression turned grim, but J was not a bit affected. "As I was saying. Don''t you have a television or the internet at home, Mr. Ogden?" J said with a raised brow. "Because it looks like you haven''t heard of the news of me being married to Jacob." Alex Ogden''s signature evil smirk appeared slowly at the corner of his lips. "Are you sure that your marriage isn''t fake? I know that you just find out about your marriage a couple of months ago from a marriage contract that you didn''t even sign." Chapter 379 - Breaking down in front of her brothers J''s gaze suddenly darkens and her hands clenched into a fist. No one knows that J and Jacob didn''t sign that marriage contract although Lance was certain that it was not fake. He even has his father and grandfather to check it and they also have the same opinion. They also hired an expert to check the authenticity of the signatures and it turns out that it was not forged. Though J and Jacob don''t have a memory of ever signing that marriage contract, it was still considered legal. First, because their signatures were proven to be authentic, secondly, it was solemnized by a solemnizing officer and third because it was registered in the civil registrar. However, if one or both parties were forced to marry each other, the marriage will be void. But since J and Jacob accepted it in the end, their marriage was still considered valid. "Mr. Ogden, you''ve already informed us of your existence." Arthur''s voice was firm. Apparently, he heard what Alex Ogden told Felix and Stefan at the elevator because their line of communication has always been open. "Miss J, let''s go." J didn''t object when Arthur led her to the elevator. But before they could get in the elevator, they heard Alex Ogden''s open threat. "Jenny Do. Soon I will come back to reclaim what''s supposed to be mine." Alex Ogden''s tone was gentle. So gentle that it scares J. J was frozen, she never felt scared and threatened like this before. Probably because he is threatening her marriage with Jacob. She doesn''t want to be separated from Jacob. Just the thought of it makes her heart broke into pieces. She is afraid that Alex Ogden will do something to Jacob so that he could take her away from him. They were already inside the elevator, away from the sight of Alex Ogden but J was still feeling unease. Diana felt it and reached to hug and comfort her. "Don''t worry, Miss J. Whatever he says, that''s not gonna happen. You should know that Dr. Jacob wouldn''t let that happen." J and Arthur''s team were now in the 1st Level Basement Parking. Diana dropped off the elevator at the lobby knowing that J is with Arthur''s team so she does not worry. J is leaning at the car feeling exhausted. She didn''t expect that meeting with Alex Ogden would drain a lot of her energy. Arthur was about to open the door of the car when he noticed that J suddenly collapsed on the floor, she is now sitting with her back leaning on the car, her head between her knees. And she is crying. She breaks down in front of Arthur''s Team. Arthur and Daniel rushed towards her and squatted in front of her. They didn''t know how to comfort her. While Stefan and Felix who were not far away heard her cry, rushed as well and felt speechless. This is the second time that they heard her cry but this is the first time that she cried in front of them. She must be really scared that Alex Ogden would take her away from Jacob. They thought. Arthur who was closest to her didn''t know what to do but reached his hand to pat J''s head. He could feel his heart tightened. Actually, they all feel the same. Earlier, she was acting and looking strong but now¡­ They all sighed. J is too good to be suffering like this. They wanted to comfort her but didn''t know how to. Only Stefan who is naturally good at coaxing girls was able to say a word. Chapter 380 - Can’t Leave Her "Miss J¡­ you can cry all you want. Don''t worry about us. After that, you''ll feel better. Don''t forget that you got us four men to protect you. Don''t you know how capable are we? Plus, you have an extremely capable and ruthless husband. Do you think he will let that bastard steal you from him?" In Stefan''s tone, there was an obvious determination to protect J from Alex Ogden. After hearing that, Felix sighed. "We''re sorry Miss J, we shouldn''t have let that despicable person get near you. Next time, he''ll never get a chance." Although crying, J could hear Stefan and Felix. She calmed down a bit. She stood up and said without raising her head, "That''s fine, at least now we know what to expect in the future." She said that between sobs. Daniel took out a handkerchief and passed it to J. J took it without hesitation. "Thank you. Let''s go home." ¡­.. Jacob is now driving his SUV in a lighting speed towards Evergreen Villa. Earlier, he received a call but since he was in a meeting and his phone was on a silent mode, he was not able to answer it. It was just later on that he read Arthur''s message that Alex Ogden made an appearance at CLP Hospital. Upon seeing the message, he immediately called Arthur. During that time, Arthur was about to get in the car after making sure that J is sitting comfortably at the backseat. Jacob found out from Arthur that J cried out immensely at the 1st Level Basement Parking of the hospital. She probably can''t hold it in. When Jacob arrived at Evergreen Villa, he wasn''t able to park his SUV properly. He saw Arthur''s team all over the villa. Stefan guarding the entrance of the villa, Felix by the pool, Daniel inside the villa and Arthur by the door of the Master''s bedroom. There were also agents watching over the CCTV footages. "What happened?" Jacob asked as soon as he saw Arthur guarding the door of the Master''s bedroom. Arthur told Jacob everything that happened and every word that Alex Ogden told J. "We were sure that Alex Ogden wouldn''t do anything to harm her since he came alone. So, we just let him get near her and didn''t do anything. We are sorry." Arthur said full of regret. But Jacob was so worried that he doesn''t have a time to deal with their lacking. "Can you guys stay here for the night?" "Yes, Boss!" Arthur replied. They were very much willing thou. He knew that they cannot be at ease as long as they were sure that J is fine. Although, Alex Ogden didn''t do much. His words were more dangerous. Jacob entered the Master''s bedroom and didn''t find J in there. He searched for the bathroom but also no signs of her. Finally, he went to the study room adjacent to the Master''s bedroom. There he saw the heart-rending state of his wife. J is sitting on the bay window hugging a pillow staring outside the window. Jacob could tell that she is in deep thought since she didn''t even notice that he came. Jacob silently walked towards her. While getting close to her, he could see J''s pitiful state. Her eyes, nose, and cheeks were red and her eyes were swollen. But then, Jacob still finds her rather appealing after crying. He looked at how vulnerable she is and it makes his heartache. Chapter 381 - 381. The most comforting and calming place J sensed the presence of Jacob so she raised her head and their eyes met. Jacob is wearing a pale pink dress shirt with sleeves folded up to his elbow and a pair of black pants. Although the color is feminine, the dress shirt looked masculine on Jacob. J saw Jacob and her eyes started to teared up again. Jacob sighed and said, "You''ve had enough crying." Jacob sits beside her and raised her to sit on his lap. J circled her arms in Jacob''s neck and sob in the crook of his neck. Her lips touching the sensitive part of Jacob''s neck. Although he is starting to be aroused, he controlled himself and comfort his wife instead. J is wearing a loose thin white shirt and a black mid-thigh length short. She rarely wears shorts but she looks comfortable in it. Jacob''s left hand is stroking her back while the other one on her hair. They stayed in that position silently until J calmed down. J already stopped sobbing but she still remained in her position. "You love me that much, don''t you?" Jacob said with a teasing tone. J didn''t reply, she frowned and bit his neck that made Jacob gasped. She probably didn''t know the effect of what she did to Jacob. He is right, J thought internally. She loves him that much and too scared to be separated from him. "Honey, I''ve already told you before, if the marriage contract turned out to be fake. Then I''ll marry you again for real. We will even hold a big wedding ceremony. And about what Alex Ogden told you about reclaiming whatsoever, he doesn''t have anything to reclaim because you''re not his in the first place. How many times should I remind you that you are always and forever mine and I don''t share." Jacob said in a gentle tone then he sighed. "I should remind Arthur to never let this happen again. That Alex Ogden is much too brazen. I won''t let him get near you again." J closed her eyes and take a deep breath before she pulled herself away from Jacob. Bet she remained sitting on his lap and her arms were still around Jacob''s neck. "Can''t we talk to them and settle this once and for all? So that you won''t have to risk your life by messing up with their business and Alex Ogden won''t come to me again?" Jacob reached out to stroke J''s reddened cheeks. "Honey, you don''t understand. Jack Ogden is too covetous. Reasoning out with him is impossible. And I am sure that his grandson is the same." J frowned. "How about we try?" Jacob stared at his wife for a couple of seconds as if reading her thoughts. J is not used in a messy life. All her life, her identity is hidden and have been living in serenity until they found out about their marriage. And he understands her thoughts, so he nodded his head. "Okay, I''ll try." Jacob said ''I'' instead of ''we''. J understands. J hug him again and buried her face in her husband''s neck. She just realized that this is the most comforting and calming place she has ever had. But to Jacob, it is the other way around. "Feeling better?" Jacob asked and J nodded her head. Her nose and lips touching his neck. She heard Jacob groaned and said. "Honey, do you have any idea how your every move affects me?" Chapter 382 - She’s not a fangirl "Huh?" J raised her head and looked at him with confusion. But Jacob didn''t answer, instead, he pulled down the curtains of the bay window and carried her to the sofa. He doesn''t have the patience anymore to take her to the bed in the other room. This is going to be the first time that they will be having sex on the sofa. J blushed at that thought. They had sex on the sofa then on the coffee table before Jacob carried J to the bathroom to clean her up. J fell asleep after that. So, Jacob took this opportunity to talk to Arthur''s team. "Boss¡­" The four men felt guilty. They shouldn''t have let Alex Ogden get close to J. They thought that he wouldn''t be bold enough to hurt her since he is alone but his words still did. They could sense Jacob''s disappointment but he chooses not to say anything, after all, it''s too late pointing fingers. "From now on, focus on the upcoming auction. I want you to keep her preoccupied." Jacob said in a cold tone. "Yes Boss!" the four men said simultaneously. After he talked with Arthur''s team, Jacob called Diana. "Yes, Boss?" Diana asked from the other line. "Can you take Timothy here at Evergreen Villa more often after your duty?" Diana is not slow-witted. She knows that Jacob''s request is to keep J busy so that she wouldn''t have time to worry about Alex Ogden. "No, problem Boss," Diana replied after a while. Then Jacob makes a call to Lance. "I know you are busy, but, I need a favor from you," Jacob said seriously over the phone. "Anything as long as you won''t ask me to stay away from Lily," Lance said on the other line. Jacob scoffed. "It''s about, Jenny." "Oh, okay. Shoot!" the voice of Lance sounds relieved. "Can you take her one of these days to Mt. Celandine and let her watch the shooting of Lily''s film?" Lance didn''t expect this kind of request from Jacob. As far as he knows, J is not a fangirl. So, why would she want to watch the filming of Lily''s movie? "Just keep her busy and preoccupied. I don''t want her to worry or stressed out about anything else." Jacob noticed Lance''s confusion. "Oh, I get it. Is she pregnant?" "No." "Can you do it or not?" Jacob sounds irritated. "Okay, okay! Why do you have to get irritated, I was just wondering why okay?" Jacob sighed. "Alex Ogden visited her at the hospital and she is getting stressed out because of it. I want her to be distracted while I take care of Alex Ogden and his grandfather." Upon hearing that Lance turned serious. And after a moment of silence. "I understand." The next day Diana did what Jacob asked her to do. After duty, she picked up Timothy at home and went to Evergreen Villa. She learned from Stefan that J has no plan of going anywhere that afternoon and will only stay at home. Which is perfect because she has something to say to J as well. J was surprised to see Diana and was delighted to see that she brought along Timothy with her. It has been a while since she last saw Timothy. "Hey there little boy! Aren''t you the cutest!" She pinched Timothy''s cheeks and carried him inside the villa. "Why didn''t you tell me that you are coming?" J turned and asked Diana as she put Timothy down to a high chair in the kitchen. Chapter 383 - Why Diana? "Well¡­. Guess what?" Diana paused and waited for J who is currently rummaging her fridge to look at her. "What?" Diana anticipated this kind of reply from J. "Surprise!" Diana exclaimed with her arms open wide. J chuckled and rolled her eyes. She walks towards Timothy and poured him a glass of juice then tousled his hair. "Your mom is such a childish." Diana wanted to ask her how is she feeling after what happened yesterday but stopped herself from doing so because Jacob would definitely kill her if she stressed J because of that. She clearly remembers the reason why Jacob asked her to take Timothy to J more often. Diana sits in a high chair beside Timothy and rested her chin on her palm with her elbow on the kitchen counter. "I actually got something to tell you." Instead of talking about J, Diana decided to talk about her instead. J place another glass in front of Diana and poured it with juice. "Aren''t we talking already?" "Hmph! Since when did you become a smarty-pants?!" Diana pouted her lips. Then she turned around to talk to her son. "Baby are you done with your juice?" As she asked that, Timothy takes one last gulp of the juice in his glass. Seeing that, Diana smiled and said, "Good boy. You know auntie''s big dogs that I am telling you about?" When he heard that, Timothy''s eyes widened in excitement. "Mommy, can I see them?" He asked innocently. "Of course!" Diana said enthusiastically like a child. J knew that Diana is just simply throwing her son out so that they could talk about something that his son might not understand. So, she walked out of the kitchen and called out for Stefan. She knew that Stefan must''ve probably by the poolside playing boardgames with Felix. Stefan appeared in the kitchen. "Miss J, you called for me?" He asked then he looked at Diana''s direction. At their first meeting, Stefan immediately gets attracted to Diana but after learning that she is already engaged to the coldest person he has ever seen he decided to forget about it. He valued his life more than anything. He could risk his life for his mission but not for a girl. "Hello, Miss Diana." Stefan greeted her with a smile. "Hi, by the way. Were you informed that I am now part of your team? Miss J told me about it. I am excited to work with you guys." Diana said blissfully. Stefan looked at J with confusion. How come, Arthur never told them about that. Arthur is their team leader why would he miss this kind of information? And why Diana? "She''s talking about the auction," J said to clear Stefan''s doubt. "Oh. Right!" Stefan laughed as he scratched the back of his neck. "Timothy wants to play with Beauty and Beast. Can you watch over him for a while? We will soon follow him at the poolside." "No problem Miss J! Come little buddy! Let''s play outside." Stefan reached out for Timothy''s hand. They have already met Timothy a couple of times before. Since Timothy is already acquainted with Stefan and the rest of his team, he has no inhibitions around them. Since Stefan is naturally good at coaxing girls, J thought that he will be good as well with coaxing kids although he doesn''t have a child of his own yet. While Daniel just got himself a daughter, J is not sure if he is good at taking care of children. She has a feeling that Daniel will either be extremely strict or extremely doting. Felix on the other hand, although already married doesn''t plan have a child of his own yet and J knew that it is because he is not that fond of kids. While Arthur is definitely out of the options. Chapter 384 - It’s all over your face As soon as Timothy and Stefan stepped out of the kitchen, Lulu came to start preparing for dinner. "You can go home now Lulu. I''ll take care of dinner. I have someone here to help me." J said with a genuine smile. Aside from her and Jacob, there was Arthur''s team and another three agents in the control room and two guards at the gate that she has to feed. So, Lulu was hesitant to leave all the cooking to J. "Are you sure Miss?" Lulu asked. J nodded her head. "Yes." "Okay." Then Lulu left. J looked at Diana and said, "You heard that? You have to help me cook dinner before Jacob arrives. We will cook dinner for eleven persons plus you and Timothy." Diana was ecstatic. "Leave that to me!" J and Diana were naturally good at cooking. This was their bonding when they both still lived at Lodgepole Estate. That was the time that Elder Do is still alive in his last year. Diana stayed at Lodgepole Estate to help J take care of Elder Do. As they were preparing a couple of dishes to cook, Diana never runs out of topics to discuss until she came to her main point. "Uhm¡­ you know that Leo and I were preparing for our wedding ceremony, right?" Diana said. "Mn..hmm" J nodded her head while washing the vegetables. "Actually, well... It turns out, there is no need for that." Diana looked shy which amaze J. She rarely sees Diana this way. J stared at her as if reading her thoughts. Then she sighed. "You''re already married." She said with no hint of surprise at all. Diana dropped her shoulders. "How did you know?" She asked with her mouth gaping. "It''s all over your face," J said motioning her hand in her face. Diana puffed her cheeks. "So, what do you think?" "What would I think? It''s not as if you are a teenager. You should''ve done that four years ago." J said. It''s not that she doesn''t care. In fact, she is really happy for Diana. "I think you should do all the cooking. You owed us a meal after all." J said with a smile. Diana hugged J. "Thank you." "Why?" J asked confused. "Even if you don''t show it, I know that you are happy for me," Diana said teary-eyed. Although Diana has a lot of friends, J is the only one that truly cares for her. She is the first one to know that she already got married to Leo. In fact, she is the only person who knows her past. "Are you not going to ask me how did that happen?" Diana peered at her. J rolled her eyes. "Do you think I am not aware of what is happening between you and Leo?" Surprisingly, since Leo is an orphan, he doesn''t have anyone to confide his feelings and thoughts except to Madam Victoria. While Madam Victoria shares this gossip to J because she knows that J is Diana''s best friend. "Okay fine. I can''t hide anything from you. I am still going to tell you anyway. You probably heard a different version." Then the two started chatting while preparing dinner. Actually, it was Diana who talks most of the time and J was forced to listen. Soon, Jacob arrives and Diana helped J prepare the dinner at the dining table by the poolside. J prefers to eat by the poolside instead of the dining room. J and Diana prepared five main dishes, two appetizers, and one dessert. They have a company of five men who usually have a hearty appetite so the food that they prepared were that much. "Thank you for coming and accompanying her," Jacob said sincerely to Diana before Diana leave the villa after dinner. "You don''t have to thank me. I would do that to my best friend even if you don''t tell me so." Diana said with a smile. Chapter 385 - Calling for back up "James, find out Alex Ogden''s schedule for today," Jacob said after contemplating. He was in his office on the 10th floor of CLP Hospital. He was just done with his morning rounds with his patients and James used to be following him around. "Are you planning to pay him a visit?" James inquired. "Yes, not that I want to. But Jenny keeps on insisting. I don''t want her to keep on worrying about this. I hope Alex Ogden is a bit sensible than his grandfather." "Ok. I got it." After just ten minutes, James returned with Alex Ogden''s schedule on his hands. "Alex Ogden''s schedule is quite full today but he still got time to visit Rendezvous at the end of the day." "Thank you, James, you are as efficient as ever." Jacob smiled at James efficiency. James chuckled. "Do you want me to call an agent or two for back up?" "No need. I have someone in mind." "Okay then, if you don''t have anything else, I still got something to do," James said meaningfully. "Go on then. I won''t trouble you." Jacob knew what James means, after all, he was the one who was giving him this job. Aside from being the Executive Assistant of Jacob at CLP Group of Hospital, he is also his assistant at Twelve Army. But his job doesn''t end there, because there were side jobs that Jacob needed to do and he needs James with that as well. And that includes finding out everything about Novus Rex and Alex Ogden. When James left Jacob''s office, he made a call to President Martin. "Jacob, I heard that Jenny has met with Alex Ogden." President Martin said. Jacob was no surprise, he knows that President Martin and Madam Victoria have eyes around Jenny that''s why they knew what''s happening around her. "Yes, he did. And although she didn''t show it to him, my wife was really affected by his words. She wanted to talk to him and hope to resolve this in an amicable way. But I rejected the idea of her talking to him. That was just not feasible. So, I decided to talk to him." President Martin laughed sarcastically. "That brute is too shameless. Reclaiming what''s not his? He is too covetous just like his grandfather. My daughter is too magnanimous. She doesn''t want a bloodbath to ever take place because of her. Probably not wanting to implicate harm towards the people around her." "You are right. And although I am easygoing, I am also mean-spirited when her welfare is at risk. But she asked for peaceful negotiation and I don''t have the heart to refuse her. Although, I doubt if this will work." Jacob sounds dubious. "I understand. Do you need any help?" President Martin understands that Jacob didn''t call him just to talk about what happened. There must be something and he already had an idea. He heard Jacob sighed. "I am about to meet Alex Ogden tonight without him knowing. And you know that we were just starting to learn about him and Novus Rex. What I am trying to say is, I want someone from your side that is very familiar with Alex Ogden to come with me and James tonight." "I got it. I''ll send someone to you tonight." Then the two of them dropped the call. ... Later that afternoon after duty, J is sitting in a lounge chair by the poolside of Evergreen villa. She just came home after her duty at the hospital. Felix and Stefan were playing board games. Arthur approached J and said, "We got what you''ve asked of me." Hearing that J closed the book she was reading and straighten her back. She put down both her feet on the ground and face Arthur. Felix and Stefan also heard him and stopped what they were playing and walk towards them. Soon, Daniel joined them as well. Chapter 386 - Stolen "You were right, the Galaxy was stolen by Mayor Hall. He was the one that orchestrates the ambush of President Martin and Madam Victoria more than 20 years ago. One of the people he hired to ambush them was able to escape and he was the one who found the box with the Galaxy in it. He brought it to Mayor Hall in exchange for a reward." Arthur started with a serious tone. "So, Galaxy was in Mayor Hall''s possession all along?" J asked with a furrowed brow looking at Arthur who is sitting in another lounge chair in front of her. "No." She heard Daniel speak so she raised her head to look at Daniel with an inquiring look. Daniel is standing beside Arthur with his hands on his pocket. "Mayor Hall is not interested in diamonds or any kind of gem, he is more interested in the money that he might get from it. So, they said that he sold it to Aivy." Daniel continued. "Aivy? Aivy and the Jewel?" J has heard of Aivy and the Jewel and has seen its billboard everywhere since it is quite popular. Daniel nodded his head. "Yes. Aivy is a renowned jeweler in the country who owns Aivy and the Jewel. Aivy and the Jewel are the most famous and luxurious chains of jewelry stores in the country." "She is also the one who designed Massive J out of Galaxy. But she didn''t buy Galaxy and create Massive J to put it in the market." Felix but in. To get a faster result, Arthur asked for the team''s help so the rest of the team knows every detail. "Galaxy is a rare stone. So, she collects it." J mumbled as she sank in deep thought. "Then why would she donate it to be auctioned off?" She again raised her head to look at the four men. "Every year, GBC Auction Ball chooses five beneficiaries. And this year, the beneficiaries were Alzheimer''s Disease Society of Lotus City, 365 Help Center, Dog Watcher''s Foundation, The Children of Mt. Celandine and Save the Naupaka Rainforest. We''ve checked out these beneficiaries and its background and found out that The Children of Mt. Celandine was founded and run by Laurie Como and her husband." J stared at Arthur with anticipation. Waiting for his next words. "Laurie Como is Aivy''s step-sister." Felix can''t help but speak up since Arthur is taking too long to say it. J leaned back and crossed her hands in front of her chest. "This sounds complicated." She said in a low voice staring at the cover of the closed book beside her. On the cover of the book is a painting of two women from the 1800s. "I know right! First, why would Aivy donate an extremely rare and expensive collection of hers to be auctioned? Secondly, the inclusion of The Children of Mt. Celandine which was founded and run by her stepsister is quite suspicious. Something''s must''ve been going on." J is lost in her thoughts. Something is going on in that brain of hers so the four men remained silent. "Felix, can you check out what Aivy is planning as soon as possible?" Although J has to order them sometimes, she always remained humble with her words. Felix gave her a thumbs up and said. "Easy as a pie!" J gave him a genuine smile. "Thank you." "Do you know how GBC Auction Ball chooses their beneficiaries?" J asked Arthur. "The organizations and charities will go through a highly competitive application process. The committee will then review their missions and proposed use of the collection that they will get from the auction before they decide who to choose among the applicant." J once again lost in her deep thought. She rubbed her eyes that seems to be tired because of reading and staring for such a long period of time. Chapter 387 - Negotiation "Can you help me strategize a plan to get the Galaxy without making it seem like I stole it?" J looked at Arthur then to Daniel. "Is that possible for a short period of time? The auction will be in less than two weeks from now." She said imploringly. Arthur and Daniel looked at each other then they gave her a faint smile and Arthur reached out to pat her head. It already became a habit of him but only to J. "Pleading is not necessary." Arthur said. He knows how important that gem is to J not because of its rarity or price value but because of its sentimental value. "Leave that to us, Miss J." Daniel then said, his smile is more pronounced than that of Arthur. "Silly. One day is enough for them to strategize a plan. Don''t worry, we are not stealing it. We are reclaiming it and no one would notice." Stefan said enthusiastically and gave her a wink. Felix stretched out both his arms and said. "Ahh¡­ this is going to be fun!" J chuckled and felt grateful towards these four men. She stood up to help Lulu prepare dinner for only the five of them since Jacob told her that he will be working overtime at Twelve Army. Jacob didn''t tell her that he will be meeting with Alex Ogden that night. ¡­. Later that night, at the lobby of Twelve Army main building, Jacob saw Leo waiting for him. He and James were preparing to go to Rendezvous. He was surprised to see Leo waiting for them. He was anticipating someone from Robin Hood Society but he was not expecting that his father-in-law would send Leo to accompany him. "Dad sent you?" Jacob asked confused. Leo nodded his head and said impassively, "Yes Chairman Jacob." "How about mom?" he asked. He knew very well that Leo is his mother-in-law''s right-hand man and that he should be around her 24 hours a day except for the two days off that Madam Victoria gave him to spend with Diana and Timothy. "Simon took over my position for a while," Leo replied. His face remained void of emotion. Jacob nodded his head. "Okay. Let''s go." James drives Jacob''s SUV with Leo on the passenger''s seat and Jacob at the back seat. They drive towards Rendezvous. Alex Ogden who''s already having a drink at his favorite private room at the third floor of Rendezvous unaware of the sudden visit from a person that he could probably consider as his nemesis in love in a moment. After an hour, a waitress approached Jeric, Alex Ogden''s assistant and said something to his ear that made his eyes wide. Then he walked towards Alex who is sitting in a tufted sofa drinking his favorite rum. He did, the same. He said something to his ear but Alex was not surprised at all. His signature evil smirk appeared on the corner of his lips as he said, "This soon?" "Let him in." Every one of his lackeys that were drinking and having fun with girls in the room became silent when they realized that their Boss has a visitor. They looked at Alex then to the door. "I''m sorry boys but all the girls should leave for now. I have a very important visitor." Alex said in a cold tone. As if on cue, all the girls released themselves from the lackey''s arms and excused themselves. After a while, Jacob came in followed by James and Leo. Everyone was familiar with Jacob and James but what made them surprise is the last man to enter, which is Leo. They never expected him to appear with Jacob. The three of them, although outnumbered didn''t seem oppressed or threatened. They don''t seem to mind that they were inside the enemy''s territory and being surrounded by a number of criminals or probably some of them were assassins. Chapter 388 - Promised With Jacob, James and Leo''s skills, they could possibly topple them all. The three of them were an expert in Krav Maga, the most dangerous and lethal form of martial arts that has no concern of the opponent''s well-being. Krav Maga is a part of Twelve Army''s training but only a few became expert on it, that includes Arthur. While some choose to focus on other types of martial arts, other''s expertise was focus is in weapons. Jacob unbuttoned his suit and sits down comfortably at the tufted sofa in front of Alex. James and Leo remained standing. "I never expected to see you soon," Alex noted then he glanced at Leo. "And with an unexpected company. I''m surprised." He said, his tone is quite difficult to describe before he drinks the remaining rum in the glass. Jeric came to refill his glass. "Don''t be so unwelcoming Jeric and serve our visitor with a drink." Without asking of their preference, Jeric poured Jacob, James, and Leo each a glass of rum. Jacob remained to relax and easygoing. "Thank you for your hospitality, President Ogden." He said then he drunk the rum in one go then he again leaned his back to the sofa''s backrest. "In all honesty President Ogden, I never planned to see you. But you see, my wife is so magnanimous. She insisted that we have a peaceful negotiation with you even after you threatened her a couple of days ago." Jacob said in a surprisingly friendly tone. Alex Ogden chuckled. "Chairman Parker, I don''t seem to have any recollection of threatening her. Although, I did tell her that I will reclaim her. But that was not a threat. She was supposed to be mine after all." This time, Jacob''s face turned grim but just for a second because he eventually managed to compose himself. He smiled, "I thought that President Ogden was a cold person, but it seemed to me that you know how to joke, after all, does AM Entertainment offers that kind of workshop because I wish to attend to." He said with a mocking tone. Alex Ogden''s expression darkens. Ten years ago, he bought a large number of shares of AM Entertainment making him the biggest shareholder of AM Entertainment. Later on, he managed to oppress the family that founded AM Entertainment and assumed the position of President. "You probably didn''t know that Jenny Do is promised to be married to me by her grandfather. That was a promise made to my grandfather." Jacob expressed the same dark expression. He didn''t even hesitate to hide it. "It is not about who is promised to be married to her but who is she willing to be married to. You have probably forgotten that we are already married and contrasting what you believed in, our marriage is genuine." Alex Ogden smirk. He took the glass of rum in front of him and emptied it. "The thing is..." He paused then peeked behind the glass that is in front of his face. "I don''t care if it is fake or genuine. Because I am one person that always gets what I want. And since I already set my eyes on her, I will definitely get her one way or another." His gaze was cold and piercing. Jacob narrowed his eyes at him. "I know you are used to breaking the law and I don''t usually care about that. But you chose to mess up with me and my wife. It looks like you are getting bored with your life President Ogden. Why don''t I help you have some fun?" Jacob said with a smirk. His words filled with a deeper meaning. The two of them stared at each other. All the other men inside the private room sensed the cold and dangerous aura that the two of them emits. Chapter 389 - Promise me "Be my guest." Alex Ogden said in a challenging tone. Jacob stood up as he buttoned his suit then he downed his glass of rum. "Well then...enjoy the rest of the night." He said with a cocked head. He scanned all the faces inside the private room before he left the room followed by James and Leo. But before they could open the door, they heard Alex Ogden speaks again. "By the way, it is good to see you again Liam." He said without looking at them. James turned to look at him with confusion wondering who is he talking to. But was surprised to hear Leo answered him. "I don''t think your word is appropriate, Alex." then he turned his back and followed Jacob who seemed to have realized that the two were acquainted with each other. ¡­.. Jacob came home late that night but he was surprised to see his wife leaning on the headrest of the bed still awake and reading. He thought that she would be asleep by the time he arrives. "You''re still awake?" Jacob walked towards her and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Hmm... I was waiting for you." J nodded then she closed her eyes when Jacob kissed her forehead. "Wait for me, I''ll just take a shower," Jacob said. After a while, Jacob prepared to lay in bed beside J. As soon as he has J on his embrace, J asked him a question that puzzled him. "So, how did it go?" She asked with her head raised to see his beautiful face that is dimly light by the lamp. Jacob furrowed his brows in confusion. "Huh?" But J didn''t reply then Jacob finally realized. He sighed. "You knew." J shrugged her shoulders. "Leo doesn''t hide a thing to Diana while Diana is loyal to me." "Tsk, I should teach that girl to keep quiet at times," Jacob said. "So?" J didn''t forget to make a follow-up. Jacob tightened his hug. "Forget about it. As expected, peaceful negotiation is impossible. He is determined to steal you away from me. As if I am going to let that happen." Jacob said with gritted teeth. J stared at him. "Stop thinking about him. Okay? Have you forgotten that I am a jealous person?" Jacob pursed his lips. J did the same. "Please promise me something." Seeing the serious expression on her face, Jacob became serious as well. "What is it?" "That you won''t let me go." J was afraid that because of her troublesome life, Jacob will get tired of it and would, later on, give up and surrender her to Alex Ogden. Jacob soften when he heard her words. He felts as if there were thousands of butterflies fluttering inside his heart. Although J never said that she loves him directly, her words and actions say so. And it was more than what he asked of for. He reached out to stroke her cheeks. "I promise to never let you go." He said full of affection. "You won''t give up and surrender me to him?" her eyes were pleading and seeking security. "Even if I die, I will never do that." J frowned. "I told you not to die. Why do you always have to say that?" Jacob chuckled and kissed her on the top of her head. "Okay, okay! I won''t die. And I promise not to give you up and surrender you to that guy. Only a fool would do that." J finally felt relieved and secured. Only God knows how much she loves this man. Jacob kissed her on her lips and said in between kisses. "Don''t worry too much. Hmm? I love you too much to give up on you. Giving up on you means giving up my life." Then their kiss deepened. Chapter 390 - Spoiled Hazelnut milk The next morning, they were having breakfast at the dining table since the weather outside is cloudy with drizzle. And because the weather is quite cold and moist, J requested Lulu to help her make Nutella porridge made up of hazelnut milk, oats, and cacao nibs. "Do you have plans for today?" Jacob asked J while taking a spoonful of porridge. J nodded. "Lance invited me to the set of Lily''s movie at Mt. Celandine. I wonder why would he want me to go there. It''s just too tiring." "You should go and show some support for your sister-in-law," Jacob said to encourage her. He knew how lazy his wife is when it comes to going to places with a lot of people. But this was his own plan. He will make sure that she will go to keep herself preoccupied. "Yeah. I''ve thought of that." "Good. I''ll meet you there, we can stay overnight at Mt. Celandine before we head towards Lantana tomorrow." Jacob said satisfied that his wife will be quite busy today. Tomorrow is her day off, or rather their day off since Jacob make it a habit to accompany her whenever she takes her off at Lodgepole Estate and Miss Eve''s or Martha''s Home. "Say, Miss J. Are you pregnant? Why would you suddenly request porridge for breakfast? A hazelnut porridge in particular." Felix can''t help but express his thoughts out of curiosity. Everyone in the dining table shot him a piercing glare except for J who was suddenly frozen. Her face is red in embarrassment. They all knew that she and Jacob were planning to have a baby so the thought of her being pregnant strike her. But she knew her body well. She knows she is not yet pregnant. It just so happens that she noticed the hazelnut milk in the fridge untouched. So, she thought of making hazelnut porridge before the milk gets spoiled. "What nonsense are you talking about? We''ve been having congee once in a while so, what''s wrong with having hazelnut porridge?" Stefan tried to ease out the tension. Jacob looked at J with curiosity. He wonders, is she possibly pregnant and craving for hazelnut porridge? J saw that look and rolled her eyes. "Don''t give me that look. It would be a waste of food so I thought of making hazelnut porridge before the hazelnut milk gets spoiled." J said with a slightly irritated tone. "You mean the hazelnut milk is about to get spoiled?!" Felix exclaimed at that thought which earned him a cold piercing glare from J. "Oh! Right, never mind. It doesn''t taste like it is already spoiled anyways." Felix quickly averted his gaze and buried his head in the bowl of porridge. That look that J is giving him is like she was about to take away his food. He has to empty the bowl as soon as possible. "Honey, if the time comes, you should tell me if you are craving for anything. Okay? I will get it for you." Jacob said showing his affection heedless of the presence of four other men. "That''s right Miss J. We are also here if you need anything, or if you want to eat something strange in case Boss is not around. Don''t hesitate to ask." Stefan said as he winks at J. Actually, Jacob already didn''t mind if Arthur''s team were acting ever so casually around J. Their affection towards her makes him more confident that they will protect her unconditionally. And he was also certain and convinced that their affection towards her is no more than familial or platonic. He already made a background investigation about their present and previous love interest specially Arthur. J, on the other hand, felt moved. For a person who is used to be alone for over twenty years then suddenly having five men eat with her and express their care, she felt warm inside. That feeling of having a family to rely on. Chapter 391 - The Mole "By the way, honey, you already knew that Leo is with me last night. I didn''t expect that Dad will send him to accompany me. And I noticed that Novus Rex particularly Alex Ogden is quite familiar with him?" Jacob asked J. Last night, he noticed the surprised and peculiar look that the men inside the private room that Alex Ogden rented out last night gave to Leo. And Alex Ogden even addressed him as Liam. He was sure that they were all acquainted with Leo. J looked at Jacob. She definitely knew why would her father send Leo instead of another person. It is because if there is a person that knew Alex Ogden and the Novus Rex very well, that would be Leo himself. And her father was wise to send Leo to accompany Jacob last night. "Hmm¡­Leo used to be a member of Novus Rex." J said nonchalantly. "What?!" Everyone raised their head and looked at her with the same surprised reaction. J looked at their surprised reaction and realized what she just said. "Oh¡­I mean, years ago he was sent by the Society as a mole inside Novus Rex." Then the five men nodded in understanding. "All insider information that the Society knows about Novus Rex was from Leo. Even until now, we were still able to get information from them thru the bug and moles he planted inside. Up until now, Novus Rex is not aware that Leo was a mole." "Novus Rex didn''t find out or even suspected him?" Felix asked in amazement. "No. He is an expert in espionage. When it comes to it, he is probably on top of the food chain." J replied and saw the glint of admiration from Felix''s eyes whose forte lies on espionage as well. "I wonder how did Leo manage not to get caught?" Stefan asked while sipping his coffee. "He changed his name to Liam. He became one of the most trusted persons of Alex Ogden. He even managed to become Alex''s assistant for a year before he left the group." Leo is a one-man team. He doesn''t work with a team or partner. He always finishes his mission alone. "Why would the Society plant a mole inside Novus Rex?" Jacob asked with suspicion. J shrugged her shoulders. "It was my grandfather''s order. He wanted to watch over Novus Rex. They''ve been doing that for a decade now." "Why?" Jacob suddenly wonders. Does it have to do with what Alex Ogden said last night about what Elder Do promised Jack Ogden? This is something that he hasn''t told J yet. He wanted to confirm what is that promise is. He plans to ask his father-in-law but he doubts if he knows anything about it. But at least it was worth a try. Actually, his grandfather must''ve known about it, but he wasn''t making an appearance yet. J shrugged her shoulders as she drinks her coffee. "No one knows. He just said that it is better to be prepared. He knew that Novus Rex is a very ambitious organization." Deep inside her, J has suspicions that it is not just because of that. Because, why would he send his best spy as a mole and waste a couple of years just to watch over an organization that doesn''t even pose a threat back then? She knew that something is going on but she cannot pinpoint it that time. And now that Novus Rex suddenly appeared and said that they want to take over Robin Hood Society by marrying Alex Ogden to her? And what''s with that reclaiming that Alex Ogden is saying? Chapter 392 - A girl hugs Arthur That afternoon after her duty, Lance and J decided to meet up in a famous shopping plaza at the busiest district of Lotus City before they go to Mt. Celandine. J decided to have a coffee in the ground floor of the mall while waiting for Lance. The coffee shop is located on the ground floor of the mall, it has access to an open space of the mall where there were bench and garden for the passersby. J is searching for a seat for the five of them, but the only vacant seats were those outside the coffee shop. Outside the coffee shop, she saw a crowd of people surrounding a girl that is dancing. "Let''s sit over there," J said pointing at a vacant table. "Okay, you go ahead. Daniel and I will order our coffee." Stefan said. "I''ll go to the bathroom first." Felix excused himself. J and Arthur walk towards the vacant table outside the coffee shop. As she walks, she is peeking through the crowd to get a chance to see who is the girl dancing. Then she saw a familiar face, it was the same girl that she saw dancing in that same place a couple of months ago when she got angry at Jacob. Upon making sure that she is that same girl, she glanced at Arthur. She knew that Arthur saw the girl as well but he remained impassive. The five of them were now sitting waiting for their coffee. As soon as their coffee arrived, they heard a voice called out Arthur''s name. "Arthur!" they saw a high-spirited bubbly girl approaching them. And in just a nick of time, the girl''s arms were wrapped around Arthur''s neck. "What the?!" Felix and the rest were dumbfounded. Who is that girl? It was the first time that they saw a girl clinging that way to Arthur. Normally, girls would drool over him but wouldn''t dare get close to him. This girl is different. It is as if she knew Arthur very well. Arthur glared at the girl. "Take your arms off my neck." He said in an icy tone. "And why are you calling me just by my name?" Arthur sounds strict. The girl eventually released his neck but she doesn''t seem to be affected by Arthur''s cold demeanor. "He-he. Big brother. I was just so excited to see you. It''s been months already since the last time I saw you. I never expected to you see here." "Big brother?" Felix asked, his eyes wide in surprise. "Does that mean, she is your sister?" Stefan followed. They knew that Arthur has a younger sister but they have never seen her before nor heard Arthur talk about her. "Unfortunately," Arthur replied nonchalantly. "You!" the girl pursed her lips, and she faked a grumpy look. "By the way! Are they your friend? Co-worker? Oh.. are they agents as well?" the girl looked at each one of them then stops at J. Her expression was amused then suddenly brightened. "Hi! I am Trixie. I am Arthur''s younger sister." He reached out her hand and introduced herself ecstatically. "Are you my brother''s girlfriend?" Upon hearing that, Felix who is drinking his coffee suddenly spits it out accidentally. "Ah¡­ No." J felt awkward. "I''m J, we are just friends." J reached out for her hand awkwardly. "Actually I am already-" J was about to say that she is already married but she was stopped when Trixie speaks again. Chapter 393 - Stefan’s flirting "That''s all right. A good romantic relationship starts in being just a good friend." Trixie said matter-of-factly with a beaming smile. "Trixie you are being rude," Arthur said with a grim expression. He actually always wonders how did his sister turn out to be a teacher. Do her students ever respect her? "Miss J is-" Arthur was about to say that J is already married but again, he was stopped when his sister interrupted him. "Oh¡­she''s done!" Trixie said when she heard the crowd behind her claps their hands. Arthur sighed in exasperation. "Wait here." Then she rushed towards the crowd. "Your sister is something," Felix commented while looking at the retreating back of Trixie. "You should make it clear to her who Miss J is," Daniel said with his arms crossed in front of his chest leaning on the chair. After all, it will cause a misunderstanding if Arthur''s sister continued to believe in what she believed in. If Jacob finds out, it will be over for all of them. Arthur''s expression is dark as he looked at his sister. Trixie is currently talking and helping the girl dancer pack up. It turns out that they were friends. They were about to finish their coffee when Lance called J. "I''m on my way to the parking lot." "Okay," J replied. Then they quickly finish their coffee. This time, Trixie is back pulling a girl. J noticed that it is the girl that is dancing earlier. So, they were acquainted? J thought internally. "Are you guys leaving?" Trixie asked when she noticed that they were already finished drinking their coffee. "Yes, Miss Trixie," Felix replied. "Oh, when are you going home?" This time, she looked at Arthur with anticipation. "I''ll call you." was Arthur''s only reply. "Okay." Trixie nodded her head. "By the way, this is my friend and also a teacher at Lotus City University. Her name is Bella. You probably have watched her dance earlier. She is a great dancer." She said, her arms hooked to Bella''s arms, her head tilted towards her with a broad smile. J stared at the Bella, she looked beautiful with flushed face after dancing. There were still visible sweats in her forehead and neck. She doesn''t show any emotions. "This is my brother, Arthur and his friends." Trixie introduces her. Her face was still void of emotions. Felix and Stefan waved their hands to her. "I watched you dance and you looked like a professional. And by the way, your name sounds familiar too. I thought I heard it somewhere." Stefan said with a smile. "Don''t mind him. That is his usual pick up line when he flirts with beautiful girls like you." Felix nudges Stefan then he looked at Arthur who is glaring at them. This time, Bella had a faint smile. J watched them then she lowered her head as a small smile appeared on the corner of her lips. Who knows what she is currently thinking? "And this is J, my future sister-in-law," Trixie said and for a fleeting moment, J noticed a change of emotion in Bella''s face. Was it a surprise or jealousy? But that was just for a short moment. "Trixie!" Arthur stood up. "We''re leaving. Let''s talk." Then he dragged Trixie not far away from them. "Excuse me." For the first time, they heard Bella speaks and she sounds grumpy. The three men looked at each other. Chapter 394 - The Street Vagrant "Miss J is the person that we are protecting and she is the wife of our Boss. So, keep your mouth on a leash and don''t keep on assuming. It might cause you trouble in the future." Arthur said in a low voice while looking at Trixie in front of him. "Oh¡­Is that so? Did I make her angry?" Trixie said as she glanced at J''s direction with a worried expression. But Arthur didn''t hear her. His focus was fixed on a street vagrant slowly approaching the direction of J and his team. Since they were in an open public area were anyone and everyone can pass by, the security of the mall cannot control who enters this area. Arthur''s eyes narrowed at the street vagrant who looked familiar. The look in his eyes was full of hatred and it was directed towards J. He also noticed that he is holding something sharp in his hands which Arthur cannot seem to identify. With that, he quickly runs towards J who is already standing preparing to leave then pulled her behind him. It was a quick move that takes only seconds, Arthur blocked the street vagrant''s right forearm which is about to stab J with a shard of glass with his left forearm and hits him in his leg at the same time. Then Arthur grips his wrist and rotates his body to disarm the street vagrant. Daniel who was closer to J pulled her away and shield her to protect her. Arthur saw that the street vagrant quickly recovered and was about to attack him but he was quick to hit his temple with his left palm then strike the street vagrant''s chin with the other hand. It was a powerful strike that made the street vagrant fall unconscious but not powerful enough to cause a severed artery that could result in a massive brain hemorrhage then later on into a coma or death. Arthur managed to control himself so that he could only knock out the street vagrant and not kill him. The onlookers were amazed at Arthur''s fighting skills and applauded him. He is an expert in Krav Maga. So, he used the knockout pressure point to stop the street vagrant but not kill him. Stefan and Felix quickly checked the street vagrant and upon making sure that he is still alive and just unconscious they take time to look at who dares to attack J in a broad daylight. The street vagrant wears old rugged dirty clothes and he is dirty from head to toe. He doesn''t have shoes or slippers on. His hair and beard are dirty, messy and overgrown. Felix and Stefan studied the man and in an instant, familiarity strikes them. "Damn!" The two looked at each other then to Arthur then to J who is peeking behind Daniel. "It''s CEO Wang!" "Are you sure?" Arthur asked then he takes a closer look. Stefan and Felix nodded their head. Daniel and J followed not worried that CEO Wang would suddenly wake up because that blow that Arthur gave him will definitely put him into a deep slumber for a good few hours. Although not familiar with CEO Wang, J still looked at the street vagrant lying on the floor. She has been abducted by CEO Wang but she never got the chance to see him because she was asleep when she was taken to CEO Wang''s mansion and by the time that she awakes she is already in Jacob''s bed. Chapter 395 - Lance is being a pussy "The security and police are probably on their way. Felix and I will stay to make sure that he will be sent to the Twelve Army Headquarters. You guys should leave first." Daniel said and Arthur actually had the same thought so he nodded his head. Stefan and Arthur lead J way from the CEO Wang towards the mall''s parking area where Lance is waiting for them. On their way, Arthur called Jacob to make a report and inform him Daniel and Felix will be bringing CEO Wang to the headquarters. Not long after, J received a call from Jacob. "Are you okay?" He said with a worried tone. "I''m fine, don''t worry. Not even a scratch." J replied with a small smile. "Should I come to you?" J immediately rejects the idea. She knows how busy Jacob is going back and forth to the CLP Hospital and Twelve Army. "No need. I''m safe. I''ll wait for you at Mt. Celandine later." "Okay." Then Jacob hanged up after making sure that his wife is really safe. At the parking area, J was dumbfounded when she saw Lance with a bouquet of flowers. "What''s this?" She asked with a frown looking at a bouquet of red roses. She saw a note and took out. Nothing is written on it except for the letter L. "I knew you will not bring anything to your sister-in-law so a brought you something. Give this to her." Then he passed the bouquet of roses to her indifferently. "So, you invited me to watch you being a pussy?" J looked at the flowers and smirk. "You should give this on your own." Then she passed the flowers back at him. "Don''t waste my time. Let''s go." If it wasn''t that she promised to meet Jacob at Mt. Celandine later, she would''ve gone home already. Lance scratched the back of his neck. Then he noticed something. "Wait, where are Daniel and Felix?" "They stayed to take CEO Wang to the headquarters." Stefan was the one to reply. "CEO Wang?! He''s here?!" Lance exclaimed and started to panic for J''s welfare. "He was. And has been knocked out." Then Stefan reiterated what happened at the coffee shop to Lance. "Are you okay?" Lance asked worriedly and checked every inch of her in an exaggerated way. J rolled her eyes in irritation. "Are you done? Can we go now?" ¡­.. J fell asleep on their way to Mt. Celandine. She only got a few hours of sleep because she waited last night for Jacob and when he arrived, he never let her sleep just yet. She was awakened only when Stefan speaks. "Miss J. We''re almost there." They were driving the black bulletproofed sedan following Lance''s SUV. Mt. Celandine is a protected reserve area and 90% of its forest is considered as a virgin forest means it has never been explored or exploited by humans. Only a small part of the forest at the foot of the mountain is inhabited by a small group of community. Not far away from that community is a luxurious eco-tourism hotel that promotes tourism at Mt. Celandine and also the awareness of the importance of protecting the mountain. It is where Lily and the rest of the production crew stays. On their way to the community where the filming takes place, the road is not paved nor rough. It is not smooth nor bumpy. But the scenery is breathtaking. There were century-old trees that were wrapped with green moss. Vines were hanging on it. The chirping of birds and crickets surrounds the forest. It doesn''t seem like a community resided there at all. Chapter 396 - Stefan mocks Lance J remembers that Diana was born and grew up here. She wonders where she lives. She should''ve been very lucky to grow up in this kind of place, but J knew about Diana''s childhood and this place although peaceful has been part of her nightmare once. Fortunately, the good memories outnumbered the bad memories and Diana was still able to return to this place with her son. Finally, they arrived in the community. There were not more than 50 houses in the community and mostly situated far from each other. You can rarely see a house that sits beside each other. Not far away is the shooting venue of Lily''s movie. Their car stops in a temporary parking slot provided for the production crew and the artist. Lance came to help her get out of the car then they walked towards the set followed by Arthur and Stefan. It was muddy, probably the rain poured heavily in this area while back in Lotus City, it was only a drizzle. Fortunately, the road on the way up there is not that muddy at all because it is composed mostly of rocks. The crew saw the newcomer and started to murmur to each other when they saw Lance arrived with a beautiful familiar girl. Some of them thought that they have seen her before but they cannot seem to remember who is she. Lily who is having her make up heard the commotion and turned to look at the source of the commotion. To her delight, she saw her sister-in-law and rushed towards her ignoring the fact that she arrives with Lance, the person that she is avoiding. "Sis!" She exclaimed then she pounced on her. J returned the hug with a smile. She was surprised that Lily acknowledge her in front of the crew and other artists. The fact that her identity as a Parker still remains a secret so she thought that Lily would just pretend that she didn''t know her when until no one is looking. But the moment she saw her, she immediately runs towards her and called her sis. "Aren''t you afraid that someone would recognize me and ask what is your relation with me?" J said in a low voice only for Lily to hear. "Of course, someone would probably recognize you and they will ask my relationship with you. That''s simple. I will just say, that you are a friend of mine. That we are so close together that we even treat each other like sisters." Lily released J from her hug and wink at her. "It''s been a couple of weeks since I last see you. Well except for the last time that we had dinner at the mansion. I intended to leave as soon as possible to avoid any encounter with you and Andrew. By the way, I am sorry about that." Lily said without even bothering who is around them. Lance heard what she said and slightly frowned. So, she had already taken that man into their house and introduced him to her family? He thought internally. "Oh, come. Let''s have a seat. The travel is long. I know you are tired." Lily pulled her away ignoring Lance who was left behind. Arthur followed them while scanning the whole place while Stefan was left with Lance. Stefan takes a step and stands side by side with Lance. As an expert with girls, Stefan pitied Lance. He has already seen thru Lance''s eyes that he liked Lily but struggle to keep it in. "Tsk. Looks like Miss Lily is planning to settle down. How about you?" Stefan mocked him before he left. Chapter 397 - Autograph "You!" Lance clenched his fist and cursed behind Stefan. He was obviously pushing him to start acting. They were sitting in a director''s chair chatting merrily when one of the artists approach them. "Miss Lily, isn''t she the wife of the CEO of CLP Group of Hospital? And also, the famous racer Black Heiress? I''ve seen her in the news before." The artist is younger than Lily and seemed to be starting to be a fangirl of J. Although she was kind of hesitant when she asked, she does seem to be certain of J. "Yes, she is. She''s a very close friend of mine." Lily nodded with a smile. J though felt a little embarrassed gave the girl a small smile. The little artist''s smile reached up to her ears. "Does that mean you are a friend of President Jacob Parker as well? Will we be able to see him here today?" Lily frowned, it is quite obvious that this little artist has a crush on her brother. "No, he is not my friend. Only his wife here. And no, he is not coming here." "Oh.." J saw the disappointed look on the girl''s face. She was surprised that even a little artist that is only about 18 or 19 can be charmed by her husband. "In that case, can I have an autograph with Black Heiress?" The little artist wasn''t sure how to address J so she called her by her nickname as Black Heiress instead. J was taken aback. "Uhm¡­I am sorry but, I don''t give an autograph." Although she doesn''t want to disappoint the girl for the second time around, she still rejects it. She is not a celebrity to give an autograph. "How about a picture with you? We can have it with Miss Lily. My big brother is a big fan of yours. Actually, he is a big fan of JK but after you won that race and took off your helmet, he immediately jumped to your wall and keeps on saying that he is in love with you. He even watched your race at the Lotus City Motor Speedway. I will show him our picture and brag to him that you visited our set. He will not believe me if I don''t have an autograph or a picture." The girl is persistent and J doesn''t have the heart to reject her. It was only a picture anyway. Though J looked cold on the outside, she has always been warm in the inside but she rarely shows it. Lily sighed. "Okay, let''s do it! Just one shot okay?!" Because if my brother finds out, I am surely dead. Lily thought internally. Later on, Lily left J to start filming. J was now watching with Lance. Arthur and Stefan were with them as well. J get bored and suddenly remembered something. She leaned closer to Lance and asked. "Do you know The Children of Mt. Celandine?" Lance looked at her and nodded his head. "Yes, it is not too far from here. Is it about the auction?" Arthur and Stefan heard them and looked at each other. "Yes, can you take us there?" J asked with firmness, not accepting a no for an answer. Lance looked hesitant, he doesn''t want to leave because of Lily but he knew that J and even Arthur were not familiar with the place so, he had no choice and nodded his head. The four of them left but before that, J sent Lily a message that Lance is just going to tour her around the community and that they will be back later to stay at the hotel with Jacob. Lily again felt disappointed. Lance priority has always been her sister-in-law. Although it is not reasonable to get jealous, she is jealous of her sister-in-law. Chapter 398 - The Children of Mt. Celandine Soon they reached a 3-story house. It is actually what you can consider as the most decent house in the area. It is not gated nor secluded, in fact, anyone in the community can go in and out of the house. To J''s surprise, it is not actually an orphanage as they previously thought. It is an organization run by the Como family that provides support to the children of Mt. Celandine. They teach children that cannot be sent to school by their parent. They also provide them their basic needs like foods, clothes, medicines and sometimes even shelter. When they enter the house, they saw a couple of children running in and out of the house, playing. They look around and they saw outside the house under a big tree a group of five children being taught how to read by a girl which is about 18 or 19 years old. The community doesn''t have its own school. The nearest school is about 15 km from the community. If you drive from the school to the community, it will take them around 1 hour. But, most of the family in that community doesn''t have a car. If they try to go to school on foot, it will take them 3 hours. So, most parents choose not to send their children to school. The community leader already asked for a school to the government but the funding has not been approved yet. The first floor of the house looked like a classroom and playroom at the same time. There were three rooms that J couldn''t guess its purpose. They were strolling around when one of the rooms opens to reveal a young-looking woman in her mid-20''s. She wears a moss green short-sleeves maxi dress with a white tassel necklace. Her hair is neatly tied up in a bun and she is wearing a black-rimmed glass. She doesn''t look strict but her face is void of any emotions. She pushed up her glasses as she looked at each one of them with curiosity. J looked at Lance. And Lance, as if on cue started to speak. "Good morning, we are sorry for intruding. This is The Children of Mt. Celandine, right?" Lance speaks with uncertainty thou he was certain after passing there a couple of times that it is The Children of Mt. Celandine. "Yes. Is there anything I can help you with sir?" The woman looked at Lance then to J and Arthur and Stefan who were standing behind them. Lance takes another step and reached out his hands. "I am Lance Kho. A lawyer from Lotus City." The woman reached out for his hand with a cocked head. "And these are my friends from Lotus City." "You are with the production team that is filming a movie around here, right? I have seen you around a couple of times. But this is the first time that I''ve seen them." The woman looked at Lance then to J. Lance gave her a smile. "You are right, this is their first time here." The woman nodded. "By the way, I am Stephanie Como. You can call me Steph. May I know the reason for your visit?" Steph asked. It is very rare for them to have a visitor since that community is quite far from the town she doubts if they intentionally come there to particularly visit them. Lance and J looked at each other. "We have heard about The Children of Mt. Celandine from GBC Auction Ball." "Oh.." was the girl''s only reply. Chapter 399 - It isn’t an Orphanage "We shouldn''t remain standing here. This way please." Then Steph leads them to the room where she came from. Once inside the room, J looked around. The room looks like a family room. There were two blue sofas at the center. On one corner is an office desk. On one side of the wall is a bookshelf, on the other side is a white drawer. The walls were filled with photos, some were black and white while somewhere colored. J guessed that this must be the family''s personal space. "Please have a seat. What do you want to drink? Coffee, tea, juice?" Steph busied herself getting glasses at one of the drawers. On top of the drawer was a coffee maker machine, a pitcher of water and glass containers. "Just water, please. Thank you." Lance replied. Soon, Steph places a tray with glasses of water in a coffee table in front of them. J took a glass and sips from it. "This isn''t an orphanage." She said as she puts back the glass of water to the coffee table. Steph was taken aback. This is the first time that J speaks since she came and she sounds intimidating. Lance cleared his throat and forced a smile. "Uhm¡­What she meant is that, we thought that this is an orphanage. Because it is what''s been stated by GBC Auction Ball''s website." "We are indeed registered as an orphanage, but our main purpose is to provide support and basic needs to the children of Mt. Celandine since most of the children here have a family of their own. Thou we are keeping a couple of kids here but not because they are abandoned but because their parents are away working. We also have a couple of kids here that are really orphans and is permanently residing here." Sitting in one of the armchairs, Steph said with her arms crossed to each other. J finally understands. But this organization doesn''t look like they needed a lot of funding. She thought internally. Which is the same as Lance''s thoughts? "So, you are one of GBC Auction Ball''s beneficiary. May I know what was your proposal?" Lance asked. Every organization who wished to be GBC Auction Ball''s beneficiary must submit a proposal indicating how are they going to use that one-time grant from the said Charity Auction. Steph furrowed her brows. "May I know sir, are you from GBC Auction Ball?" Lance smiled charmingly. He sensed that Steph has started to suspect them so he is starting to use his charm. "No. Actually Miss J here has been regularly giving donations to different orphanage around the country and this happens to be the first time that she had heard of The Children of Mt. Celandine. So, she wanted to know about the organization and your needs." Steph looked at J and seemed to be calculating her. J stared back without blinking. Finally, Steph lowered her head. "The Children of Mt. Celandine was founded by my parents 20 years ago. Both of them were born here but their parents both died in a landslide that happened not far away from here while trying to salvage their crops before a storm destroys it. Since then, they became an orphan and were sent into an orphanage in Lotus City. But, 20 years ago, they went back here and establish The Children of Mt. Celandine." "They build this house for them. Although, five years ago, I and my sister decided to settle here to manage The Children of Mt. Celandine." Chapter 400 - We don’t need anything "Where are your parents now?" J asked. "They lived in town and they work in Lotus City. My father is an engineer in a construction firm while my mother is a college professor." "So, is there anything that The Children of Mt. Celandine is lacking so we could be of help?" "Actually, we don''t lack in anything. My parents have a lot of friends back in the city that have been regularly sending donations. They send food packs, money and medicine. There were books and school supplies that the school and its students where my mom teaches were sending monthly. We don''t have a lot of children here." "As I''ve said, we are not actually an orphanage. We only provide supports to the children of this community but not most of the time that we are the ones feeding them. The main source of living of the community is farming crops, if they have food to feed their children, they provide. They don''t solely depend on us. But, if they don''t have crops to harvest and food to provide their children, then that is the time that we help them." J and Lance looked at each other with furrowed brows. "Then, why did you apply to be GBC Auction Ball''s beneficiary?" Lance asked. "It is not us who applied. It was my aunt?" "You''re aunt?" "Yes, my mom''s step sister. I don''t know why my aunt apply for that but it was between my mom and my aunt. They said that we need that funding. I am in no place to ask why." Steph said then shrugged her shoulders. Steph toured them around the house. They also met her younger sister Valerie who is the young girl they saw teaching five kids to read under a tree. They found out that the two of them were actually licensed teacher. J realized that if there is anything that The Children of Mt. Celandine needed, it is probably a formal school. A school building is not necessary because they already have their 3-storey house that functions as a school, they don''t need a big school building because the community is not that big. And they also have two teachers there. What they need is to be acknowledged by the Ministry of Education as a formal school. "Miss, do you want me to coordinate with the Ministry of Education?" Arthur asked J while walking on their way to the hotel. By that time, the filming has already packed up and most of the crew and artist were already back at the hotel. "Not yet, let''s wait for the result of Felix''s investigation." "The aunt that Steph is talking about is Aivy, right? Then, she must''ve falsified the information of The Children of Mt. Celandine so that it could pass the strict requirements of GBC Auction Ball. Because if you compare it to other beneficiaries or even the other organization who applied, they would look like a meager organization." Stefan said while walking behind Arthur. "But GBC Auction Ball is not just some petty organization. Why would they approve The Children of Mt. Celandine? If the information about The Children of Mt. Celandine that Aivy submitted were false, the GBC Auction Ball would definitely see through it." Lance said as he rubs his chin. Their thought was all the same. One committee of the Charity Auction is probably working with Aivy in favor of The Children of Mt. Celandine. Chapter 401 - The black suitcase When they reached the hotel, J was surprised to see Jacob waiting at the lobby. His brows knitted and his face was grim. "Where were you?" Although he already knew that they were at The Children of Mt. Celandine from Arthur, he still asked. And his question was directed to Lance. "I am sorry that it took us long to return." Lance said like a tender sheep. He wanted to retaliate but remembers that he still has to get Jacob''s good side in order for him to get Lily. Although, Jacob is not in favor of Andrew, he never said that he is in favor of him. So, he still has to work hard. "It''s not their fault. Did you wait for long?" J asked wanting to ease Jacob''s black mood. "Obviously. And I cannot contact your phone." But his reply was still grumpy. "Oh¡­ my battery''s dead." She said apologetically. "Can we get a room now? I''m tired." J pursed her lips, her eyes looked a bit sleepy. Jacob sigh. That got him. He can''t bear seeing his wife being tired. "I already got us a room. Let''s go." Then he grasped J''s hand and led her outside the hotel. J furrowed her brows and looked at him confused. "Aren''t we going to our room yet?" Jacob looked at her with a smile. Finally, J thought to herself. She finally saw his dazzling smile. "We are. You''ll see." Lance already went to his room while Jacob already got a room for Arthur and Stefan. Their room should not be far away from Jacob and J''s. After a couple of minutes, they reached one of the hotel''s private luxury cabins. When they stopped at the front door J looked at Jacob with a raised brow. "You rented a luxury cabin? We are not staying here for two days, aren''t we?" "No, we are not. But if you want to, we can stay a day or two." Jacob stayed as he opened the door of the cabin. When they entered the cabin, J is tempted to extend their stay for a day or two. The cabin is a luxurious open floor with a roaring fireplace at one corner and a scenic background of the virgin forest of Mt. Celandine behind a wide floor to ceiling window that is elegantly draped. There were two Jensen chairs near the fireplace with a coffee table in front. The cabin has its own rustic kitchen and dining area and a balcony with a view of Mt. Celandine. A wooden staircase leads to the attic master''s bedroom where a wooden king size bed rested at the center. J wanted to drag her tired body to the bed upon seeing it. The whole place is warm and cozy, the interior and lighting makes it romantic. "Go take a shower. I''ll order our food." J heard Jacob speaks from behind. "Okay." J took out a black suitcase that Jacob brought from home. Jacob diligently packed them a change of clothes for this short and sudden out of town trip. When she saw what Jacob had prepared for her, she can''t help but curse. "Damn!" That pervert! She really can''t entrust him when it comes to the clothes that she should wear. Actually, Jacob is not very particular with the way J dress herself. In fact, he liked the way she dressed, simple and casual yet elegant. But when it comes to her sleepwear, Jacob is quite obsessed with seeing her in a sexy sleepwear. And of course, Jacob wouldn''t want this romantic atmosphere to go to waste. Chapter 402 - A romantic dinner Jacob prepared two sleepwear for her. She took out the first one, it is a black satin nightie with lace detail, v-neckline, sleeveless, bareback and flared hem. The other one has the same design but comes in a nude color. Both were paired with a satin robe. J wondered where did Jacob get these things? J choose the black nightie and took it together with the robe in the bathroom. It took her 30 minutes in the bathroom and she almost fell asleep at the bathtub. She heard a knock on the door and heard Jacob called out to her. "Hon, aren''t you done? Dinner is here." J opened her eyes and said. "I''m coming." She takes out a clean white towel from a drawer to dry her hair and another one to dry her body. Then she changed into the nightie and covered herself with the black robe before she opened the door of the bathroom without noticing how seductive she looks in that nightie. She saw Jacob sitting in an armchair near the bed purposely waiting for her. J ignore his lecherous gaze and walked towards the vanity mirror to comb her hair. Jacob approached her and wrapped his arms around her from her back. "Should we skip dinner?" He asked coquettishly. J felt his lips brushed her ears and his warm breath touched her bare neck. Her back is touching Jacob''s chest. She felt her blood crept up to her face, her breath shallow and her knees feeble. Jacob''s hands started to explore her body which is currently covered with a thin satin. He watched through the vanity mirror as J''s cheeks turned pink, her lips that are partly open is full and inviting. J closed her eyes and take a deep breath to calm her emotions. Jacob knows J very well and he knew exactly what she is doing so he lowered his head and started to nibble on her pearly white neck as one of his arms cupped one of her breasts. "Damnit, Jacob!" J felt short of breath but she still managed to brush away Jacob''s arms. Jacob laughed at J''s reaction. Her face looks irritated but her voice says otherwise. "Okay. Okay. Let''s have dinner." He turned J around making her face him. He lifted her chin and kissed her on her lips. "We''ll continue later and I won''t take no for an answer. Anyway, I know you wanted me too." J blushed at his words. Their dinner was set in the dining table for two at the balcony of the cabin. The ambiance was romantic due to the lighting and the serenity of the night. The cloudless night sky is quiet except for the hooting of owls from a distant. On the table, Jacob ordered a lightly crumbed fish fillet with baked potato wedges and season vegetables for J. While he ordered oven-roasted chicken breast with herb and onion stuffing and traditional gravy, served with roasted vegetables and cauliflower mornay. Jacob also ordered a white wine made of green-skinned grapes that goes perfectly with their light dinner. J looked at the table and felt warm inside. She never had this kind of romantic dinner before and she was so happy that she could have this kind of dinner with Jacob. She silently hoped that she could have more of this in the future with Jacob. Jacob pulled a chair and helped her sit on it. Then he takes his own sit. Chapter 403 - Zesty They started eating dinner as they chat about what happened earlier that day at The Children of Mt. Celandine and they have found out when J suddenly remembered the incident at the shopping plaza with CEO Wang. "By the way, is CEO Wang now in the Twelve Army Headquarters?" she asked Jacob as she takes a bite of baked potato wedge. Jacob''s face darkened for a moment before he raised his head to look at J with a smile. "Honey, let''s not ruin the atmosphere. Okay" "Oh..Okay." She nodded her head. She understands that Jacob doesn''t want to talk about CEO Wang at the moment. J didn''t believe that CEO Wang went missing. After finding out about the chambers at the basement of Twelve Army Headquarters, she realized that Jacob must''ve imprisoned CEO Wang in one of those chambers and just release him to be a street vagrant recently when he already lost his sanity. But she wonders why did CEO Wang attack her at the shopping plaza? Did he somehow still recognize her even thou he already lost his sanity? Or is he just pretending that he lost his sanity so that Jacob would release him? They were now drinking white wine. J is relishing the refreshing subtle savory taste of the wine when her phone rings. She looked at it and saw that it was Lance calling. She answered the call and noticed the grim expression of Jacob. She knew that Jacob still has envy towards Lance and she somehow felt like smiling. Jacob averted his gaze and looked at the dark forest instead while sipping his white wine. "Hello?" J speaks on the phone. "J I am about to confess. Do you think she will accept me?" She heard Lance from the other line. It sounds windy from Lance''s location so she assumed that he is probably in a much higher location and outside of the hotel. Although J didn''t put in on a speaker, Jacob still heard him and his annoyance reached a higher level. Lance is about to confess to his sister yet he is still calling his wife! He snatched the phone to J and said to Lance in an irritated tone. "You do whatever you planned to do, why do you have to mess with another couple''s night. Don''t you feel ashamed?!" Then he hanged up. J laughed at Jacob''s childish act. "What are you doing?" "That asshole!" But Jacob''s irritation was quickly dissipated when he saw J''s mesmerizing smile. Her cheeks were pinkish probably the effect of the wine. Without much thought, he quickly downed his wine and carry her back to the master''s bedroom to continue what he started earlier. The king-size bed dipped when Jacob laid her down as he kissed her. He could still taste the unique zesty taste of the white wine that she drank earlier. J didn''t notice how Jacob managed to remove the robe from her before he laid her down to the bed. She could now feel his warm hands explore her heated body until it settled on one of her breasts and played with her buds. She let out a moan. She liked this sensation and she knew that their night will be long and tiring. When Jacob part his lips away from J to catch their breath, she takes this opportunity to make a suggestion. "How about we stay for another day?" She said in a low and raspy voice because she doubts if she will be able to get up from bed tomorrow. Jacob''s lips curved into a smile. "Of course, Honey. As you wish." Then Jacob busied his lips again and this time it traveled all over her body as if it was what she requested. Chapter 404 - Should I go? Meanwhile, Lance is sitting in the Viewing Bench waiting for Lily. Earlier he asked Sarah to tell Lily that he will be waiting for her at the Viewing Bench at around 8 pm. He chooses to confess there not only because the Viewing Bench has a romantic ambiance at night but also because it has been a special part of them. It is already 8:15 and he is getting anxious. He has always been optimistic but this time, he already starts to doubt if Lily will come. He was overwhelmed with excitement that he forgot that these past weeks, Lily has been avoiding him, so the chance of her showing up is getting slimmer as time goes by. Back at the hotel, Lily is pacing back and forth inside her hotel room contemplating whether she should go or not. "I think you should go," Sarah said while watching Lily pace back and forth as she sits in Lily''s bed. She is starting to get dizzy by just looking at her. "Why should I go?" Lily stopped and said to Sarah. "Because I know you want to," Sarah said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Come on! You can''t hide anything from me. I know you love him so why would you hold back." "Because he doesn''t even like me! Why would I chase someone that doesn''t even know that I exist?!" Lily''s voice was a little irritated. Sarah sighed. "I am not telling you to chase after him. He is the one that asked for you to see him so why not see him. You were the one that wanted to talk to him before but since then you started to avoid him. And now that he asked for you, why not take this chance and talk to him. What if you just had a misunderstanding?" Lily looked at Sarah who started to stand up from her bed. She watched as she went to the closet and pick out a casual two-toned hooded jacket. "Why would he want to see me?" Lily asked in a daze. "You''ll never know if you don''t go," Sarah said then walks towards her. "Here, wear this. I guess the wind is stronger at the Viewing Bench. Of all the places why would Mr. Kho asked you to meet him there." Sarah said as she helped Lily wear the jacket without even confirming if she will go or not. Right. Why would he ask for me to see him at the Viewing Bench? That was the last place they have interacted. Lily thought to herself. The way up the Viewing Bench is windy, Lily put up the hood of her jacket to hold her already long bob cut hair that''s been getting into her eyesight because of the wind. The road going there is well lit, so she didn''t bother the darkness that surrounds the whole place. Finally, she reached the Viewing Bench catching her breath. It was the same as the way it is when she lasts went there. And that was when she got drunk and cried and fell asleep in Lance''s shoulders. The place was surrounded by solar-powered lantern lights making it romantic. A bench is sitting on a deck, on it is Lance staring at the cloudless night sky. His curly hair has been disheveled by the strong winds. Lily felt her chest tightening and that something is blocking her throat. She takes a deep breath and gulp before she speaks. "Mr. Kho, you asked for me?" She tried to say casually but she failed to hide the nervousness in her voice. Chapter 405 - Silently Missing Each other Lance was startled when he heard Lily''s voice. He stood up and turned to see her standing not far from the bench. Lily is wearing jeans, sneakers and a hooded jacket. She looked young and carefree, Lance thought. Her hair is hidden underneath the hood of her jacket. Her hands were inside the front pocket of her hooded jacket. It''s been weeks since he heard her speaks to him directly. And just now he realized how much he missed her even thou they only had little interaction before. The longest being the last time and he regrets that he had to leave early that day. Although he was about 80% certain of what he feels towards Lily that time, he still doesn''t want to make a commitment yet. But he was certain that he wanted to know her more and get closer to her. Who would''ve thought that since that night, Lily will start avoiding him and the next thing knows is that she is already dating someone? That is something that he never has foreseen. He was too focused on what he only feels and forgot to consider that although Lily has an affection towards him someone might catch her attention and her affection might be diverted towards another person. Lily is one of the most sought-after celebrities in the country. She has that beauty and personality that can make everyone fall in love with her. "You came." Lance finally said after staring unbelievably at Lily. He almost lost hope that she will come. "Yeah. Sorry, I had to make you wait. Andrew called and I cannot just drop that call in an instant because being in the military, he was too busy to make a call and it was very rare for him to have time. So, when he does, we make the most out of it." Lily said as she walks towards the bench. She noticed a slight frown in Lance''s face that made her flinch. When she got close to him, she noticed a bouquet of red roses sitting on the bench. But she quickly averted her gaze. She doesn''t want to make an assumption and get hurt in the end. Although she doesn''t know yet who is sending her flowers, at the back of her mind she subconsciously hopes that it was the man in front of her. Considering the letter L in the note. It gives her a little hope. She looked at Lance who is standing in front of her but she can''t stand his intense stare. She felt nervous and realized that since that night at the same spot a couple of weeks ago she has never been this close to him. She suddenly became uncomfortable at the thought of the man that she has been dreaming yet keeps on avoiding this past couple of weeks. Without an invitation, Lily takes a seat on the bench because she is not sure how long is she going to have the energy to stand in front of him. Lance whose hands were in his pocket take out one of his hands to brush his hair that has been disheveled by the strong winds. Lily stared at the dark mountain in front of her and started to speak to break the awkward silence between the two of them. "I wonder why would Mr. Kho choose to call me in this place. The place is dark and windy. Who knows what kind of dangerous animals lurk around here? If we are going to talk about the film, we could always have it at the hotel''s lobby or restaurant." Lily tried to act and speak naturally and she is getting the hang of it until Lance made a reply. Chapter 406 - A Special Place "Because this place is special to me," Lance said in a serious tone as he keeps on staring Lily''s face that is obviously avoiding to look at him. Lily suddenly became speechless. She didn''t know how to reply. This place is special to her as well because that night is the only time that she felt that Lance cared for her. But why would this place become special to him as well? She wanted to ask but she doesn''t have the courage to hear his reply. So, she remained quiet and think of a topic to divert their conversation. "Aren''t you going to ask me why?" Lance asked. Damn! Why are you torturing me?! Lily thought internally. "He-He." Lily tried to laugh. "That is your personal matter, Mr. Kho. I don''t have the right to get involved." "Unless the matter concerns you, you have every right to get involve." Lance''s eyes never leave Lily''s face watching every reaction of hers. And he knows she is fighting every urge to shout at him. What the heck are you talking about?! Lily is screaming inside. Lily forced a smile. She raised her head to look at him but avoided his eyes. "I am sure you didn''t call me here to talk about your private matter. So, what''s it? It is getting cold out here and it is not good for both of us." Indeed, it is. Lance thought internally. Although he told Sarah that he will be waiting at 8 pm, he arrived as early as 7 pm and Lily came around 9 pm. So, he has been there for more than two hours now wearing only a white dress shirt and black ankle-length trousers not enough to protect him from the cold gust of wind. Did she ever realized that, and yet here she is, keeps on avoiding the topic that he wanted to open up and doesn''t even want to look into his eyes. Lance scolded Lily in his thought. He sighed and takes a seat at the bench beside her. "How long are you going to avoid me?" Lance said feeling dejected. That is the only time he showed emotion since Lily came. At first, he was audacious to face and confess to Lily but seeing her adamantly avoiding his gaze he felt crestfallen. Lily froze in place. She bit her lips that started to tremble. Does he know that I am avoiding him? Seeing that she is not going to answer, Lance forced as a smile. "You didn''t think that I would notice, did you?" This time, Lily''s blood crept up to her face all at once. Did he notice? She thought he didn''t and thought that he wouldn''t care at all. "You really thought I didn''t care about you, at all?" Lance asked sarcastically. Lance leaned his back to the bench and takes a deep breath as he recalls the first time they met. "The first time that we met at that coffee shop for a meeting, I wondered, are you really the Lily that my friend Bob is talking about? Because he said that you are friendly, bubbly and carefree. But it doesn''t seem like it." Lily turned to look at him, she wanted to say that she became speechless that time because she had fallen in love at first sight to him. "The next moment, I saw you looking tensed, pale and disoriented at the parking lot. I was worried when you drive away in that condition so I secretly followed you until I saw you entered the compound of an apartment building. I never left until I was sure that you were safe." Lance chuckled when he finally realized something. "What am I thinking back then? Why would I secretly follow you?" Chapter 407 - Lance Takes Care of her Lily was flustered and finally had a voice to question him. "If you followed me that day, then you already know my address. Why did you still ask my address from Sarah the night that I got drunk at Rendezvous?" "Right. That night your friends left you drunk to me. I still had to call Sarah to inform her that you will be taken home by me. I even pretended that I didn''t know your address to avoid suspicions." "Oh.," Lily said then she lowered her head. He really thought it well. She thought internally. "I am surprised that you are Jacob''s brother and my best friend''s sister-in-law. Actually, it doesn''t concern me at all. In fact, I was glad that somehow, we have that kind of connection." Lily smiled as she started to feel at ease. "I thought my brother will kill you that night." Lance chuckled. "He wouldn''t dare. We didn''t even talk about you that night. All we talked about is his wife. Your brother is a sensible man. He knew that I am not in the wrong and that I meant no harm towards you." Lily snapped her head to look at him. This time, she was able to look into his eyes that stared out in the darkness. What does he mean? She thought to herself. When he turned to look at her, she instantly dropped her head and busied her hands with the hem of her jacket. Lance stared at Lily who is sitting beside him. He takes another deep breath. "The night of the gala, I saw that you were drinking. When I called J, I told her that you were drinking in the hope that she or Jacob would stop you. Because even if I don''t want to see you drinking, I know I don''t have the right to stop you." "In the end, I went upstairs and thought that Sarah would control you. But I was never at ease. So, I still went back to look for you only to find that you were missing. Do you know how scared I was? I never felt that scared before." Lance said as if he could still feel that fear that he felt that night. Lily bit her lips. Her tears were already swelling but she tried to control her tears. He cared for me. That was the thought that keeps repeating in her mind that moment. "When I finally found you, you were crying and keeps on saying that I don''t care about you. How could you say that I don''t care about you? Were you that narrow-minded that you only believe in what you wanted to believe in without even considering my thoughts?" Lance sounds angry and resentful. "Is it not?" Is it really? Does he really care about me? Lily thought looking at Lance''s side profile. Her eyes were turning red and glossy. "It''s not! I mean it is! I¡­" Lance raised his voice in irritation. He felt misjudged. "You didn''t know how much I cared about you because you were either disoriented, drunk or asleep. And this time, you started avoiding me. So, how would you know?" Lance looked at Lily and their eyes met. Seeing that Lily is about to cry, Lance became conscious of his words and his tone. "When you fell asleep here, I let you sleep in my shoulder. I didn''t make a move because I am afraid that it would wake you. I make sure to look after you so that if you move, you won''t fall. I kept my eyes open and didn''t dare to fall asleep so that I could watch over you and prevent mosquitoes to ever touch you." Lance''s voice was so gentle that this time, Lily could not hold on a tear that fell on her cheeks. Chapter 408 - Holding Back "Why are you saying these things to me?" One tear followed by another started flowing down from her eyes. She was now filled with mixed emotions. "Because you are being unfair Lily! I want to open up your mind so that you could see other possible things." Lance sounds aggrieved and this made Lily felt worst. She regretted that she ignored and avoided him. She should have waited for him. She should have talked to him. "How could you just started to avoid me without even talking to me about what happened?" Lance felt that Lily wasted a good few weeks that they were supposed to be getting closer. But somehow, he knows that he is also partly to blame. If only he tried and talk to her earlier. Being too meticulous has a disadvantage as well. Because, while you were still trying to make sure that what you feel towards someone is truly love and not just a short-term infatuation, you will realize that that someone has already been stolen from you. By the time you were sure, you already missed your chance. "I.." Lily tried to say a word in between her tears that had already turned into soft sobs. "Because you believe that I don''t care." Lance finished the words that Lily could not say. But Lily shook her head because it was not what she was trying to say. She wanted to apologize but she cannot form a word. She felt a lump in her throat and her crying is making it worse. "I always cared about you. Back then, I already liked you. But I won''t commit just because I like you. I might only hurt you in the end." Lance looked at Lily who was crying. God knows how much he wanted to hug her that moment. He felt his heart-tugging at her state. "But now, I don''t just like you Lilybeth. I''m in love with you. And you made me realize that when you started avoiding me and dating another man." Lily raised her head and looked at Lance who is looking at her affectionately. Did she hear it right? He loves her and he even called her by her real name? Damn, no one has ever called her by her real name as sweet as he did. Her tears-filled eyes were wide in astonishment. "I thought you like me?" She heard Lance asked her and she wanted to shout out ''I do!'' but she suddenly remembers something. "Aren''t you a little bit late?" She and Andrew were already dating and their parents arranged for it. Both families have already approved of it. "Am I?" Lance looked at her inquiring. Lily wanted to pounce on him and hug him and never let him go. "I love you Lilybeth." Lance''s words were so gentle. Thou it was not a question, Lily knew that he is waiting for an answer. "Damn you." Was Lily''s only reply. Lance frowned. "I confessed and you''re reply is ''damn you''?" This girl is really something. "Am I really that late?" Lily was already starting to calm down but her emotions were still unstable. "Andrew and I¡­" She wanted to say that she and Andrew don''t actually have a relationship and were only making it appear so to please their parents but Lance beat her to it. "I know that you and Andrew were just friends. I already made a background check of the man. I was not your sister-in-law''s right-hand man for nothing. I already talked to your brother and he is not in favor of Andrew, thou he is not also in favor of me at least he gave me an approval to pursue you. And I also talked to your parents and asked their permission to pursue you, I know they were the one who matchmakes you with Andrew but luck is on my side and they gave me their blessing. So, there is no reason for you to hold back." Lance said confidently. Chapter 409 - Lance’s Punishment Lily stared at him with mouth gaping. Did he really do that before all this? He background checked Andrew, talked to her brother and to her parents like a man should do before he pursues her? She felt that her heart is about to explode inside its cage. "So?" Lance asked her when he noticed that she is not making any sound. But Lily remained silently staring at him. After another minute. "My god Lilybeth! Can''t you say a word?" Lance is getting a little impatient. "Or two?" His brows scrunched together. "I hate you¡­" Lily finally made a word but in made his jaw fell to the ground but only for a second. "But I love you. I never stopped thinking of you." As she says these words her tears that she thought were already dry started to flood again her eyes. "Good." After what Lance felt like the longest hours of his life, he smiled. He felt like a big rock was taken out of his chest. He felt immense joy that he almost run out of words. "Good?" Lily looked at him with confusion. Was that really what he should reply? "Come here." Lance reached out his two hands to dry the tears in her cheeks that turned red by that time using his thumbs. Lily frowned but then she noticed that Lance''s face is getting closer to her. But before he could close that distance, she heard him say in a soft voice. "Such a crybaby." A small smile appeared on his lips before he kissed her. Her hood falls behind her head to reveal her messy bob cut hair. Lily''s eyes widened. Lance is kissing her! But before she could close her eyes and regain from shock, Lance pulled away and speaks to her now opened lips. "That is your punishment for avoiding me." Before Lily could respond, he kissed her again. "That is for misjudging me." Then he kissed her again. Lily realized that he is teasing her so she remained steady and wait until he is done. "And this¡­" "Is for being such a crybaby." He said before giving her another kiss. This time, Lily pulled herself away from his kiss with a frown. "Why would you punish me for being a crybaby." "Because your tears torment me," Lance said with no inhibitions. After he confessed, he became more open with his feelings towards Lily. Lily felt her heart melt. It is now her turn to give her man his punishment. But hers was a real kiss. Lance was surprised when Lily put her arms around his neck. She already made a comfortable position on the bench so that she could kiss him comfortably. Her kiss was soft until Lance kissed her back. It was Lily who initiated that kiss but Lance somehow managed to turn the table and it was now him who is leading her into a deep and intense kiss. Lance''s demanding mouth wanting more, parted Lily''s lips. Lily felt Lance''s wet tongue explored her mouth until it met hers and it made her let out a moan. Lance heard her silent moan and it made him want for more but he knew he can''t. Not yet. Not here. He thought internally. This girl is making him crazy. After a couple of minutes of passionate kissing, they stopped to catch their breath but their face remained close to each other. Lance''s forehead is resting on Lily''s. Lily closed her eyes still trying to catch her breath. "That was supposed to be a punishment for taking too long to realize that you love me." Chapter 410 - Lance’s Moral Values Lance chuckled at her words. "That was sweet punishment thou." Lily pulled herself away from him and pouted her lips. "Dear, if I told you I love you then, later on, tell you I don''t love you anymore, it will only hurt you." He is such a gentleman that he doesn''t want to hurt a woman by giving them false hope. "Then why did you break up with your previous girlfriends if you were so sure that you love them?" Lily said with a raised brow. Lance was taken aback. He didn''t know how to reply to Lily''s question. "Does that mean that you still love all of them?" This time, Lily''s tone is accusing. "No! Of course not!" Lance was certain. But he cannot argue when it comes to his moral values. It is something that he grew up with and can never be changed. "Mr. Kho, your values are weird and unreasonable. For me, if you like someone, you tell them before they were snatched away from you. No one can tell whether you are meant to be with each other or not unless you try. Only time can tell. It was just a matter of perfect timing." "You might hurt them or yourself in the end but it doesn''t matter. It was a good experience. Everyone is bound to get hurt in a relationship. Even in a healthy relationship, each can get hurt in the process but it is meant to make the relationship stronger. So, why are you being so afraid of hurting me in the end? You are not a saint. If it turns out that in the end, we are not meant to be. Then so be it. I will get hurt, but so what? It''s me who wanted this relationship. I won''t regret whatever the results may be." Lily said her thoughts without hesitation and this made Lance admire this woman more. At one point, she was right. Others might find it hard to understand Lance''s values in life but it is what he is predisposed to adopt as he grows up. Never hurt anyone may it be emotionally, physically or verbally. Thou sometimes he cannot prevent hurting someone verbally because of his profession as a lawyer, he makes sure that he will make an apology later on. But, if he could prevent physically or emotionally hurt anyone, he would. He believes that before he commits in a relationship, he has to make sure that he is 100% certain of his feelings. For him, that was just right. But for others, like Lily, that could either be wrong or right. Lance stroke Lily''s cheeks with his palm and caress her swollen lips with his thumb. "You talk too much." He said only not to argue with Lily. "You are my woman now, right?" Lance made a confirmation before he assumed. Lily was stunned. I am his woman now? And he is my man? These thoughts lingered in her head and she still cannot believe it. And she felt blissful. She nodded her head in confirmation. Lance''s smile reached his eyes. "Good." He looked charming, Lily thought internally. "Let''s go back before you catch a cold." He reached out for her hands. Their hand intertwined as they stood up from the bench. "Oh, by the way." Lance turned around without letting go of her hand. With the other hand, he took the bouquet of roses from the bench and gave it to Lily. "You liked the flowers I gave you?" Lily acts surprised. "Those flowers were from you?" Lance rolled his eyes. "Don''t pretend. I know you knew." Then he pulled her hand back to the hotel. Lily chuckled. Her heart is filled with fluttering butterflies. Chapter 411 - Back in the dark chamber The next morning, J woke up naked in Jacob''s arms. It turns out that she doesn''t need sleepwear after all. Because every time that she will wear her nightie after their lovemaking, it will not take long before Jacob will strip her naked again until she doesn''t have energy left to move her body and dress up. "Honey," Jacob called her with his eyes still closed. His lips touching the top of her head. His fingers running circles in her naked back. He heard J moaned at the ticklish sensation caused by his fingers and arched her body towards him. "Stop it. I need more sleep." J snuggled closer to Jacob''s body when she felt chills at her back. Jacob chuckled. He pulled the blanket up to her neck and hugged her tighter. "Should I call Mrs. Potters and tell her that we''re not coming today?" Jacob asked. Although J had already told last night that she wanted to extend their stay for another day, he still has to confirm it. J''s whole body felt sore as if she runs around Mt. Celandine the whole night and looks like she will be spending the whole day in bed. "Mm¡­please." Her bare chest touched Jacob''s body not knowing its effect on him. "Honey, you are torturing me. If I didn''t know how tired you are, I''ve already lost all control and eaten you up right now." Jacob murmured at J''s ears but the latter is too tired and sleepy to take in what her husband is saying. ¡­.. At the Twelve Army Headquarters, Arthur found Daniel and Felix at one of the control room watching CEO Wang in the monitors. In the monitors, Arthur saw CEO Wang in the same rugged dirty clothes he was wearing yesterday. He is in one of the dark chambers at the 3rd Basement Floor of the building. Although it was dark, they were still able to see it because of the Infrared Cameras that are planted inside the chamber. CEO Wang is sitting on the floor, embracing his knees. His head rested on his arms while rocking his body back and forth. He seemed to be mumbling something that was inaudible. "How did it go?" Arthur asked them as he takes one of the desk chairs to sit. After they brought CEO Wang at the Twelve Army Headquarters yesterday, Jacob called for their resident Psychiatrists to conduct a mental check-up to him. After CEO Wang''s downfall caused by Jacob, everyone thought that he went missing to escape the series of warrant of arrest from the authority because of his illegal businesses. But the truth is after Jacob left that night when he rescued J from CEO Wang''s mansion. He had someone to take him to the Twelve Army Headquarters. He was detained in the deepest part of the headquarters building to be psychologically tortured. As a record, he was the first that Jacob personally sent to that infamous dark chambers under the Twelve Army Headquarters. Although, many have already used the chambers before during Chairman Benjamin Parker''s management. He lived in that dark chamber for a couple of months without seeing light and other living creature until he was diagnosed to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with Severe Psychosis. This caused him to have social withdrawal, depression, delusions, hallucinations, and amnesia. After confirming the diagnosis, Jacob decided to release him to the streets as a street vagrant and continued to monitor him until the authority finds him. But unfortunately, the authority took long to take notice of him. Chapter 412 - Felix’s wife "The doctor confirmed the previous diagnosis. And based on their analysis. Looks like he had a sudden outburst of violence that was triggered when he saw Miss J. Although it may seem that he doesn''t recognize or remember Miss J at all, upon seeing her, he had that strong urge to hurt or kill her." Daniel explained what they had discovered. Arthur only nods his head as he watched CEO Wang. "How is he?" "He''s been like that ever since," Felix replied. "Okay, Stefan will be arriving soon. We''ll take it from here. You can go home now." Arthur said. Since they parted ways yesterday, Jacob instructed Daniel and Felix to watch over CEO Wang while Arthur and Stefan stayed overnight in a cabin near J and Jacob''s luxurious cabin. And as soon as morning strikes, Arthur and Stefan left Mt. Celandine to take over in watching CEO Wang as per Jacob''s order. It is J''s two-days off and they were supposed to be having a day off as well but since CEO Wang made an appearance, Arthur''s team volunteered to watch over him and check out if he is just faking his mental disorder. Although Jacob could ask another agent from the Twelve Army to watch over CEO Wang, Arthur''s team preferred it to be them. "How''s Miss J?" Daniel asked with a slightly worried expression. "She''s doing fine." "I heard that you went to visit The Children of Mt. Celandine?" Felix asked and Arthur nodded in response. "Did you find anything?" "Yes. How''s it going on your part?" Arthur is asking about the task that J gave him. That is finding out what Aivy is planning. Felix straightened his back. "I got the information." "Good. We''ll talk about it later so we could start our plan." ¡­ Upon reaching home, Felix was surprised to see his wife home. His wife worked as a flight attendant and is usually out in an international flight that is why it is rare for her to be home. Which is not a problem with Felix because it is also rare for him to be home because of his job. But nonetheless, their relationship has never been affected. In fact, it was always like they were just newly married. In their case, the saying that ''Absence makes the heart grow fonder'' is true. They were married now for three years. They met when Felix had a vacation abroad, he was in a flight where Emma, his wife is a flight attendant. They dated for three years before they got married and they were already married for three years. "You''re home." Felix''s eyes although lacking in sleep became bright and excited to see his wife. Although they got used to being separated for a couple of days or weeks, he still missed her a lot. He walks towards her and hugged her tightly which Emma pleasantly returned. "Yes. You didn''t sleep?" Emma was happy to see her husband but her worry flashed in her face when he noticed dark circles under her husband''s eyes. "I thought you will be staying at Mt. Celandine last night?" She asked as she help takes off Felix''s jacket. Felix scratched the back of his neck. "Supposedly yes, but something came up and Daniel and I have to stay at the headquarters." Felix didn''t tell the details and Emma was someone who never asks a lot of questions regarding Felix''s work which made Felix grateful because most of their jobs were confidential and he was lucky to have a wife that understands and trusts him. Chapter 413 - Strong back up "Hmm...well then. Looks like we will be sleeping together." Emma smiled as she wrapped her arms around Felix''s neck. She also just got home from a three-day international flight and thou she came home the other day, she had to sleep at the day while Felix was at work. "That''s a great idea. We haven''t been sleeping together for like a week now." Felix rested his forehead on hers and wrapped his arms around her waist. Thou J gave Felix a privilege to go home at night to spend time with his wife most of those times, Emma is not at home. "By the way, I have good news. Let''s talk about it over breakfast." Emma grabbed Felix''s hand and pulled him to the dining area where she already prepared for breakfast. After they got married, they bought this 100 sqm apartment which is most of the time empty. Emma is a lively, cheerful and beautiful woman with a slender and shapely body. So, her presence in the apartment makes it more like a home for Felix. There were no dull moments when the two of them are together. "I got promoted!" Emma announced cheerfully. Felix''s eyes widened in surprise. "You what?" "Ha-ha! I knew you''d react that way! Even I was surprised! After ten years in the service finally, I was promoted as Senior Flight Attendant!" "I thought it would be difficult for you to be promoted because there was a long line of flight attendant applying for a promotion and most of them have someone to back them up?" Seniority is a big deal for the flight attendants. Those on the top of seniority list get the longer days off they wanted and a nicer flight while those at the bottom get little days off and the not so nice flights. Ever since they get married, Emma applied for the senior position so that she could choose and have a long day off to spend with Felix but unfortunately since she has an average family background and not the type of woman who sucks up to their boss, it was hard for her to get a promotion even if her performance is always on the top. "I know right! But our senior director told me that I have a referral letter from someone with a strong background!" After saying that Emma noticed that Felix narrowed her eyes. "Don''t give me that look, okay!" She said and pinched his nose knowing what he is thinking. "Our senior director said that it was a woman. Some heiress of an organization or something. I am not sure. Even our director cannot tell who she is." She said with obvious excitement. The pursed her lip and shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe some royalty that boarded the first class that was pleased with my service." Upon hearing the word heiress, Felix more or less have an idea who that person is. But he still wanted to have a confirmation. Felix reached out to squeeze Emma''s hand. "Even without someone to back you up, you will still get that promotion later on because you are the best flight attendant in your company." Emma blushed. Even with years of being married, she is still not used to Felix''s flattering. "Are you that confident in me?" "Of course! I wouldn''t say so if I haven''t experienced your good service." Felix wiggled one of his brows. Emma pouted her lips and brushed away his hand. "Pervert!" "What?! You have such a dirty mind! Didn''t I already board your flight and you were the flight attendant? That''s how we met, have you forgotten? That''s why I knew you are a great flight attendant!" Felix said with a mischievous smile. Chapter 414 - J’s influence "Hmph! Whatever!" Emma stood up to wash their plates. But Felix stopped her. "Leave that to me. You are tired. You should go have a shower first. I''ll wash the dishes." "But you are tired as well." "I was just sitting all night while you were probably standing most of your flight. Go! Let me handle this." Then Felix shooed his wife away to wash the dishes. When he heard the door of the bathroom closed and the splash of water in the shower, he took out his phone and made a call. "What''s wrong?" Came the voice of Arthur on the other line. Felix wanted to ask J directly but he changed his mind, not that J would mind it but he knew that she with his Boss right now so he called Arthur instead. If there is anyone who knows J''s activities it would be her right-hand man. "Uhm¡­ did Miss J somehow investigated my background?" "Boss made a background check before hired us to be Miss J''s personal security, so I don''t think Miss J still needed to make another background check," Arthur replied. "Oh, you are right. But, did Miss J recently asked you to find out something about my wife?" Felix was hesitant to directly ask him the question but as a man, Arthur hates going around a circle. "Cut the crap and get straight to the point," Arthur replied indifferently. Felix sighed. "Does Miss J has something to do with my wife''s promotion?" There was dead silent on the other line before Felix heard Arthur''s reply. "Miss J said that your wife has all the qualifications and she will get the promotion sooner or later. She just shortened the process." The truth is, J found out from Arthur that Felix''s wife is a flight attendant and barely gets a day off. And most of the time, her schedule is not in sync with Felix''s schedule so sending Felix at home to spend time with his wife at night is no use. J had Arthur look for the work situation of Felix''s wife. That''s how she finds out that his wife has a prolonged application for promotion. Although her qualifications fit perfectly to the requirements needed for promotion her director prioritizes those with referrals and strong backup. That''s what Felix''s wife is lacking. Fortunately, one of the directors of the airline company where Felix''s wife works is a member of the Society. J never uses her influence for her own benefit but for the benefit of her people that she thinks deserves it, she wouldn''t hesitate. With her identity and connection, J was able to help Emma with the promotion that she deserved. She doesn''t have to contact the director. She only has to send the message through Arthur. Arthur although new to the Society is very well known as one of the top agents of Twelve Army and now the right-hand man of the heiress of the Society. "I knew it!" Felix exclaimed. Felix initially thought that it was J who backed up his wife''s promotion but he still has to confirm it. And he was right. After what she did to help Daniel''s wife, it looks like she won''t just stop there. She also made sure to help his wife. And he is silently grateful towards her. "Miss J would appreciate it if you won''t dwell much about it," Arthur said. J doesn''t want to take credits in everything she does that is why she doesn''t tell anyone about it. "I got it!" Felix felt exhilarated. Finally, with his wife''s promotion and his having a great Boss and Lady Boss, it looks like he could spend more time with his wife now. And who knows, he might have thought of having kids. Chapter 415 - The forbidden apple Jacob is sitting in an armchair near the bed talking to Arthur regarding CEO Wang''s condition and what to do about him when he heard a knock on the door of their private luxury cabin. He continued talking to Arthur ignoring the continues knocking on the door. Whoever is on the door, he is quite persistent. He hung up the phone after telling Arthur what to do with CEO Wang and take one last glance at J before he goes to open the door. He already managed to put on J''s nightie to prevent her from catching colds. Thou, she still looks alluring in that nightie while lying in that king-size bed asleep. God knows how much he fights the temptation to have her there and then. She looks like a forbidden apple tempting anyone to take a bite. But of course, he wouldn''t let anyone see that forbidden apple. That is only for him to see and eat. When he opened the door, his brows furrowed to see Lance standing at the doorstep. One hand in his pocket while the other one is scratching the back of his neck. "Uhm¡­can I talk to J? I mean, Miss J?" When the door opens and he saw Jacob, he became hesitant to ask but he did anyway. He has good news and he wants J to be the first one to hear it. "She''s still asleep. What is it? I can relay the message to her once she''s awake." Jacob said not bothering to let Lance in. With J''s alluring state in the bed, he would never let anyone see her especially Lance who seemed to be unrestraint around J. Lance brows furrowed and a worried expression appeared on his handsome face. "Still in bed? At this hour? Is she sick? Can I see her?" Lance act to enter the cabin but Jacob blocked the doorway using his body. J is a morning person. It is almost lunchtime and Lance knew that it is very rare for J to remain in bed until lunchtime unless she is sick. "Hey! She is not sick, okay. She is just tired. What''s wrong with oversleeping once in a while? She needs it and deserves it. It''s her day off anyway." Jacob became slightly annoyed at Lance who acted like he is a worried boyfriend. Has he forgotten that he is the husband? Lance stared at Jacob for a while digesting what he said. What got him flustered is the word tired. How could one person get tired after sleeping overnight? Unless¡­ "Damn." Lance cursed out upon realization. "Hurry and tell me what is it and I''ll relay it to her when she wakes up," Jacob said wanting to send Lance away immediately. "Never mind. Just tell her to look for me when she wakes up." After saying that, Lance stepped back and walk away with a hurried footstep. Of course, he wouldn''t let Jacob be the first one to know that he and his sister are already in a relationship. But Jacob is a smart person. He knew that Lance was about to confess to Lily last night and the fact that he immediately runs to J that morning to tell something, it must''ve been about the event that took place last night. And judging by Lance''s emotional state, it looks like he got the answer that he wanted. "That asshole," Jacob smirked looking at the retreating back of Lance before he shuts the door. Chapter 416 - Another Brother-In-Law When he went back to the master''s bedroom, he found J to be awake already. "You''re finally awake my sleeping beauty." He said then lean closer to give her a kiss on her lips. J felt drunk from sleeping until noon, her body rhythm is not used to this. And Jacob''s kiss still lingers on her lips making her dizzy at the sensation. "Mm.." J nodded her head and raised her upper body to sit on the bed, with her back leaning on the headrest. "Was that Lance you were talking to?" "Yeah." "Looks like you got your self another brother in law," J said with a mischievous smile. She knew that Lily cannot resist Lance. She is head over heels about him. Jacob scoffed. "What''s so good about him?" But deep inside of him, he knew that Lance is way better than Andrew or any of those guys that get linked to his celebrity sister. "You should go take a warm shower while I order our lunch. It''ll make you feel better." "Lunch?" J crunched her brows. She looked at the clock at the bedside table and saw that it is indeed lunchtime already. Was she that tired? "Yes, Honey. It is already lunchtime now. You were so tired that you overslept. I thought you were doing circuits and kickboxing? It looks like we have to exercise more to improve your stamina." Jacob said with a meaningful smile. J gave him a side-eye before she left the bed and drag her sored body towards the bathroom. Later that afternoon, J and Jacob went to visit the set of Lily''s film to find Lance. Everyone was surprised to see a beautiful couple in the set. They have seen J arrived yesterday with Lance and now she came with her husband which is the CEO of the CLP Group of Hospital. The little artist who asked to have a photo with J and Lily yesterday was starstruck to see her crush, President Jacob Parker but she was hesitant to approach seeing how possessive and protective he is towards his wife. Ignoring the gossiping people around them, J and Jacob walked towards Lance. Not far away is Lily who is looking at their direction pretending that the godly beautiful couple is not related to her. "You were looking for me?" J asked nonchalantly as she takes a seat to a director''s chair that Jacob has taken from somewhere. "God! You should have informed me that you were coming right now. I can meet you somewhere more private instead of making a commotion here at the set." J rolled her eyes. "What''s with all that complaining? If you got nothing to say then we''ll just leave." J acted to stand up but she was stopped by Lance by holding her wrist. "Okay, okay." He looked at Lily''s direction then to Jacob who is not giving him any attention before he leaned closer to J to say something in her ears. "Can I talk to you in private?" Jacob, although not giving him attention, his ears were all on Lance. "No. Whatever you have to say, you say it here. As if I don''t know what are you going to say." "Ahem¡­I think it is inconvenient to talk about it here." Lance said as he looked around to check if there is anyone eavesdropping. Chapter 417 - Looking after Lily’s welfare "Are you going to hide your relationship with¡­" Jacob was about to say ''my sister'' but he suddenly remembers that Lily preferred that her relationship with her family be kept private. Not that she is ashamed of it, there is nothing to be ashamed of, in fact, one should be proud. It is just that she doesn''t want her family''s private life to be dragged into her limelight. Lance''s eyes were wide. "You knew?" He said looking at Jacob then to J. "You already knew." J nodded her head. "Unless we predicted it wrong." She said looking at the direction of Lily who is warily checking them out at the corner of her eyes. "Actually, we haven''t talked about it yet. If we are going to let the public know about our relationship. Because, as you know our situation is a little bit complicated. She is an artist and I am an investor in her film. It would look like a taboo if the public knew of our relationship." Lance said looking the same direction the J is looking at. J looked at Jacob as if asking for his opinion. At the beginning of Lily''s career, Jacob has always reminded her not to go with an investor alone privately more so, date them. In the end, she did and he gave the man an approval. If the public knew about her having a relationship with an investor, it would not look good on her side. People might think that she is using her body to get the favor of the investors. Although it is not the truth, people have the freedom to state their opinion about her. It might ruin Lily''s good and unblemished reputation and worst, it could be the end of her career. "You should talk it out with her and not with us." Jacob then said to Lance. Jacob trusts Lily while J trusts Lance. They knew that they could sort it out. Lance leaned his back. "I actually thought about it. I wanted to go public with our relationship but I am worried about her reputation and career. So, I guess it is better if we wait until the film is done. We have almost finished with the filming anyways. But I will still talk about it with her and asked for her opinion." Lance was smart not to mention Lily''s name in case someone might overhear them. All the time, J was just quietly sitting there. She thinks that if there is someone that Lance should be talking to about Lily''s welfare, it should be Jacob. ... That night, J and Jacob decided to stay for another night before they head towards Miss Eve''s tomorrow morning. That means they have another night to take advantage of the romantic ambiance of the luxurious private cabin in an intimate way. But Jacob promised not to tire J too much. In the middle of the night, Arthur and Stefan sit in an inconspicuous car as they watch as a transit van stopped a block away from a police station. The door at the back of the van opened up and two men wearing black and a cap jumped out of it. Their face was hidden in the dark of the night. On Stefan''s lap is a laptop. On the monitor of the laptop is footage of the CCTV cameras around the place but it shows an empty street. No van, no car and no existence of anyone. The scene before their eyes is very much different from the scene that is showing in the footage of the CCTV cameras. Chapter 418 - Mission complete The two men dragged another person from the back of the van. The other person is a man wearing old dirty rugged clothes who looked like a street vagrant. The two men left the street vagrant at the side of the street then left in the transit van. After a while, a roving police car noticed the street vagrant lying on the side of the streets. The police car stopped on the side and a police officer stepped out of it. He took out a flashlight to look at the face of the street vagrant it took him minutes to study the face of the street vagrant until a surprise and familiarity flashed his face. He checked for the street vagrant''s pulse and upon making sure that he is alive, he called out for the other police officer that is in the car and said something to him. The other police officer looked around the place before he stepped out of the car. He took out a police radio from its holder. Said something on it before he returned it back and helped the other police officer who is now putting the street vagrant into a handcuff to take the street vagrant in the police car. Using the real-time CCTV footage on Stefan''s laptop. They watched as CEO Wang was taken to the nearby police station. The next morning, CEO Wang''s arrest was all over the news. He was taken into police custody but unfortunately, he turned out to have lost his sanity so, in the end, he was taken to a mental health institution. That morning, before the news of CEO Wang''s arrest Jacob received a message from Arthur. "Mission completed." Seeing the message, Jacob was relieved. He replied with, "Good, take a day off and report back tomorrow." Jacob put back his phone back to the bedside table and looked at his wife affectionately. Sure, his wife has a lot of trouble coming her way. A lot of people wanted her dead. But he will remain standing beside her to protect her and even shield her from any attacks coming her way. He never thought that he would fall deeply in love with a woman this way. He is even willing to risk his life for her. Thou she always said that he doesn''t have to and she doesn''t want him to. When he was in college, he remembers James was already dating his current wife. He asked James, "Why would you trouble yourself with just one girl?" He noticed how committed James is to his girlfriend back then. James is such a loyal person. James just smiled at him and said, "You''ll know the answer when you fall in love yourself." Jacob scoffed. "That''s not going to happen. Falling in love is too troublesome. I won''t commit myself to any relationship. Why would I when I can enjoy it without a commitment." He smiled mischievously. "You just said that because you''ve never fallen in love. When that time comes, you''ll be surprised at how crazy you can be for the woman you love." James said. Back then, Jacob just laughed at James''s words. But now he finally realized that James was right. He is crazily in love with this woman beside him. He would kill and would die only for her. He is willing to sacrifice even his fortune just to be with her forever. Unlike yesterday, J woke up still with her nightie. Jacob did as he promised. He didn''t tire her that much. Jacob noticed that she is starting to wake up. He moves his finger at her bareback. J felt that ticklish sensation that is caused by her husband''s warm fingers and it made her lips curved slightly upwards. Without opening her eyes, she asked. "How long have you been awake?" "Just a couple of minutes," Jacob replied petting small kisses on her face down to her neck. J moaned at the sensation. "What are you doing?" She asked in a husky voice. "Just one more before we leave," Jacob said before he takes off J''s nightie and hovers on top of her. Chapter 419 - Exceptions (1) After their two-days off, J and Jacob went back to CLP Hospital together. Since her formal announcement as the wife of the CEO, J has always been in the morning shift. Although she misses the night shift, the morning shift is her favorite because it is when most of the operations were scheduled. They were now in the elevator with James and a couple of nurses. Other nurses noticed Jacob and J''s hands were intertwined ever since they stepped into the elevator and never released each other''s hands. J and Jacob now rarely use the private elevator which only connects the 1st Level Basement parking and the 10th floor unless they will go straight to the 10th floor. But since Jacob always sends J to the Department of Surgery every day, they use the common elevator to the 8th floor. The two of them holding hands together or with Jacob''s hand at the lower back of J has been a common scenery at the hospital. It just shows how possessive their President is of his wife. Before they reached the 8th floor, it was only J, Jacob and James were left inside the elevator. "Dr. Jacob, tomorrow will be the shareholders meeting that Mr. and Mrs. Ivanov requested." James reminded Jacob as soon as there is no other person inside the elevator. "Mm¡­it took them long," Jacob said. His head tilted upwards looking as the numbers on the top of the elevator door changes. One hand in his pocket while the other hand holding J''s. J looked at James, his face is stern indicating that it must be a serious issue if the Ivanov''s were requesting for an emergency meeting. Then she looked at Jacob. On his face is a blithe disregard of what James had said. She wonders why would the Ivanov''s ask for an emergency shareholders meeting and Jacob seemed to be undisturbed. J heard the elevator ''ding'' indicating that they have finally arrived on the 8th floor. J exits the elevator then Jacob followed her while James proceeds to the 10th floor. As soon as the door of the elevator closed again, Jacob tugged J''s hand to catch her attention. J looked at him questioningly. "The meeting tomorrow will be in the afternoon. And you are coming with me." Jacob said while staring at J''s eyes. J narrowed her eyes. "Jacob you know that I don''t expose myself in the business circle." Jacob smiled. He already expected that response from her but unfortunately, he won''t take a no for an answer. "I''ll take that as a yes." J glared at Jacob. Then she realized something. She cocked her head and said, "You are planning something." It was not a question but a statement. "My wife knows me well," Jacob said as he strokes J''s long hair with a mesmerizing smile. "And tell Lance, if he is not too busy with his love life, to attend to." After staring for long in Jacob''s mesmerizing eyes. J replied with a lowered shoulder. "Okay." As if she was hypnotized. "Good," Jacob said as he reached for J''s chin and tilted it upwards so that he can have a better look at his wife''s beautiful and gentle face. "But just this one," J said. She doesn''t want to expose herself in the business circle as the anonymous person who owns a lot of assets managed by a single lawyer. But she will make an exception because her husband asks for it. After all, she thinks that the reason why the Ivanov''s were causing this kind of ruckus is because of what happened to JK and Stella. At the bottom of it all, she is the main reason. Jacob didn''t reply instead he closed the distance and kissed J''s lips. Jacob''s kiss was intoxicating that J was immediately drawn into it. She closed her eyes savoring the lingering lips of Jacob into hers forgetting that they were in the lobby of the 8th floor. Chapter 420 - Exceptions (2) They were distracted when they heard the elevator ''ding''. When their lips parted, they looked at the direction of the elevator and saw the surprised and awkward look on Dr. Aaron Choi''s face. J immediately blushed being caught by their department head kissing the CEO of the hospital. Thou their kiss was not disturbing it was still a public display of affection. And J was not used to it. She lowered her head feeling embarrassed and said to Jacob. "I''ll see you later." Then she rushed towards the restricted area of the Department of Surgery. Jacob walks towards the elevator where Dr. Aaron is still standing. He patted Dr. Aaron Choi''s shoulder as he passed by him and said, "Good morning Dr. Aaron Choi." Dr. Aaron was startled. "Damn Jacob! I don''t allow the public display of affection in my department and I thought that you don''t allow it too in your hospital?" He said cursing at his friend. Jacob laughed. "I am the CEO, so I am an exception." He said with a smile that reaches his ears before the door of the elevator closes. Dr. Aaron was left dumbfounded. Jacob is not the type of person who would just kiss anyone in the public. He never thought that one day, he would see his friend so deeply in love with his wife that he would disregard his own rule. When Dr. Aaron enters the Department of Surgery, he saw Head Nurse Jing rushed towards him. "Dr. Aaron the relatives of a patient in the ICU that is proclaimed brain dead have already consented for organ procurement." Organ procurement is also known as organ harvesting is a surgical procedure that removes multiple organs from a legally brain or cardiac dead person for organ donation. Upon hearing that, he immediately had a sense of urgency. "Good, do we have a vacant theatre?" "Yes, Dr. Aaron. Theater three is vacant." Head nurse Jing said as she followed the hurried footsteps of Dr. Aaron. "Okay. Call the hospitals with patients on the top list for an organ transplant and tell them that we have organs ready for transport within two hours." Dr. Aaron said to Head Nurse Jing. The CLP Hospital and other hospitals under the CLP Group of Hospitals have a long list of patients waiting for the organ donor and it is very rare for them to have a living donor unless it is the patient''s relatives. So, whenever they have a patient proclaimed as brain or cardiac dead the hospital will encourage the families or relatives of the deceased patients to consider organ donation to help those in the need of organ transplantation. Although organ procurement has been widely accepted, there were some who are still against it. "Nurse Diana, go prepare OR Theater Three." Dr. Aaron Choir ordered Diana and the latter immediately obliged. "Nurse J, call the transplant team. I want them here as soon as possible." J nodded her head but asked. "What organs are we harvesting?" "Heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and cornea." It was Head Nurse Jing who answers. "Got it!" Nurse J said with a nod. "Can someone please call the ICU and ask when are they going to deliver the patient?" Dr. Aaron said. His voice is slightly higher than usual. Everyone in the Department of Surgery became busy in an instant. Once the patient is proclaimed brain dead and has consented for an organ donation, the organ recovery should be performed as soon as possible after the patient is withdrawn from life support and the heart does not start beating again spontaneously. That is to make sure that there was still blood flowing to the organs during the organ recovery. Chapter 421 - Call your CEO Husband "The patient will be withdrawn from the ventilator in 30 minutes!" One of the nurses said after making a call to the ICU. After the patient is withdrawn from the life support, they will wait for another 5 minutes to make sure that the heart does not beat again and more or less another 5 minutes travel time from ICU which is on the 2nd floor of the same building to the Department of Surgery. "Okay, we still have 40 minutes. Where are the surgeons Nurse J?" Dr. Aaron asked. "They are on their way. But they are lacking with one transplant surgeon. Dr. Ramones is out of town." J said. The CLP Group of Hospital has its own Transplant Team. The transplant team consists of transplant surgeons that were highly skilled in their different areas that perform transplant surgery and care of the donor and the recipient. They had special training to perform transplant surgery. "Damn!" Dr. Aaron seemed disturbed for a moment before he thought of a solution. "Call your CEO husband. I am sure he will drop whatever he is doing if you tell him to join the transplant team for now." J cocked her head and raised a brow. "Don''t give me that look. Your husband subspecialized in transplant surgery and we need him now." Dr. Aaron said in a matter of fact tone. "Oh¡­Okay." After one hour, the patient is now on the operating table. He was surrounded by four surgeons and five nurses plus some standby nurses waiting to deliver the organs to other hospitals. Dr. Aaron Choi is now performing a preparatory maneuver that would take about 10 to 15 minutes. He made an incision from between the collarbone of the patient down to his pubic area. With Head Nurse Jing as his assisting Nurse, Dr. Aaron Choi made a couple of incisions, ligations, and isolation of the gallbladder, liver, esophagus, diaphragm and some of the major veins. Once Dr. Aaron is done, he turned to Dr. Gonzales. "Dr. Gonzales, you may now proceed." This time Dr. Gonzales is not being assisted with Nurse J since Dr. Jacob Parker is also among them. He knows that Dr. Jacob Parker also preferred to have only Nurse J to assist him. He wouldn''t dare snatch away his wife from him. Therefore, he is being assisted by Nurse Maggie. When Jacob suggested a program that trains OR Nurses to specialize in different fields. Nurse Maggie is the one chosen by Dr. Gonzales to be trained as his assisting nurse. "Okay." Dr. Gonzales replied. As soon as she heard this, Nurse Maggie passed a curved Kelly forceps to Dr. Gonzales. Dr. Gonzales used it to stop the circulation of blood before he started the cold infusion through the patient''s major vein and artery. During the cold infusion, J and Jacob watched the patient''s liver. "It is starting to blanched," J said without looking at Jacob. Jacob reached to touched the liver with his gloved hands. "It is getting cold." J nodded her head. "Should we start?" "Not yet," Jacob replied. J hasn''t assisted in a liver transplant before thou she knows that the liver should be palpably cold and free of blood before it should be dissected. She raised her head to look at Jacob questionably. Jacob noticed the questioning look in J''s eyes behind that goggles. "Let''s make sure it is free of blood. We haven''t infused enough solution after all." Then he winked at her. J finally understands. She looked at the drip near Dr. Gonzales. During this time, Dr. Gonzales and Nurse Maggie have started with the dissection of the heart and lungs. After the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys are removed it was placed in an icy container to be transported to other hospitals where patients are waiting for an organ transplant. They left for another group to remove the patient''s cornea. After the surgery, J felt exhausted not because of the duration of the surgery but because of its urgency. Chapter 422 - You are an exception She is sitting on a sofa in the lobby of the Department of Surgery with her leg extended, her back leaning on the sofa and her head rested on the back pillow. Jacob who was looking for her saw her in that position and felt sad. He walks towards her and sits beside her. He saw her eyes were closed as well. "Are you tired?" J was startled to hear her now favorite voice. She opened her eyes and saw Jacob sitting beside her. She straightened her back and said, "So so." After hearing that, he reached out for her hand and acted to pull her up. "What are you doing?" J asked with a furrowed brow. Jacob is now standing in front of her pulling her to stand up. "We are going home," Jacob said seriously. Hearing that, she brushed his hand and looked at her wristwatch which a nurse cannot live without. "Are you kidding me? I still have three hours left of my shift." "I don''t want to see you tired." J rolled her eyes. Jacob is being unreasonable, she thought. "I don''t need to go home. I''ll just sit here and rest until my shift end." Then Jacob sits back beside her. "Okay then. Come here." He wrapped his arms into J''s shoulder and pulled her to let her head rest on his chest. J acted to move away but Jacob''s arm is firm. "Stay put or I''ll take you home," Jacob warned her. J remained in her position. Actually, she liked it in his chest. She closed her eyes not to take a nap or fall asleep but only to relish Jacob''s unique scent that is only for her to smell and enjoy their closeness. Again, she has forgotten that they were in a public area. "Damn it! Jacob, I told you that a public display of affection is not allowed in my department!" J was startled to hear the voice of Dr. Aaron Choi. Damn! Again? After completing the procedure, Dr. Aaron went out to smoke when he saw the couple in the lobby of the Department of Surgery. He is one of the few people that smoke in his department. J acted to stand up but Jacob stopped him and said. "Stay put." Jacob remained undisturbed and looked at his friend. "Is this already a public display of affection to you?" "Of course, even holding hands is a form of public display of affection." Dr. Aaron Choi retorted. Jacob laughed. "Since when did you become so conservative. If I remember clearly when we were in college you were the most brazen among us to kiss random girls in public." Dr. Aaron Choi was frozen embarrassed. J suddenly straightened and gave Jacob an inquiring look. There is a question that she cannot put into words but Jacob quickly understands. "Honey, I never kiss anyone in public. Or even hold anyone''s hand in public." "Well except you." Jacob pinched her chin. "You can ask him." Jacob pointed at Dr. Aaron. Dr. Aaron watched the sweet couple in front of him like they were different people. Like someone, he doesn''t know before. Dr. Aaron sighed. "Well, he is right. He is never like that to anyone before except you. And I still can''t believe my eyes." "See?" Jacob said with a grin. J gave him a side-eye before she stood up. "I''m getting inside." She said nonchalantly. "Okay. If you are still tired you can take a nap at my office." J glanced at him and said. "Okay." Chapter 423 - Dull conversation After changing into casual house clothes, J walked out of their bedroom to check on Beauty and Beast at the backyard. Walking out of the house she saw Arthur looking on his phone. He seemed to be in deep thought that he didn''t notice J approached him. J looked around and wonders where the other three men could be. She pulled out a black rattan chair in front of Arthur. The screeching sound of the chair made Arthur startled. Only then he noticed J sitting in front of him. He watched as she lazily leaned her head on her arms that were rested on the table separating the two of them. Her head is tilted on the side to watch the dogs playing with the hanging doggie bungee rope. "The Ivanov''s called for emergency shareholders meeting tomorrow." Arthur heard her speak. "And he wants me to go with him and Lance." Aside from Jacob, J would only initiate a conversation with Arthur because she knows that Arthur would never talk about random things that do not concern her. Except from these two men, Lance and Lily, J would never initiate a casual conversation with another person that does not concern her. "It was just high time that you do something for him," Arthur said casually. J knew what he means. Without any words, she understands. Ever since she and Jacob met, Jacob did anything and everything for her. And she realized that she hasn''t done anything in return. The Ivanov''s were causing a ruckus at the CLP Group of Hospital because of what Jacob did to Stella and JK. Jacob terminated Stella and made her lost her license while he exposed JK''s drug addiction that caused him to be banned from racing and be sent to a rehabilitation center. All this happened because Stella and JK keep on harming J. Jacob was just protecting her. "I already said I''ll go," J replied. "Do you need my presence?" J smiled. "No need. It is going to be purely business. Lance will be there. And Jacob will be there as well to protect me." "Okay then. I''ll be gone for two days." Arthur said averting his gaze to the golden retrievers. J raised her head to look at Arthur. But she didn''t ask anything. "Okay." "After your meeting, you should stay at home for two days and avoid going into public places. I leave you with Daniel, Felix, and Stefan." J nodded her head. He sounds like a strict older brother to her. "You know¡­" J paused for a while. "You should''ve cleared our relationship to her. It might cause some misunderstandings." Arthur stared at J who is now lazily leaning on the chair. "I already talked to my sister about that." J scoffed. "I am not talking about her." She said as she stared back at Arthur. Arthur narrowed his eyes at J as if reading her thoughts. J didn''t falter and did the same. He already has an idea of what she is talking about but he wanted to make sure that they were thinking of the same person. He lowered his head and smiled. "Is there anything I can hide from you?" J smiled back. "Actually there''s nothing." Then the two of them became silent again. If anyone would see the two of them talking, they would think how boring they were. Over time, J finally learned how to read Arthur. "She''s pretty," J said while sipping a freshly squeezed orange juice that Lulu brought her a couple of minutes ago. Arthur didn''t reply. Their words were vague but it seems like they could understand each other through silence. "Felix found out about his wife''s promotion." Arthur decided to change the topic after a couple of minutes of silence. "He did?" J was not surprised. Chapter 424 - Start of the show "He is not stupid. He eventually found out after his wife breaks the news to him." J chuckled. "What do you plan to do next? Play a matchmaker to Stefan?" Arthur said with a stern face but his right brow is slightly raised. J laughed at his words. "I don''t know how to do that." Arthur stared at her trying to read her thoughts. She helped Daniel and his wife during Hannah''s delivery. She helped Felix and his wife to fix their schedule to amend for their lack of time together. Why does it he feels like sooner or later, J will do charitable work for him and Stefan? ¡­.. The next day, J sits on the sofa of Jacob''s office after her duty. The board meeting will be at 4 pm so she still has an hour to take a rest. "I brought you a change of clothes," Jacob said to her. Earlier that morning, he noticed that J only wears a casual jean and white sleeveless lace top. J looked down on her clothes. "Is there something wrong with what I am wearing?" she asked. "Nothing." Jacob raised his head to look at his wife affectionately. He is sitting on his armchair signing some papers regarding the hospital. "You looked good in anything you wear. Even better when you wear nothing." He said with a coy smile. J gave him a side-eye and continued reading a book that she found under the coffee table. Jacob chuckled. "Just in case you want a change of clothes." After an hour, J decided to change her clothes. After all, if she will be attending a Board of Director''s meeting, she should at least wear casual business attire. She now wears grey high-waist trousers and a white turtle neck long sleeves with a beautiful heel which she is not used to wearing. This is going to be the first time that she will be attending a meeting as a shareholder of a company. After a while, James called them. "Everyone''s here." He said. "Okay. Let''s start the show." Jacob stood up and put on his blue coat on top of his white dress shirt. Soon, the two of them enter the conference room of the hospital that is also located on the 10th floor of the main building. Everyone was surprised to see Jacob enters holding the hand of his recently announced wife for five years. Although they have heard and seen on the news about it, this is the first time that they will see J in person. But they wonder, what is the wife of the CEO doing in a Board of Director''s meeting. "Dr. Jacob, what is she doing here?" It was Stella Ivanov who boldly asked the question that is lingering in the mind of other shareholders and Board of Directors. "You''ll find out soon," Jacob replied without looking at her direction as he walks towards a vacant seat. J remained cold and indifferent. J sits between Jacob and Lance. She noticed the look that is the Board of Directors and Shareholders were casting on her but she remained indifferent. "Welcome to the business world." Lance who was sitting beside her can''t help but say a few words near her ear which only J could hear. She gave him a side-eye and said, "Just this one. I''m only doing this for him." Lance was grinning. "Okay. Okay." He obviously knows what she means. This short interaction between the two made the brow of some people around them raise. The wife of the CEO is acquainted with the proxy of the second biggest shareholder? Some of them thought internally. While some think that the wife of the CEO must''ve known the second biggest shareholder personally Chapter 425 - The Show "Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Will the meeting please come to order," After a while, they heard the voice of the Chairman of the Board of Directors. J looked at the direction of the speaker, she rarely sees her father-in-law dressed in business suit. "Thank you." He said as soon as the people in the conference room settled down. "I would like to welcome you to the CLP Group of Hospital''s emergency meeting." As Chairman John Parker speaks and started to introduce the Board members, shareholders, and executives present in the meeting, J looked around and saw Mr. and Mrs. Ivanov, beside them is Stella. Stella is looking at her with obvious distaste. Their eyes locked together. They continued to stare at each other as if they were having a contest of who is going to look down first. But with J''s cold and intimidating look, it was Stella who averted his gaze and focused on the Chairman that is still speaking. "Now I would like to introduce our secretary, Miss Lisa." "Thank you, Chairman Parker. As stated in the notice, the purpose of this meeting is to elect a new Chief Executive Officer. The details will be presented to you by Mr. Ivanov." The secretary said before she takes her seat. There were murmurs that started to build up inside the conference room. The Board of Directors and Shareholders look at each other. There were reasons for a CEO to be forced out of his position, one is incompetency which is often reflected by mismanagement or the current financial performance of the company or the Parker''s probably does not own the controlling share of the company unlike before so they loss control over the company and now they are being ousted. But based on Jacob''s performance, it is probably the latter. When Benjamin Parker first founded the CLP Group of Hospital, he owns 60% of the shares making him a majority shareholder. But as time goes by and the hospitals having outside investors. His shares started to dilute and now end up with only 25% which is divided to his son and grandchildren. This made the Parker''s vulnerable to being fired or replaced from the position. The board of directors and shareholders looked at Jacob then to Lance. A couple of years ago, the Parker''s were on the verge of being ousted in their position when Lance arrived as a proxy of an anonymous shareholder. They thought that this particular shareholder will continue buying shares from CLP Group of Hospital until the Parkers were ousted but to their surprise, this anonymous shareholder stops when it reached 20% making them the second biggest shareholder. But it was the Ivanov''s who requested for this meeting. Could it be there are some turns of events that they didn''t notice? "Ahem¡­" Mr. Ivanov started speaking without looking at Jacob''s direction. While Jacob remained casual and carefree. "As you previously know. Our family owns 16% shares from the CLP Group of Hospitals." "He is not really a good speaker as always," Lance said in a low voice near J''s ears. This was noticed by Mr. Ivanov earning him a glare. This man is obviously sucking up to the wrong person. Wait till you hear my announcement. Mr. Ivanov thought internally. "But recently, one of the shareholders offered us 10% of his share. And my son and daughter here decided to buy that share. That makes our family the biggest shareholder of this company with 26%." Mr. Ivanov announced with an elevated chin while his wife has her grin from ear to ear and Stella is cocking her head towards J. "So, I requested for this meeting for a change in management. It is our right to ask for an election to remove Dr. Jacob Parker from his position as CEO and be replaced by anyone from my family." Mr. Ivanov said arrogantly which made the people inside the conference room looked at him with animosity. Chairman John Parker remained impassive even though their family''s position in the company is being threatened. He is obviously confident with Jacob''s capabilities as the CEO of the company that his father founded. Chapter 426 - Scammed Everyone knows that Mr. Ivanov just got his shares from his ancestors and not really good in business while his daughter''s license as a doctor was revoked. And as for his so-called son, as soon as the rumors about JK''s drug addiction spread, his family background was also opened to the public. So how could the Ivanov Family have the audacity to claim the management of the hospitals? Jacob scoffed after being silent ever since he arrived. "Mr. Ivanov, may I know who is this shareholder that sells this 10% over to you?" "I refuse to answer that question.'' "Well then. I will answer that question which is very obvious for everyone here." Jacob leaned back and rested his clasped hands in front of his chest. "Every shareholder and their proxy were all here except for one. That is Mr. Pablo." "You''ve been present in all the meetings, are you aware that Mr. Pablo is also a proxy just like Mr. Kho here?" Jacob said with a stern face. Mr. Ivanov was taken aback. He was frozen in place as if a bucket of ice were spilled all over his body. On the other hand, Mrs. Ivanov and Stella''s faces were ashen. "My, by the looks of it. You failed to recognize this important detail." Jacob clicked his tongue. "Mr. Ivanov, does this mean that all this time you were having a transaction with Mr. Pablo which is a proxy and not with the real shareholder?" One of the shareholders straightened his back and asked Mr. Ivanov. "Of course not!" Stella stood up with an awkward smile. "I mean, of course, aside from Mr. Pablo, the deal was completed with the real shareholder." She was trying to salvage her family because the truth is they overlooked this minute detail and didn''t have an idea that Mr. Pablo is just a proxy. "It looks like you were scammed to me," Lance said but his smile is mischievous. "What are you saying we were scammed? That is not possible. We have all the documents needed. We''ve checked everything." Mr. Ivanov said but he was not able to conceal his panic. "James," Jacob called James attention who was all this time sitting in one corner. James immediately understands. "Yes, Dr. Jacob." He stood up from his seat and walked towards the door of the conference room. All this time, J was only watching the show until her time comes. Soon, James returned but he was not alone, because behind him is an old man in his 60''s wearing a business suit. He looks like a professional but his head and shoulders were down. James leads him inside and even provides a seat for him. As soon as he was seated, Chairman John Parker asked him instantly. "You are, Mr. Pablo''s personal lawyer, right?" The old man nodded his head. "Then let me ask you, is it true that Mr. Pablo sold that 10% share to Mr. Ivanov without the knowledge of the actual shareholder?" Before the old man could answer, he looked at the direction of Jacob. "That''s right, he sold the 10% share to Mr. Ivanov and the real shareholder didn''t know about it." He replied dejectedly. The board of directors and shareholders gasp in surprise. Some of them were angered. "Mister did he know that we were allowed only to act and vote on behalf of the shareholder but selling that shares without the knowledge of the shareholder are beyond our rights," Lance said being a proxy just like Mr. Pablo. J watched the scene with the utmost interest. While the Ivanov''s were now sweating in panic. Why not? It looks like they were scammed and they lost billions of money. The old man sighed and fixed his lapel. "I am not aware as to why my client did this act but I can assure you that I have nothing to do with this." He immediately cleared his name. Chapter 427 - The Climax "You, scammer!" Mr. Ivanov finally couldn''t contain his anger and stood up to attack the old man. His anger is diverted into him since Mr. Pablo is not present. But the Chairman of the board and other shareholders near him was able to stop him. "I don''t believe that you don''t know anything about it! Where is he? Where is that scoundrel?!" Mr. Ivanov burst out in anger. "I am sorry. But I don''t know where is he now. I''ve been calling him and his family but I cannot contact them. It looks like they already fled away." The old man said apologetically. "No, no, no. This can''t be. Mom, Dad! All my savings and Kolton''s were there. I can''t believe this." Stella started to cry upon realization dawned on her. "I am sorry President Jacob Parker. I suggest that Elder Parker finds another proxy." With the old man''s last words, everyone snaps a look at him. What does he mean by Elder Parker finds another proxy? Everyone has the same thought. "No need. I''ll handle it myself." He said smugly. "President Jacob, what do you mean by that?" One of the Board of Director''s asked then he looked at the direction of Chairman John Parker. "That 10% that was illegally sold to the Ivanov''s actually belonged to my grandfather," Jacob said nonchalantly. "Elder Parker? But we all thought that he already passed all his shares to you and Chairman John Parker." One of the shareholders said then he looked at the board of directors and other shareholders who nodded their head to him in agreement. "He did pass the 25% shares to me, my father and other siblings. But he kept that 10% to himself but we decided that we find another proxy for him." "That means, our family originally owned 35% of the CLP Group of Hospitals." Chairman John Parker said. "So even if Mr. Ivanov bought that 10% legally from another shareholder, the Parker''s still cannot be ousted from their position." Another member of the board made his analysis. "Ahem¡­Actually, now it''s 55%, not 35%." Everyone looked at Lance with a confused expression. Upon making sure that Lance got the attention of everyone in the conference room. He stood up elegantly and started his introduction. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you. The second biggest shareholder of the CLP Group of Hospitals, Miss Jenny Parker." Everyone looked at Lance then to J with a slack-jaw. This is something that they never anticipated. Then almost simultaneously, they looked at Jacob and Chairman John Parker waiting for their confirmation. But Jacob remained quiet while under the table he is squeezing J''s hand. Lance noticed that he didn''t receive any reaction from the crowd except for being dumbfounded. "You don''t think I am just bluffing, do you?" Lance said looking at the board of directors and shareholders. "Come on. Jacob, aren''t you going to say something?" Lance said slightly annoyed when it looks like J and Jacob decided to remain silent. Jacob cocked his head towards Lance. "So now you decided to address me with just Jacob?" He said with a smirk. Lance laughed. "Ha-ha. Should I call you big brother then?" He said with a teasing smile. "I guess you two should stop," J said indifferently. She is starting to lose her cool and just wanted to get this over with so that she could go home. So, she stood up and introduce herself although this is something that she thought she should not do. "Good afternoon everyone. My name is Jenny Do-Parker. And as my lawyer said, I owned the 20% shares of the CLP Group of Hospitals. I am sorry for showing up just now." With that, J bowed her head and sit back to her seat. This made everyone more flustered. But the more the information is sinking into their minds. Chapter 428 - Lily’s Back But they were startled when they heard Jacob clapped his hands. "So! Let''s do the math." He said with a smug smile. "My grandfather still owned 10%, my father owned another 10% and I and my two other siblings owned 5% each. Plus, with the addition of my wife''s 20%. That means our family owns 55% of the CLP Group of Hospitals." "So, Mr. Ivanov, if you were not sleeping when your grade school teacher taught you math. We would agree that 55% is greater than 26%. Oh¡­my bad. Because just earlier you found out that you were scammed. So that makes you 10% less fortunate." Jacob said with an evil smile. Then he turned to look at his father. "Are my calculations correct?" "So, what is this meeting for again?" Jacob asked with a dimpled grin. After making sure that everyone has left, Jacob called James. "Makes sure that Mr. Pablo and his lawyer were well compensated." J heard it and her suspicions earlier were confirmed. She has perceived that Jacob must''ve planned the downfall of Stella and JK dragging their family with them. Jacob is known to be ruthless, using his drive, determination, and a sharp mind to achieve whatever goals he set for himself. He set this trap for Stella and JK and they stepped on it without hesitation. After the meeting, Jacob decided to go home along with J. Since Arthur left for two days, Daniel drove them home while Stefan and Felix followed them. Upon reaching the Evergreen Villa, J shooed away Daniel and Felix. Ever since Hannah gave birth to a daughter, Daniel was much eager to go home. Thanks to J, this has become possible. While Felix was also eager to go home because he knows that his wife would be waiting for him at home. Although there were some nights that Emily can''t be home because she has a flight, her schedule is much better than before. That leaves only Stefan to stay at Evergreen Villa with J and Jacob. "I''m back!" They were having dinner when they heard a gleeful voice of Lily echoing in the whole villa. "Where is everyone?" Lily asked since she cannot find anyone in the villa, thou J, Jacob and Stefan who were in the dining area can hear her. Finally, Lily appeared in the dining area. And she is not alone. She has Lance with her. So, that''s why Lance was so eager to leave the meeting earlier because he is going to pick up Lily at Mt. Celandine. J raised her brow at Lance while Jacob gave the two newcomers a grumpy look. Stefan, on the other hand, ignored them and continue his dinner after just taking a glance at Lily and Lance. "Why are you here?" Jacob said with his grumpy mood. He really hates it when Lance appears in his house maybe because he knew that Lance has been part of most of his wife''s life and that he probably has a spot in J''s heart. Thou he knew that there is nothing romantic between him and his wife and that Lance is now his sister''s boyfriend, he still can''t help but get jealous of him. "Uhm¡­I just finished filming in Mt. Celandine so I am back. Didn''t you tell me to stay with you for the meantime?" Lily said awkwardly. Lance is still standing behind her holding her suitcase. "Go back to your apartment." Jacob decided then to send Lily back to her apartment. Because he knew that if she continues to stay at Evergreen Villa, that would mean Lance will be coming there as well more frequently. And that thought annoys him. And J knew what her husband is thinking just now and she can''t help but be amazed by Jacob''s reasoning. "Really?!" Lily can''t hide her excitement. But she noticed her brother''s warning look so she tried to remain calm despite wanting to jump around. "Oh¡­Okay." J smiled. "You should eat dinner first since you are already here," J said then asked Lulu to bring another two sets of plates for Lily and Lance. Jacob gave J a disapproving look but J only replied with a smile. Chapter 429 - Pissing them off Meanwhile, a man wearing all-black hiding in the dark behind the bushes a few meters away from the perimeter fence of an industrial warehouse near the boundary of Camelia Province and Lantana Province. Camelia and Lantana Provinces were a mountainous region on the northern part of Lotus City together with Naupaka Country which is on the Western part of Lotus City. "I see a bus entering the gate going to one of the loading docks. Do we have visuals of what is going on inside?" The man said in a low voice on a secret communicating device. "Hush. I am working on it." A woman replied from the communicating device. "Ok, Blowfish. I got visuals. There were about 50 to 60 people lined up preparing for transport." "Got it Dart Frog. You are the best." The person with an alias Blowfish continued watching through a binocular with a night vision until he saw a public bus drive out of the loading dock. "Cobra, the subject is on the move," Blowfish said. "I''m on position." Blowfish heard Cobra replied after a while then he silently stood up and walks away from that place. The next morning. "President Martin, the mission was successfully implemented," Peter said as he stood behind President Martin in the balcony of his office while having breakfast with Madam Victoria. "What should we do with those people?" Peter asked. Leo is standing not far from them watching the conversation between President Martin and his right-hand man with a stern face. "Send them for a general checkup then find a place for them." President Martin replied after taking a bite of bacon. "Got it. Anything else?" Peter asked. "Mm¡­I almost forgot. Jack Ogden has a Holland and Holland Deluxe Double Rifle in one of his collections. I want it." He said with a slight curve on the corner of his mouth. Madam Victoria looked at her husband indifferently with a raised brow. "Since when did you became a gun enthusiast?" No one in the family is a gun enthusiast although Madam Victoria and Elder Do were a known sharpshooter while J''s interest lies in archery. President Martin laughed ecstatically. "I just wanted to pissed him off. After all, that Holland and Holland Deluxe Double Rifle cost 1 million dollars and it is in the top five most expensive items in the black market." "Would that be all President Martin?" Peter said. "Yes, thank you, Peter." He replied then his gaze landed on Leo. "Leo, how''s it going on their side?" President Martin asked Leo knowing that he still has his moles and bug around the Novus Rex''s headquarters and facilities even Alex Ogden''s penthouse. "They are enraged," Leo said impassively. "What would you expect? They probably lost millions of dollars in just one night." Madam Victoria said nonchalantly as she sips her coffee. "Well, they asked for it. Keep your ears open Leo. Let''s see what are they planning." President Martin said with an evil smile. ¡­. On the 58th floor of Lotus Skyline, Alex Ogden is drinking his whiskey as breakfast while talking to his grandfather. "The Twelve Army and Robin Hood Society were obviously working together to pull us down." Alex heard the annoyed voice of his grandfather from the other line. "I know." He said. His mood is even grimmer. "You know?! Then what are you doing slacking off in your penthouse? Waiting for Jenny Do to just drop by?!" Alex Ogden pinched the space between his brows. His headache is starting to build up. He hasn''t got a sleep ever since he heard the bad news and since then, he only had whiskey on his stomach. He sighed and leaned back on his armchair. Chapter 430 - What happened? "Tell me? Are you backing out now?!" He heard his grandfather again on the other line. His brows furrowed. The truth is, when he learned about his grandfather''s dream of taking over the Robin Hood Society by marrying him to its heiress, he thought that it was ridiculous. He never had a slight interest in taking over the Society. Their business in the formal and informal economy is doing good and they don''t need the Robin Hood Society. Plus, he also started another business which is assassins for hire. But that was until he saw that picture of the woman that is said to be the heiress of the Society. That was the woman that his grandfather wanted him to marry so that they could gain control of the Society. Since then, he decided to grant his grandfather''s wish but for the reason that he wanted to marry that woman because he wants her. Regardless if she is already married or not. He is determined to get her even if Jacob Parker drops a bomb right there and then, he cannot be stopped. "You have your own purpose and I have mine. The plan will commence as it is. They were just doing this to distract us. Leave everything to me." Alex Ogden''s voice was bone-chilling. Jeric and one of Novus Rex''s men who stood behind Alex Ogden felt that demonic presence creating an eerie feeling. "What happened?" They didn''t notice it when Alex hung up the phone and suddenly throws them a question. They felt like one wrong word and they will be thrown out of the window of that penthouse on the 58th floor. Jeric glared at the man beside him as if telling him to make an acceptable and reasonable explanation as to what happened. "Boss, I¡­We were sure that we have our eyes on the bus the whole time. W-we didn''t know how or when did the street vagrants escape." The man explained stuttering. "Tell me everything." Alex Ogden said with his eyes closed. The man looked at Jeric as if pleading for help but Jeric ignored him. Leaving him with no choice but to reiterate their muddle headedness that night that they didn''t even know takes place. "As scheduled, we had the bus transport the street vagrants from the warehouse to our facility at Crocus at midnight. I was in a car ahead of the bus while another two SUV''s were behind them. All throughout the transport process, we had our eyes on the bus until we reached Crocus. When we were about to unload the street vagrants, that''s when we noticed that the bus is empty with only the driver on it. His body is tied on his sit while his left hand is handcuffed on the wheel and his right hand on the stick shift. His feet were also handcuffed on the pedals. The horn has been destroyed." Alex remained unmoved with his demonic aura. "You didn''t notice any strange activity inside the bus the whole time?" Jeric asked seeing that Alex is not moving thou he knows that he is awake and listening. The man shook his head. "No, since it was midnight. And the lights inside the bus were turned off. We can''t see anything inside. And we also take a secluded road with less lamp post." This time, Alex opened his eyes. "Which road are you talking about?" His voice is deep and husky. The man felt a lump on his throat. He gulped before he made his reply. "H-highway 78." After hearing that, Alex''s signature evil smirk appeared on his lips. "Ah¡­Highway 78. The one with a 3 kilometers tunnel. That was a wise move." Jeric quickly understands. "Anything can happen inside that long and dark tunnel." Chapter 431 - Highway 78 The man was dumbfounded. "You mean? The street vagrants escaped while we are on that tunnel?" That couldn''t be. That highway has always been their choice of route whenever they were transporting street vagrants or any humans from their warehouse to Crocus Facility. So, they were familiar with that road even if they had to take it at midnight. But then, his eyes suddenly widened when he realized something. He is riding the first car ahead of the bus and there was a time inside that tunnel that they became a few minutes ahead of them and lost sight of them in a sharp curve but that was just for a couple of seconds. Although he found out that there was a slight disturbance, a couple of seconds is not enough for 62 street vagrants to escape and 2 of their guards to just vanished into thin air. Or did they really escape? The truth is¡­ The travel from the industrial warehouse at Camelia Province to Crocus is three hours. From the industrial warehouse where the street vagrants were taken to the infamous tunnel in highway 78 is 1 hour. The tunnel was infamous because it is 3 kilometers long and halfway through it is a sharp curve that is almost impossible to see the incoming cars from the other side making it an accident-prone area. That is why when another highway that connects Camelia Province and Crocus opens up. Highway 78 was quickly forgotten by private and public vehicles. Only mining trucks, tractor-trailer, and tankers were using that highway because highway 78 is the fastest way to a certain mining field. When the convoy nears the tunnel the first car started to slow down to make the bus and the other two SUVs behind them catch up to them. "We are in the entrance of the tunnel," Blowfish said on the communicating device while riding his motorbike. He didn''t follow the convoy from the industrial warehouse in Camelia, instead, he used a short cut going to highway 78 and just waited for the convoy in a road that connects the highway to a small town. When he saw the convoy, he then started following them making it seem like he just came out of that small town. "Okay, Cobra is just behind you." Dart frog who is sitting inside a control room with a lot of monitors in front of her said on the other line. Blowfish glanced at the side mirror and saw another bus that is exactly identical to the bus carrying the 62 street vagrants. Blowfish swerved to the right making way to the bus as it overtakes him and the cars in front of him. The bus was followed by a tractor-trailer. There was a white car coming from the other lane so the bus had to go back to its lane cutting the convoy between the first car and the bus carrying the street vagrants. But unfortunately for the tractor-trailer, it was too late. It is a dangerous sharp curve that if you overtake without noticing the coming car from the other direction, it will cause a collision. Fortunately, the collision didn''t take place but the tractor-trailer ends up blocking the road when he tried to go back to its lane. "Okay Cobra you got exactly 20 seconds." Dart frog said. The man named Cobra came out of the bus followed by another one and its driver then they rushed towards the bus carrying the street vagrants. During those times, two men pretending to be a street vagrant have already put their two guards into sleep while the driver was already tied up with duct tape on its mouth. Chapter 432 - 20 Seconds Meanwhile, the first car of the convoy doesn''t have any idea what was happening behind them because they have already taken that sharp curve and doesn''t have any visual yet of the bus and cars following them. That''s when they heard a man speak on the radio. "Damn it! There was an accident and we lost visuals of the bus." Then they heard static. The man on the passenger seat said to the driver. "Stop the car." Then they waited for the bus behind them." On the other hand, the driver and its carrier step out of the tractor-trailer to check out if they cause any damage or casualties. Then they apologized to the drivers of the other cars that they interrupted. "Bullshit! Get your goddamn truck out of the way! Move!" One of the men from one of the SUV steps out pointing a gun at the driver of the truck. The driver and the carrier of the tractor-trailer pretended to be panic-stricken and made their way back to the tractor-trailer and tried hard to remove the truck that is blocking the highway. But fortunately, 20 seconds is all they needed. 20 seconds to make a distraction. 20 seconds to change the bus carrying the street vagrants into an empty bus. 20 seconds to change the plate number and the front look of the real bus carrying the street vagrants. After 20 seconds, the men inside the black car in front finally felt relieved after seeing the bus behind them. Then it was followed by another different bus that overtakes them at a speed of light. Then a tractor-trailer before the two SUVs came into their visual. "Everyone! You are all safe now! You are welcome." Cobra said with a victorious smirk. "Cobra, exit Highway 78 now." Dart frog said leaning on her armchair. "I am out of the tunnel." The driver of the white car said. "We''ll take the next exit," Cobra said taking with him, 60 street vagrants. Two sleeping guards and four of his men. "Crocodile stay on the highway in front of the convoy then take the exit on your right going to the mining field." Dart frog said. "Got it!" Crocodile who is the driver of the tractor-trailer replied. "Blowfish, follow the lead of Cobra." Dart frog gave her final orders before she went offline. "Aye aye." Then Blowfish speeds up to follow the bus carrying the street vagrants which are now in their possession. ¡­. Alex Ogden closed his eyes before he throws the glass of whiskey into the wall of his penthouse making it shatter into pieces. The whiskey on it now stained the white paint of the wall. He can''t think of how did the Robin Hood Society managed to steal 60 street vagrants from him making him lost millions of money. Those street vagrants were subject to be transported into Novus Rex''s facility in Crocus where their organs especially kidneys which costs around 262,000 dollars each in the black market. So, imagine with one kidney alone coming from each of those 60 street vagrants. Just how much did Novus Rex lose in just one night? And that is thanks to the Robin Hood Society. Although Novus Rex was still able to buy organs illegally from a living donor to be sold to the black market, they still preferred it to be taken for free from the street vagrants who cannot protect themselves and no one would notice if they have gone missing. Street Vagrants were abducted from the streets during night time when they were asleep and taken to the Novus Rex''s facility in Camelia Province. Then they will be given a chance to take a bath, change into fresh clothes then they were given food regularly. A series of check-ups will be conducted making sure that they are feasible for organ procurement. After making sure that there were enough street vagrants for organ procurement, they will be transferred to their facility in Crocus. Chapter 433 - Busybody "D! Has Arthur back yet? I wonder why he''d take two days off suddenly?" Felix said to Daniel as they were sitting on a bench in the outdoor shooting range inside the Twelve Army Headquarters watching as Stefan continues his shooting lessons to J. After her duty, J told them her desire to continue her shooting lessons with Stefan. So, they suggested the outdoor shooting range inside the Twelve Army Headquarters since it is the safest and nearest place for her that Jacob would allow. The shooting range in the Naupaka Racing Circuit is quite far from Lotus City as well as the shooting range at the headquarters of The Robin Hood Society at Naupaka Mountain. "Do you think it is because of his ex-girlfriend?" Felix said not even minding the strength of his voice. He has to make sure that Daniel could hear him despite the continuous sounds of the gunshot from J''s Glock 43. Ever since she started her shooting lessons with Stefan, she had tried a couple of pistols and among them, Glock 43 has been her favorite and she uses most often. Daniel snaps a glance at him and said, "Arthur doesn''t like it if someone is gossiping about his personal matters." "I am not gossiping here, okay. I am just being perceptive." Daniel just gave him a side-look. "Stefan said although they were given a chance to go home every other night, he noticed that Arthur is not going home. I wonder where he goes. Do you have any idea?" "You are being a busybody," Daniel warned him without looking at him. Felix scoff. "Such kill joy." "I have a feeling that he is seeing his ex-girlfriend. Say, have you seen her before? I haven''t seen her. I wonder what type of woman got Arthur''s interest?" "It''s none of your business." Felix was frozen in place when he heard the cold voice of Arthur behind them. He never expected him to come back that afternoon and appear suddenly behind them. Arthur was standing behind them as he watched J shoots the target with a Glock 43 on her hand. His hands were in his pocket as he steps forward to sit beside Felix. Felix felt depressed sitting in between these two great analysts. What he hated the most is being boxed in and sitting quietly. He thought of a way to break the awkwardness that he felt. "Ahem¡­ Have you heard? Novus Rex lost a couple of million dollars in just a couple of seconds last night." Daniel looked at Felix with a raised brow. "Where did you heard that?" "From a reliable source, of course!" Felix is a highly sociable person. He got a large circle of friends in the military, police and Twelve Army. From them, he can get a lot of information that may be beneficial to him in the future. And he probably got that information from one of them. Daniel thought internally. "There were speculations that The Robin Hood Society robbed them last night. They steal, well technically, it was not actually stealing, I would call it rescued, 62 street vagrants last night who were about to be transported for organ procurement." Felix said while watching J takes a Sig Sauer P238 and test fired it. Stefan said something to her and J nodded her head. "Well they said that Novus Rex has a convoy to transport the street vagrants somewhere but somewhere down the road, they lost visuals of the bus carrying the street vagrants. It was just a couple of minutes¡­ No¡­ seconds. I am not sure. But those 62 street vagrants just vanished. They said that only The Robin Hood Society can do that." All this while, Daniel''s brows were knitted together as if imagining something. Chapter 434 - Cobra "20 seconds," Arthur said out of the blue. Felix and Daniel looked at him with a confused look. "What?" Felix asked. Arthur looked at them and said, "20 seconds. It only took 20 seconds to rescue 60 street vagrants and take 2 of their guards." He said with a serious expression. From then, Daniel already guessed what he meant while Felix took a couple of seconds before his eyes widened into realization. "Damn! You are one of them! You are among the team that robs the Novus Rex with millions of dollars?!" Felix exclaimed. He sounds either confirming or questioning. Yes, Arthur was one of them. In fact, he was the one with an alias of Cobra. Every member of the Robin Hood Society has to pick an alias but those aliases will be used only during a mission. And Arthur chose the alias Cobra. "So, that''s why you take a two-days off. Does Miss J know about this?" Daniel asked. "We never told her. But I guess she already had an idea." "We?" Felix became more confused. Arthur looked at Felix. "Dr. Jacob. He told me to personally supervise that mission. He wants at least one of us to be part of every mission that concerns the Novus Rex." "So, this is just one of the many missions against Novus Rex?" Daniel said and Arthur nodded his head. "Wow. The negotiation hasn''t started yet but Boss is being dominant, relentless and unforgiving already. He is madly in love with Miss J I must say." Felix commented looking at J''s direction. The three of them watched J''s shooting lesson. Felix''s eyes narrowed when he noticed Stefan smiled at J, his smile is something that he would do when he is flirting. "Damn it! Is he flirting with Miss J?" "Who''s flirting?" Jacob said from behind. Felix stood frozen. Damn! Why do I always blurting out words that would put me into my grave? Jacob walked towards them and watched J and Stefan. "Is he flirting with my wife?" "No! Ha-ha! Of course not. Why would he? It''s beyond his principles. Stefan is just being friendly." Felix said with a tight smile. He was just over analyzing things. Jacob stood on their side with his hands in his pocket. "Congratulations on your mission," Jacob said with a smile to Arthur. "Thank you," Arthur replied. Then Jacob looked at Daniel. "You will be supervising the next mission regarding Novus Rex. Until then, focus on your mission with Jenny''s necklace." "Mm¡­" Daniel replied with a nod. Then Jacob took out his phone from his pocket and called James. "Reserve a table for us in the cafeteria." The Twelve Army headquarters has a cafeteria the serves good dishes that could match up those being served in a restaurant. The chefs there cook dishes that are specifically high in protein and low in sodium and sugar. After an hour, Jacob and J were now sitting in a table inside the cafeteria with Arthur''s team. Jacob is enjoying his steak with skillet tomatoes and spicy saut¨¦ed green beans when J raised her head and asked. "Were you trying to overthrow the Novus Rex?" Jacob looked at his wife. He was not surprised at all with her question. He knew that one of these days she would ask this question but he does not expect it to be this soon. "Honey, are you making assumptions?" J raised her brow and replied, "No," nonchalantly. Then she pierced a piece of potato from her pesto pasta with a fork. J is not the type of person to make assumptions. She has already analyzed the events that took place this couple of days and she was sure that whatever that is happening in Novus Rex, Jacob is the one to blame. Chapter 435 - Separation Anxiety Jacob chuckled. "Okay, you got me." Arthur''s team remained quiet as if they were not present at all which is very uncomfortable in Felix''s part. J leaned her back and crossed her arms in front of her chest as she stares at Jacob. "We were just distracting them. That''s all." "Distracting them?" "Mm..." Jacob nodded his head as he takes the last bite of his steak. "They wanted to steal you from me. Of course, I wouldn''t let that happen as long as I am alive. So, I have to keep them busy." Jacob said arrogantly. Of course, it was always because of her. J thought internally. And she can''t help but blame herself. She didn''t say anything again as she lowers her head to continue eating. The five men beside her looked at each other. They were keen observant and knows her very much, so they knew what she was thinking. Jacob sighed helplessly. Actually, he is working with his father and President Martin in looking for his grandfather. Alex Ogden claimed that he is the supposed husband of J and whether it was a lie or a fact, he cannot accept it. He has to find his grandfather and find out the real reason behind this marriage. Because since the appearance of Jack Ogden wanting to take over the Robin Hood Society by marrying Alex Ogden to J, he already has doubts if the reason for his marriage to J is mere to protect her. He believes that there is much more to it. And he has to find it out before Jack and Alex makes a move on claiming his wife. That is why he is mobilizing all his resources to keep Alex and Jack Ogden preoccupied and delay any of their plans towards J. Alex Ogden challenged him first. If there is anything he loves the most, it is a good challenge. And given enough time and resources, he will make sure that he will win this battle. The group finished their dinner and went back to Lotus City eventually. Daniel and Felix went separately to their respective homes while Arthur was given a night off after his mission with the Robin Hood Society the previous night. Only Stefan was left with Jacob and J to go back at Evergreen Villa. "Honey, I''ll be going overseas in two days," Jacob said making J stilled in her place. J who was now lying in Jacob''s arm facing his chest looked up to see his face with a confused look. She was having a complex of emotions. This is going to be the first time that the two of them will be separated by quite a distance and surprisingly, she doesn''t like the thought of it. Seeing the reaction in J''s face. Jacob initiated to make an explanation. "Ever since the international expansion of Twelve Army, I haven''t visited our bases in those countries. We already have bases in four countries and they already required my attention." Jacob said as he tried to ease J by rubbing her back with his free hand. Although J was relieved that it is not about Novus Rex, J was still unease when Jacob mentioned that they have bases in four countries. Does that mean he will be traveling in four countries? "How long will you be gone?" J asked in a grave expression. It was obvious that she was worried. "One week, at most? But I''ll try to lessen my stay in each country so that I could go home earlier." Jacob replied. J was silent trying to keep herself calm although deep inside she was already panicking at the thought of them being separated for long. But J thought that she has to be practical, Jacob is the Chairman of the Twelve Army, unlike the CLP Group of Hospital that has a CEO and Chairman, Twelve Army doesn''t have a CEO. Instead, the roles of a Chairman and CEO were combined which makes Jacob act like a CEO and Chairman as well. So, he runs the Twelve Army and at the same time presiding over the board of directors, which are the 12 Officials. Chapter 436 - The most famous hacker The same goes for the Robin Hood Society. President Martin acts as the President and Chairman as well. While they don''t have a board of directors, they have council members. J knows that Jacob has to manage the overall operations of the company so traveling to their other branches in another county is inevitable. And as his wife, she should be supportive of him instead of becoming a hindrance. After being silent for a while, and playing with the hem of Jacob''s sleeves she raised her head to see Jacob''s face. "Okay, I understand. But will you be here on Christmas day?" Jacob smiled sweetly. So, that''s what worries her. He thought. "Of course, Honey." J nodded her head. It seems that she is finally thou not totally relieved. The GBC Auction will be held on Christmas Eve. J was actually looking forward to spending Christmas with Jacob. She has never been excited about Christmas like this. When she was a child, she usually spends it at Lodgepole Estate with her parents and Grandfather together with other staff at the estate. But that was until that ambush takes place. Since then, she would either spend Christmas either alone or with Lance abroad. When they came back to Lotus City, she would either spend it at the hospital or with Diana and Timothy. After two days, Jacob indeed left leaving J at the care of Arthur''s Team. But before he did, he made sure that J is well protected and left a lot of directions. He also left a mission for Daniel and that is to monitor Novus Rex''s activity in the darknet market. The transactions in the darknet market are anonymized meaning, the identity of the seller and the buyer and their location are protected. But with Daniel''s hacking ability, he can penetrate the darknet market''s network. He can easily find the identity of the seller and the buyer and their location without a trace. Jacob wanted Daniel to monitor any Novus Rex''s attempt to sell illicit goods, stolen information, weapon and organs in the darknet market. And for any transaction completed, Daniel is to steal at least 20% to 25% of the digital currency used in the transaction. The darknet market''s network and the digital currency they are using were quite impenetrable, almost next to impossible in fact. But with Daniel''s hacking skills, nothing is impenetrable. He wouldn''t be labeled as the world''s most famous and best hacker for nothing. But his identity has always been concealed. Not a lot of people knew of his identity. But Alex Ogden knew this, he knows that one of J''s personal security and now a member of her own team in the Robin Hood Society is Daniel Li. That is why he became vigilant with his transactions in the darknet market. He maintains his transaction at the darknet market at a minimum ever since the last incident with the fake credit card information. If possible, he wouldn''t do any transactions on the darknet market for the meantime. But some of his buyers were on the darknet market and preferred transacting using digital currency. Three days before the GBC Auction Ball, J called for a meeting at the Evergreen Villa. Arthur''s Team were present as well as Diana and Lance. "I''ve found out that Aivy has a collection of fancy color diamonds. She already got green, purple, orange, pink and blue which is the Galaxy or now known as Massive J. And she only lacks a red diamond." Felix who was assigned to investigate AIvy said. "A few months ago, an extremely rare massive 15-carat red diamond was discovered. It will also be auctioned at the GBC Auction Ball. When she learned about it, she eventually planned to get her hands on it. The red diamond has an estimated price of more than 22 million dollars. And she wants to bid for it to complete her collection." Chapter 437 - Fancy Color Diamonds J leaned in an armchair with a stern face. She is silently analyzing the information that Felix has gathered. "If she wants to bid for the red diamond to complete her collection, why did she donated her blue diamond?" Diana was flustered. Actually, this whole diamond thing is making her flustered. She is not a fan of gems and hearing that there were such things as fancy color diamond surprised her. She only knows that a diamond is clear. "That''s one point." Felix pointed it out. "Of course, do you think she would really just donate one of her collections?" "A fancy vivid blue diamond like Galaxy is extremely rare. Galaxy is 20-carat which is one of a kind. She wouldn''t just let it go." J said nonchalantly. "Donating it was just an act?" Stefan said with a cocked head seemingly proud of what he came to realize. Felix nodded his head. "That''s right. Aivy cares too much about her image. And she is overly competitive. Donating one of her most precious collection put her business on the limelight. Of course, she is not really planning to let Galaxy go. Donating it was just an act. She had someone to bid the highest possible price for Galaxy or Massive J." "I don''t get it. If she bids for the highest price. Then wouldn''t the money just go to the charity?" Diana asked in confusion. "That''s when The Children of Mt. Celandine enters the picture. She worked with someone from the GBC Auction Ball to make sure that the Children of Mt. Celandine will pass as their beneficiary. Therefore, the fund that The Children of Mt. Celandine will gather will all go to their own pocket." Felix said. "Oh¡­ I get it. But¡­I have known Ms. Laurie Como since I was a child. I don''t think she is the kind of person that would use a one-time grant given to The Children of Mt. Celandine for her personal gain." Diana grew up in Mt. Celandine and has been one of those children that Laurie Como had helped although during those times, The Children of Mt. Celandine hasn''t existed yet. "And when we visited The Children of Mt. Celandine, Laurie Como''s daughter said that their application to be a beneficiary of GBC Auction Ball was done by her Aunt, which I suppose is Aivy. And if I remember it correctly, you guys said that Laurie Como and Aivy were not in a good relationship." Lance said. "Damn. This Aivy is cunning. It looks like she is using The Children of Mt. Celandine for her own benefit. She is just using her sister''s organization so that all the money that she will spend for Massive J will all fall back in her hands together with Massive J." Stefan said with a gritted tooth. "The Children of Mt. Celandine is really being used. They were not even qualified to be a beneficiary of GBC Auction Ball but Aivy made it so." Felix said. All this time, Arthur and Daniel remained quiet which was not unusual. J knew that these two men were already strategizing based on the information that Felix has gathered. "Hmm¡­I wonder, just how much those fancy color diamonds cost?" Diana said with dreamy eyes, her elbow on the table while her chin is rested on her palm. "Uhm¡­the green diamond which is 3-carats cost 4 million dollars, the purple diamond which is 15-carats costs 25 million dollars, the orange diamond which is 14-carats cost 30 million dollars and the pink diamond which is 24 carats and also the most expensive from her collection is 45 million dollars. Well, at least, that was the price back then when she bought them. They probably cost more today." Felix said nonchalantly. Diana''s jaw dropped. "That much?!" She exclaimed. "How about the Galaxy?" She asked then everyone looked at J''s direction. "My grandfather bought it for 25 million dollars 28 years ago." Everyone''s jaw dropped. If it cost 25 million dollars 28 years ago, just how much will it cost now? Probably double its price? Chapter 438 - Aivy "Aivy is willing to spend that much?" Diana said flustered. "Of course, if she will be earning that much or more," Lance said in a matter-of-fact tone. "It is not actually spending, she is just fooling everyone around. If she is going to spend a penny, it will be on the red diamond, I doubt it. Based on the market value of all the items that will be auctioned, The Children of Mt. Celandine will probably earn a lot." Everyone went silent looking at J, waiting for her orders. "Arthur, can you set an appointment with Laurie Como and the Chairman of GBC Auction Ball?" J asked Arthur although she already knows the answer. She just doesn''t want to sound like she is making an order. "Okay," Arthur replied with a stern face. J nodded. "Thank you. And Felix, please continue watching over Aivy." "Got it!" "Help me strategized a plan after meeting with Laurie Como and the Chairman of GBC Auction Ball." Although she didn''t say it in anyone in particular. It was obvious that it is for Arthur and Daniel. "I want to retrieve Galaxy without spending a single penny." She paused for a while before she said, "And also, I want that red diamond." Everyone was surprised by her last word. It was clear that their mission is to retrieve the Galaxy, but then she suddenly wanted that red diamond. She wanted something that AIvy is coveting, so she would steal it from her as retribution. She looked at Diana and Lance who haven''t recovered from the shock. "You guys prepare for the ball." ¡­. Speaking of preparing for the ball. A woman although already 56 years old is looking youthful fitting an elegant blue A-line evening dress. Her hair is long and wavy that starts silver on the base then fades into black until the tip of her hair. "You look stunning in that dress, Aivy. You made the right decision to match the color of Massive J. You''ll definitely become the face of the night in the upcoming GBC Auction Ball." Aivy''s gay assistant complimented her. As Aivy''s assistant for over 30 years now. He knew that Aivy has an irregular rise and fall of self-esteem. So, he made it a habit to compliment her beauty and talent regularly to keep her from getting stressed. "Thank you, Hector." Her smile is charming. Aivy was a model turned jeweler because of her fascination towards gemstones. She is also very creative and artistic. In fact, she personally designed some of the jewelry in her jewelry store. "But one of my friends mentioned that long and wavy hair is a bit outdated. Do you think it''s time for me to have a new haircut?" Aside from having fluctuating self-esteem, Aivy can easily be stressed out by criticism. She easily believes them without strong support. "Never mind, please schedule an appointment with my stylist. I have to look good at the ball. I need to prove to those young models that I am not yet outdated, that I can still surpass them despite my age." Aivy said being overly competitive. "Got it Aivy," Hector said looking at Aivy whose checking up her image in 2 meters beveled full-length wall mirror. "By the way, check out on Mr. Long. Make sure that The Children of Mt. Celandine will collect a massive amount of money. If I am going to spend money, I have to earn it back ten-folds." Aivy said checking out which hair length will suit her dress by pulling her long hair up making it look shorter. Mr. Long is one of the committees of the GBC Auction Ball that Aivy paid to make sure that The Children of Mt. Celandine will be approved to be one of their beneficiaries even if it doesn''t pass all qualifications. "I''ve already talked to him and reassured us that everything will go as planned," Hector said gaily. Chapter 439 - The Golden Red "Good. How about Mr. and Mrs. Schimdt? I don''t want any mistakes. I cannot afford to lose Massive J and all of my money because of them." Aivy said as she walks towards her desk and lighted a cigarette. "I''ve already briefed them. Don''t worry, they were a good artist. Nothing could go wrong." Aivy made sure to hire someone from abroad that is completely stranger to her to pretend like a wealthy businessman to bid for the Massive J on her behalf. That is to avoid suspicions. Donating her most precious collection for the charity auction was a brow raiser for everyone. Would she really donate an extremely rare blue diamond from her collection? Some doubted her while some thought that she was very generous. But she was only doing this to improve her name and image. This will also promote her line of luxurious jewelry. The truth is, she is not actually donating her Massive J. She already got a chance to complete her collection of fancy color diamonds, when she found out that The Golden Red will be auctioned as well. She wouldn''t let herself be one less of a diamond. The Golden Red is the recently found 15-carat red diamond. It is the biggest red diamond ever found. And because red diamond is extremely scarce, jewelers and diamond cutters will definitely bid for it. And she is one of them. She wanted it so badly to be added up to her collection of fancy color diamonds. So, she needed a large sum of money. But she just cannot risk all of her money. Bidding for The Golden Red means she has to have twice or thrice the asking price of The Golden Red which is 22 million dollars. The discovery of a red diamond is once in a blue moon so everyone will fight tooth and nail just to get their hands on it. "How much are you going to spend on Massive J and The Golden Red?" Hector curiously asked. Of course, Aivy has to make sure that Massive J will fall back into her hand and she also has to make sure that The Golden Red will fall into her hands. Nothing is more blissful than having these two extremely rare diamonds to complete her collection. But his concern is, what if there is someone out there who aggressively fights for Massive J and The Golden Red? Aivy knew about this risk so her reply was firm. "I am going to go all out for it." Going all out for it means she is willing to spend all her money even if it is twice or thrice the value of Massive J and The Golden Red. She is not wary of losing a lot of money because she was sure that The Children of Mt. Celandine will earn it back for her. All she has to do is collect the money from her good for nothing step sister. She didn''t expect that one of these days, her stepsister who has torn her family down will be of great help to her. She just needed a little bit of threatening. An evil smile appeared at the corner of her lips as she was looking again at the wall mirror stroking her bare neck. "I can''t wait to turn The Golden Red into a beautiful choker." She said that more to herself. "Aivy, with regards to The Children of Mt. Celandine." Aivy was distracted by Hector. "What about it?" Aivy asked as she continued imagining The Golden Red on her neck in front of the wall mirror. Hector was hesitant at first to break a news because he knows that this will make Aivy stressed out. Actually, even a small thing can make her stress out. "A couple of weeks ago, The Children of Mt. Celandine had an unexpected visitor. In fact, I doubt if your step sister knew of this occurrence." Chapter 440 - Absence Aivy raised her brow then she walked back to her desk and takes a sit on her armchair. She flicked her cigarette into an ashtray before she asked. "Who is that visitor?" "Its Jenny Do-Parker." Aivy frowned as she took another stick of cigarette. Hector was right, it did make her stressed out. Aivy knew that the original owner of Massive J which was then called Galaxy is Alexander Do, the grandfather of Jenny Do which is now married to Jacob Parker. The Galaxy was stolen by Mayor Hall. When she found out that Mayor Hall possessed a rare blue diamond, she immediately reached out to him. She realized that Mayor Hall is ignorant when it comes to gems so she tried to offer him 10 million dollars in exchange for the Galaxy, she was actually surprised when the latter accepted without a second thought. The Do''s and the Parker''s were big names in both the formal and informal business sector. Aivy is starting to panic thinking that Jenny Do might have already found out that Massive J is actually Galaxy and that she possessed it. She is now fidgeting in her seat. When she turn Galaxy into a pendant, she named it Massive J because of the letter J engraved on its girdle. It was only later she found out that J is actually the initial of Elder Do''s granddaughter, the heiress of the Robin Hood Society when Jenny Do was presented as the wife of Jacob Parker. Rumors circulated that Jenny Do is in fact Alexander Do''s granddaughter, which was later on confirmed. "Do you think that the Robin Hood Society has found out about our plan?" Aivy asked Hector, worry is evident to her face. Hector tried to calm her down. "Oh¡­ don''t worry too much. I heard that she is with a friend that is a film investor that happened to be filming a movie in that location during that time. They just made a stroll and discovered The Children of Mt. Celandine. They didn''t do much actually. So, it was probably just a coincidence." Hector said with a tight-lip smile. "is that so?" Aivy is seemed to have calmed down a little. "Yeah. So, don''t fret." Good thing Aivy can easily be swayed. Hector thought internally. ¡­. It was exactly four days since Jacob left. During the day, J barely notices the absence of Jacob because she usually spends the day at the Department of Surgery while Jacob often stays in his office at the CLP Hospital or the Twelve Army. But his absence is noticeable at night. J is used to living alone until Jacob came into her life. And since then, she is surprisingly not used to sleeping alone without Jacob beside her. She missed sleeping in his arms. She missed the warmth of his body. She missed his unique scent. She missed his heartbeat close to her. She missed everything about him. She is now lying in bed waiting for Jacob''s call. Every night Jacob would always call during dinner and before J goes to bed. During the day, they would send text messages to each other if they have free time. J is reading a novel titled Mansfield Park by her favorite author Jane Austen when she heard her phone rings. She reached out for her phone that is on the bedside table and her heart rate instantly increased when she saw the caller ID. Her phone didn''t ring twice when she answered Jacob''s call. "Hey," J said biting her lips to prevent her excitement in hearing Jacob''s voice being notice. "Hey Honey, do you miss me?" J''s lips curved when she heard Jacob''s question. "Yeah." She hesitated at first before she replied. "Mm¡­Good. That means you''ve been thinking of me. Because I''ve been thinking of you every second." Jacob''s tone is melancholic. J felt her chest tightened. She could sense that Jacob really missed her. Chapter 441 - Out of Reach She tried her best not to cry because Jacob will only tease her for being a crybaby. She swallowed the lump in her throat before she said, "I¡­ I miss your presence." She said shyly. Jacob is probably grinning from ear to ear. Before he could say something, J speaks again intentionally. "You said you''ll try and go home earlier." "I did. And I guess I can escort you at the ball." A smile appeared on J''s lips. "Okay." The two of them talked for an hour before J felt sleepy and take the initiative to hung up against her will. As soon as J hung up the phone, Jacob immediately boarded a private jet going to the next country in his itinerary. This is going to be the last country that he will be visiting. It is where their second training facility is located. The first and biggest one is in Lotus City. So, his visit there should be the most important. "James, schedule all my meetings in the next two days. I have to be back in Lotus City on Christmas Eve." Jacob said as he walked inside a luxurious private jet owned by the Twelve Army. As he gets in, he immediately walks over the master suite who has its own walk-in shower. For the past four days, Jacob is technically living in that private jet to not waste time just to make all his job done so that he could go back home. Back home to his wife. "Have you sent the invitation?" Jacob asked James as he takes off his suit preparing to take a shower before he rests during the flight. "Yes, I already sent them to Evergreen Villa," James replied. "Good." Then James takes his leave when he saw Jacob enter the walk-in shower. ¡­. The day of the auction ball. J is sitting in the back seat of the bulletproofed car driven by Arthur. They were on their way back to Evergreen Villa to prepare for the Auction Ball. Daniel, Stefan, and Felix were already at the Elm Palace Hotel where that Auction ball is going to be held. They have to be there earlier while Arthur cannot leave J alone. She is getting anxious because ever since that morning, she hasn''t received a text or call from Jacob. She is expecting him to be back that day. But even James cannot be contacted. Arthur watched her from the rearview mirror. Although she appeared calm, he knew that she is having anxiety. She has been checking her phone over and over again since she gets into the car. The continuous tapping of her finger on her knees. Not everyone knows but Jacob and Arthur knew that this behavior is signs that she is getting anxious. Her phone rings indicating that she received a message. J immediately opened the message and Arthur saw the evident displeasure on her face. After a while, he heard her speak. "Can you go with me to the ball?" Arthur was surprised but he didn''t show it in his face. He knew that Jacob will be back that day to escort her to the auction ball. Why did she suddenly ask him to escort her? Did something happen? "Okay," Arthur replied. "Thank you," J said while looking outside the window. Her mood is obviously gloomy. When they arrived at the Evergreen Villa, J rushed towards the bedroom without looking back. It didn''t take long since they arrived when Arthur received a text message from Jacob. "Accompany Jenny to the ball tonight. My flight will be delayed and I might not make it on time." So, that''s why. Arthur thought internally. She saw the look on J''s face when they arrived and it was obvious that she is worried and displeased. "How is it?" Jacob inquired when he saw James entering a VIP lounge at the airport. Chapter 442 - Catching Flights James'' expression was grim. "They said that it would take them overnight to fix the issue." Jacob''s mood was getting darker ever since they discovered that there is a maintenance issue with his aircraft. He should be home by now if it wasn''t for that. Jacob''s day started out bad. Earlier that morning, there was an attack on a couple of cell sites in the city leaving them with only one cell site functioning. That resulted in heavy cellular traffic making it hard for them to make a call or even send a text message. That is why J cannot contact them. Jacob had to keep on sending the message until he finally was able to send a message to J and Arthur. Telling them that he might not make it on time on the ball and that Arthur should escort J for the meantime. He knows that this would make his wife worried and angry at the same time. He thought that at least he already told her that she should not wait for him. He will just have to explain when he gets back. "I''ve already lined up for a chance passenger but the chances are low as there were a lot of people waiting as well," James said noticing that Jacob seemed to be in deep thought. James had tried to book a ticket to any airlines but unfortunately, because it is Christmas Eve, all airlines are fully booked. The next available flight will be the next morning. Jacob cannot wait until the next morning. He promised his wife that he will celebrate Christmas with her. This is going to be their first Christmas together and he has to make it home today. He already planned a special Christmas Eve celebration for J. "See if we can hire a private jet," Jacob said after a while. James was not surprised at all. In fact, he thought, why didn''t he think of that earlier. Hiring a private jet could be expensive but with the Parker''s wealth, Jacob could definitely afford it. Although spending money on the unnecessary things is not in Jacob''s character, for Jenny he would do anything. He is a strong-willed person, once he sets a goal or plan, he will achieve it no matter what. "Okay. I''ll be back." James said then turned around in a hurried step. Thou Jacob didn''t tell him to, James knows that he wanted him to hurry. Jacob keeps on looking at his wristwatch. He''s been gone for one hour now and it is still quite impossible to call him. It is already 7 pm, he had no choice but to wait for him. He cannot think of another way to get back to Lotus City before midnight. If they can''t find a private jet to hire, he doesn''t know what else he could do. After another 15 minutes, James came back catching up his breath. "I am sorry that it took me long. I found us a private jet. But I had to bid for a huge price. They said that since it is peak season and not scheduled ahead of time. The price is a bit higher. I had no choice but to accept it." Of course, James had to tell that to Jacob although he was sure that he wouldn''t mind. "Good. That''s good." Jacob was finally able to breathe. "The flight will be at 8 pm," James said afterward. "The pilot and the cabin crew were still on their way." Jacob is an impatient person. But this is his last resort so he is willing to wait if it means that he will be able to arrive at Lotus City before midnight. The flight going back to Lotus City will only take 3 hours. Chapter 443 - The Auction Ball Meanwhile, at Evergreen Villa. J is already preparing for the GBC Auction Ball that will start at 8 pm. Instead of wearing the usual evening dress, J chooses to wear a red strapless long overskirt jumpsuit that Jacob ordered back then for J to choose for the banquet after the Lotus City Motor Speedway Championships. She is now styling her hair in simple loose waves and messy half updo that she learned from the internet. While her make up, as usual, is nude and almost natural. When she''s done, she checked out her phone to see if she missed a call or text from Jacob or James. Upon finding out that there is nothing. She tried again to call them but she cannot reach them. She wanted so badly to follow them but everything has already been set up in the Elm Palace Hotel. If she missed this chance to retrieve Galaxy, there wouldn''t be any chance again. Because once Aivy completed her collection of fancy color diamonds, she doubts if she will risk letting them go again. She looked at her image at the vanity mirror again for the last time before she takes a deep breath and exits the room. ''Please be home soon.'' J thought internally holding on to Jacob''s promise that he will make it home on Christmas Day. When she walks over the living room, she found Arthur waiting for her as he fixes his cufflink. He looks dashing, J thought. There is no doubt that girls would swoon over him. Others will definitely be romantically attracted to him, but not her. Arthur saw her came and was immediately put in a trance for seconds before he snapped out of it when he heard J speaks. "Let''s go?" Arthur nodded then led her to the black bulletproofed car. It was almost 8 pm when they reached the Elm Palace Hotel. The two of them entered the hotel ignoring the media at the entrance. The media knew that they wouldn''t be able to get a chance to have an interview with J. Although they wanted to ask why is Jacob not with her, seeing that she has her especially cold looking assistant with her, they never dared. They suited them self in taking photos of her. Ever since the Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship, although Jacob allowed the media to have an exclusive interview, no one ever got the chance because no one ever passed Arthur''s non-existent requirements. The two of them both appeared cold and intimidating. Just one look from them would put you frozen in place. J walked one step ahead of Arthur while Arthur followed her in full alert. Before entering the ballroom, J has to present her invitation. One has to have an invitation in order to enter the ball. Lance managed to get an invitation for him and Diana while J''s invitation was for the Parkers. The Parkers were always invited to this kind of events but the Parkers were not that fond of Auction so they rarely attend. But this time, J attended the GBC Auction Ball to represent the Parkers which is not surprising at all since she is married to Jacob Parker. Upon entering the ballroom, J immediately noticed the elegantly decorated hall. It was like a royal wedding is to be held in that hall. The ballroom is a pillar-less open space with state-of-the-art lighting and sound mixing. It looks striking and sophisticated with its interior design. The ballroom can house up to 1000 guests. J immediately finds her assigned table. But, to her surprise, she saw an unexpected person sitting there being accompanied by another unexpected person that J immediately recognized as the friend of Arthur''s sister that goes by the name Bella. Chapter 444 - The Unexpected Person Thou she was surprised, she didn''t show it to her face. Instead, she looked at the direction of Arthur which she caught in a dazed and confused looking at the woman named Bella. But that was for a mere second only as Arthur was able to regain its cold demeanor as if he didn''t see anyone. Bella looked elegant in a champagne off shoulder beaded evening gown. J noticed that she looked uncomfortable. But she is not sure if she was uncomfortable ever since or just now when they arrived. Arthur pulled out a chair beside Bella for J to sit before he sits beside her. "Jenny, I didn''t expect to see you here. The last time I check you were not interested in auctions. Or were you continuing your grandfather''s legacy?" The unexpected man beside Bella asked looking at her with his dark eyes while drinking a glass of whiskey. J hates going to social events like this more so, attending an auction ball. But everyone knows that her grandfather is a loyal advocate of GBC Auction Ball and other charity auction. That is where he purchased the Lodgepole Estate, and Galaxy among other properties and jewelry. J wanted to ignore him but she knew that she just cannot ignore him the whole night. "I don''t think we are close enough to be on a first-name basis, Mr. Ogden." J''s words were sharp. Alex Ogden''s signature evil smirk appears in his dark and mysterious yet beautiful face. "That was harsh." J decided to ignore him by looking around the ballroom searching for particular faces. When she saw Lance and Diana sitting two tables from them, she acted like she didn''t see anyone. Then she heard Alex Ogden speaks again. "Well, maybe not yet. But soon, we''ll be close enough for me to call you Jenny." Alex Ogden said and J knew very well what he meant. She shot him a piercing glare which the latter ignored. Alex Ogden leaned closer to Bella''s ear and murmur something which made Bella looked at her with curiosity. J wonders what is the relationship between the two. In the end, she decided to ignore them, for now. Their table is six-seater and there still two vacant sits in front of her. One is beside Arthur while the other one is beside Alex. Arthur already checked out ahead of time the sitting assignment for the ball and found out that the other seats belong to Aivy and her assistant. In fact, she personally requested from the Chairman of the GBC Auction Ball to be seated on the same table with her with the help of Lance. J requested an appointment with the Chairman of the GBC Auction Ball two days ago, but she really didn''t meet with him. She sent Lance to do the business talk with him. While the meeting with Laurie Como was attended by Diana since she personally knew her. She was accompanied by Arthur. When Arthur checked out the sitting assignment, the seats of Alex Ogden and Bella belonged to someone else. So, they were surprised to see the two of them sitting on the same table with them. It looks like, Alex Ogden used his underhanded tactics as well. A couple of minutes later, she saw a woman in 50s wearing an elegant royal blue A-line dress. She looks young in her silver and black pixie cut hair. With her is a gay person walking energetically wearing a silver tuxedo. She eventually recognized the woman as AIvy and her assistant Hector. She already made a background check of the two. The two of them walked elegantly towards their table after greeting a couple of acquaintances. Aivy seemed to recognize Alex Ogden and greeted him cordially while the latter remained indifferent. Aivy wasn''t aware yet that the other woman in front of her is the heiress of the Robin Hood Society as she only smiled at her which J returned. Chapter 445 - One Gem Left Aivy and Hector have only heard of the heiress of the Robin Hood Society and its marriage to the Chairman of Twelve Army. They have only seen her in a picture dancing with Jacob in the foundation gala but they don''t have a clear idea of how she really looks like in person. Arthur leaned closer to J and said something to her ear that only J could hear. "It''s now safe." A small smile appears at the corner of J''s lips before she nodded her head. She already retrieved the Galaxy. Only one gem left to deal with. She thought internally. She unconsciously looked at Diana and Lance''s table. Diana is wearing a white A-line floor-length skirt with a crystal-embellished belt and a black sleeveless velvet bodice with a plunging V neck and crystal-embellished choker. She wonders how did Leo react upon seeing Diana in this dress because Diana looked absolutely stunning. Lance beside her is wearing a black and white tuxedo matching up with Diana''s dress. Diana looked at her without showing any recognition. There is no sign of nervousness in Diana''s face which is good, J thought. Diana and Lance were assigned with the task of bidding for The Golden Red. It is their responsibility to make sure that The Golden Red will fall on J''s hands. So technically, J was just there to represent the Parkers. She doesn''t have much to do but drain her energy by just sitting there with the person she least wanted to spend time with. Soon, the lights in the ballroom dimmed and the spotlight focused on the auctioneer that no one noticed when he appeared on the stage. He started his speeches and greetings then presented the lot to be auctioned. Among the lot to be auctioned were an antique marble figure, an old bottle of red wine, which is what Alex Ogden is probably eyeing, J thought internally. She knew of the Ogden''s fascination with collecting old bottles of alcoholic beverages as well as with their bootlegging business. Bootlegging or rum-running is an illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages. There were also old books, dresses owned by famous legendary celebrity, real estate properties like an island and an old mansion, a stamp, and a couple of rare pieces of jewelry and gemstone and probably the most expensive items to be auctioned that night which includes an emerald green imperial jade bracelet, The Golden Red and The Massive J. All in all, there were twelve lots to be auctioned. Although the items were presented one by one in the stage to tantalize the bidders, J was confident that The Galaxy is now safe in her possession. Thanks to Daniel, Felix and Stefan. That means, The Massive J presented to the stage earlier does not have The Galaxy in it. Earlier that day, two of the GBC Auction Ball committees personally picked up The Massive J at Aivy''s mansion. The committees arrived in a black bulletproofed cash-in-transit van with two guards armored with a weapon and another bulletproof van with two more guards following them. The GBC Auction Ball committee hired them to ensure the safety of The Massive J while it is being transported from Aivy''s mansion to the Elm Palace Hotel where a well secured and well-guarded holding room is provided for the items to be auctioned later that day. Stefan watched over as the item is being transported while Daniel remained inside a transit van near the hotel. Felix was already inside the hotel and managed to have access inside the holding room of the lot that is going to be auctioned later that day. They already had the plan in place and all they needed is to wait for the perfect timing. The three of them were the ones responsible for retrieving the Galaxy as Lance and Diana will claim The Golden Red. While Arthur and J will wait until the plan commence. Thou they didn''t just sit there and wait. Arthur joined by Daniel and J strategized a plan on how they are going to get their hands on the Galaxy and The Golden Red without spending money and not being suspected of stealing it from the auction ball. Chapter 446 - Felix’s Disguise The Elm Palace Hotel has its own vault which location remains a secret. No one knows where the vault is actually located inside the hotel. That is why a lot of auctions were preferred to be held there. And also, some foreign elites and royalties who visits the country bringing with them some precious and important stuff choose to check-in at Elm Palace Hotel because of its own vault. There were some speculations that the vault is located somewhere near the ballroom since it has to be near where the auction will be held. While some say that it is located near the office of the hotel''s Director Manager since he is the only one who can have access to the vault. But those were just speculations, and no one has proven it. Well, maybe until that day. Stefan followed the CIT Van that the GBC Auction Ball hired to transport The Massive J from Aivy''s mansion until the Elm Palace Hotel without getting noticed. "ETA is 9:45 am. They will be taking the basement parking." Daniel said through their secret communicating device. He remained inside the transit van where there were a lot of monitors in front of him while Stefan is still following the CIT Van. Felix, on the other hand, is inside the hotel waiting for the arrival of The Massive J. Felix heard him but he didn''t reply or made any changes in his facial expression. He is sitting in the armchair of the hotel''s Director Manager. In front of him is the Chairman of the GBC Auction Ball Mr. Jefferson Gandy and one of its committee Mrs. Chloe Tang. They were waiting for the arrival of The Massive J. Other items that will be auctioned later that they have already arrived and they received and secured it to the vault already. The Massive J is the only one they are waiting for. "As I was saying, thank you for trusting our hotel for another year Mr. Gandy," Felix said with an air of elegance and strictness. "Don''t mention that Mr. Mills. It is us who should be thankful because of the best service and security that you are providing us." Felix laughed. A laughed that he learned for only two days. The laugh that the real Mr. Mills will probably show at this moment. "Only for our most loyal client, Mr. Gandy." Felix is an attractive man, but for this mission, he hides his real facial features. His brown and usually messy hair is now black with streaks of silver hair. His smooth face now has traces of forehead lines and crow''s feet. He used a prosthesis to make his chiseled-face into an asymmetrically square face. He also used a prosthesis to hide his perfect nose into a bigger and wider nose. His well-trimmed facial hair is now clean-shaven and his eyes that seemed like always smiling looks cold and impassive. The attractive, buff and masculine Felix is now gone and is now disguised as the Director Manager of the Elm Palace Hotel, Mr. Mills. Mr. Gandy''s phone rings, he excused himself and answered the call. After talking to the phone, Felix watched as Mr. Gandy hung up and put his phone back in the inside pocket of his suit. "The Massive J has arrived in the basement and is now on its way here." Mr. Gandy said to Mr. Mills. "Okay," Felix replied never dropping his elegant and strict disguise. After a couple of minutes, they heard a knock on the door. The door opens and the two committees who picked up The Massive J in Aivy''s house entered carrying a black duffel bag. They were followed by two heavily armed guards. Their movements were quick and precise. The two committees walked towards the coffee table and laid down the duffel bag. Mr. Gandy and Mrs. Tang walked to meet them while Felix although he walked towards them, kept his distance to a good 2 meters while his hands were clasped behind him. Chapter 447 - The Vault One Committee opened the duffel bag then he took out a velvet brocade box. He opened it to show that inside is The massive J. Mrs. Chloe Tang walked closer to check and evaluate the Massive J. She is a jewelry specialist that the GBC Auction Ball hired. And since pieces of jewelry were a common item in an auction, they decided to make her one of the committees of the Auction Ball. Mrs. Chloe Tang took out a tool to check if it is really The Massive J. Although they have already checked it back at Aivy''s mansion. They have to make sure that the item that was picked up and delivered is the same item and not replaced. It is a protocol that the GBC Auction Ball conducts every time they will have an auction. The items to be auctioned will be checked before pick up, upon arrival before sending it to the vault and before it is to be presented by the auctioneer to the bidders. As a protocol, the Director Manager of the hotel is to check the items inside the vault every thirty minutes until the time of the auction arrived. The Director Manager is the only person who has access to the vault. So, he is the only person to deliver the items to the vault after Mrs. Tang and Mr. Gandy have checked it and he is also the one who will take the items out of it and be directly delivered to the ballroom. The vault has two access points. One is inside the Director Manager and the other one is connected in a secret room in the ballroom. Only the Director Manager can enter these access points. That is the reason why Felix decided to disguise as the Director Manager. Because although disguising as one of the committees of the ball who has limited access to The Massive J, it is wiser to disguise as the Director Manager since he can see and touched the item every thirty minutes. Upon making sure that the item is really The Massive J, Mr. Gandy closed the velvet brocade box and passed it on Mr. Mills. Felix made sure that he doesn''t make any unnecessary movement and gesture that would cause suspicions. He holds the velvet brocade box with his two hands but he remained standing in front of them. "I''ll be going to the control room now." Mr. Gandy said then walked out of the office followed by one of the committees. Mrs. Chloe Tang and another member of the committee stayed in his office with the two guards. It is another protocol that once in their hand, the item must not leave their eyesight. That is why Mr. Gandy went to the control room to monitor Mr. Mills every movement once he stepped into the door that leads to the vault. Because he is the only one who will be entering the vault. So, the CCTV cameras were their only means of watching his move once inside. Mrs. Tang talked to the phone then he said to Mr. Mills, "You may take it into the vault now." Felix didn''t say anything. He just nodded his head and walked towards a wall. On that wall is a hidden door that has a biometric eye scanner door lock system. He leaned closer to the scanner so that it can scan his iris. After a couple of seconds, the door opens. Iris biometric devices are far more hack-proof than fingerprint devices, but of course, nothing is hack-proof for Daniel. When the door opens, it shows a small circular room. It was actually a rotating elevator. Once inside the circular rotating elevator. The door automatically closes. There is a CCTV camera inside the elevator and Felix didn''t even look at it. He remained calm all throughout. Chapter 448 - Flickering Lights The elevator starts rotating as it goes probably two levels down. Then it stops and moved horizontally for a good few seconds. When it stops again, no one can actually identify which direction the door opens. When it did, Felix is already in front of a 22-ton round vault door. The vault door is secured with numerous massive metal bolts and has a combination lock mechanism. The combination number is not a problem because the day after, the real Mr. Mills has already delivered one of the items inside the vault. And by mere watching him in the CCTV footage, Daniel has already read the numbers. Of course, Daniel already has access to the CCTV footage in every corner of the hotel including inside the rotating elevator until inside the vault. Felix has already familiarized himself with the same routine because he has been doing it since that morning for 10 times now. The vault opened and revealed the other 11 items to be auctioned later that day including The Golden Red and the title of a mansion and an island that is to be auctioned.. Once everything is secured. Felix returns to Mr. Mills'' office and stayed there the whole day while he checks the vault every thirty minutes. Meanwhile, inside one of the cells in the basement 2 of Twelve Army headquarters, the real Mr. Mills is sound asleep on a bench. The room was small and has no windows in it. Since Mr. Mills was forcefully dragged there, all he did was sleep and eat. He doesn''t know why but every time he wakes up, he will only stay awake for a few hours then there will be a strong urge for him to sleep. He doesn''t even have an idea what day or time it is already. When the time of the auction arrived, Felix stayed inside the vault waiting for the go signal for him to deliver the items on the stage to be presented one by one. When it was time for The Massive J to be presented, he took the velvet brocade box and walk out of the vault. He walked in the rotating elevator and the elevator started to rotate as it moves horizontally then up to the ballroom. The elevator opened in a secret room where Mr. Gandy and Mrs. Tang with the guards are waiting for him. "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Mills." Mr. Gandy said with a smile as he takes the velvet brocade box from Felix. "It''s no big deal. I am just doing my job, Mr. Gandy." Felix said while he watched as Mr. Gandy opened the box for Mrs. Tang to examine The Massive J. When Mrs. Tang reached for The Massive J, the lights started to flicker until the lights were out inside the secret room. Only the wall scones remained. The lighting is not enough for Mrs. Tang to examine the blue diamond. "What''s wrong?" Mr. Gandy asked as he turned to look at Mr. Mills. "Oh¡­ I''ll make a call and check what is going on." Felix calmly replied then he took out his phone and pretended to talk to someone. "Is there something wrong with the lightings here in the ballroom?" His tone is calm but cold. There was silence until Felix speaks again. "Okay, fix this as soon as possible." Then he hung up the call. "I am sorry Mr. Gandy, this is the first time that this happened. Nothing is wrong with the lighting inside the ball. The problem lays only here in the secret room. I already called someone to fix this." Felix said politely. He already mastered the tone of voice and the way the original Mr. Mills speaks after watching him for a good two days. "How long will it take?" Mrs. Tang asked anxiously. She has to examine the blue diamond as soon as possible because it will not take long before the auctioneer presents The Massive J. The Golden Red is already on the stage. Chapter 449 - Flushing out a Fine Silver "It will not take long as soon as the electricians arrive," Felix said. Of course, no one is coming. Felix thought internally. But the presentation of The Golden Red is over. A beautiful girl wearing a maroon long sleeves bodycon dress enters the secret room and was surprised that the room was dimly lit. "Uhm¡­I was asked to bring out the last item." The girl said with hesitation. Mr. Gandy and Mrs. Tang looked at each other. "Can we wait until the electrician arrives? It will not take long." Felix said then he turns his head to look at the girl. "I am sorry Miss but the last piece hasn''t been checked. Please tell the auctioneer if he can delay it for a couple of minutes?" Felix said politely. "No. That''s not necessary. If we delay it, the guests will notice it and they will have suspicions. We''ve already checked it a couple of times anyway. It should be good. Right, Mrs. Tang?" Mr. Gandy said. He doesn''t have any suspicions at all because they watched all the items inside the vault the whole day and they never left their eyes on it so he was sure that everything remained safe and untouched inside the vault. They have seen Mr. Mills enters the vault a couple of times that day but they never saw him steps any closer than 1 meter away from the item. All he did was check if everything is safe inside. He didn''t even touch any single item. At least, that was what they thought and saw. Mrs. Tang nodded her head and said. "Okay, let''s put it in the glass box." Mr. Gandy holds the velvet brocade box as Mrs. Chloe Tang carefully lifted the necklace and place it inside the glass display box. They secured it first and covered the glass box with a piece of red velvet fabric. Felix watched as the beautiful girl pushed the podium with the blue diamond on it out of the secret room. She was followed by Mr. Gandy and Mrs. Tang. They were making sure that the blue diamond will never leave their sight. All the items to be auctioned will all be displayed with the velvet fabric on the stage all throughout the night until it is sold. So, there is no chance for Mrs. Tang to checked The Massive J. "Good. I know it itches but you have to bear with it until the auction ball is over." Felix heard Daniel speaks through his secret communicating device. He didn''t reply because he is still in that secret room. But he can still hear the conversation between Daniel and Stefan. "Cougar, use the bathroom in the east hall for the second floor. There were no occupants on that floor." Since they are taking a mission as a member of the Robin Hood Society, they have to adapt their rules in using alias during a mission. Daniel''s alias is Scorpion, Stefan is Cougar and Felix is Grizzly Bear. Arthur remained as Cobra. "Got it." Stefan who is now wearing the uniform of the hotel''s janitor walked to the second floor of the hotel then to the east hall. He eventually finds the bathroom that Daniel is talking about. He put signage at the door of the bathroom saying that it is being cleaned. Then Stefan gets inside the bathroom and locked it. He took out a pouch from his pocket and place it on the granite countertop of the bathroom. Then from the other pocket, he took out a dazzling 20-carat blue diamond on a solitaire setting pendant. Felix was able to steal the Galaxy the last time he checked it out inside the vault. Of course, nobody sees him doing that because Daniel has full control of all the CCTV cameras in the hotel. Once inside his office, or rather, Mr. Mills office. He counted 15 minutes until he went to the bathroom. Inside the bathroom, he took out the necklace from his pocket. He removed the pendant and throws the necklace into the toilet bowl and flushed it. It was a fine silver necklace by the way. He picks up a pot with soil and indoor plant in it and buried the pendant on the soil. Chapter 450 - The Jeweler When he got out of the bathroom, a committee member called him and told him that it was time to bring out all the items from the vault. When Felix left the office, a janitor enters to clean the bathroom. That''s how Stefan got the pendant with the Galaxy on it. "Are you sure, you can do it?" Daniel asked Stefan who is now checking out the pendant. By that time, the lights inside the secret room have returned and Felix is now sitting in one of the tables in the ballroom. His job is done for the night. "Of course! I made a lot of research and training." Stefan said arrogantly in a hushed tone. Actually, he just made research and training for a couple of hours only. Stefan took out a knife grave, flat, separating disk, file, and beeswax. But it turns out that he wouldn''t be needing them all. He just needed to file the silver off around the diamond, it won''t ruin the diamond anyway. "Looks like you could be a jeweler when Boss fires you." Daniel mocked him when he saw that Stefan successfully removed the blue diamond from its pendant setting. "Just shut up!" Stefan said containing his voice. "Someone''s in the hall," Daniel said when he saw a drunk man walking in Stefan''s direction. Stefan stopped what he is doing and turned on all the faucet. "The man is at your door," Daniel said. Stefan heard someone trying to open the locked door then he knocked on it. "Out of service! Please use the other bathroom in the west hall!" Stefan shouted out to make sure that the man heard him. He heard the man cursed and kicked the door. "Damn." Stefan cursed out silently. "He''s gone." He heard Daniel said. Then he continued being a jeweler. Stefan took out a small pouch from his vest. Inside it is a fine silver ring band with an empty solitaire setting that is matched with the size of the Galaxy. To set The Galaxy, Stefan takes out a thermoset plastic and place the ring on it and he held securely in a ball clamp. Stefan carved out a small seat for The Galaxy out in the cup. Thereafter, he pressed the prongs downwards onto the diamond to grip it in place using a special tool. After Stefan removed the thermoplastic material, he placed the ring under the hot water that comes from the faucet with hot and cold water and washed it thoroughly. He then polished the ring to give it a nice luster before he put it in a small velvet box. He proudly looked at his masterpiece before he closed the box and put it safely on the inside pocket of his jumpsuit. "You are surprisingly good at it." He heard Daniel praise him. "I am good at anything." Stefan boastfully replied. A smirk appeared at the corner of Felix''s lips while listening to the conversation of the two. He looked at Arthur''s direction who was looking at his direction as well. Arthur can also hear their conversation. "Cobra, I''ll see you at the bathroom of the ballroom in 15 minutes," Stefan said through their secret communicating device. After 15 minutes, "Is your seat comfortable, Miss?" Arthur asked J. J quickly understands the code that Arthur is saying. She nodded her head and answers him. "Yes, thank you." After a while, "I need to go to the bathroom." Then she stood up followed by Arthur. The other persons in the table just watched them. "Interesting," Alex Ogden said with a smirk in a low voice but Bella was able to hear him so she gave him a confused look. "Do you wonder what''s the relation of the two?" Alex said to Bella, it seemed like he was testing her. Bella blushed and gave him a piercing glare before she averted her gaze and busied herself looking around. Chapter 451 - Old Bottle of Wine When J and Arthur returned to the ballroom, the auction has already started and she could already hear the chant of the auctioneer. She looked around and saw a couple of ringmen scattered all over the ballroom spotting for bidders. She walked towards their table with her hand on her pocket, she never removed her hand on her pocket even until she was seated. She noticed that Bella who is sitting beside her is a looking grumpy while Alex looked laid back. Aivy and Hector, on the other hand, were enthusiastic. She remained sitting there uninterested in what is happening around her. She really wanted to go home now and wait for Jacob but she knew she can''t she has to finish the auction although she already has her hand on the Galaxy. She still has to make sure that the Golden Red will fall on her hand as well. J is not really a fan of gems or any pieces of jewelry. But she is very sentimental. The Galaxy is her grandfather''s gift for her 10th birthday and it was stolen from her when it hasn''t even landed on her hand. It was one of her grandfather''s regret. That he wasn''t able to retrieve it back for her before he died. That is why she is eager to retrieve the Galaxy, not for her but for her grandfather. With regards to her eagerness to possess the Golden Red, it was just one of her shallowness. She just wanted to piss Aivy for claiming something that she owns. And she wanted to be there face to face with her when that happened. When it comes to the things and people that J cherished, J can be possessive and egocentric which comes rarely because she is not a materialistic person and has few chosen people that she really cherishes. Too few that she can only count them in her fingers. The auctioneer has already auctioned half of the lot and has now unveiled an old looking bottle of wine on a podium. J is not a drinker and it is very rare for her to drink alcoholic beverages. Although she knew the reason why there were people who would invest in an old bottle of wines, she just cannot bring herself to be one of them. Probably it really takes passion. There is something about wines that makes it an immensely royal experience when you take a sip on it. It is well known that as a bottle of wine gets older, it becomes better, therefore, more expensive. The wine on the podium is almost a century old and a product of the richest winemaker in the world. It is considered as one of the most expensive wines in the world. The ringman gathered around to spot for bidders until three of them settled themselves in three separate tables. It seems like there were only three people left who are willing to bid for an old bottle of wine. Until only two were left. One of them is an old sophisticated man who looked like he just wanted to spend his money on something. While the other one is a middle-aged man. It seems to J that this man is an investor. He already bid for the highest prize in an antique marble figure. He was planning to sell them in time. Their table remained quiet ever since the auction started. Surprisingly, which J was very much thankful, Alex remained quiet as well and never said a word to her again although she can feel his intense stare at her, which she chose to ignore. The old sophisticated man bid for a higher price which made everyone surprised. They already thought that the middle-aged man will be taking home the old bottle of wine after his last bid. But the old sophisticated man surprised them with his higher bid. This time, everyone was sure that he is the winner because the middle-aged man shrugged his shoulders as if he already accepted defeat. Chapter 452 - Not interested in Massive J Until someone from their table mentions a price that is double that of the old sophisticated man''s bid. A ringman approached their table and everyone looked at their direction. It was from Alex Ogden. J was not surprised that Alex Ogden was interested in that old bottle of wine. She was actually wondering why he is not bidding for that old bottle of wine. It looks like he is just saving his energy and waiting to be the last to bid making sure that he will take home that old bottle of wine. What surprises her is that he bids double the last price. He is really making sure that the old sophisticated man will bow down in defeat. Jack and Alex Ogden were a known notorious wine collector. Most of their collections came from under the radar. It was no surprise because they were into rum-running and bootlegging business. They do it over land and over waters. Their original purpose for this is to purchase a collector''s item at a minimum price and also to avoid taxation. But there were old bottles of wine that they cannot get from rum-running or bootlegging, take this old bottle of wine in the auction for example. That is why the Ogden''s have no choice but to spend a huge sum of money just to make sure that this old bottle of wine will fall in their cellar. And with that, the almost century-old bottle of wine was sold to Alex Ogden. Since then, he never participated again in bidding. It seems like it was the only reason why he came. He can just actually leave the place since he already got what he wants but he didn''t and J and Arthur knew the reason why. Bella, on the other hand, looked extremely bored. The auction goes on until there were only two lot left to be auctioned. It was the Massive J and the Golden Red. These are what most of the peopled there were eyeing including J and Aivy. But, when the bidding for the Massive J started. J never speaks or never glance at the lot on the podium while Mr. and Mrs. Schidmt that Aivy hired to bid for the Massive J were fighting tooth and nail with the other bidders. Aivy and Hector were relieved to see that J wasn''t interested in the Massive J. Ever since they saw her sitting on the same table as them, they were never at ease. They were wondering what is she doing there. Did she found out that the Massive J is actually the Galaxy put on a pendant? Is she going to fight for that lot? That were the thoughts that are lingering in Alvy''s mind and it made her stressed out. While Hector became uncomfortable. Other persons in their table noticed it but chose to ignore it. Aivy has already drunk a couple of glasses of red wine which made her face flushed. Fortunately, she has a high alcohol tolerance. Hector never take even a sip of alcohol so that he can watch over Aivy. Aivy is the type of person that always gets what she wants. Anything that interferes with it can make a sense of oppression and can easily stress her out. If her plans get out of control, she might lose her charm and creativity in favor of gnashing teeth. When she was 12 years old, she lost her mother that was dearly close to her due to a car accident after finding out that her father has an illegitimate child. Aivy is an overly competitive person. When she finds out that she has an illegitimate sister, she started fighting for affection and attention from her father. She always uses her charm and artistic side to seek compliment and praise from her father. Chapter 453 - It will rain When her father compliments her and praise her, her self-esteem rises, but when her father ignores and neglects her, she immediately loses her self-esteem. After a couple of years, her father, later on, died in an accident which she blames on her illegitimate sister. Since then, she became fiercely independent. The fight for the Massive J became intense but Aivy''s hired people never backed down, as per Aivy''s order, they have to get the Massive J at whatever cost. The minimum opening bid for the Massive J is 30 million dollars and it has now reached the price of 40 million dollars and counting. There were four aggressive bidders for the Massive J. Mr. and Mrs. Schimdt were one of those. There is also a rumored mistress of a politician, a gem collector, and a foreign investor. Aivy is now starting to panic. The Massive J has now exceeded 50 million dollars and the four bidders were still aggressively fighting over it. If this continues, Aivy wouldn''t hesitate to spend all her money just to get Massive J. She was sure to reimburse them later on to The Children of Mt. Celandine, but she doubts if she could still go all the way for the Golden Red. She never thought that the value of the Massive J would exceed 50 million dollars. She is now starting to doubt her decision to risking the Massive J. The bidding now reached 60 million dollars. A small smile appeared at the corner of J''s lips. People would bid this much for a fake diamond? She thought internally. J is getting tired of just sitting there listening to the auctioneer''s chanting. She is feeling suffocated so she excused herself and went somewhere where she could recharge her already drained energy. A quiet and peaceful place to be precise. Arthur followed her, although he knew that J wanted to be alone at that moment. He just made sure that he is a couple of meters away from her and she never leaves his eyesight. J finds herself in the hotel''s rose garden surrounded by a thick herbaceous border. She looked around and saw a bench near her, she walks towards it and sits. She took out her phone from her clutch and checked if she missed a call from Jacob or James. Upon seeing that there is nothing, she dialed Jacob''s number to only be disappointed that she still cannot contact him. She closed her eyes and takes a deep breath. "You actually don''t need to stand there. It makes me uncomfortable." J said without looking at Arthur who is standing 3 meters behind her. He heard his steps getting closer. Arthur knew that she wouldn''t like it if he stands there beside her so Arthur sits beside her keeping a few good spaces from her. J raised her head and gaze at the starless horizon. "Do you think it will rain tonight?" J said breaking the silence of the night. Arthur raised his head to search for the moon. He eventually found it and observed it. After observing the moon for a couple of seconds Arthur replied, "Probably, it will rain soon." J raised her brow without looking at Arthur, although she could count about ten or more stars, the moon is still visible. "How could you say that?" "There is a ring around the moon. It suggests the coming rain. Thou I guess it will only be a light one." Arthur said nonchalantly looking at the moon. J stared at the moon and saw something around it. "A halo." She said with a low voice. A halo happens when the moon shines through cirrus clouds, which suggests the coming rain. J fell silent again just watching the moon. Then after a couple of minutes, "Do you think something happened to them?" Arthur understands what she meant. He was observing her ever since they arrived back at Evergreen Villa. She doesn''t look just cold and aloof, she often seemed at a lost and staring blankly. He knew that she is worried about Jacob''s situation. Chapter 454 - Elder Do’s Alias "Something might have happened there¡­" Arthur paused to see if there are any changes in her reaction. "¡­not on them." Arthur continued when he noticed that J remained impassively waiting for him to finish his words. J actually thought the same, but she can''t help but feel worried. She just needed to hear it from another person so that she can be assured. She nodded her head. "I really hope so." Arthur noticed that J keeps on fiddling on a blue diamond ring on her finger. "I was surprised that Stefan was able to pull that through," Arthur said to distract her. But on his earpiece, he heard Stefan cursed at him. "Damn it! Arthur, were you just talking behind my back?" Stefan was now inside the transit van with Daniel. They heard a light chuckle from Felix. God knows how much he tried not to butt in. J was confused at first but then noticed that Arthur is looking at her ring. A smile appeared on her lips. "Be careful what you say. He might hear you." She knew that their communication was always open whenever they are on duty. Arthur leaned and ignored Stefan''s curse. "He already did." J chuckled which Arthur finds amusing. "By the way, I am surprised that they let you use that Alias." J was talking about Arthur using the alias Cobra during a mission in the Robin Hood Society. Arthur looked at her with a confused face. "Cobra was my grandfather''s alias. My father never let anyone use that same alias ever since he died. He thought that only a deserving one could use it." J said as she watched a surprised look painted Arthur''s face. Ever since the Robin Hood Society was founded, Elder Do used the alias cobra while on a mission. While President Martin is Black Mamba and Madam Victoria is Black Widow and J is the Wandering Spider which she never used ever since. When Jacob became a member of the Society, he became Deathstalker. Leo is obviously Lion while Peter is Wolf. After a couple of more minutes, Arthur decided to bring her back to the ball since it seems like it is going to rain in a few minutes. When they returned, Massive J was already sold to Mr. and Mrs. Schidmt at a whooping price of 75 million dollars breaking the record of the most expensive diamond pendant ever sold in an auction. This made Aivy look like a dog with two tails. Happiness is evident on Aivy''s face but not for long. As soon as J reached their table, the Chairman of the GBC Auction Ball noticed her and hesitantly approached her. "Miss J?" Mr. Gandy called J''s attention with a hesitant tone. He had seen the granddaughter of their most passionate supporter, Alexander Do, on the photos just recently and he hasn''t seen her personally. So, when he saw someone that looked like her, he was hesitant but still approach her to confirm. He wouldn''t let this opportunity pass. Arthur saw the approaching man and became on full alert although he already knew who he is. He leaned closer to J and said. "Miss J, that is Mr. Gandy, the Chairman of GBC Auction Ball." J nodded her head and look at the approaching man. "The granddaughter of Alexander Do?"Mr. Gandy asked as soon as he reached them but keeps a distance of one meter. J nodded her head. "Yes." She replied indifferently. A look of excitement appeared on his face. "I am Jefferson Gandy, the Chairman of GBC Auction Ball. It is an honor to meet you. Mr. Alexander Do was an advocate of this charity auction. I am glad to see that you''ve been following his footsteps." Mr. Gandy said as he reached out his hand to shake hands with J. Chapter 455 - Thanks for a good show J, whose hands were on her pockets looked at Mr. Gandy then to his hand. She hesitated at first but later on pulled out her right hand to shake hands with Mr. Gandy. As she did, she watched the reaction on Aivy''s face. Aivy''s face turned pale when she saw the thing on J''s index finger. It is fine silver with a huge fancy vivid blue diamond on it. J noticed it and a small smile appeared on the corner of her lips. "I think you misunderstood Mr. Gandy, I am here only to represent the Parker family," J said. "Oh¡­ is that so¡­" The disappointment was evident in his tone but not until he noticed J''s ring. "Isn''t this?" His eyes were wide in astonishment as he held J''s hand showing a fancy vivid blue diamond ring. J cocked her head waiting for Mr. Gandy''s words. Mr. Gandy composed himself. "If I am not mistaken, this is the Galaxy that your grandfather bought almost three decades ago in a GBC Auction Ball." J nodded her head. "Yes, it is. It was a gift from my grandfather." J remained calm for the sake of the show. She is not used to staying in this kind of conversation but she has to remain into it just to see Aivy''s every reaction. "I cannot believe it!" Mr. Gandy exclaimed. "I thought I would never get the chance to see this rare item again. It has the record of the most expensive gemstones ever sold in an auction." Although Mr. Gandy was not the current Chairman of GBC Auction Ball during those times that Elder Do bought the blue diamond, he still has to know the history of GBC Auction Ball and it was a milestone that he cannot forget. This time, Aivy cannot control her rage and stand up with a gnashing tooth. "That''s impossible!" Mr. Gandy looked at her confused. "Miss Aivy?" While J looked at her with a satisfied look. Arthur stayed alert in case Aivy do some crazy things towards J. Alex Ogden seemed like he is enjoying the show. Hector quickly pulled Aivy back to her seat before she catches the attention of everyone in the ballroom. He already knew that Aivy is losing her composure. "Miss Aivy please calm down. Remember that you had the Galaxy with you for almost 20 years, you knew very well that it was genuine. What Miss J has is probably a fake. You of all people should know that." Hector said on Aivy''s ears trying to calm her down even thou he is panicking as well. How come J suddenly has the Galaxy on that ring when it was on Massive J that was auctioned earlier? And its authenticity was checked by the GBC Auction Ball''s jewelry specialist a couple of times. So, what they had was the authentic Galaxy and what J has is the fake one. Right? Hector tried to reason out on himself. When they heard the auctioneer''s chanting, everyone''s attention turned into him forgetting about Aivy''s sudden outburst of anger. J took this opportunity to dismiss Mr. Gandy so that Aivy wouldn''t have a chance to make a scene then she sits back in her seat not bothering to hide the ring on her finger. "That was a beautiful ring you have Jenny." Alex Ogden seemed to have had not enough of the show said making Aivy and Hector look at him. "Its Mrs. Parker. Thank you, Mr. Ogden." J replied indifferently not looking in his direction. Alex Ogden let out an evil laugh before he stands up and buttoned the lower part of his suit. "I''ll see you around then¡­" Alex paused before he continued. "¡­Jenny." Instead of addressing her as Mrs. Parker like what she wanted him to, he addressed her as Jenny in an intimate way which made J furious. She turned to look at him with a piercing glare. "Isabella let''s go." Alex walked behind Bella''s chair to pull her chair and help her stand up. "She''s getting extremely getting bored." As he said, he was looking at Arthur. "By the way, thanks for the good show." The two of them walked out of the ballroom. Chapter 456 - Conflict-Averse Diana "It''s starting. I''m excited." Diana said enthusiastically leaning over to Lance who sits beside her. "Can you please collect yourself and act like an elite?" Lance said mocking her with a fake smile to avoid catching attention from anyone in their table. Diana glared at him. "Are you two a couple?" One of the ladies sitting beside Diana asked them. Although average looking, she looks exceptionally sophisticated. Diana and Lance were startled and look at the lady with awkwardness. "Ha-ha. That''s impossible. We are just friends. I already have a girlfriend and she''s already married to someone else." Lance said feeling embarrass. Diana looked surprised. She leaned closer to Lance and asked, "You have a girlfriend? Did Miss-" But before she could say something, Lance already cut her off. "Shut up!" he said with a hushed voice. His relationship with Lily was kept secret for now. So he cannot let Diana mention her name casually to avoid suspicions. "You are married? But you were saying that you are a single mother." A plump lady in front of her said in a mocking tone. Diana narrowed her eyes at the plump lady. She already noticed her as soon as she came, she just ignored her so as not to spoil the night. But this lady just can''t keep her mouth shut. "I knew it! That''s why she keeps on giving you that weird look since earlier. So, you knew each other." Lance said on Diana''s ear for only her to hear. But Diana ignored him. Instead, Diana faked a smile on the plump lady. "Mrs. Locks, I thought you looked familiar. If you never speak I wouldn''t know it was you." Diana is a conflict-averse person. If she could, she would avoid conflict. So, when she spotted a person that she doesn''t personally have a good relationship with, she just tried to ignore her and avoid having a conversation with her. Her misunderstandings with Mrs.Locks goes a long way ago. "And for the record Mrs. Locks, yes I was just recently married. And this person beside me is a good friend of mine." Diana tried to speak politely although deep inside her, anger is rising. Mrs. Locks smirked. "Oh... is that so? Well, congratulations Miss Diana." Diana thought that Mrs. Locks is done but she was mistaken. "I was actually wondering ever since you arrived, how come a mere nurse was able to get an invitation to this kind of prestigious event which only elites could come." Then Mrs. Locks looked at lance. "It turns out, you were able to latch on an elite so-called friend. Well, it seems like you didn''t get yourself a rich husband after all. No wonder, who in their right mind would like to be married to someone who already got pregnant out of wedlock?" Diana is now red with anger and embarrassment. But she just cannot bring herself to fight with this lady in front of her. It is not in her nature to do that. She just chose to sit there and remained quiet thinking that the plump lady would get tired of picking on her. But to her surprise, she heard Lance speak to Mrs. Locks. "Mrs. Locks, right? The way I see it, you and Diana were not that close, in fact, I don''t think Diana considers you an acquaintance. So, I wonder why do you have to dwell too much into her personal matters and keeps on defaming her in front of the public?" "First, Diana doesn''t have to latch on an elite friend because the two of us both got an invitation for this event. Secondly, she doesn''t need a rich husband, what she needs is someone who could protect her from the likes of you. Do you see that guy over there?" Lance pointed his chin on J''s table. Chapter 457 - Bidder Card "I am sure Mr. Locks is familiar with that guy, that is Alex Ogden. Diana''s husband is a close friend of Alex Ogden that goes by the name Liam." Lance looked at Mr. Locks and saw the sense of familiarity in his face. "Oh, Mr. Locks, you have heard of Diana''s husband?" Lance assumed but he doesn''t have to wait for the man to reply. "Well, I assume you also knew of his capabilities, right?" A mischievous smile appeared at the corner of Lance''s lips. "Well then, will you please orient your wife here so that she wouldn''t get herself into trouble in the future?" Lance said to Mr. Locks whose face has now turned pale. "And oh, by the way, if you have any more problems with Diana, please contact me. Here is my business card." Lance take out a business card from his wallet and passed it on Mr. Locks who seemed to be hesitant. Upon looking at the business card, beads of sweat started to appear on Mr. Lock''s face. Mrs. Locks who is looking confused snatched the business card from her wife not realizing what kind of trouble did she cause and what kind of people did she mess with. Lance knew Mr. Locks as one of those people that operates a small-scale business in the black market. And of course, who doesn''t know Alex Ogden in the black market. And if you knew Alex Ogden, they must''ve known Liam or Leo as that was once Alex Ogden''s right-hand man. Leo is a logical man but oftentimes, he got caught up in his logic that he becomes cold-hearted. He doesn''t have rules and guidelines to follow making him ruthless. While the identity of the members of the Robin Hood Society has to remain secret, Lance''s family has its own identity and reputation around the circle. And Lance is the heir of the highest-grossing and the most prestigious law firm on the country which is founded by his grandfather. Who would dare to mess up with these people? A lump started to form on Mrs. Locks'' throat, making it hard for her to breathe normally or to even speak a word. She remained quiet since then, and her husband started to be cautious of his wife''s every word and action. "You owe me," Lance said these words on Diana''s ears but instead of getting annoyed, Diana was thankful. Meanwhile, Diana and Lance never acted until the Golden Red reached the price of 35 million dollars. Its minimum opening bid is 22 million dollars. Lance already registered at the auctioneer earlier and he now holds a bidder card with a number 12 on it. The auctioneer keeps on announcing the price of the Golden Red and it has become higher and higher each time. When a bidder calls out a bid of 35 million dollars, Diana and Lance started to become ecstatic. Lance raised his bidder card and calls out a bid. The auctioneer heard it and keeps on his chant challenging other bidders to bid higher. Another one from a further table calls out for a higher bid than that of Lance''s bid. Once in awhile, Diana would get carried away and would snatch the bidder card from Lance and call out a bid. Two tables from them, Aivy is getting furious. The Golden Red has now reached 40 million dollars and there were still five aggressive bidders. She is getting anxious that the price would go up to 50 million dollars and she cannot go all the way from there. J remained calm and indifferent. The plan was simple. If Aivy and Lance were the ones left to bid for the Golden Red, then they''ll let Aivy win. But if Aivy, didn''t fight until the end, Lance has to win the bid. Still, they have one goal, that is to make Aivy lose two of her most coveted rare diamonds in just one night together with her money. Chapter 458 - Sold at 52 "And 43 million dollars¡­ 43, do we have 44 million dollars?" The auctioneer called out and saw a bidder raised their card. "44 million, in the room it''s 44 million dollars now. 45 million?" Aivy raised her bidder card. "45 million dollars now. 46 million dollars? Yes, Mr. Tankhamum? We have 46 million dollars on the phone." The auctioneer continued his chant animatedly. Lance raised his bidder card. "47 million dollars now in the room. Do we have 48 million dollars?" Aivy raised her card anxiously. "48! Yes, Miss Aivy. 48 million dollars!" "49 million dollars¡­ 49¡­ Do we have 49 million dollars? 49?" "Ms. Soa, 49 million dollars on the phone!" Aside from the bidders on the ballroom, there were also those who expressed their interest in the lot that was to be auctioned since GBC Auction Ball posted them on their website. If they cannot be present on the night of the auction, they can bid via telephone as long as they were registered earlier before the auction started. "50 million dollars¡­ 50 million ladies and gentlemen¡­ 50 million dollars, bid now!" This time, the aggressive bidders earlier cannot be heard. It was only Aivy who''s bold enough to raise her bidder card. But Lance and Diana were much bolder when they challenge Aivy with their 51 million dollars bid. "51 million dollars now in the room ladies and gentlemen. Do we have 52? Do we have 52 million dollars?" The ballroom fell silent. "Aivy, this is too risky," Hector warned Aivy in a hushed tone. They already spend 75 million dollars on the Massive J and they cannot go beyond 52 million dollars for The Golden Red although Aivy has a guarantee that she could reimburse all her money from The Children of Mt. Celandine. J watched at the scene in front of her. Everything falls into place just like what they planned. Although Aivy looked hesitant, she was sure that Aivy will bid for a higher price. And Aivy didn''t fail her when she raised her bidder card. "52 million dollars! Bid now ladies and gentlemen. 52 million dollars on Miss Aivy." "52 against all of you." "53 million dollars?" "Do we have 53 million dollars on the phone?" "Ladies and gentlemen¡­" "53¡­" "Last chance¡­" Diana and Lance''s fingers were crossed. If other than them bid for a higher price they would have to bid higher. They cannot let the Golden Red fall into another hand except them or Aivy. J, on the other hand, was confident that Aivy will win. "Selling at 52?" "Last chance¡­" "Congratulations Miss Aivy, you got it at 52 million dollars!" The auctioneer announced ecstatically making every one applaud Aivy. "Congratulations Miss Aivy." Aivy was on cloud nine that she didn''t notice the smug smile on J''s face. But Hector did, he has already become wary and started to observe J ever since she showed that blue diamond ring. He has been observing her and the diamond ring as well which didn''t go unnoticed to J and Arthur''s keen observant eye. They just choose to ignore him since they knew that Hector couldn''t do anything. And now that all the lot have been sold, there is no reason for J to stay and drain out all of her remaining energy. She will definitely not stay for the party. "Let''s go," J said to Arthur as she stood up. "Aren''t you guys going to stay for the party?" Arthur heard Felix asked through his earpiece. Felix decided to go back to Mr. Mills'' office to take a breath since he has to act like a strict elegant man which is definitely out of his context. "I was actually surprised that she last that long. I thought she wouldn''t return after taking a break at the garden." Stefan pointed that out. They knew how much J hates socializing. In fact, just watching her on the CCTV footage inside the transit van made them feel sorry for her because she looks extremely bored. Chapter 459 - Who is she? "By the way D, you didn''t really make a plan on how to steal the Golden Red?" Felix asked while he played on Mr. Mills'' swivel chair. "No." "How about you Arthur?" "He didn''t as well." Stefan. Was the one who replied since he knew that Arthur cannot speak yet. "Then how is Miss J going to get her hands on the Golden Red?" Felix was flustered. "She''ll get it personally." This time, Felix stops playing the swivel chair. "S-seriously?" Who else would do that? No one knows about their plan of stealing the Massive J and the Golden Red. If it is not them then who else would steal the Golden Red except for J and Jacob. But the problem is, Jacob hasn''t arrived yet and no one knows where he is and when is he coming back. ¡­. On the 10th floor of the Elm Palace Hotel, Alex and Bella were sitting in the living room of one of the hotel''s presidential suite. They''ve been sitting there for like thirty minutes already and Alex''s face turned grimmer and grimmer while Bella has been glaring at Alex. Finally, the door of the bedroom opened and two masseuses wearing a white uniform followed by a man with a scar on the left side of his forehead. The man led the two masseuses out of the suite. Jack Ogden stepped out of the bedroom on a bathrobe. "You should''ve told me that you would get a massage, I would''ve done that for you," Alex said. He was so irritated that he had to wait for his grandfather to finish his massage just to deliver a message. If there is anything that he hated the most, that is to be kept waiting. Jack Ogden scoffed. "And what? Give you a chance to break my back?" "I got your precious bottle of wine," Alex said then he stood up preparing to leave. That was the only reason why he went there and waited for his grandfather. To deliver a message which he could''ve let Jeric do. But his grandfather much preferred it if Alex deliver the message to him personally. And Alex knew the very reason why. "Good." Jack Ogden replied then he glanced at the woman sitting on an accent chair who doesn''t even bother to care at them. "It will be delivered to your doorsteps tomorrow," Alex said then he turns around. "Isabella, let''s go." Bella stood up and walked towards the door of the suite. "I''d rather picked it up personally tomorrow." Jack turns to look at the two who were starting to leave. "Whatever you want." Then Alex raised his right hand to bid goodbye to his grandfather without looking back. "By the way." Jack Ogden said. He is now sitting on an accent chair where Bella sat before, with his legs crossed. "Haven''t you taught her how to act accordingly around me?" Alex and Bella stopped in their tracks. Alex turned around and looked at his grandfather. "Just let her be." He said indifferently. His eyes are sending a deep message to his grandfather. Jack Ogden stared at his grandson then to Bella and sighed in defeat. "Just send her back to her apartment safely." ¡­. J walked out of the ballroom with Arthur behind her. Her mind is too preoccupied with Jacob. Originally, they were supposed to attend the ball together but Jacob wasn''t able to arrive on time, although he already gave her a heads up, she still didn''t know why he wasn''t able to arrive on time. And after Arthur''s team get the Galaxy for her, J and Jacob have plans after the ball but, up to now, Jacob hasn''t arrived yet. She was worried, anxious and angry at the same time. She is walking in the lobby and didn''t notice a man that is coming her way, if it wasn''t for Arthur, she would''ve probably collided with that man. Chapter 460 - He’s Back "Miss J, are you okay?" Arthur said with a worried expression. He is now holding both of J''s elbow. "Y-yes. Thank you." After saying that, she closed her eyes and takes a deep breath. Arthur released her then they continued walking. "Have you talked to her?" Arthur looked at her with confusion. "Things will get complicated," J said without looking at him. Arthur quickly understands and replied, "Things were already complicated." J was about to say something but she was suddenly frozen in her track when he saw a familiar figure leaning on a black SUV who seemed to be purposely waiting for her. The man''s hair is messy because of the wind. He is probably standing there for a long time already. He is wearing a gray long sleeves shirt that is folded up to his elbow. He looked haggard but it doesn''t make him less appealing. Their eyes met. His eyes were filled with longing. J was astonished at first but later on, she became infuriated. She walked fast towards the man. When she is just a foot away from the man, "Honey¡­" Slap! Jacob and Arthur were both taken aback. Upon seeing her man, J was filled with mixed emotions. Anger, sadness, fear, all of these emotions that she was trying to suppress this past few days flooded her in an instant. And the first thing she thought of doing is to slap her man. Which she didn''t regret at all. Because after that, she felt relieved. Relieved that Jacob is now standing in front of her in flesh. They''ve only been separated for a week but J felt like it was years. She wasn''t able to talk to him for a day and it felt like a lifetime. God! She missed him terribly! Jacob looked at J and noticed that her eyes have become watery. He was not mad at all that she slaps him. In fact, he prepared for the worse. He already expected that she''ll be mad at him. He didn''t call her for the entire day, which he didn''t intend to. God knows how much he wanted to call her but the circumstance won''t allow it. He promised that he will arrive before Christmas to attend the ball with her but he failed. He came late and allowed J to suffer socializing alone. He knows how much she hated socializing. Though he was thankful that Arthur was there to accompany his wife. But, he would prefer it if he was the one to accompany her. J staggered to close the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Jacob''s waist. The breeze was cold but J felt warm because of Jacob''s body. It reminded her of their fireplace back at Lodgepole Estate. When she was young, Christmas Season was always cold and breezy at the Lodgepole Estate and her grandfather would light up the fireplace to keep her warm. Jacob''s warmth feels like home. Jacob''s arms engulf her and pressed her body gently into his. His palm stroking her hair lovingly to comfort her. He took out a car key from his pocket and passed it onto Arthur. "Take the car with you." Arthur takes the key from Jacob. "Tell the others that you guys can go home now for the holiday. Just wait for my call." Jacob said. His hand continued on stroking J''s hair and down to her back. "Yes, Boss." Arthur nodded his head. "And¡­ thank you for looking after her for me." Jacob''s words were not intended for Arthur alone. It was for all the four of them. He knew how they all care towards his wife and he never had a second thought when he left his wife in their hands. Jacob''s hands reached out for J''s and they walked back inside the hotel. Chapter 461 - A way to say ‘I was worried’ As soon as the door of the suite closed, Jacob pulled J into his body and kissed her. The kiss started gently that later on progressed into a deep and passionate kiss. J greedily returned his kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck as tight as she could. One of Jacob''s hand is supporting J''s lower back while pulling her closer to his body. His other hand his stroking J''s jaw down to her neck gently. Their movements were full of desire showing how much they long for each other, how much they missed each other. J never thought that she could miss this man this much. In a blink of an eye, Jacob has already pinned J down on the king-size bed still hastily kissing her like there is no tomorrow. After a couple of minutes, their passionate kissing slowed down and Jacob has to hesitantly pull his lips from J''s to catch for breath. J''s sparkling eyes met with his lustful eyes. J frowned and questioned him "What took you so long?" Jacob knew that he had to tell her everything that happened that day in order to completely comfort her. He pulled her up and they sits on the bed. Stroking her smooth and soft face, Jacob reiterated everything that happened to him that day. J sighed. Arthur was right, something happened there but not to them and she was grateful that Jacob came back safe. "You should''ve attempted to send me different random messages telling what is really happening there," J demanded in an irritated tone. Jacob smiled. It was just J''s way of saying that she was worried. And he cannot retort back because he knew that she was right. He succeeded in sending one message telling her that she would be late, so he should have tried sending a lot of messages. Although not all might reach her, there might still be some. But he was too preoccupied to do that. Too preoccupied to think of a way on how to get to her. That was more important after all. Jacob pulled her into his embrace, he just can''t get enough of her. "I''m sorry, Honey." ¡­. Back at the ballroom, Diana and Lance were left waiting for the last show to watch. As everyone is seated, eating, chatting and drinking Aivy and Hector remained in their table. There were a couple of elites who would pass by them and recognize Aivy. She would chat at them and some would congratulate her on taking home the Golden Red. Then they heard the voice of Mr. Gandy, the Chairman of the GBC Auction Ball. "Good evening! I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate us on this successful and outstanding fundraising campaign event in which five organizations will benefit. Please allow me to present to you these five outstanding organizations." After speaking, the lights in the ballroom dimmed and an LED screen appeared behind Mr. Gandy. Normally, the beneficiary will be presented before the auction commence. But after meeting with Lance, Mr. Gandy agreed that the beneficiaries be presented at the end of the ball. "May I present to you our first beneficiary. Alzheimer''s Disease Society of Lotus City." At the LED screen, the headquarters of the organization appeared including its facilities and patients. The Alzheimer''s Disease Society of Lotus City is a foundation under and founded by The Robin Hood Society. Its head is Dr. Carlos Gonzales. On the LED Screen, the face of Dr. Carlos Gonzales wearing his white lab coat appears and started to discuss matters concerning Alzheimer''s Disease. "Alzheimer''s disease is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks." "Up to date, there is no known cure to Alzheimer''s Disease although there were medications used to slow down the progression of the symptoms." Chapter 462 - The Beneficiaries Dr. Gonzales stated the mission of the organization and then at the end of his speech he stated how are they going to use the fund coming from the GBC Auction Ball. "We would like to thank the GBC Auction Ball and everyone involved in it in letting us be one of your beneficiaries. Today, Alzheimer''s Disease is at the cutting edge of biomedical research. This one-time grant will aid us in our research in uncovering many aspects of Alzheimer''s disease as possible. The better understanding of the disease leads to new treatment and possible cure of the disease." After Dr. Carlos Gonzales''s speech, the video died down and everyone applauded. Then Mr. Gandy presented the second beneficiary which is 365 Help Center. It was also an organization under The Robin Hood Society. It is a one-stop help center that aides the victim of child abuse, domestic violence, and human trafficking. It was headed by Miss Nancy and Evangeline Moore. The two ladies appeared on the screen and started saying things about 365 Help Center. Just like Dr. Gonzales, they told everyone the organization''s mission and how are they going to use the fund coming from the GBC Auction Ball. "Through the help of donations, we were able to put up our own facility. But we haven''t completed it yet. With the funds coming from the GBC Auction Ball we can now finally complete the facility..." While Miss Nancy is speaking, Diana was put in a trance. Among the organizations under the Robin Hood Society, 365 Help Center is the closest to her heart. It was founded by Madam Victoria 10 years ago. And Diana has been an active volunteer of the organization. "Hey, are you listening to me?" Lance waved his hand in front of Diana''s face who is staring blankly at the empty LED Screen. The video about 365 Help Center has long been over and Mr. Gandy is now back on the microphone but Diana is still staring at the LED Screen in a trance. "Huh? W-what?" Diana was startled when Lance nudged at her. "I was asking if you''ve seen that new facility that Miss Nancy is talking about." "Oh... yeah." Diana blinked. "What''s wrong with you?" Lance questioned her with a worried face. "Nothing." Diana shakes her head. Mr. Gandy presents two more organization and just like Dr. Gonzales and Miss Nancy, the head or chairman of those organizations presented their mission and purpose. When Mr. Gandy presented the last beneficiary, everyone especially Aivy and Hector was surprised that Mr. Gandy presented an organization that is not the same as the one they posted on their website. It was an organization named Build a Book. It is an organization with the purpose of building schools in rural areas. The LED Screen presented the organization. Aivy and Hector who were in disbelief are now panicking. "What is going on?" Aivy questioned with a panic-stricken face. She stood up in anger. "That is not The Children of Mt. Celandine! Why it was being replaced?!" Her voice was loud that she was able to catch the attention of some people near her table. Fortunately, the sounds of the video presentation are loud that the other guest''s attention was into it. Mr. Gandy saw in the corner of his eyes the reaction of Aivy but chose to ignore her. He didn''t even bother to explain why The Children of Mt. Celandine was replaced. This time, a man in his mid-40s approached the table of Aivy and Hector. Hector had already pulled Aivy back to her seat. "Miss Aivy, please calm down." The man tried to calm her down. "How dare you tell me to calm down?! We had a deal! And it was already settled! What the hell is the meaning of this? Why is The Children of Mt. Celandine replaced?" Aivy was irate. The man is is Mr. Long, the committee member that Aivy paid to make sure that The Children of Mt. Celandine will pass as one of the beneficiaries of the GBC Auction Ball. Chapter 463 - Losing Millions "I know Miss Aivy. And I did what you told me." the man said in a hushed tone while looking around making sure that no one could hear their conversation. "But..." the man continued. "I am sorry Miss Aivy. It was The Children of Mt. Celandine who backed out yesterday." "What?! They backed out?" Aivy is now red in fury. "Yes, Miss Aivy. It was just yesterday. They said that they don''t really need a big fund. What they actually need is to become a formal school. And they already got someone to help them with that. Again, I am sorry Miss Aivy, but I''ve already done my part of the deal. It was them who backed out and it is not my fault. I cannot do anything about it because the committee has already picked a replacement." After saying that, the man left their table not minding the furious Aivy that is about to explode. Why not? She just lost all her money. "Damn it!" Aivy is too worked up to care about her image right now. She stood up seething and Hector followed her. He already knows where she is going. "Laurie... I''m gonna kill you!" Aivy said with gnashing teeth while walking towards the exit of the hall. "Aivy, wait. How about the Massive J and The Golden Red?" Hector said in between panting after he sprinted towards Aivy. "Do you think I still have time to deal with it now?! I lost more than 120 million dollars in one night just because of that good for nothing illegitimate sister of mine!" She cried while marching towards the lobby of the hotel. In Hector''s thought, as if Aivy could still do anything about that over 120 million dollars that she lost. She should deal with her sister later and go back to the ballroom to keep an eye on her gems. At least she could still sell them to retrieve back her money. But he doubts if Aivy would let go of those gems. What will she do now? Aivy is too blinded by anger that she set aside the gems for now. Although the GBC Auction Ball will personally deliver the items to its owner the next day. Hector can''t help but feel bothered. Ever since he saw that blue diamond ring in J''s finger he felt like she and the Robin Hood Society is up to something. .... After changing into more comfortable clothes, J and Jacob lay down in bed to catch up on the times that they missed each other. Which was only a week! J is engulfed in Jacob''s warm embrace. Jacob tightened his arms around J while J is clasping the back of Jacob''s shirt not willing to let go. She takes in Jacob''s unique scent again and again not seeming to get enough of him. They just laid there with legs entangled when they heard a knock on the door. J''s brow furrowed as she raised her head to face Jacob. "Are you expecting someone?" "Mm." Jacob nodded his head. When Jacob left the bed to open the door, J felt cold without Jacob''s body so she pulled the blanket up to her neck. Thou they''ve been on the bed for like 30 minutes now, it seems like they don''t have any plans to sleep yet. They still have a lot of catching up to do. When Jacob returned to the room, he is now carrying a tray of food. He looked at his wife who''s bundled up in the bed and a hint of gentleness flashed on his face. "I ordered food." He called out to her. J opened her eyes when she heard him. Now that he mentioned food. She remembered that she hasn''t eaten dinner yet. And Jacob probably too as well. "I never thought of food ever since I lost communication with you," Jacob said as he laid the tray on a table. "And I knew you will never eat anything at the ball, so I ordered the food earlier." Chapter 464 - Am I Ruthless When J heard that, she can''t help but frown. "You mean you haven''t eaten since this morning? You never ate anything for the whole day?" She stood up from the bed and glanced at the clock on the wall. It''s almost midnight. "Mm...hmm." Jacob hummed as he pulled out a chair for J. "James didn''t remind you to eat?" She questioned him again. Jacob was busy setting the plates on the table. He stopped and think for a moment. "I guess he also forgot to eat." "What? What kind of boss are you? Never mind that you forgot to eat, I could just chastise you for that, but you also forgot to let your subordinate eat? What will James'' wife think of you?" J was irritated. "Honey, are you mad that I forgot to eat or you are mad because I forgot to let James eat? Do you care about him more than me?" Jacob said acting dejected. J glared at her man in front of her. She sighed, that day must''ve been terrible for him. She thought internally. She looked at him with caring eyes. "I missed you. And I am so worried about you." J said with misty eyes which made Jacob stunned. It was the first time that J expressed her emotions towards him and he was lost for words. His heart is pounding that he could even hear it. He thought that he was just hallucinating but he clearly heard her say those words. He could still see the emotions in her eyes. He stretched out his arms and reached for her hand which is on the table holding a spoon which she wasn''t even able to lift. "Honey, I''m sorry. Promise, this will never happen again. I''ll never leave unless you are coming with me." He said while looking at her lovingly. J realized what she just said and felt embarrassed. She is not used to expressing her emotions easily. She blushed when she felt Jacob''s hand squeezed hers. She lowered her head and bit her lips to avoid looking into Jacob''s eyes. Jacob knew that J is uncomfortable so he changed the topic which J was thankful for. "So, how did it go?" Jacob said as he helps her slice J''s steak. J raised her head and picked up a fork. "Arthur''s team was able to retrieve the Galaxy. They were surprisingly good." Jacob smiled. "I never doubted them." J could sense that Jacob is proud of his men. "You are proud of them," J stated with a smile. "Of course, I personally chose them to.protect you and be part of your team." He replied with a beaming smile. "Everything went as planned." "Aivy must be furious right now," Jacob remarked as he put another sliced steak to J''s plate. "Mm... She lost over 120 million dollars." She replied after taking a bite of steak. Jacob gasped in astonishment. "That much!" J nodded her head. "She must be mad!" Jacob exclaimed. Jacob was born with a silver spoon in his mouth but he is not mental to spend all of his fortunes on a gemstone. "She had a guarantee that she will be able to take them back all through The Children of Mt. Celandine. But, now she lost that guarantee." She explained after she wiped the corner of her mouth with a tissue then she leaned on the chair. "Well, she has all the reason to be mad. I never thought you could be that ruthless." J was stunned upon hearing Jacob''s remark. Is she that ruthless? She just reclaims what is originally hers. It was stolen from her. So, was it wrong if she refused to spend a single penny on reclaiming it? Chapter 465 - The Process of Reclaiming (1) During the process of reclaiming the Galaxy, J had to do some underhanded tactics to deal with Aivy with the help of her team. She sent Diana and Arthur to meet with Laurie Como. Although it was only Diana who did all the talking. Arthur was just there to keep a sense of balance in the atmosphere. "Miss Laurie." Diana greeted Laurie Como as soon as they entered her office. They decided to meet her in her office at the university where she teaches. "Diana, it''s been so long. I am glad to see you." Laurie was surprised to see Diana. She walked towards her and give her a hug. "Me too. This is Arthur." Diana introduced Arthur when she noticed that Laurie glanced at him. "So, I wonder what is this visit all about. Someone made an appointment with me and I am surprised that it was you. You know you don''t have to set up an appointment. You are welcome to visit me anytime." Laurie stated after guiding Diana and Arthur to sit on a sofa. "I know. But it was not me but my boss who asked for this appointment." "Your boss?" Laurie was taken aback. She was pouring the two with coffee. "Yes. We''ve heard that The Children of Mt. Celandine is one of the beneficiaries of the GBC Auction Ball. I''m sorry Miss Laurie but I knew the story of the organization and I was wondering how did you pass the GBC Auction Ball''s requirement." When Laurie heard Diana said that, her expression turned grim. "Diana, The Children of Mt. Celandine lacks in almost everything and we needed that fund from the GBC Auction Ball." She said in a serious tone. "But do you have to fake the information of The Children of Mt. Celandine and pay a committee member just to make sure that you''ll pass the GBC Auction Ball''s strict requirement?" Diana saw the surprised turned panic reaction in Laurie''s face. "Don''t worry, I knew that it wasn''t you who did that. And trust me when I say that my boss knows exactly what The Children of Mt. Celandine needs." Laurie''s face relaxed a bit after hearing that. "What exactly your boss wants?" she questioned Diana with a furrowed brows. She is wondering who is this boss that Diana is talking about. Arthur who was silent and cold all this time passed a paper to Laurie. "We want you to back out from being a beneficiary of the GBC Auction Ball," Arthur said in a cold and intimidating tone. "You don''t have to sound so scary in saying that, you know." Diana rolled her eyes at Arthur. He looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. "He is actually the right-hand man of our boss," Diana explained. "Please excuse his cold demeanor. He was trained as a soldier." Laurie nodded her head while looking at Diana then back at Arthur. "We know that Aivy is threatening you. So, the Twelve Army will protect you and your family from her." Arthur stated. Twelve Army? When she heard it, Laurie glanced at the paper in her hand and her eyes widened in surprise. "Does this mean, your boss work for Twelve Army?" Laurie asked. She had heard of the Twelve Army and how prestigious and ruthless they are. Diana cocked her head. "Well, you could say that." Then she smiled. Well technically, their boss is the wife of the Chairman of Twelve Army so it should be. Aside from protection from the Twelve Army, it was also stated in the paper that The Children of Mt. Celandine will be provided with an aide in whatever aspects. They will also help The Children of Mt. Celandine gets an acknowledgment from the government to become a formal school. All of this help will come from the Robin Hood Society. But it was not mentioned in the papers. And so, with that, Aivy called the Chairman of GBC Auction Ball to say that The Children of Mt. Celandine will back out. Chapter 466 - The Process of Reclaiming (2) "It''s Miss Laurie Como. She called to say that The Children of Mt. Celandine will back out as one of our beneficiaries." Mr. Gandy said looking at Lance in disbelief after receiving a call from Laurie. "See, I told you. Miss Laurie Como is a person that will never seize an opportunity for her personal gain." Lance said with a smug smile. While Diana and Arthur were having a meeting with Laurie Como. Lance is having a meeting with Mr. Gandy. He told Mr. Gandy Aivy''s plan of taking advantage of The Children of Mt. Celandine. "Did you really think that Aivy will donate the Massive J to the charity auction? It is one of her most precious collections." Lance stated knowing that Mr. Gandy is not aware of Aivy''s collection. He never mentions that Massive J was actually Galaxy. "What collection?" "Aivy has a collection of fancy color diamonds. And she preferred it vivid, just like Massive J and Golden Red. She only lacks a fancy red diamond. So why would she let go of her fancy blue diamond?" Lance remarked with a raised brow. "I''m telling you, she already hired someone to bid for the Massive J for her. And she will bid for the Golden Red. Whatever price it may take. She wouldn''t hesitate, because she already planned for it. She had someone from the GBC Auction Ball secure a place for The Children of Mt. Celandine as a beneficiary. And whatever amount you will be giving them, Aivy will collect it later on." "She''s just playing you all with her tricks. She''s making a fool of everyone. Well, except us." Lance said in a matter of fact tone. Mr. Gandy is now fuming in anger. How dare that woman to ruin the clean record of the GBC Auction Ball? If the public founds out that they favor an organization that barely qualified with their requirements, everyone will doubt their righteousness. "What should we do?" Mr. Gandy asked Lance knowing his reputation, he knew that he could trust him although he doesn''t know whom he is working for. "Leave Aivy for us to handle," Lance said directly. Mr. Gandy looked at Lance as if calculating his words. Lance would like them to keep everything as secret and save them the hassle of dealing with Aivy. Obviously, Aivy has been taking advantage of not just The Children of Mt. Celandine and the GBC Auction Ball and they were saying that they will handle Aivy just like that? "What would you get out of this?" Nr. Gandy questioned him. Lance smiled. "Mm... let''s just say, Aivy owes a lot from my Boss." Mr. Gandy looked almost convinced. "We are not going to do anything?" "Actually, there is something you could do for us." Lance said with a mischievous smile. Keeping this information is one of them and presenting the beneficiaries on the last part is another thing. And it is not done yet. .... The ball has already ended and Diana and Lance were now just standing at the entrance of Elm Palace Hotel. "Is Leo going to pick you up?" Lance asked Diana. He cannot just leave Diana out there alone. Although they bickers all the time, Diana is a friend that he should care for. "Yeah." "Okay. I''ll wait until he came." Lance replied as he nodded his head. "Ha-ha. You don''t have to. He''s on his way. You can go now. Don''t you have plans for tonight? It''s Christmas Eve." Diana asked with a teasing smile. After finding out that Lance already has a girlfriend, she knew who could that be. "Don''t give me that look. If he is on his way, then I''ll wait until he arrives." Lance faked an irritated voice. Diana knew that there is no point in arguing with Lance. She will not win anyways. Chapter 467 - Christmas Eve with Lance In just a couple of minutes, Leo arrived but he is not alone because he brought Timothy along with him. "Hey, there little buddy!" Lance instantly greets the little boy. Timothy smiled back at him. "Merry Christmas Uncle Lance!" "And Merry Christmas to you too," Lance replied. The looked at Leo who is impassive as ever. "Leo." Leo just nodded his head then he turned to look at Diana. Lance was amazed when he saw fondness in Leo''s eyes. Leo was such an impassive person, only Diana could pull out some emotions from this man. Lance thought internally. "Thanks, Lance." Diana waved her hand to Lance before she gets into the car. Lance was left in the entrance of the hotel. He was just waiting for his car which was on the valet parking. After a while, he is now driving towards Lily''s apartment. Usually, he would spend Christmas Eve at Rendesvouz then his Christmas Day will be spent with his family. But this year, it is different. He made a promise to Lily that they will be spending Christmas Eve together. This is going to be the first time that Lance is going to spend Christmas Eve with his girlfriend and he has no problem with that. In fact, he was excited. Inside Lily''s apartment. "Aren''t you coming home tonight?" Madam Kelly is still persuading Lily to come home for the Christmas Eve but Lily is adamant that she will be spending Christmas Eve with Lance. "Mom, I told you I am going to celebrate Christmas Eve with Lance. I''ll be coming with you tomorrow for Christmas. Okay?" "Oh God! Just because you know that I am highly in favor of Lance, you can just do whatever you want Lilybeth! It is understandable that your brother and sister would celebrate Christmas Eve on their own because they already have a family of their own. And you, Lilybeth! You aren''t married yet! Are you just gonna let me and you father spend Christmas Eve alone?" Urgh...there goes her mom''s chant. Lily rolled her eyes as she leaned back on the sofa scratching the space between her brows. Every year, Lily will only be the one spending Christmas Eve with her parents since Leticia is already married and prefer to spend it with her family at their own home and Jacob has been abroad. She wanted to spend it with them because she knows how lonely it will be with just the two of them but she also wanted to spend it with Lance because it is going to be their first Christmas Eve together and she wants it to be special. That was the scene when Lance entered Lily''s apartment. Since the two of them got together, Lily gave him a spare keycard of her apartment but he rarely used it. He just keeps it for emergency purposes. Lily didn''t hear the door clicked open because all this time, her phone is on her ear and her mom''s voice is ringing. She was startled to see Lance standing in front of her with an inquiring look. Lily quickly understands that look and opened her mouth to say the word ''mom'' without a sound while pointing at her phone. Lance nodded his head and walked over the sofa to sit beside her while taking off his tux leaving only his dress shirt. Lily watched as Lance unbuttoned few top buttons of his dress shirt and she seemed to have not heard of her mom''s nagging on the phone. Lance''s body is not as buff as Jacob or Arthur''s team but he is fit with muscles on the right place. In fact, his body and looks could pass as a model. And Lily finds him sexy. She was biting her lips when she noticed that Lance is looking at her with a raised brow. She blinked and averted her gaze. She talked to her mom for a couple of more minutes before she finally persuaded her mom to hang up. Chapter 468 - The most Charismatic man After hanging up she let out a deep sigh. She leaned her back and head on the sofa with exhaustion. Lance chuckled and pulled Lily in his embrace. "Was it that exhausting?" Lily snuggled closer to Lance''s body and nodded her head with pout lips like a child. Lance tightened his embrace. Then after a while, he said, "How about we spend Christmas Eve with them?" Lily pulled herself from Lance'' embrace. Her eyes were sparkling when she said. "Are you serious?" Of course, she loved the idea but she just cannot bring herself to ask him. Lance nodded his head, "That is if they don''t mind having an outsider?" Lily frowned. "What outsider are you talking about?! You just don''t know how delighted my mom is when she found out that I am now dating you! I wonder what you did to make them favor you that much?" "Are you doubting my charisma?" Lance questioned with a grin. He definitely knows why her parents favored him over Andrew. "Of course not! You are the most charismatic man I''ve ever met." Lance pinch Lily''s nose. "You''re such an ass-kisser." But he was surprised when Lily suddenly shifted her position and now straddling on him. Lily would do this most of the time and Lance doesn''t mind it at all, he admires her boldness in fact. She is the type of person that does not hold back and always takes the initiative. Not unless she received rejection and criticism. She is very emotional and vulnerable at that. If you don''t like her, she would not waste her time on you. Lily kissed Lance in a deep and passionate way, while Lance wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to his body. They would usually make out on the sofa or Lily''s bed but does not go beyond that because Lance knew that Lily is not ready for that yet. Every time that the two became heated in their passionate make out, Lily will be the one to stop them before she would lose control. And Lance was very much willing to wait. "Get dress now," Lance said while cupping Lily''s small face. Their head was rested on each other while catching their breath. Lily nodded her head with a smile before she left him on the sofa. She went into her bedroom to change. The two of them indeed spent Christmas Eve at the Parker''s Mansion which made Madam Kelly''s heart filled with so much joy. Because of that, she admired Lance more. She was always asking Lily to bring him over to their mansion but Lily always rejected the idea because the two were too busy. .... At Celandine town proper, the Como family were chatting at their living room when they heard a knock on the door. Laurie and her husband looked at each other not surprised at all as if they were already anticipating that. "Girls, get inside your rooms now." Mr. Como addressed his daughters. "Will you be fine?" Steph, the eldest asked her parents with concern. Laurie smiled at them. "We''ll be fine, Don''t worry." Steph and her younger sister looked at each other then nod their head at their parents. They kissed them before they left for their bedroom. Upon making sure that the two have already left, Laurie stood up to open the door but her husband pulled her from her wrist. "Stay here." Then he stood up leaving Laurie at the sofa to open the door. "Where is Laurie?!" Laurie heard the voice of her sister. By the tone of her voice, she could tell that she is enraged and that was not surprising at all. Then she heard her footsteps coming into the living room. "Aivy, let me just remind you that you are in my territory?" Laurie heard the voice of his husband. Laurie heard that their footsteps stop and heard Aivy said, "I don''t care. I lost millions because of your stupid wife and this territory that you are bragging is not enough as compensation. Now tell where is she?" Laurie heard the footsteps again and when she assumed that Aivy is closed, she stood up from her seat. Chapter 469 - Clash of the step-sisters As soon as she saw Laurie standing at the center of the living room, she immediately rushed towards her and as soon as she reached her, Aivy grabbed Laurie''s hair and pulled it at her full strength. Hector and Mr. Como who was following Aivy staggered when they saw the scene in front of them. They eventually rushed towards Laurie and Aivy to pull them apart. Hector grabbed Aivy from her waist while Mr. Como is trying to take her hands off his wife''s hair. When they successfully did that, Mr. Como put himself in between the two to shield his wife from her raging sister. "How dare you bitch sitting comfortably in your house! Did you enjoy it, huh?! I lost millions and you and your family''s life is not enough as compensation!" "Aivy! Watch your mouth!" This time Mr. Como can''t hold back. Aivy smirked and calmed herself while fixing her clothes. Laurie, on the other hand, had her hair like a bird''s nest. She fixed it behind her husband. "Why did you backed out?" Aivy asked with gritted teeth. "Because I cannot let you use The Children of Mt. Celandine for your personal stake. If I let you, you will forever taint the honor and reputation of the organization that serves as the last hope of the children of Mt. Celandine. And I can never let that happen." Laurie replied in a calm manner. Laurie Como and her husband were a calm and soft-spoken person. "Damn you, Laurie! Have you forgotten what you and your mother did to my family?! I gave you a chance to repay for what you''ve done or else I will ruin your family but what did you do? You backed out on your word! Do you have any idea what you''ve done?" Aivy exclaimed pointing finger at Laurie. Laurie stepped out from behind her husband. "Aivy, I''ve never done anything to your family." Aivy laughed hysterically at Laurie''s words. "Are you demented Laurie, dear step-sister? Your appearance caused my mother''s life. You mother''s stupidity caused my father''s life." When Aivy was 12 years old they found out that her father has an illegitimate daughter which is just 5 years old. When her mother found it out, she was angered and went out of the house in the middle of the night while drunk. She drove their car and the next morning, news of her mother''s death from an accident shattered Aivy''s life. After a couple of years, Aivy''s father continued seeing Laurie''s mother at Mt. Celandine. One time, there was a coming storm at Mt. Celandine, the main source of income of the people at Mt. Celandine were farming crops. That time, Laurie''s mother tried to salvage her crops while it was raining hard. As soon as Aivy''s father heard about the storm, he rushed to Mt. Celandine to take the mother and daughter into a much better shelter but when he came, he found out that Laurie''s mother was out to salvage the crops. He followed her and in the next hour, a landslide took the lives of Laurie''s mother and father together with a couple more of people from Mt. Celandine. It was considered as the most tragic event happened at Mt. Celandine. Aivy mourned for the loss of her father and at the same time, she pledges that she will avenge the loss of her mother and father. And the only way to do that is through Laurie. Laurie''s face turned scarlet with Aivy''s word. In a blink of an eye, she is now in front of Aivy clenching the jaw of Aivy. "I dare you to insult my mother again and I''ll make sure that you''ll never get out of my house with complete limbs!" Her eyes were piercing as if tearing Aivy apart. Aivy was taken aback. It was the first time that she saw Laurie react that way. As far as she can remember, Laurie has always been soft-spoken and calm. Chapter 470 - Aivys Insecurity "Ever since I found out that your father is my father, I never asked anything from him, from you or from your family. My mom never told your mom to get drunk, drive out in the middle of the night and die in an accident. I never called for your dad and asked him to save my mom and die with her. I never asked for them to die. Their accident happened because of their own volition." "So, I wonder why do you have to blame it all on me, Aivy? I never stepped foot in your residence. I never went to you. I never appeared in your face, in fact, it was the other way around. It was not my fault that your father hooked up with my mother." "My mom never knew that your father is already married. She never stepped out of Mt. Celandine, it was your father who came to her." Laurie was angry and teary-eyed when she said that. Her hand is still gripping Aivy''s jaw that is probably marked with red now. It is true that she and her mother didn''t know that her father already has a family at Lotus City. She only finds out about it when her father and mother died in that landslide and Aivy appeared and started messing up with her life. Since then, Aivy started threatening her to not reveal her identity to anyone. And not tell anyone that Aivy is her step-sister especially when Aivy started to become famous in the modeling industry. Which, Laurie didn''t actually mind at all. She had no plans on getting involved with Aivy so she remained quiet and never get into Aivy''s way. She lived a peaceful life except for occasional appearances of Aivy on her doorstep just to say insulting words to her and to show her achievements and prove that she is superior to her. Laurie was able to study, became a teacher in a university, find a man and get married then had daughters. Aivy witnessed it all, which made her even more insecure with Laurie. Everything Aivy does, her career, her business, it is only to show Laurie that she is superior to her. That she is more favored than her. But having a husband and kids of her own has become her biggest insecurity because it is something that she hasn''t achieve until now. Laurie loosened her grip and Aivy staggered backward. She glared at Laurie in anger. "Stop it Aivy! You''re grown up now. You''re over fifty. Stop fighting over something that doesn''t actually exist. If you cannot stomach the fact that you have a step-sister then pretend that I don''t exist. I don''t mind at all. It should be easy if you stop coming to me." Aivy smirked, she dropped her head and mumbled. "It''s easy for you to say because you are not in my position. You didn''t lose a mother because she found out that her husband cheated on her. You didn''t lose your father''s attention and affection that was supposed to be mine only." Then she raised her head with eyes that were now welling up in tears. "It was I who lost them. And I lost them because you started to exist." "And now everything that I worked for was lost overnight. And again it was because of you!" Aivy said with trembling lips. Her fist is clenched on her side. She is filled with anger. Laurie sighed in frustration. She has come to the realization that Aivy''s obsession to blame all her misfortune to her cannot be helped. "I know how rare and valuable those stones are, that is why some are willing to spend their millions on it. Why can''t you just be fair Aivy?" But Laurie didn''t give up. Aivy laughed sarcastically. "Fair?" She took two steps to get closer to Laurie. "Nothing is fair in this world, dear sister. Life has been unfair to me. So, why should I be fair?" She said in a sarcastic tone. Chapter 471 - I stole it from the Master Thief "So, I am sorry if I am becoming unfair to you dear little sister." She said with a smirk. "Enough with this nonsense!" Aivy stepped back and take a seat in a plush chair with her legs crossed. "I lost exactly 122 million dollars tonight because of your stupidity. So, I came to ask for compensation. You are going to give me back that money that I lost." Laurie frowned. "I am not going to compensate you because I have nothing to do with how you lost your money. It was all your doing." "I heard that you found someone to help your petty organization. Why don''t you ask them for money and say that it will be used for The Children of Mt. Celandine then give it to me." Aivy stated ignoring what Laurie just said. "If I am that kind of person, I wouldn''t have to back out," Laurie said casually. "If you were so eager to get your money back then why don''t you give them back those diamonds?" Laurie said. This time, Aivy can''t just ignore her word because it infuriated her. "Are you fucking out of your mind?! It cost me a lifetime to complete my collection and your just telling me to give it up! No way! I am not giving up my diamonds nor my money!" Laurie looked at her skeptically. "Just how did you get all of those diamonds?" If Aivy is not willing to give up her money, she doubts if she spends money to get the rest of her diamond collections just like The Golden Red. Aivy saw the doubt in Laurie''s eyes. She knew that this is an opportunity for her to brag about her achievements. She smiled with a cocked head. "Wit. Dear sister. I used my wits to get them." She said pointing at her temple. "How did you get that blue diamond?" Laurie asked the question that she has been meaning to ask. Aivy contemplated for a moment before she speaks. "Mayor Hall stole it from the Do''s." "The Do''s?" Laurie asked innocently. Aivy scoffed. "You really don''t know anything Laurie. The Do''s, the infamous founder and leaders of The Robin Hood Society. Oh, never mind explaining them to you. Because only the elites knew them." "As I was saying, Mayor Hall stole it from them without actually knowing it''s value. So, he called me to examine the stone. The old bastard is so ignorant, he doesn''t have any idea that what he stole is the Galaxy that Alexander Do bought in an auction for 25 million dollars. I know how gullible he is. So I told him that it was just a fake diamond and cost nothing. In his annoyance, he asked me to throw that away." Aivy laughed at her brilliance. She thought that she was able to steal from Mayor Hall and the home of Master thieves, Robin Hood Society. "But then, we have to say that I bought it from him for 10 million dollars to save him some face." "Witty," Aivy said boastfully. "Is that what you are thinking sister? Just how witty your step-sister is? Do you wish you have at least a fraction of my wit?" Aivy said in a mocking tone. She was grinning at Laurie sarcastically but Laurie just stared back at her. Aivy''s smile fades when she saw two men wearing suits came out of the door behind Laurie and her husband. With a frown she questioned. "Who are they?" "We are lawyers sent by Twelve Army, Miss Aivy." One of them introduced themselves. Upon hearing who they are, Aivy''s color fades away as well. The image of J suddenly appeared in her mind. Her image wearing that Blue Diamond ring. She knew very well that J is the heiress of the Robin Hood Society and that she is married to the Chairman of Twelve Army. At that thought, she started to panic. "What is the meaning of this Laurie? Why are they here?" She said in a panic tone. Chapter 472 - Trap Behind Aivy is Hector who is in a trance. He thought about the blue diamond ring that J is wearing. Could it be that it was the real Galaxy? He thought internally. "Miss Aivy, we are here as a lawyer of the Como family and The Children Of Mt. Celandine. From now on, you will not threaten or harass them. You will not ask any compensation from them. Because if you did..." The lawyer paused and looked at one corner of the ceiling. Aivy followed the lawyers gaze and saw a CCTV camera. Damn! She fell in their trap. She shot Laurie a piercing glare. "...your words earlier will be used against you." The lawyer continued and noticed the look that Aivy is giving Laurie. "And remember, that Ms. Laurie and her family are protected by the Twelve Army. If anything happens to them, we knew who to find." The other lawyer added words to warn her. "And you probably have heard of the rumors on how do the Parker''s punished those that go against them? Right? And you knew from whom you stole that Blue Diamond as well. Please remember that." The lawyers didn''t have to elaborate further. Aivy stole the Galaxy from Mayor Hall who stole it from the Do. So, in a way, she stole it from the Do''s particularly to J who owned that Galaxy. And everyone knows now that J is married to Jacob Parker making her a Parker now. So, whoever goes against her is not just going against the Robin Hood Society but to Twelve Army as well. Aivy was rendered speechless at her misfortune that unfolded in front of her. She staggered backward and fell in the plush chair behind her. .... "Not yet sleepy?" Jacob just got out of the bathroom when he saw J on the bed with her back leaning on the headrest. On her hand is the remote control of the TV mounted on the wall of the room. She is scanning yhe channels but can''t seem to find anything that would catch her interest. J shook her head at Jacob''s question not looking at her direction. "Good." Jacob replied which made J looked at him with curiosity. ''What does he mean by good?'' She asked internally. Jacob grabbed a silk kimono robe before he waalked towards the bed. "Come." He reached out for J''s hand and help her get out of the bed. J is wearing a light blue printed nightdress. If Jacob is taking her outside, she has to wear that silk kimono robe since the weather outside is colder. Jacob helped her put on the robe then he engulf her hand into his before pulling her out of the room. "Where are we going?" J questioned him.with an annoyed look. It''s almost midnight now and by the way they dress, it doesn''t seem like they are going outside the hotel. Jacob looked behind him and gave J a sweet smile. "You''ll see." J raised a brow on him. She hates surprises but surprises coming from him is something that she looked forward for. They reached the elevator of the floor when the door closes, Jacob pushed the button to the top floor. Since it is almost midnight, they didn''t see anyone in the hall or in the elevator. When they reached the top floor which is apparently the rooftop of the hotel, J shivered as soon as the cold wind touched her silk kimono robe. The rooftop is surrounded by glass railings, it is decorated with wooden floor, vintage lamps that are randomly seen on the floor and flower pots. There were also rustic bench on the corners. J noticed an elevated wooded deck at the center of the rooftop with comforter filled with cushions and pillows. It was also surrounded by lighted glass candle jars. One word that instantly comes to J''s mind is ''Romantic''. She looked at Jacob with astonishment. Chapter 473 - Midnight Date Before Jacob left for a business trip, he already planned for this kind of Christmas Eve date with his wife. Although there were bumps on the way he still makes sure that everything will proceed as planned. He didn''t know that he could be this romantic when it comes to setting up a date because he never wanted this before. He never exerted this kind of energy and enthusiasm when it comes to dating women before. He only realizes this with J. J is a boring person, fortunately, Jacob is the type of person who would put a lot of energy into their relationship. Again, only for J. In his previous flings, Jacob doesn''t give much effort or attention into a date because he knows from the very beginning that his relationship will eventually come to a dead end. And his marriage with J is something that he sees as a long term. And J thought the same. "You liked it?" Jacob asked her, his eyes beaming with satisfaction when he saw the sparkle in J''s eyes. "Yes." She said with her eyes fixed at the center of the rooftop. "How did you do this?" She turned her head to look at Jacob. Her mesmerizing smile is plastered on her lips. "I had someone do this for me. I originally planned to prepare this on my own, but I struggled with time." He replied. His thumb is stroking J''s hand which is still on his. J sighed. Ever since she stepped foot on the rooftop, her breathing seemed to stop. And until now, she still can''t breathe normally. She has released the air that wasn''t able to come out of her lungs. "This is our first Christmas Eve together, so, it has to be special." She heard Jacob stated. She felt guilty that she didn''t prepare anything for tonight. She was used to celebrating Christmas Eve and Christmas alone, in fact, she doesn''t even celebrate them. She just let it past. So, she never thought of preparing something for tonight. "Let''s go." Jacob pulled her to the center of the rooftop and helped her sits in the cushion. He laid down and pulled J into his arms. J was still out for words but she knew she has to say something. She stared at the sky now filled with stars. Just earlier, there were only a few stars visible and Arthur said that it will probably rain, which it really did. Though it was just a light one and didn''t take long. "Thank you." She said although she feels like it was not enough to show how she appreciates everything that Jacob is doing for her. She heard Jacob chuckled so she looked up to see his face. Her husband is as handsome as ever. She thought. "It is my responsibility to keep you happy, so you don''t have to thank me. I actually feel that this is not enough. You deserve much better than this." Jacob stated, his eyes fixated on hers. J frowned. "This is already too much. I cannot ask for anything more as long as you are here. I didn''t even think of doing something for you." Jacob sensed the hint of guilt from J''s tone. He positioned himself that he is now faced to face with her. "Honey, you don''t have to do anything. Just letting me hold you like this is already something. Just staying by my side and allowing me to love you is more than enough for me. You don''t have to tire yourself. Just let me pamper and spoil you for the rest of our life. That''s what you can do for me." J become teary-eyed. She wanted to bring her grandfather back into life and thank him for finding such a man for her. She had really prepared herself to grow old and die alone but this man just asked her to let him pamper and spoil her for the rest of their life. This is something that she really never expected. Chapter 474 - Confessions J was not a conversant person. She is having a hard time to express her real emotions. So instead of saying anything, she wrapped her arms around Jacob''s neck and pulled him close to her until his lips touch hers. This is the second time that J initiated a kiss. The first time was in the cabin at Naupaka Racing Circuit. When it comes to kissing, Jacob is the good kisser and the dominating one. But this time, he let J lead the kiss. Her kiss was sweet and passionate at first but when it becomes deeper, it also becomes fiery and Jacob can''t help but moan at the sensation. He slides his hand into J''s hair slowly. J''s hand is now on Jacob''s biceps. After a while, their lips parted but their forehead was still pressed together. Their eyes were still closed as Jacob''s thumb is stroking J''s lower lip. In a horse voice, J whispered, "I love you." Jacob''s entire body froze. He opened his eyes and looked at J''s eyes that were still close. Which she purposely kept close embarrassed to see Jacob''s reaction after she confessed her love for him. Jacob''s brows are furrowed. He cannot tell if his ears were deceiving him so he called out. "Honey?" J opened her eyes and was met by Jacob''s anticipating eyes. Her eyes looked loving in Jacob''s thought but he wanted to confirm if what he heard was real or just hallucination. "Did you say something?" J frowned when she heard his question. It took her a lot of courage to say those three words but it seemed like he didn''t hear them at all. "I mean, yeah. I thought I heard you say something but, I just want to make sure that I am not having some auditory hallucinations." Jacob stated before J becomes angry based on her frown now. "Yes," J replied irritated. Jacob wanted to ask ''Did you just say I love you?'' but he doesn''t want to assume. So instead he pleads, "Can you say it again?" That''s it. J became furious. "Damn it! Jacob if you didn''t hear it then that is not my problem anymore! I already said it once. Did you know how many lumps do I have to swallow to say those words but - " Her words were cut when Jacob devoured her lips again. He just wanted to confirm if he heard it right and it turns out that he did hear it right based on J''s reaction. She is not actually angry, she was just shy. Their kiss this time was more passionate, more sensual, more intimate. And Jacob has to stop before he loses control. They were both catching their breath when J reached for his face and cupped it with both of her hands. She looked into his eyes that captivates her making her stomach into knots. She closed her eyes and take a deep breath and chant internally ''keep calm''. When she opened her eyes again she said in a taut voice, "Listen carefully." Jacob stared at her seriously waiting and anticipating. "I love you, Jacob Parker." At that moment, Jacob feels full joy of springs. They were on the rooftop surrounded by candles and stars in the sky but he felt like there were also flowers blooming around him. He knows that she loves him, he can feel it. But it was different when she confessed. "I know this may sound cheesy but you just made me the happiest man in the world." "Oh, God!" J rolled her eyes and it made Jacob laugh in delight. "Thank you, Honey," Jacob said full of affection. "Thank you?" J scowled at him. Wasn''t his reply supposed to be ''I love you too''? She thought internally. Before she could say something, Jacob beat her into it. He chuckled. "And I love you too, my love." Best Christmas Eve ever! J thought internally. But the night is long and Jacob has yet to complete his plans for the night. Chapter 475 - Wedding Band For thirty minutes, the two of them just laid there, making out, casually chatting and sometimes just watching the stars silently. J''s head is resting on Jacob''s chest. She is silently playing the button of his henley shirt. While Jacob is staring at the stars, one of his arms is wrapped around J''s body, his hand stroking her arm while the other hand in on his pocket. J positioned her body so that she could watch the stars. Suddenly, Jacob''s hand holding a velvet box with matching rings on it flashed in J''s face. J was astounded and looked at it closely, the rings were matching rose gold with princess cut diamonds. Her eyes widened when she realized that it was wedding bands. She instantly stood up and looked at Jacob with furrowed brows. "Surprised?" Jacob asked with a smile. J just looked at him with astonishment. "I realized that ever since I met you, guys were flocking around you. And even if I already announced our marriage and my claim on you, there were still some that wanted to lay their claim on you. Some were also flirting on you in front of me. I was just thinking, are they taking our marriage as a joke?" Jacob sounds irritated at the last part. "So I got us a wedding band. I think it was just right since we really are married, right?" As he was saying this, he took out the smaller ring from the velvet box and put it on J''s finger. "I hope that with this, they will stay away from us and never bothers us." He is not just talking about Alex Ogden, that intern, and Nick Gonzales but also talking about his previous flings. He knows how affected J is when one of them would suddenly appear. He is now stroking the ring on J''s finger that fits perfectly. Then he took out the other ring and gave it to J. "You wouldn''t mind it, would you?" Jacob questioned her. J was staring at Jacob then to the ring then back into Jacob. In just one night, she felt a lot of extreme emotions and she feels like her heart is about to explode right now. Her eyes starting to well up and she wanted to shout at him. ''Damn it! Jacob! Why do you have to be so sweet? Full of surprises!'' It is just making her fall in love with him more. He definitely filled everything that she lacks in their relationship. But it is also making her feel more guilty. She takes the ring from him and smiled with teary eyes. "Of course, I wouldn''t mind." Then she put the ring on his finger. "Do you think your exes will now believe that you are already married? Or do I need to appear in front of them to make them believe? Because I really wouldn''t mind." She said with a teasing smile. She tried to joke around to prevent her tears from falling but her voice was trembling. She pounced on him and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly to hide her tears that were now slowly flowing in her cheeks. She buried her face into the crook of Jacob''s neck and said in a muffled voice, "You are too good. How could I ever repay you?" Jacob heard her and returned her embrace. He knew that she is crying base on the wetness in his neck. "Silly. I told you, you just have to let me love you. That''s all." He said while stroking her back. "That''s all I need. You are all I need." They stayed in that position until J fell asleep. Jacob just waited until J was deep in her slumber before he carried her back to their room. Chapter 476 - Special Delivery The next morning, although Christmas day, Mr. Gandy and the committee have to work to monitor the delivery of the items that were sold last night at the GBC Auction Ball. All items will be delivered personally by Mr. Gandy and a committee member except for the old bottle of wine that will be picked up personally by Jack Ogden and the Massive J that will be picked up by Mr. and Mrs. Schimdt that were checked in at Elm Palace Hotel. Riding on the CIT Van that the GBC Auction Ball hired to deliver the items is Mr. Gandy, the chairman of the GBC Auction ball. In front of him is a male member of the committee in his 40s which upon investigation a couple of days ago Felix found out to be the person that Aivy paid to make sure that The Children of Mt. Celandine although unqualified will pass as a beneficiary of the GBC Auction Ball. "You''ve worked hard, Mr. Long. Our clients were delighted by your hard work." Mr. Gandy said with a smile but for a fraction of seconds, Mr. Long noticed that his words and smile have a hidden meaning or maybe she was just guilty. It''s probably nothing, she shook her head and thought internally. They arrived at the mansion of Aivy but it was Hector who received them. "Aivy is still upstairs but she will be here in a minute," Hector said with a smile. The truth is, Aivy is still upstairs trying to fix her all messed up self. She was drinking the whole night until she passed out and Hector wasn''t able to stop her. Mr. Gandy and Ms. Silva seated on the sofa with a black duffel bag which they placed on the coffee table in front of them. "No problem, she could take her time." Mr. Gandy said. He knew that Aivy must be in a terrible situation after what happened last night. Who wouldn''t be? Her plan didn''t go well. She faked the information of The Children of Mt. Celandine and paid a committee in the GBC Auction Ball to make sure that the organization will become its beneficiary. Then she donated one of her collection of a fancy color diamond which is Massive J to be auctioned. But she hired someone abroad to bid for the Massive J so that it will return into her possession. She also planned to bid for the Golden Red in any amount. She didn''''t hesitate to spend her money on these two rare diamonds because all the money that The Children of Mt. Celandine will be collected will all go to her. That was her plan, but unfortunately, The Children of Mt. Celandine backed out, thanks to Diana and Arthur. So, there were no chances for her to get back the money she spends for the rare diamonds. The rest of the show will all be taken care of by Mr. Gandy. That was what Lance requested of him. They were now on the last part of their mission and the rest will be taken care of by J and Jacob. After 30 minutes of waiting, Aivy came down the stairs. Her pixie haircut is neatly styled, she was able to hide her pale face with make-up, she is wearing a white maxi dress with a deep V-neckline and a slit the goes until her upper thigh. With her haircut, make-up, and outfit, you wouldn''t think that she is already 56 years old. Mr. Gandy immediately stood up and greeted her. "Ms. Aivy, we came to personally deliver The Golden Red to you. Congratulations." He bowed his upper body slightly then reached for Aivy''s hand. Mr. Long is standing behind him. "Thank you, Mr. Gandy. Sorry to keep you waiting." Aivy smiled and show her charisma. But, Mr. Gandy could still see her bloodshot eyes indicating that she has a hangover. The corner of his lips curved upwards ever so lightly. "No big deal, Ms. Aivy. This is the last item to be delivered." He said then he glanced at his shoulder. "Mr. Long, please." Mr. Long opened the duffel bag and took out a velvet brocade box. She hands it over to Mr. Gandy. Mr. Gandy took it and opened it in front of Aivy. "Hector." Chapter 477 - Mission almost done Hector step close to her and passed her her tools. Aivy took it and examined the authenticity of Red Diamond flashing in front of her. She has to make sure that it is real, after all, she lost over a hundred million dollars for these diamonds. And she still can''t get over it. It would take her years to get over it, in fact. Upon making sure that the read diamond is indeed The Golden Red, she passed the tools to Hector and take the velvet brocade box from Mr. Gandy and keep it close to her. "Thank you for keeping it safe Mr. Gandy on the way here." She said then she looked behind him and nods her head at Mr. Long. "It''s nothing, Ms. Aivy. It is our duty. We should be leaving now. Thank you for your donations. We can assure you that your donations will go straight to our beneficiaries." Mr. Gandy said with a smile containing smugness. When Mr. Gandy and Mr. Long left, there was bitterness in Aivy''s face. What fucking donations? If it wasn''t for the Robin Hood Society and the Twelve Army all her plans wouldn''t go all the way down the drain. She would be enjoying her diamonds today without losing more than a hundred million dollars. Her only consolation now is the Golden Red and the Massive J. And speaking of the Massive J, "Hector, call Mr. and Mrs. Schimdt and tell them to come here immediately and bring back my blue diamond." Then she went back to her bedroom upstairs taking the Golden Red with her. She has to think of a way to get back at Laurie. She originally planned to ruin her reputation at the university she is working at by exposing that she is an illegitimate child and her mother is a homewrecker. But Laurie beats her with her witty words. "Go ahead. Expose that to the university. I actually don''t care. We are in a modern age now where illegitimate children are very common and has been widely accepted by the public. Do, you think it will ruin my reputation, Aivy? I am just a mere university teacher. I actually doubt if all 100% of the student in the university knows of me. So, what reputation are you talking about? Worry about your reputation. Do you think that if you expose me, you''ll just exposing me? People are smart, if you say that I am an illegitimate child, they will dig deeper into the issue and will eventually find out who is my father, who is the family that my mother destroyed, why did my father leave your mother and choose to have another child. In the end, they will found out that I am the stepsister of a renowned model and jeweler. That the famous Aivy was left by her father and mother over an illegitimate child. Now, who''s reputation will be ruined?" Laurie said to her with a crossed arms. These words kept on ringing on Aivy''s ear. She cannot do that. Ruining Laurie''s name and reputation is not an option now. The only option left is ripped her family apart. But with the Twelve Army protecting them, she will probably be the one to be ripped apart before she could touch them. And that leaves her with no options left. She cannot do anything to Laurie and her family with the Twelve Army around. Of course, she is not mental to challenge the Twelve Army. She would literally become insane if she did. .... "Ah... it''s almost done." Mr. Gandy stretched his back and leaned back to his chair. "Call them now," Jacob said while sitting on the sofa in front of Mr. Gandy''s office desk. Mr. Gandy was surprised. "This soon?" he thought that they would let Aivy enjoy the Golden Red in her hands. "My wife wants to get this over with. We still have a family affair to attend to." Jacob said with a smile. Chapter 478 - You stole from me, I stole from you Before Lance left last night, he already told Mr. Gandy that the rest of their plans will be taken over personally by Jacob and J. So, Mr. Gandy was not surprised at all when Jacob came into his office that morning. He was actually looking forward to having a casual chat with the heiress of the Robin Hood Society but unfortunately, Jacob came alone. Mr. Gandy stood up to make a call and then he excused himself to go to the conference room leaving Jacob in his office. After an hour, Mr. Gandy returned to his office. "Chairman Jacob Parker, I have already talked to the committee and told them of the situation. I showed them the evidence of Aivy faking the information of The Children of Mt. Celandine and bribing Mr. Long. They all agreed that her bid for the Golden Red shall be forfeited. We will be heading over to Miss Aivy''s mansion and reclaim the Golden Red." "Good," Jacob said although he already anticipated this. "How about the Massive J?" "We cannot do anything about it since it was hers, to begin with. Anyways, she paid for it. Although she did it because she knew that the money will be returned to her." Mr. Gandy replied casually. "Okay." Then Jacob stood up and prepared to leave. "My wife and I will wait for the Golden Red at the Elm Palace Hotel. Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Gandy." "I am glad to be of help to you and to Miss J. It was actually us who should be thankful. If it wasn''t for you we will all be tricked by Miss Aivy." Mr. Gandy noted. Jacob smiled and said humbly. "Don''t mention it, Mr. Gandy, it just so happen that it involves my wife and The Robin Hood Society." Mr. Gandy nodded his head in a curtsy. Then Jacob left. He never told him that the Massive J was actually Galaxy that was stolen from Elder Do 20 years ago. They have already reclaimed the Galaxy and all that''s left is to take the Golden Red as well. He knew that his wife never fancy''s diamonds or any kinds of gems and jewels. But Galaxy has a sentimental value to her that is why she was eager to reclaim it back. While stealing the Golden Red was just a tool to gave Aivy that feeling of losing something that is precious to her. That was just giving her a taste of her own medicine. She stoles J''s gem so J stole her gem in return ten folds. They are not intending to send Aivy into prison. After they got their hands on the Golden Red, they have nothing to do with her anymore. They would just let the GBC Auction Ball serve whats right of her. Their goal is simple but the process is complicated. One, to steal the Massive J and Golden Red from her without making it look like it was stolen. And two, to make her lose her money. Once they got the Golden Red, their mission is over. .... At Aivy''s Mansion, Aivy blew a fuse when she realized that the blue diamond in her hand is not actually a diamond but just colored cubic zirconia. Cubic zirconia is a colorless form of zirconia that is very similar to diamond in refractivity and appearance. It is commonly used to fake a diamond. Aivy had checked the diamond in her hands in a couple of times, but each time, her hands are trembling in frustration when the results are always the same. The diamond in her hand is a fake! "This is fake." Hector heard a brittle tone of Aivy''s voice. It sounds like she was about to cry but her anger is taking full control of her. He had already noticed that she seemed to take too long to examine the diamond and it was very unusual because she knows the diamond very well unless something is wrong. "What do you mean?" Hector questioned her but he knew that his question would only make her dispirited. "This. Is. Fake!" And Aivy lost it. She is maddened by the fact that her Massive J that returned to her is now a fake one. Chapter 479 - Deranged Upon seeing the enraged Aivy, Mr. and Mrs. Schidmt''s face became filled with dread. The fact that the diamond is now fake, Aivy will surely suspect them and her anger will be placed directly on them. "This can''t be? How can it be fake? Ever since we picked up the gem, it remained untouched. We didn''t even peek inside the box. You can even ask the guard that you sent." Mr. Schimdt retorted immediately before Aivy could say something. "You... you were the only one who held this box ever since the auction ended! You! You picked the diamond last night after the ball! Where. Is. My. Diamond!" Her chest is heaving with anger. The look in Aivy''s eyes was scary. Even Hector can''t believe his eyes. This is the first time that he saw Aivy this angry and it seems like she has gone mad. "You! Motherfucker! You dare to steal from me! I''m gonna kill you! Where is my diamond?!" In a matter of seconds, Aivy was able to get near Mr. and Mrs. Schidmt and her hand is now in Mr. Schidmt''s neck. Her eyes were like that of a mad dog and it was scary. She had gone berserk. Hector tried to pull her from Mr. Schidmtt while Mrs. Schmidt is trying to help Mr. Schimdt. When Hector managed to pull her hands away from Mr. Schidmt''s neck, her attention was turned to Mrs. Schidmt. She pushed Mrs. Schidmt on the floor and she straddled on her back while pulling her hair to the point that Mrs. Schidmt is now crying in pain from the continuous pulling of her hair from her scalp. "Aivy!" Hector''s shrieked. "Aivy! Calm down!" Hector pulled her from her waist and was able to lift her from Mrs. Schidmt. Hector pinned her down on the sofa. "Water!" One of the maids who is watching the scene rushed to the kitchen to get water. "You!" Hector pointed a finger on one of the guards who rushed towards them when they heard a commotion. "Take them away from here and keep an eye on them!" The guard obliged and take Mr. and Mrs. Schidmt away from Aivy''s sight. "Where is Jonathan?!" Hector called out. Jonathan is the person that they assigned to watch over Mr. and Mrs. Schidmt throughout the ball until they picked up the diamond and brought it over to Aivy''s Mansion. The order is clear, don''t leave his eyes off the Massive J. So if there is someone they should ask, it should be him. Aivy has already calmed down a bit after drinking water and Jonathan as arrived also. "Let me handle this, okay?" Hector said to Aivy because he was afraid that she would lose control again and he doesn''t have energy left to stop her. Hector turned to look at Jonathan. "Did you see Mr. and Mrs. Schidmt or anyone touched the Massive J?" Hector questioned him. Without hesitation, Jonathan shook his head. "No one has touched the stone ever since we picked it up from GBC Auction Ball. Their committee only showed the diamond to Mr. and Mrs. Schidmt but neither of them touched it until we reached here." He replied. "Hmm... let''s see," Hector said calmly but at the corner of his eyes, he is watching Aivy for any signs of going mad. Hector took the necklace that is now laid down in the coffee table. He carefully examined it. He has seen the necklace a couple of times and he was actually there when Aivy designed it and personally crafted it. So he is more or less familiar with it. Upon careful inspection, he concluded that even the silver necklace is fake. They were well aware of the protocol of the GBC Auction Ball. They know that the items are checked every 30 minutes and before it is presented by the auctioneer the jewelry was examined first by a specialist. But, if Jonathan said that if no one has ever touched it since then, what could have gone wrong? Chapter 480 - Aivys Guest Hector thought for a while then his eyes widened. "Could it be..." "Damn it! Could you please stop mumbling or else I''ll kill you!" Hector ignored Aivy''s temper. "Aivy, do you think... it could be... The Robin Hood Society?" He said in a panic. "That... That ring..." Hector was out of words. If the Massive J was stolen without any trace, then it is probably the Robin Hood Society. No one else could do that. And it was only them who could have an interest in the Massive J because the blue diamond belonged to them in the first place. At that thought, Aivy who is slumped on the sofa suddenly straightened ber back. She remembered the blue diamond ring that the heiress of the Robin Hood Society is wearing that night. "If that ring was really the Galaxy, then... we were actually bidding for a fake Massive J," Hector said that made Aivy felt like melting in her place. Her money... her precious diamond... all gone in just one night... She was still in the process of digesting the reality that she lost her money and diamond when a maid approaches her. "Miss..." The maid hesitantly called out. "What?!" Aivy shouted at the maid. The maid was scared out of her wits. "Um... someone''s looking for you. They said that they were from the GBC Auction Ball..." When she heard that, she looked at Hector with alarm. What could be the reason for them to come back? She doesn''t have a good feeling about this. Hector was the one who received them because he knew that Aivy is not in the mood. "Can we have a talk with Miss Aivy?" It was Mr. Gandy who greeted Hector. "Um... Aivy is not feeling well. If there is anything, we could just drop by in your office tomorrow Mr. Gandy." Hector said politely thou in the corner of his mind, he takes note that Mr. Gandy is not alone, he is accompanied by a couple of committee members and another two men wearing a formal suit. The other one, he recognized as the lawyer of the GBC Auction Ball. This is serious. Hector thought internally. "I am afraid, this can''t wait until tomorrow Hector." Mr. Gandy said with a grim expression. Seeing that Mr. Gandy is adamant on seeing Aivy, Hector widened the door and let the guest in. In the living room, Mr. Gandy saw Aivy lazily sits on the sofa looking distressed. Aivy had her eyes close sensed the presence of the guest and she lazily opened one of her eyes to peeked at them. Upon seeing who are her unwelcomed guest although she already expected it, she still said, "Mr. Gandy, it was a surprise to see you again. But you see, I am not feeling well so I am sorry if I cannot entertain you in the most appropriate way." "We actually don''t mind, Miss Aivy." Mr. Gandy remained standing in front of the sofa set while the lawyers and other committee members were standing behind them. "We came here for an important matter and I am afraid that it can''t wait until tomorrow. So, we are sorry that we have to disturb you during your difficult situation." Mr. Gandy''s last words made Aivy''s brows twitched. ''What difficult situation is he talking about?'' Aivy thought internally she started to become paranoid. Aivy straightened her back and paid them attention although she is still obviously in a distressed mood. "Please have a seat." She pleads them but her guest doesn''t seem to bother standing. This time, the other lawyer besides the lawyer of GBC Auction Ball stepped up. And Aivy immediately recognizes the man. Her eyes widened in surprise. Hector noticed it and he takes another look at the person the Aivy is looking at. Hector recognizes all of them except for that one man who seemed familiar but he just can''t seem to remember where he had seen him. Chapter 481 - Evidences Hector saw the familiarity in Aivy''s reaction so that means, he must be someone she knew. And if Aivy knew the man, he must''ve known him as well. "Miss Aivy, how are you related to Miss Laurie Como?" When Hector heard his voice and his ever so intriguing question, familiarity strikes him! Of course! He is the lawyer sent by Twelve Army that appeared last night at the house of Laurie Como! Aivy became astounded and struggled to find words? ''Why is this man pretending that he doesn''t know anything and that this is the first time that they''ve met her? Are they playing some games with me?'' Aivy tried to calm down but her voice can''t seem to calm down. "I... well she... Isn''t she..." Hector noticed that Aivy is struggling with her words and he knew that if she continued this way, she might lose control and end up blurting all her misdeeds. He has to rescue her. "Well, of course, Aivy knew her. Isn''t she the founder of The Children of Mt. Celandine? Before she donated the Massive J she made a research about the beneficiaries of the auction ball. And that''s how she knew of her name, but she has never met her. So, why would you think that she is related to her?" "I am not asking you." the man said in a discriminating way making Hector bit his lips in embarrassment. Damn! People from the Twelve Army were too scary! Aivy tried to compose her self and said, "No, I don''t know her." A smirk appeared at the corner of the man''s lips. "Good, remember that." Everyone was dumbfounded. What does he mean by that?! To put it simply, the man just reminded Aivy that starting last night, they already cut all her ties to Laurie and that she should not get near her and harass her family again. "Anyway, you can deny it all you want but we have evidence." "What evidence are you talking about?" "One. It was you who applied for The Children of Mt. Celandine to be one of the beneficiaries. Two, you faked their information so that it will pass our qualifications. Three, you bribed Mr. Long to make sure that The Children of Mt. Celandine will be chosen. Four, you hired foreigners to bid for the Massive J so that it will fall back in your hands. Five, you threatened and harassed Miss Laurie Como and her family to hand you the fund that her organization will be receiving from us." The lawyer of GBC Auction Ball counted the bullshits that Aivy did. "You tried to swindle us and that is highly objectionable Miss Aivy." Mr. Gandy expressed his disappointment. Aivy''s rage that Hector tried hard to appease earlier went up high again. She stood up from her seat and shouted and pointed a finger on them. "Are you accusing me of something that I did not do?! Did you know that I could sue you all for that?!" Aivy howled at them. "Yes, we know." The lawyer sent by Twelve Army replied nonchalantly that made Aivy more irritated. "Why would I apply for The Children of Mt. Celandine. I am not related to them!" She said infuriated. "Of course, you are. We have evidence that you are Laurie Como''s stepsister. Do you want us to publicize it?" The Twelve Army lawyer said indifferently. Aivy blanched at his words. She knew he was telling the truth because he was there last night at Laurie''s house and there were CCTV cameras in there. "I... That Mr. Long that you are talking about... I... I... D-don''t know her..." Aivy stuttered as she tried to find excuses. "Mr. Long has already confessed her misconduct, Mis Aivy." Mr. Gandy stated as if she has no escaped left. But Aivy was stubborn. "Why would I bid for the Massive J that I originally owned? Are you an idiot!" Chapter 482 - Theyre mine! "Let''s get this over with Miss Aivy. It''s the holiday and we should be celebrating at home with our family instead of playing tricks with you." Mr. Gandy stated quite losing his temper. "There is no point in discussing this. As we''ve said, we have evidence against you and I would like to notify you that the GBC Auction Ball has decided to file charges against you." Mr. Gandy continued. Charges? The word rings on her ear and that thought of her being held in prison made her froze in place. When she thought that it was all over, she hasn''t thought for the worst yet. "And also, your bid for the Golden Red is forfeited. We are here to collect it." Aivy felt that her mansion collapse and crushed her flat. She clenched her fist and in an instant her gaze became dark and just like a mad man, she shot everyone in the room with a piercing glare as if she was about to pounce on them and kill them in a matter of seconds. Everyone including Hector was taken aback. Damn! She''s gone berserk again. "Don''t you dare take my diamonds from me," she said in a low and rough voice. "You''ll send me to prison then you''ll take all my diamonds? They''re mine, only mine!" Seeing that Aivy has lost it. Mr. Gandy speaks on his shoulder in a low voice. "Get someone to pin her down. Hector, give us the Golden Red." Because he knows that Hector knew where Aivy keeps her diamonds. Everyone watched as Aivy continued mumbling, someone has already called an ambulance to take her while Hector silently sneaked away from the scene followed by Ms. Chloe Tang. She has to make sure that they will be taking the real Golden Red. Hector knew that he has to cooperate now so that he won''t be charged as Aivy''s accomplice. Although he had worked for her for decades and she has been his closest friend, in a time like this, he can''t let her drag him down with him. Yes, he values their friendship but he values his freedom and reputation more. After an hour, Mr. Gandy arrived at the Elm Palace Hotel. He had successfully retrieved the Golden Red and is about to deliver it to its rightful owner. Aivy has been taken in the hospital as she has grown highly hostile to everyone threatening to kill herself and everyone around her. It seems like she has lost her sanity, much like how the Twelve Army punishes those who go against the members of the Parker Family. Who wouldn''t lose her sanity after all that plots and tricks, she still lost millions of dollars and her precious collection of diamonds? Although the Massive J has returned to her, in the end, it turns out to be a fake while after her bid for the Golden Red was forfeited, her money was returned to her but she still lost millions through Massive J. He knocks on the door of the presidential suite and waited for the door to open. When it did, the familiar heavenly figure appeared in front of Mr. Gandy, he can''t help but bow his head and greet him with such curtsy. Jacob smiled at him and said, "Mr. Gandy, you don''t have to be too formal. Please come in, we''ve been waiting for you." Then Jacob opened the door widely so that Mr. Gandy together with two of committee members one of which is Ms. Chloe Tang. As they entered, they look around the massive suite as if looking for someone that they were anticipating to see. But disappointment flashed in their face when they find that Jacob is alone in that living room of the suite. "We got the Golden Red for you." Mr. Gandy said as he held a black duffel bag in his hand. Jacob glanced at his watch and find that it is almost lunchtime. "It took you long." Chapter 483 - Uninterested Mr. Gandy''s mouth fell. Long? Did it take them long? Doesn''t he know what they did all this morning? They have to deliver or the items that were sold last night and have to deal with Aivy. They did all that all morning and he thought that it took them long? He wonders if it was the Twelve Army or The Robin Hood Society, how long will it take for them to accomplish such job. Mr. Gandy was fuming inside. "He-he. I am sorry about that Chairman Jacob Parker. Aivy has gone nuts and become uncooperative." Mr. Gandy scratched the back of his neck. "It''s okay." Jacob was easy going as always. "As long as you got it." "Yes, yes, Chairman Jacob. It''s in here." Mr. Gandy said as he pointed at the black duffel bag. They were now seated on the sofa. "We were surprised when Mr. Lance Kho told me that he was just a proxy to you and Miss J. As we all know the Parkers were not at all interested in auctions, more so, Miss J. I wonder what got you so interested in the Golden Red? Is Miss J into diamonds as well?" Mr. Gandy said probing with much interest. Jacob laughed jovially. "No. She is not." He cannot say that his wife just got pissed of Aivy that''s why she was eager to steal the Golden Red from her. "Oh." Then Mr. Gandy and Ms. Tang opened the duffel bag and take out the velvet brocade box to reveal a fancy vivid red diamond in front of Jacob. That was the first time that Jacob saw that red diamond. While J hasn''t even seen that up close. At that moment, J appeared from the bedroom of the suite and Mr. Gandy and the committee member gasped in surprise. They thought that they wouldn''t be able to see the legendary heiress of the Robin Hood Society. For some reason, they were intrigued by her mysteriousness. They have heard how cold and intimidating she is which is the complete opposite of her grandfather that everyone in the circle is familiar with. But aside from being cold and intimidating, she has also become famous as the woman with a beauty that could match that of a goddess who captivates the charming and playboy Jacob Parker. Jacob sensed her presence and turned to look at her tenderly. "Honey, the red diamond is here. Would you like to check it?" Jacob asked although he already knew what will be her reply is. "Oh... is it?" J replied nonchalantly. Mr. Gandy and the committee members were speechless. Is this how she treats an item that she bought for over 50 million dollars? She seemed to be uninterested with it, so why did she bought it? They were puzzled by J''s demeanor towards the diamond. Oh, rich people! "Mom called. She wants us to be there as soon as possible." She stated then went back to the bedroom to continue packing up their things although there are not much to pack because they only stayed there for a night and didn''t actually bring anything with them. She just wanted to avoid them. After checking the diamond, Jacob closed the velvet brocade box and take it with him leaving the duffel back on the coffee table. After a couple of minutes, Mr. Gandy and the committee has to leave and at the same time, Jacob and J are also preparing to leave not wanting to stay for long since Madam Kelly has been calling them since the morning. "Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Parker, for helping us with Aivy. Is there anything we could do to repay you?" Mr. Gandy said before he leaves. This is what J is actually waiting for. She knew that Mr. Gandy would ask for it since they really didn''t ask anything before. "How much did Lance bid for the Golden Red?" She asked trying not to sound intimidating but she did anyway. Mr. Gandy was taken aback not really expecting this question from J. Didn''t she knew how much her proxy paid for the diamond? Chapter 484 - Hellebore "Uhm... over 50 million dollars?" He replied with uncertainty. "Can you split them to Alzheimer''s Disease Society of Lotus City and 365 Help Center only?" She pleads. Mr. Gandy and the other committees look at each other with surprise. It was a very define request which is not impossible to grant. "No problem Miss J." Mr. Gandy said with a smile wanting to please the heiress. "It looks like Miss J has a special spot for these organizations." He probes later on. "Not really." She shrugged her shoulders. And that''s how she was able to get the Golden Red without spending money on it. Because that over 50 million dollars was actually the money that she earned from her investments and will be donated to Alzheimer''s Disease Society of Lotus City and 365 Help Center. She just borrowed them and then returned it later on. It was known to all the members of the Robin Hood Society that the Do''s specifically the heiress has huge investments and her earnings were donated directly to the organizations and foundations under the Robin Hood Society. So technically speaking, J was not actually a rich heiress. .... Riding the black bulletproofed SUV, J and Jacob headed to the province of Hellebore. It is a province next to Camellia and is known to have the highest altitude and lowest temperature in the country. It is five hours'' drive away from Lotus City. It was almost dark when they reached the Parker''s vacation house in Hellebore so J wasn''t able to see the beautiful scenery that surrounds the place. "This place has the most beautiful view here in Hellebore. Unfortunately, we couldn''t see it now. But the scenery is still beautiful at night. Don''t worry, you''ll get to see it tomorrow. I''ll tour you around." Jacob said after he parked the SUV and started to unbuckle his and J''s seatbelt. "It''s alright," J replied reassuringly then she smiled at him. "How long are we going to stay here?" "Mom and Dad plan to stay here until the new year but I guess Leticia and Lily have their own plans so I don''t think they will be staying that long. Three or four days at most. While we will be staying for four days because I promised mom and dad that we will be spending New Year with them at the Loghouse at Naupaka." J''s heart melted at how thoughtful Jacob is. He is always considering what will make her happy before he makes a decision and she was very grateful for that. As soon as they get out of the SUV, they heard the voice of Paul and Paula calling out their names. They looked at their direction and soon enough they were running towards them with Madam Kelly following them behind. "Uncle Jacob!" "Aunt J!" Hearing them call her Aunt J makes her feel old, but she doesn''t mind. She was almost 31 and she really is getting old, while Jacob is now 35. She looked at her handsome husband and she thought that he actually doesn''t look like 35 at all. In fact, she doesn''t look like 30. "Why did you just arrive now?" Paula asked as she gave them both a hug which J returned pleasantly. She likes the scent of children and it makes her want to have her own. "Sorry, we got caught up with something," Jacob replied brushing the hair of Paul. Paul and Paula were fraternal twins. Although they are non-identical, they got the good genes of the Parkers and the Sloanes. Paul is often indifferent while Paula is the sweet one. Nonetheless, they both get along well. "I am glad that you are here now. Did everything went well?" Jacob''s family knew of the events that took place since last night. With Lance being part of the mission, he told everything to Lily. And Mark Sloane as one of the councils that approved of J''s team, he knew of their mission and told it to Leticia. Chapter 485 - The Sloanes Argument J nodded. "Yes, Mom." J has got accustomed to calling Madam Kelly and Chairman John Parker as Mom and Dad. "Good! Let''s get inside. It''s cold out here." Madam Kelly said with a grin. He was right, the temperature at Hellebore is the lowest in the country and it tends to get lower as the night falls during the last quarter of the year. Madam Kelly hooks her arms into J and drags her inside the villa. "Let''s go kids!" She called out seeming like he forgot her son behind. "Do you think Jenny would take it?" Leticia asked Mark. She is sitting on a light blue egg chair with her legs folded up to her chest while Mark is sitting on a mustard egg chair just beside her. They were having a coffee in the balcony of the villa while chatting. They actually have a lot of things to talk to and that includes issues in the Robin Hood Society. "Her identity remained hidden until just recently and no one knows her well from the Society except for a few ones. So, I don''t really know how she thinks. From the short encounter we had, I could tell that she is a cold and domineering person. But, in front of your brother, she is vulnerable." Mark started stroking the cup of coffee in his hands to keep his hand warm. Leticia giggled. "And so?" Mark shrugged his shoulders. "I don''t know." "But it would probably better if Jacob takes the position." He said as he glanced at Leticia waiting for her reaction. Leticia stared at him for a moment with a raised brow. "You''re such a bias. Are you belittling us, women?" she exclaimed. Mark laughed. "Of course not! I just thought, because of his experience with Twelve Army, he wouldn''t have a hard time managing the Robin Hood Society. And besides, what the Society needs is a ruthless leader." "So you are saying that Jenny is not ruthless enough?" Leticia said peeking at Mark. "No. She is not. It would be better if she takes over the CLP Group of Hospitals if your family would allow her. If given an opportunity, she will be a great leader." Leticia thought for a moment. "I actually don''t mind if Jacob will pass the management of CLP Group of Hospital to Jenny. Dad is getting old and already retired. While I don''t think Lily would be interested in business." "How about you? Don''t you want to take over the CLP Group of Hospital? You were doing great with Parker''s Pharmaceuticals. I am sure you can handle the CLP Group of Hospital as well." "Nah. I already got enough on my sleeves. If I take over the hospitals then I won''t have enough time left for you and the twins." She replied without hesitation. Mark was grinning. "Mmm... You are right." That is what he admires most of Leticia, although she is busy at the company she still finds time for him and their kids. She is not the typical CEO that spends most of the time in the company. She is always the last one to leaves the house making sure that Mark and the twins have eaten breakfast before they leave for school and work. And she arrives at home before 6 pm to prepare for dinner. She also never goes to work on weekends saying that weekends should be spent with family. "They''re here!" They heard Madam Kelly''s voice from inside the house. They looked at each other. "Speaking of the devils." Leticia puts on her slippers and went inside the villa with Mark. They saw Madam Kelly enters the living room with J and the twins leaving Jacob behind. By the way, they looked at Madam Kelly, they could tell how fond she is with her daughter-in-law. "Looks like you''ve forgotten about your son?" Leticia teased Madam Kelly. "Oh! He is a big man. He can manage." Madam Kelly said waving her hand in the air. Chapter 486 - Christmas Dinner Madam Kelly prepared a sumptuous and luxurious dinner since it is Christmas day and is very rare for their family to be together at one dinner table. She prepared a french onion soup with melty cheese on top of it which is a favorite of Paul. A classic roast chicken and roast lamb, apple salad consisting of apples, pecans, and blue cheese. She also made her own recipe of ham with maple and mustard glaze and seafood pasta knowing how her daughter-in-law loves seafood pasta. And for desserts, she baked, red velvet cake, sugar cookie truffles, and macaroons which Paula personally requested. Madam Kelly busied herself the whole afternoon in preparing for dinner. Everyone knows how Madam Kelly loves cooking, she is the one personally cooks in their kitchen for her family. And they all love the foods she cooks. She always takes note of everyone''s favorite and will make sure to cook it for them on their birthday or during holidays. "Where is Lily?" While they all seated on the dining table, Jacob noticed that he hasn''t seen Lily ever since they came. "Oh... He must''ve been on the phone talking to Lance. I''ll get her." Madam Kelly said ecstatically. J and Jacob looked at each other when they heard Lance''s name. When Madam Kelly came back with Lily, Jacob asked. "So, Mom, you already jumped the wall?" Madam Kelly was puzzled. "What do you mean? What wall?" Jacob smiled smugly. "I thought you like that Major General for Lily. It looks like you already shifted from him to Lance?" Madam Kelly was taken aback. Lily coughed. "Brother, Andrew and I were just friends. Mom and Dad and also Lance knew that." Jacob continued on teasing them. "It looks like, you''ve already met him." He said as he stuffed his mouth with roast chicken. J was just silently savoring the french onion soup. "We did. He talked to us before he pursues Lily. Which a gentleman should do." Chairman John was the one who replied which is very rare unless the topic is about business or politics. "And he celebrated Christmas Eve with us last night." Madam Kelly added much to everyone''s surprise because they knew that Lily would never introduce anyone she is dating to her family. "He was with you last night?" Jacob questioned because he knew that last night, he was at the ball. "Yes, they came after the ball." Madam Kelly said grinning. She still can''t get over the fact that she was able to persuade Lily and Lance to celebrate Christmas Eve with them. "Ahem... we were supposed to celebrate our first Christmas Eve together but mom kept on insisting that I should go home. So, Lance took me home and I decided to take him with me." Lily was still sulking that she was not able to have some time alone with Lance last night. Thou she was still thrilled that he didn''t mind going home with her. "Lance was such a good man. He thought of us first before he thinks of himself. If that was another guy, they would insist on spending the holiday with Lily instead of letting her go home. I have such high praises over him. And he really speaks well. I am so impressed when he came to the mansion informing us that he would pursue Lily. I was so happy at that time!" "Mom!" Lily glared at her Mom. "I know how you liked Lance but that''s enough praising. If he is having dinner he could''ve been choked to death by now." J chuckled, she could imagine Lance choking while having dinner. Jacob noticed it and nudge her with his elbow. She glared at him and said, "What?" "By the way, Jenny is Lance''s childhood best friend. Didn''t you ever fall in love with him all that time?" Although Leticia seemed like she is putting a grudge between her brother and sister and sister-in-law, she knew that it wouldn''t turn out that way. She knew them very well and knew that they wouldn''t fight over some things that had already passed. She just wanted to tease them and was curious as well. Chapter 487 - Its okay to be cheesy Hearing that question Lily and Jacob looked at her and eagerly waiting for her reply. Much to their relief, J confidently replied with. "No, I didn''t" "You didn''t?" J just pursed her lip and shrug her shoulders. "I don''t know. But I really didn''t. I just saw him as a big brother. That''s all." Somehow, everyone was convinced and didn''t dwell much on the topic. They continued chatting about politics, business and once in a while entertainment. It made the twins and J bored to the max. Although J could understand and relate to the topic involving politics and business she just can''t seem to be interested in talking about it unless it is necessary. While when it comes to entertainment, aside from country music, she cannot relate at all. After dinner, they continue their chat at the balcony of the villa. It was overlooking a lake. It was a scenic view that made J immediately attracted to it. The moon shines in the lake and is reflected in it. The surroundings have yellow dim lights making the atmosphere calm and relaxing. J is sitting on a swing bench looking at the calm lake. The twins were running on the lawn although it was already dark, the lights were enough to see them. Chairman John, Madam Kelly and Leticia were chatting on the sofa while Lily is sitting on an accent chair in one corner talking to Lance over the phone. Jacob and Mark take a stroll around the villa to talk about something which J doesn''t have an idea at all. The swing bench where J is sitting is just across the sofa where the others were chatting and once in a while, she would join their conversation or Madam Kelly and Leticia would ask her something which she would just reply casually. But she prefers it if she would just stay there, listen to their conversation while watching the lake. After a while, Leticia joined the twins, Chairman John and Madam Kelly went to their bedroom upstairs and Lily''s now cannot be seen. She was too engrossed in talking with Lance. Don''t they get sated? J thought internally. She was startled when she felt Jacob covered her shoulder with a blanket. "It''s cold out here. Why didn''t you get inside?" Jacob said with a frown. When he and Mark walked back inside the villa, she noticed that J was still sitting on the swing bench. He thought that she probably liked it there so he went to their bedroom to get a blanket to cover her in case she wanted to stay for a little bit more. Which, he was right. "I''m fine. I want to stay for a couple more minutes." J assured him with a smile. Jacob walked around the swing bench and sits beside her then he pulled her to his embrace. J planned to get inside the villa in just a couple of minutes since it is getting colder there but Jacob brought the warmth that her body needed making her want to stay there longer. She snuggled closer to his body and Jacob tightened his embrace. He kissed the top of her head before he rested his chin on it. The breeze of the night touched their skin. "It''s cold." "Not until you came." J boldly replied which made Jacob chuckled. "Since when did you become so cheesy?" J blushed when she realized that he was right. Her words were a bit cheesy. She frowned and felt embarrassed. "I liked it. Going out of your comfort zone once in a while is good." Jacob sensed her embarrassment and comfort her. J thought of it and realized that going out of her box sometimes felt good. She smiled. "Do you always spend Christmas here?" J asked. "Mm..." Jacob nodded his head. "Ever since I could remember. Well, except for the last five years that I was abroad." "Hmm... This place is so beautiful." "I''m glad you liked it?" Chapter 488 - You intimidate them Jacob knew that J would like it there base on the fact that she loves places like the Lodgepole Estate. She loves the serenity that any forms of bodies of water could give. "I really liked it here," J replied. "The place is also beautiful during the daytime." "I guess I would like it better at night," J stated casually. Jacob snickered. "What are you? An owl?" J pout her lips. "It is more peaceful at night." Jacob understands and acknowledges her. "You''re right." The couple became silent as they watch Leticia and Mark persuading the twins to get inside since it is getting colder. But the twins were adamant at staying longer. "Just a minute mom!" Paula shouted as she runs towards the bushes. Paul is facing a tree with his eyes closed while counting one to ten. "Ten! I''m coming!" Then he runs around searching for his twin sister. They were playing hide and seek. "Gotcha!" Paul shouted when he found Paula hiding in the bushes. They heard the shriek of Paula and it made everyone laugh. Leticia and Mark were standing side by side with Mark''s arms around Leticia''s shoulder. They were watching as the twins bicker at each other. "That''s enough! Let''s get inside or else you''ll get cold." Leticia persuaded the twins and the latter obliged. They run towards Leticia and Mark. Mark squatted down and let Paula pounce on his back carrying her on a piggyback. Leticia was holding Paul''s hand as they walk inside the villa. "Aren''t you getting inside yet?" Leticia asked them as they stepped in the balcony. Jacob cocked his head. "We''ll stay a little bit." "Okay, don''t stay out for too long or else mom would nag at you," Leticia said with a teasing smile. What a beautiful family. J thought internally and she hopes that she could have that kind of family with Jacob. She can''t wait to have a child of their own. "You didn''t really fall in love with Lance all those years? Even just a bit?" Jacob asked out of the blue. It seems that it was still bugging him and he won''t be at ease until he was assured. J smiled, she already expected that Jacob would bring out the topic any moment. "What kind of assurance do you want?" "I don''t know." J pulled her body away from Jacob and looked at his eyes. "Even if I did fall in love with him, it doesn''t matter because what important is who I love now." A smile flashed in Jacob''s face but he still wants to tease her. "You really didn''t?" J rolled her eyes. "Never." "How about Nicholas?" J furrowed her brows. "Nick?" "Mm... hmm... were you attracted to him?" "No. What are you up to Dr. Parker?" J scowled at him. Jacob laughed and finds her really cute when she gots angry at him. "Nothing. I just wanted to find out what kind of man got your interest before." J punched him in his chest but since she is bundled up in the blanket, her punch didn''t affect him. "I never had an interest with anyone before." "That''s impossible!" Jacob exclaimed. "How''s that impossible? For you maybe but not for me. I never laid an eye to anyone so no one ever got my attention and no one ever interest me. No one even dared to catch my interest!" J barked at him in irritation. Jacob roared in laughter then pinched her cheeks. She swatted his hands in annoyance. Jacob calmed himself. "Honey, a lot of men were attracted to you but no one dared to approach you because you always glared at them. You intimidate them." J was stunned. Everyone says that she is quite intimidating but she never realized it was that bad that no one would dare approach her. Not that she minds, in fact, it was in her favor that no one approaches her. But, it is just now that she sees it in a negative way after hearing it from Jacob. Chapter 489 - Gone Overboard "Were you intimidated by me?" J questioned him. Jacob smiled away. "Of course not! I actually find it cute whenever you are glaring at me." Feeling blithesome, Jacob pulled J again into his embrace and stroke her hair. "Remember the first time that we met?" "Uhm..." J hummed in response. "You were not intimidating at all. In contrast, I actually thought that you were attracted by me." J straightened her back and pulled her body away from him before he punches him this time on his stomach. "What?!" "Aw... Honey! It did hurt this time." Jacob faked a sob. "How pretentious can you get Dr. Parker?!" "Honey! I was just stating what I thought was my impression of that time. I noticed that you keep on averting your eyes away from me. And believe me, based on my experience, that behavior indicates that you were affected by me." "Am I right?" Jacob said teased her. "Well, that''s because you keep on staring at me and it makes me uncomfortable!" J retorted back. "You looked so mesmerizing and I can''t help but keep on staring at you. It feels like you were a magnet that keeps on pulling me towards you. Don''t tell me no one has ever stared at you like that?" Thou that fact hits him, he doesn''t want anyone to stare at her like that or in any way. "I... well... I can just always ignore them." J didn''t directly admit that she noticed that there were some that keep on staring at her however, she was good at ignoring them. She was an observant person. Jacob frowned. He keeps a note on his mind to ask her who are those that she found staring at her. But now is not the time to talk about them, maybe later. "Then why didn''t you ignore me?" Jacob inquired further. "I did!" J is getting out for words. Why does he keep on bugging her? "You didn''t. You are not the only observant person here, Honey. I know that from the first time that we met you already noticed that I am attracted to you and I know that you were attracted to me as well. It was obvious from the way that you keep on avoiding me." "Jacob!" J is getting annoyed and Jacob is enjoying it. "Come on, Honey. Just admit it. It was just you and me here, I won''t tell anyone." J glared at him with her red eyes. It looks like she is about to cry and it affected Jacob. Did I go overboard? Jacob thought internally and he felt guilty. He knew that J is not good at expressing her emotions and forcing her would frustrate her. J bit her lip preventing her tears to fall. Jacob sighed and reached for her cheeks but J swatted his hand as she lowered her head. With croaked voice, she said, "Yes, I am. Are you happy now? Did that boost your ego?" She finally admitted that she was attracted to him ever since they first met but Jacob didn''t felt elated at all as he was supposed to be. He felt his chest tightened squeezing his heart out of his throat. He felt extremely guilty for forcing J into admitting to him how he felt that day they first met. J was not embarrassed in admitting her affection towards him but she was just having a hard time. She would tell him eventually but it takes time. And now is not yet the time, she was not ready yet. Although she already confessed that she loves him, it was not easy for her to express those words. She is not an expressive person and most of the time, she would just prefer to hide her real emotions. It is something that she had grown accustomed to over time. It was due to the fact that she was always alone and no one to confide her feelings to. Chapter 490 - The Dark Forest Lance has always been there for her to protect and comfort her. Yes, she showed him her emotions but she never tells him what her real emotions are. There are some things that she cannot expose to him or Diana although she fully trusts them. "Honey. I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to. I''ve gone overboard and I was wrong." Jacob tried again to reach for her face but this time, he used his two hands to cup her face. He raised her face to look at him but J averted her eyes and looked on the side instead. This made him mad at himself. Jacob pulled her into his lap and he rested his forehead on hers. "Honey, I am really sorry. Yes, I was just teasing you and also wanted to know what you felt that day. I''m sorry if I forced you too hard. I was so insensitive and inconsiderate. I should''ve waited until you are comfortable in opening up your emotions to me. I guess I became more relaxed when you confessed your feelings to me last night. Please, Honey, sweetheart. Don''t be mad at me. I can''t bear it." Jacob pleaded in a low voice that was closed to a whisper. J closed her eyes feeling Jacob''s genuine regrets. She felt his thumbs stroking her cheeks, drying them from tears. She felt him peck a kiss on her lips. In between kisses, he heard him said, "Let me make it up to you." "Please?" she heard him again said beseechingly. She opened her misty eyes and questioned him. "And how are you going to make it up to me?" Jacob smiled after hearing her words. Her silence almost killed him. A thought came to him and he gently kissed her on her lips. "Come, I''ll show you something," he said afterward. But before that, he went upstairs to gey a thick jacket for both of them and another blanket. Then he walked to the kitchen to get a flashlight. After he gathered them all, he pulled J out of the villa and they started to walk towards the dark forest. When J noticed that they were about to enter a dark forest, she halted in her step and pulled Jacob''s hand that was on hers. "Jacob, where are we going?" Jacob smiled at her reassuringly. "Honey, do you trust me?" J nodded without hesitation. Seeing her nod, he squeezed her hand and pulled her closer to him as they enter the dark forest. The trees were tall and thick that the light of the moon can''t even enter. It was so dark that only the light coming from the flashlight illuminating their way. The surrounding was so quiet that only crickets could be heard. J snuggled closer to Jacob as they go deep in the forest. "Is it safe here?" J said in a low voice but since it was so quiet, it came louder than she expected. "Don''t worry, I''ve been playing here since I was a kid day and night. I am very familiar with this place like the back of my hand." Jacob said confidently. "But, you haven''t been here for five years." Jacob didn''t reply immediately. He seemed to have thought of something. "Yeah, you are right." J started to panic internally. What if Jacob had forgotten their way back? Will they ever gonna get out of there alive? "But, it''s not like the forest will change in just a short time. It will take hundreds of years." Jacob eased her nervousness. He noticed it since J''s palm is starting to sweat although it was freezing cold out there. "But it will only take a day for humans to change it." J retorted back which made Jacob snortle. "This is private property. No one would dare roam around here." J started to calm down. She trusted Jacob. If they ever get lost in the forest, at least she is with him. "Are there any animals here?" She asked with curiosity. Because ever since they started venturing the forest, she could only hear crickets. "Hmm... nothing. Just birds. We are here." Jacob stopped walking and J has to move to his side to see a vast expanse of grassland. They continue walking to find a perfect spot to lay down. When they did, Jacob laid the blanket on the grass and helped J sits on it. As soon as they were seated comfortably, Jacob turned off the flashlight. "What are we..." Chapter 491 - Stargazing As soon as the lights were off, they were engulfed with total darkness. So dark that they could see thousands of stars with their naked eye. Even the Milky Way shines visibly. J who was about to say something gasped at the sight above her. She stood up and turns around looking at the sky. Anywhere she looks, there were stars that glitter in its brightest. "Jacob... where are we?" J asked. She was thinking, did they enter some portal or something that leads them to that magical place? Because the place is something that she could only see in pictures and doubts if it actually did exist. "I believe, we are in the darkest place in Hellebore. Or probably darkest place in the country. Well at least, I''ve never been anywhere as dark as this place." Jacob said watching J. He has seen this place a lot of times already but he was more mesmerized by the look on his wife''s face. For him, it was more magical. "Oh, my..." J was out for words. She felt like she was floating in the space. She sits down beside Jacob. All this time, Jacob is only watching her. Stargazing at that place was one of the things that he usually does whenever they come to Hellebore. He had seen a lot of bright stars but nothing can be compared to the stars reflecting on J''s eyes. "You like it?" "I love it," J replied without inhibitions. She looked at Jacob who is staring at her intently and she smiled. Her smile is brighter than the Milky Way. Jacob thought. "Thank you," J said in a heartfelt tone. "Anything for you, Sweetheart," Jacob replied. He could see her eyes glistened with tears but it never falls. He could feel how elated she is at the moment. J continued to look up at the stars. Jacob was worried that she might get a stiff neck so he pulled her down to lay on his arms. "You could see them comfortably if we lay here." J positioned herself comfortably and she realized that he was right. The night is cold but their body warmed them up. Additionally, they are wearing thick clothes and wrapped in a thick blanket. "Why is it so dark here?" J asked. "Over there is a cliff, beyond that is the lake. The lake is surrounded by forest. And this grassland is also surrounded by tall and thick forest. So, no lights coming from the houses enters this place making it so dark." Jacob explained. Throughout the years coming to that place, he had managed to find out what makes that place darker than any other place making it a perfect stargazing spot. "Do lots of people come here?" "No. Aside from me and my family, I don''t think there are other people who know of this place." J looked at him with curiosity. "This is private property, Honey. No one is allowed to enter this place except us." Jacob said and J immediately understands. That place is part of the property of the Parkers. "I hope to keep this place hidden for only the two of us," Jacob whispered afterward but loud and clear enough for J to hear. As selfish as it may seem, J hopes the same. "Am I forgiven?" J smiled which didn''t go unnoticed to Jacob since he has been watching her all this time instead of stargazing as if she is the most beautiful star that you can never find in the sky. "More than forgiven." He heard her reply. He pulled her closer to his body and tightened his grasp into her waist. He lifted her chin and kissed her softly and tenderly. "God, I''m so in love with you," Jacob whispered on her lips. His heart is about to explode in bliss. "Me too..." Chapter 492 - His Private Sanctuary The next morning, J got a slight cold so Jacob urged her to stay in bed. It was almost lunchtime when J felt better. When she woke up, she didn''t see Jacob in the bedroom. It was just then when she noticed the bedroom. The room was rather small. Smaller than Jacob''s bedroom at the Parker''s Mansion or the Evergreen Villa. The ceiling and walls were painted white. There is an accent chair in one corner and a white cabinet opposite the bed. The bed is smaller than their bed back at Evergreen Villa. It was filled with white, navy blue, pink, mustard, and moss green pillows. What she loved the most is the knitted grey blanket. It keeps her warm the whole morning. She noticed a large window on one side. She gets out of the bed and walked on the carpeted floor. She looked outside the window and found that it was overlooking the lake. In fact, all the bedrooms in the villa were overlooking the lake. On the lake, there is a dock where she found Jacob, Mark and Chairman John fishing. A small smile appeared on her lips. Jacob has always been a laid back person but it was the first time that she saw him relaxed while fishing. She thought that he would look good even in the countryside lifestyle. She walked away from the window and search for the bathroom which is not hard to find. She decided to take a warm shower before she gets down. After taking a shower she went down the villa to look for the others. She could hear Paul and Paula who is probably playing outside. Knowing that the three men were at the lake, she looked for Madam Kelly, Leticia, and Lily. And since it is almost lunchtime, she knew where to find them. When she entered the kitchen, she could already smell the delicious dishes that Madam Kelly is cooking. She saw Lily on the counter table tasting some of the dishes that''s already been cooked while Madam Kelly is still in the front of the stove with Leticia helping her. "Sis! You''re awake." Lily looked up and was the first one to notice her presence. She felt embarrassed that it took her until lunchtime to wake up. She nodded her head. "I''m sorry, I overslept." This time Madam Kelly already saw her and rushed towards her. "What overslept are you talking about? You should''ve stayed longer in bed. Are you feeling better now?" As she was saying this, she was checking out J''s temperature with the back of her hand. "I don''t know what''s got into that head of that son of mine! Why did he take you there in the middle of the night?! It was freezing cold last night! Lucky you only got a slight cold, if it became worse I would throw him out of the lake!" Madam Kelly continued on ranting. J chuckled, amused at how Madam Kelly treats her. It was far different on how she treats her the first time they met. That time, there was only pure disgust and ridicule on Madam Kelly''s face towards her. But now, she was full of affection and care towards her. The saying first impression last might not be true. J thought. "Don''t worry mom. I''m feeling better now." She said with a smile. "Did you like it there, sis?" Lily asked with excitement. It was obvious that she has been there as well. J hummed in reply. "That was Jacob''s favorite place. He usually goes there whenever he is sad or angry. It was like a private sanctuary for him. If he''s gone missing for days, we knew where to find him." Leticia said while she was squeezing fresh orange juice. "I thought he only goes there during Christmas season," J asked with curiosity. Jacob never mentioned that to her last night. It seems like he goes there more often than she thought. Probably that''s how he got familiar with the dark forest. "No, sweetheart. He goes there whenever he feels like." Madam Kelly was the one to reply. This time, Leticia is pouring a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice at passed it to her. Chapter 493 - Singled out "What took you so long? I''m almost done preparing lunch." Madam Kelly said when she saw Chairman John enters the kitchen followed by Mark and Jacob each carrying a bucket of fish. "What? That''s all you''ve got?" Madam Kelly frowned when she saw that each bucket has no more than five fishes each. "Dear, it is not like we are going to eat only fish for the whole week. That would be enough until tomorrow. We can fish more if you want." Chairman John said as he hands over the buckets of fishes. "Mom, do you want us to have scales?" Lily said as she rolled her eyes. Everyone knows that she was just joking. "Where are the kids?" Leticia asked Mark while taking off her apron. "They''re still outside," Mark replied as he stretched his arms to reach for Leticia who is already walking towards him. The two walked hand-in-hand out of the kitchen to join their twins. Jacob immediately saw J sitting with Lily at the counter so he walked towards her. "Are you feeling better?" Jacob questioned her as he was expecting her to be up at least after lunch. J replied with a nod. "Good. Because if you didn''t get better, I''d feel guilty for taking you there last night." Jacob said then he kissed the top of her head. She smiled. Fortunately, I got better. J thought internally. "No need to worry, I am actually glad that you take me there. Because if you didn''t, I would''ve missed an opportunity to see the stars that bright." Jacob felt warm. "We could always come back if you want." Then he wrapped his arms around J''s shoulder keeping her close to his chest. Lily who watched her sister Leticia being taken away affectionately by her husband and now watching her brother and sister-in-law showing their affections to each other beside her can''t help but feel downcast. She was hoping she has Lance with her as well. "Oh, God! I missed Lance!" She said burying her face on the granite counter. "It''s all your fault! Why didn''t you brought him with you as well? I can''t believe that you just let him eat with us for the Christmas Eve and let him go for the Christmas." Madam Kelly chastises Lily. She was actually urging Lance to stay at Parker''s mansion last Christmas Eve but Lily was the one who refused. "Mom! Lance is different from other guys out there! It is a must for him to celebrate Christmas with his family. It is a family tradition that they have to be complete during Christmas." Lily defended herself. "You can even ask sister-in-law." By now, Madam Kelly is taking the bucket of fishes to the back kitchen to be cleaned. "Lily is right. Even when we were abroad, he would always fly back home for Christmas. His parents wouldn''t let him missed a Christmas away from him." That is actually one of the reasons why J was used to be left alone during Christmas, so she settled herself in just not celebrating it. Jacob felt the burden that she must have had during those years that she was alone so he tightened his hold on her shoulder. "Well then, you better hurry and get married to him." Madam Kelly said without inhibitions as if she wouldn''t mind pushing her youngest daughter away for marriage as long as it is with Lance. Lily''s eyes glistened with an idea. "So, should I propose for marriage then?" Hearing that, Chairman John who was drinking the freshly squeezed juice that Leticia made almost got choked. He was silently listening to the conversation of her wife and youngest daughter wondering where it is going to end. And he hasn''t expected Lily''s suggestion. Jacob''s expression turned dark and with a deep and cold tone, he warned her. "Don''t you dare!" "What?! Mom''s urging me to get married. So, what''s wrong with me proposing to Lance?" Lily started to argue with Jacob. J was speechless. She wasn''t sure if Lily is really just an unconventional type of woman or she is just pissing her mother and brother of. "Honey," J heard Jacob called out to her while pinching the space between his brows. Chapter 494 - Be with a conventional family J knew that Jacob needed her to salvage his sister. "Lance came from a conventional family. They have principles and traditions to follow. So, I don''t think that you proposing to him is a good idea." J explained which made Madam Kelly and Lily''s mouth fell. On the other hand, Chairman John looked like a huge boulder of rock is lifted from his chest. Thou it was kind of ironic to have a very conventional family as a member of the Society which others deemed as unconventional, the Kho''s have their own principles, values, and traditions that they follow and believe which others might find unorthodox but for them, it is not. Jacob already knew this after a deep investigation of Lance just to find out if he has a romantic affection towards his wife. He let J explained it to Lily because he felt like he might strangle his sister there in front of their parents. "You want me to help you with that, Mom?" When J noticed that Madam Kelly has brought all the buckets of fishes in the back kitchen, she volunteered to help in cleaning them. Madam Kelly is not a meticulous woman, unlike those rich heirs that were born with a silver spoon and got married to rich men. She didn''t mind getting her hands dirty if it is something to do with cooking for her family. She didn''t mind cooking and getting scalded in the process while in the kitchen. More so, getting dirtied by cleaning fishes. "No need sweetheart. Just go and prepare the table on the porch. Lily come over here and help me!" Madam Kelly motioned Lily to stand up and follow her. "Urgh... mom!" Lily complained. Obviously, she doesn''t like cleaning fish. "If you want to be liked by Lance''s family, then you should know at least how to cook and clean fish. Come on! Stand up!" Madam Kelly seems like she is determined to have Lance as her son-in-law. This time, Chairman John stood up from his seat and walked over to Lily and dragged her to follow Madam Kelly. J and Jacob looked at each other. It seems to them like Chairman John and Madam Kelly were on the same page. J and Jacob walked out of the kitchen to prepare the table at the porch. The porch is overlooking the lake. It has a long table that is enough to fit all of them. After a while, the table is ready with the dishes that Madam Kelly prepared including the fish that they caught from the lake. "By the way, any news from grandfather? He should''ve called us since it is Christmas season." Jacob asked while having lunch which made everyone silent. Chairman John sighed and put down his spoon and fork. "He never called. You were the last person he called. I know that you''ve been searching for him all this time. Haven''t you got any leads yet?" "No. The last time he called, he just told me to take care of Jenny. Which I would do even if he won''t tell me." He purposely missed the part when Elder Parker told him that their marriage will keep her alive. "Why are you looking for him? For all we know, you and sister-in-law are getting along much better than expected so I don''t see why you would still want to confront him about this?" Lily said in a matter of fact tone. J watched Jacob as he bickers with Lily. She knew that Jacob has been searching for his grandfather with James helping him. And he also knew that she is searching for his grandfather with the help of Lance. Although they could just help each other in searching for the old man, each has their own way of doing things. The Twelve Army has its own connections while the Robin Hood Society has its own as well. And J knew that they were searching the old man for the same reason. That is to found out the reason for their arranged marriage. They cannot let the Novus Rex finds any loophole in their marriage and forced their way in between. J doesn''t want to be separated from Jacob while Jacob doesn''t want to let go of J. Chapter 495 - The Most Scrupulous Person That night, on the 58th floor of Lotus Skyline, Alex seats on his cantilever chair watching the skyline of Lotus city. It was colorful, vibrant and astounding in Alex''s thought. This has become a habit of him every night, watching the glow of the lights coming from the City''s skyscraper, the lights moving like fireflies in one straight line down the roads of the city and the silhouette of the Naupaka Mountain not knowing what lies in there. But he could see a single glint of line coming from the dark forest of Naupaka Mountain. He was always wondering where that light comes from. If it is a house, who lives there and who owns it. But it was just a thought that comes to him at night, in the morning, he would forget all about that and will be too busy to think about it or waste time on finding out where was that glint coming from. "You sure know how to slack off." Alex heard the voice of his grandfather from behind. "You only know how to look for my flaw," Alex replied with his signature evil smirk without looking at him. Jack Ogden takes a seat on another chair not far away from Alex, facing the large glass window as well. He frowned when he heard Alex''s reply. It is not that he sees only his flaws. He was just getting impatient. He is now almost 90 years old and he wanted to take over the Robin Hood Society before he left this world and the only way to do that is if his grandson marries its heiress. But it seems that his grandson is taking all the time in the world to make his move on the heiress. "Have you thought of a way to get her?" Jack Ogden asked him. Alex made no reply. Instead, he said, "Grandfather, everyone is taking a holiday off, you are old now and should take your off as well. Leave everything to me." His voice is cold and void of any emotions. "I already left everything on your hands 10 years ago, and I trusted you with our business. But, there are some things that I just cannot leave at rest. And that is having you married to that heiress so that we could take over the Society before I permanently rest." When Alex''s father died in a mission and his mother died after giving birth, Jack Ogden has no one left except Alex Ogden to continue his legacy. Fortunately, Alex is extremely capable, he was even able to expand their business in the formal and informal economy within 10 years. There is nothing else that Jack Ogden could ask now except for having the Robin Hood Society in the palm of his hands. But it seems like, Alex is not interested in taking over the Society, but he is absolutely interested in marrying the heiress. There is nothing he wanted more than that now. "I heard that Liam appeared." Alex was not surprised that his grandfather already heard of it. "And with Jacob Parker." Jack Ogden continued upon noticing that Alex was still void of emotions. "Is he with Twelve Army now? Or has been with them all this time?" Jack questioned him. He is starting to suspect that Liam was a mole that was sent to them by Twelve Army. But Liam left them almost five years ago. He cannot think of any possible reason why would Twelve Army send a mole over the Novus Rex. "I''ve been looking about that. You knew Liam very well, he is the most scrupulous person I''ve known. He never leaves traces behind." Alex said, this time his devilishly handsome face is marked with creases on the forehead. "Maybe I could find leads." This time, Alex glanced at his grandfather. "What are you planning?" Alex asked. "I''ll talk to Chairman John Parker." Chapter 496 - A long drive Four days past and now J and Jacob are preparing to leave Hellebore. Lily has already left a day before, she obviously cannot last another day without seeing Lance. While the Sloanes will be leaving with J and Jacob taking their own car. But instead of going back to Lotus City, J and Jacob are heading towards Naupaka to celebrate New Year at the Loghouse in Naupaka Mountain. It is going to be a longer drive, probably 6 to 7 hours. J pulled out her phone and connected it to the Bluetooth of Jacob''s SUV. She opened a music streaming app on her cellphone and searched for her own playlist. A piece of country music played as they started to drove off the road. Then it was followed by another which Jacob can tell that it was a favorite of J because she started to open her lips to sing along with it although without sounds. It was a song covered by Endless Summer. Jacob can''t help but smile. "You love the song?" Jacob commented. J who was staring outside the window noticed just now that Jacob is staring at her. She nodded her head and said, "Keep your eyes on the road." "What''s the title of the song?" Jacob asked when he returned his eyes on the road but still looks at her once in a while. "Forever and Ever, Amen." J''s reply was quick so that Jacob wouldn''t have to look at her direction and keep his eyes on the road. Jacob chuckled. J frowned and questioned him. "What?" Jacob didn''t reply as he was listening to the song''s lyrics. Then he said, "It fits." J looked at him confused then she heard the last part of the chorus of the song, ''If you wonder how long I''ll be faithful, I''ll be happy to tell you again, I''m gonna love you forever and ever, Forever and ever, amen''. Is he talking about the lyrics? She thought and a small smile appeared on the corner of her lips. "I''m glad that you''ve forgotten about that tattooed singer with a deep and sexy voice." J snortled. "Of course I haven''t forgotten him. He is still one of my favorites, along with other country singers." Jacob was irritated but when he looked at J''s mesmerizing smile he has forgotten about his annoyance about her fangirling over a tattooed country singer. "Okay, you can still listen to that singer but forget about going to one of his concerts or shows." J laughed heartily. "Okay." As if an antisocial person like her would go to a crowded concert. Although she told Lily before that she would be glad to go to a concert with her, she just said it out of politeness. The songs kept on playing all throughout their journey and the two would occasionally chat over some things that would catch their interest. "If you are tired, we can have a stopover then I''ll take over the wheels," J suggested hoping that Jacob would agree. She already missed long driving in her sports car. "Of course, we can stopover but you are not sitting behind the wheels," Jacob said firmly. J rolled her eyes and keeps on pleading, "Oh, come on! Please." She is not the type of woman to play cute in front of her man but whenever she gets angry or starting a tantrum, Jacob finds it cute. "I''ll think about it." Although he has always been firm with his decision regarding J''s safety, sometimes he still can''t help but dotes on her just like when he bought her a new race car so that she can still race at the Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship. His reply was uncertain but it is still better than not, so J still keeps her hopes up. She hasn''t experienced driving an SUV before. "Can I open the window?" They were now on a highway with cornfields on both sides. J suddenly had an urge to feel and smell the air that has touched the cornfields. Jacob looked around and thought that it would be fine. Chapter 497 - Stealing a shot They''ve been driving for three hours now and J''s bottom is getting stiff from long hours of sitting but the next stopover will be in a couple of miles. Jacob noticed her and suggested, "There is a convenience store not far from here. Let''s stop there and buy something to drink." J nodded her head in complete agreement. There is nothing else she wants now than to stand up from her seat and take a couple of steps to stretch her body. They finally arrived in a convenience store that Jacob is talking about. J quickly gets out of the car and stretched her body. Jacob walked over to her and grab her hand and engulf it with his then he pulled her towards inside the convenience store. J only grabs a bottle of water as well as Jacob. "That''s all? You are not hungry?" Jacob asked when he saw that she only has bottled water in her hands. "No, I am not comfortable eating inside the car." She replied with a nod. "We can eat here if you want. There are chairs and tables outside the store." Jacob suggested. J looked around and saw vacant chairs outside the stores. But something caught her attention that made her frown. Jacob noticed it and looked at the direction that J is staring at. "Let''s eat somewhere else," Jacob said and pulled her closer to him as they walked to the counter to pay for their bottled water. They quickly but cautiously walked out of the store and gets in Jacob''s SUV without looking back. For the next hour, they remained silent while cautiously driving. Jacob keeps on looking on the mirrors to see if there is someone tailing behind them. Fortunately, the members of the Novus Rex that they spotted at the convenience store didn''t follow them. Much to Jacob''s relieve. "Do you think it is just a coincidence?" J asked as she looked at Jacob with a worried expression. "When it comes to Novus Rex, I won''t consider anything as just a coincidence," Jacob replied with a dark expression. J reached out for Jacob''s hand that rested on the stick. Jacob felt calm with her gesture, his face loosened up. He grabs hold of J''s hand since then, afraid of losing her. Meanwhile, back at Alex''s penthouse in Lotus Skyline, he received the photos that he asked from a member of Novus Rex. He found out that since Christmas, J was in Hellebore with the Parkers. He wanted to see her but going there would be too risky. So, he sent someone to trail them just to get real-time photos of her. He didn''t intend for his men to follow J and Jacob throughout. Knowing Jacob and J, they could easily notice if someone is following them. In fact, they didn''t actually follow them. They were just lucky that J and Jacob made a quick stopover at a convenience store so they got a chance to take photos of J. Alex''s men were smart, they knew that Alex wouldn''t like it if they send photos of J while holding Jacob''s hand. So they took her photo when she was alone looking at the bottles of water. Alex stared at the photo on his phone. J''s side profile is enough to quench his thirst. He terribly missed her. Back then, whenever he misses her, he would go to the CLP Hospital finding a chance to at least have a glimpse at her although he knew that the chances were very slim. There times that he was lucky when he could have a glimpse of her in the cafeteria or the lobby of the hospital. All those times, he would just stay in his car and silently stare at her until she disappears in his sight because he knows that getting close to her in Jacob''s territory is impossible. As time goes by, his feelings towards her are getting deeper and he has also become bolder in his attempt to just see her. He regrets that he found her too late. He wished that he had searched for her earlier. He could''ve prevented her marriage to Jacob from ever happening. Chapter 498 - Detour "I think we should not go straight to Naupaka. What do you think?" J asked Jacob whose other hand is on the steering wheel while the other hand is in her hand. "I''m thinking the same way, Honey." Jacob glanced and smiled at her. As their relationship deepens, they have already learned to think on the same page. "Do you want to find a hotel to stay?" He asked. J shooks her head. "I won''t be comfortable. Let''s go back to Evergreen Villa." Although they cannot see any sign of Novus Rex trailing them, they could not take a risk by going straight to Naupaka. They might accidentally expose the location of Robin Hood Society''s headquarters and its leaders. Which the Novus Rex is eager to find. "As you wish. Should I call Arthur''s team?" Jacob agreed that they go back to Evergreen Villa in the meantime. It is considered the safest haven for J. "Don''t. Let them enjoy their vacation." J doesn''t have the heart to disturb them in their most deserved vacation. .... They only stayed for one day at Evergreen Villa. The next day, they drove towards Naupaka Mountain. After two hours, they arrived at the Loghouse at Naupaka Mountain where J''s parents reside. Peter was already waiting for them at the porch of the Loghouse with his stone-cold face. Peter and Leo were actually the same, having no emotions at all. J sometimes wonders if her parents required that their right-hand man should be like that. Arthur, on the other hand, is cold as well but he would show some emotions once in a while especially to her. Thou all four right-hand men have different characteristics and traits, Arthur being a strategic thinker, Leo an abstract thinker, James an idealist, and Peter is a bold and practical experimenter, all have a common denominator and that is all of them were introverts. "Miss J. Chairman Parker." Peter greeted them impassively. You wouldn''t know if he was glad to see them or pissed at them. J nodded her head with the same cold demeanor. While Jacob greeted him back with a pat on his shoulders. They walked inside the loghouse with Jacob''s hand on J''s lower back. Peter followed them. "Where are Mom and Dad?" J asked Peter while looking around the loghouse searching for any traces of her parents which she hasn''t seen for a while. "They are under the oak tree," Peter replied and lead them at the back of the house. As expected, J thought internally. They passed by the pool and the guest house. Not far away they saw a huge oak tree and under it is an outdoor sofa set where President Martin and Madam Victoria are watching Timothy playing. Timothy? J was surprised. She searched around for any traces of Diana but she is nowhere to be found. Why is Timothy with her parents? "President Martin, Madam Victoria. Miss J and Chairman Parker have arrived." Peter announced their presence. "Sweetheart!" Madam Victoria eventually rise up from her seat and rushed to J. She hugged her tightly. "We were expecting you a day earlier. Did something happen?" Madam Victoria asked with concern. "Nothing major Mom. Just some bumps on the road." Jacob avoided telling Madam Victoria what really happened to keep her from getting worried. "Why is Timothy here? Where is Diana?" J asked then she called out to Timothy. "Come here little buddy, Auntie missed you." J is exceptionally gentle towards children. Jacob has noticed it whenever she interacts with the twins as well. "Timothy has been here since after Christmas. Diana still has her duty but Leo already went to Lotus City to pick her up. She will be spending the New Year here as well. I heard that Jacob gave her a vacation leave for the New Year." Madam Victoria replied looking at her daughter and Timothy adoringly. She suddenly wished for a grandson of her own. J looked at Jacob gratefully. Thankful that he gave Diana a chance to spend quality time with Leo and Timothy. Although Leo and Diana were already married, most of the time, they were separated because of the distance of their work. J feels apologetic towards Diana. She wanted Diana to give up her job at the hospital but she knows that she will reject her idea. Diana values her career and her promise to look after J for Madam Victoria. Chapter 499 - Jacob and Madam Victoria Join Forces Unlike Madam Kelly, Madam Victoria doesn''t have patience with preparing foods. It''s not in line with her interest. But she is a very poetic person, one would be surprised that she writes her own book. She even published some of them under her pen name M.V.D. For a person who cannot go outside the other than around the vicinity of The Robin Hood Society, Madam Victoria has a lot of spare time on her sleeves. So, aside from managing the charity foundations under the Society, she writes books in her spare time. So, J and Diana volunteered to prepare dinner for New Year''s Eve. On the morning of the New Year''s Eve, J and Diana decided to go to a nearby supermarket in Naupaka to buy the things that they will be needing. But, Jacob objected to the idea. "Honey, we are not in Lotus City. Remember that we are in Naupaka. In the headquarters of the Robin Hood Society. If anyone from the Novus Rex sees you walking around, they could follow you and you know what would happen next." Jacob said with his arms crossed in his chest. "Jacob, that is why we are taking Leo with us. Or you can go with us as well. We will be extra cautious. I am an observant person, I can definitely notice the presence of Novus Rex." J was being stubborn again. President Martin sigh. He doesn''t want to be involved in the couple''s bickering but he knows that Jacob has a point but doesn''t want to go against his daughter''s stubbornness. He just doesn''t have the patience to deal with it. But Madam Victoria is different. "Sweetheart, Jacob is right." "Mom!" J was disappointed that her mother takes Jacob''s side. "Sweetheart, you cannot take risks. As long as you are here at the loghouse, it is just ideal that you do not go out and in of the premises. Even if you take Leo and Jacob with you, the danger is still out there. You are right, you can easily identify the presence of Novus Rex. But what if they use someone that is not a member of Novus Rex to watch over you." J glared at Jacob, her mom has a point but she just thought of a solution. "How about we wear a disguise?" "Oh, God!" Jacob can''t help but hit his forehead with his palm. He never thought that his wife would actually put on a disguise just so she could go to the supermarket with Diana. "What?!" J scowled at Jacob. Diana who was watching them bickers silently exited the living room. There is no hope. She thought, she just decided to find Leo and Timothy. "Honey, I just never thought that you were the type of person that would wear a disguise." Jacob takes a step closer to J and reached out to touch her cheek but J swatted his hand away. "Don''t touch me!" "Sweetheart. You are being unreasonable." Madam Victoria frowned at J''s demeanor. "Why are you so eager to go out?" J lowered her head and remained quiet. Actually, her reason is simple. She just wanted to spend time with Diana. Back at Lantana Province when things were not that complicated yet, she and Diana would go around the town of Lantana just once a week. She would never do that with anyone except with Diana. They would buy ingredients and then they will cook at the Lodgepole Estate. They were like that until Elder Do died. After that, Diana and J went back to Lotus City, they find a job and has to live separately. She just missed those times. She missed living normally. But they were right. Things were not normal. And she is being stubborn and insensitive. She knew she could not win against Jacob and her Mom not unless something came up that would let her go to the supermarket, which quite impossible. So, she just went to her bedroom sulking. Jacob and Madam Victoria looked at each other with a sigh. "So, you guys successfully bullied my daughter." President Martin said but there is no hint of anger in his voice. They knew that he is on their side as well. "Diana!" President Martin stood up and called for Diana. Diana rushed back inside the loghouse. "Yes, President Martin?" "List down all the things that you and Jenny will need for dinner and have someone buy it for you in the supermarket." He ordered Diana and walked upstairs. He is obviously going to pacify his precious daughter. Chapter 500 - Father and Daughter J heard a knock on the cedar wood rustic door of her bedroom. Then she heard the voice of her father. "Sweetheart, it''s me. Can I come in?" J didn''t reply. The door was not locked so President Martin assumed that her silence means ''Yes''. President Martin opened the cedar door and enters a bedroom designed with timber walls and a stone-clad fireplace. The room was huge but not overly decorated, there was just a rustic bed at the center, bookshelves and two accent chairs in front of the fireplace. The room has never been occupied for years. He scanned the entire room and find his daughter sitting with legs curled up in the bench window. She is hugging a throw pillow looking at the magnificent view of the forest behind that large window. President Martin silently walked towards her and sits at the bench window facing his daughter. "You''ve always been so stubborn. Never changed." President Martin commented. "Was it too much? Back there?" J asked without looking at her father. "Yes." He replied looking at her dotingly. "It was always too much and unreasonable." J pursed her lips. "But that''s what you are. I wouldn''t want you to change that." This time, J looked at her father who is smiling at her. "It is good that you have a husband like Jacob that could control you. And not wanting you to change but knows when and when not to tolerate you." J chuckled. President Martin was right. J has always been stubborn and Jacob sometimes tolerates her and sometimes he''s not. And she could clearly distinguish the difference when he tolerates her and when he''s not. Just like when she insisted on going to the house of her patient that dies on the operating table after she was abducted by CEO Wang. They fight over it but later on Jacob gave up because of a call. But if Arthur''s team were not there at that time, J knew that Jacob wouldn''t let her. And this time, she knew the reason why Jacob wouldn''t tolerate her stubbornness. Because, just yesterday, they found out that they were being followed by a member of Novus Rex. They were not even at Lotus City at that time. That means, Novus Rex could follow them anywhere they went, even there at Naupaka. Jacob doesn''t want to take a risk just like when they didn''t take a risk in going straight to Naupaka Mountain yesterday and instead take a detour. "So, what''s in that mind of yours?" President Martin then asked. J has already calmed down a bit. He asked pointing at her head. "Huh?" J asked innocently. "Why are you so insistent on going out?" J pouts like a child which amused President Martin. He missed the stubborn little Jenny which he never gets a lot of times to spend with. That is probably the biggest regret of his life. Not watching her grow up. If he could only turn back the time. J shrugs her shoulder. "I don''t know." "Maybe I was just overwhelmed and got excited about preparing dinner for you, which I haven''t done before. With Diana here, I thought we were just back at Lodgepole Estate." "Back at Lodgepole Estate?" President asked with curiosity. "You know, the year before grandfather died, Diana and I would help each other in taking care of him and also preparing dinner for everyone at Lodgepole Estate. We would go, once a week at the market to buy the ingredients, which I''ve never done before." "Yeah. I know how you hated being in a crowded place." President Martin chuckled remembering how introvert his daughter is. "But of course, we would always choose the less crowded place." J rolled her eyes. She is not definitely going to a crowded place. President Martin laughed. Then he became quiet, just staring at his daughter. A deep sigh came out of his mouth. "Dad?" J asked with concern. "How I wish I could turn back times. How I wish I could take care of you as you grow up." remorse was evident in President Martin''s face. J felt sorry for his father, she knows that he didn''t want it to be this way. And she was never resentful towards them. She was actually hoping for the same thing but she knew that turning back time is impossible. So, she came out with a great reply. She reached out to pat the hand of his father that is resting on a pillow. "You can make it up with your grandchildren in the future." She said with a smile. "Any soon?" President Martin''s eyes sparkle with excitement. She shrugged her shoulders. "I hope so." Chapter 501 - The Only Person Outside the room, Jacob was smiling while leaning on the door frame. When he heard J''s last words, he was at the top of the world. "Hmph! That old man got it again." He heard Madam Victoria complained in a low voice. When President Martin went upstairs, Madam Victoria knew that he is going to J''s bedroom. He was always like that, whenever J is saddened or angered, he was always the first one to come and pacify her. Madam Victoria suggested that they follow him but they didn''t knock at the door, they just stayed outside the room silently listening to the father and daughter''s conversation. The rooms at the loghouse were supposed to be soundproofed but Madam Victoria managed to keep the door ajar so that they could listen to them. At first, Jacob was confused as to why would Madam Victoria wants them to eavesdrop. Now, he understands why. "See, there is only one person that could manage to let Jenny express her real thoughts and emotions. And that is her father. I was sometimes jealous of him but I understand that there must be something in Martin that made Jenny so comfortable in letting out all her emotions." Madam Victoria said with her arms crossed in front of her. Madam Victoria was right, Jacob thought. J has always been wary of showing her real emotions and thoughts. Even to him, there were some things that she is still suppressing and preventing from showing to him. But he was never one to sulk over it. He knows that J has always had a hard time trusting people easily. He was glad that at this time, J trusted him more than anyone else. But not as much as she trusts President Martin. Maybe as much as she trusts Madam Victoria. And he was sure that he''ll get there in time. "Tell me... isn''t she pregnant yet?" Jacob was surprised when he heard Madam Victoria''s question. It looks like Madam Kelly is not alone in hoping to have a grandchild. He shook his head and reply. "No. Not yet." Disappointment flashed into Madam Victoria''s face and Jacob felt guilty. "Well then, I guess we''ll just have to wait." After saying that, Madam Victoria turned around and went back downstairs. In her thought, there was really no other way to make up for their lost time with Jenny except for making it up with their grandchildren. .... When J''s mood went back to normal, she went downstairs to look for Jacob but she could not find him. She saw her mom in the living room reading some papers which she didn''t inquire about. "Mom, have you seen Jacob?" She asked. Madam Victoria raised her head to look up at her. "Hmm... I just saw him by the poolside a while ago with your father. They were just strolling around." Madam Victoria replied as she looked outside the window. "Oh... Okay." "By the way, Diana is in the kitchen waiting for you." "Thanks, Mom!" The goods have probably arrived and they should start preparing dinner now. With that in mind, her mood was elated. When J entered the kitchen, she found that Diana is already taken out scallops, mignon fillet, potatoes, asparagus and a bottle of champagne from the brown paper bag. "Is it all in there?" J asked which made Diana looked at her. "Yup! Are you feeling better?" She asked with a smug smile. "You know you are always no match for your husband. With the addition of your mother." "Hmph! It just so happens that the circumstances are different." J said pouting her lips as she checks out the bottle of champagne. "What circumstances?" Diana asked with concern. "Is it about Novus Rex? Did he appeared again?" "No. Not yet." J didn''t tell her that a member of Novus Rex was following them yesterday. "You should take care of yourself and Timothy." She said full of concern. She knows that in order to get her, Novus Rex might use anyone close to her as leverage. They probably didn''t know her relationship with Lance so she was not worried about him. With the Parkers, Novus Rex wouldn''t dare. Arthur''s Team was much too capable to be used as leverage. Using Jacob is impossible. She only worries about Diana because she knows that she cannot protect herself or Timothy against Novus Rex. Although she is married to Leo, Leo is not always around her to protect her and Timothy. Chapter 502 - Kitchen Buddies Diana scoffed. "You sound as if something is going to happen to me. No one would be interested in a nobody like me." J frowned. "Diana, you are not just a nobody." Diana chuckled. "Well at least to you and your family, of course." "And to Leo and Timothy." "Ha-ha. You are right." "Diana, you are the closest to me," J said in a serious tone. Diana looked at her and immediately understands where is she coming from. She reached out to pat her hand that is rested on the counter table. "I know. I will be careful. I promise." A small smile appeared at J''s lips. She didn''t voice it out but she felt guilty putting Diana in possible danger. "Okay! I''ll prepare the scallops ahead of time!" Diana said enthusiastically as she takes a bowl from the cupboard and tossed that scallops that she already washed earlier. She put butter and seasoning with it then top it with bread crumbs before she put it in the refrigerator. By this time, J is already preparing to make Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon. Filet Mignon is an expensive cut of steak but its incredible taste is worth a splurge. To make it more mouth-watering, she seasoned it with salt and pepper then wrapped it with bacon to be grilled later on. "Uhm... We are making pasta?" J asked when she dug out a fettuccine from the brown paper bag. "Yes. I am going to make Creamy Mushroom Pasta." Diana said beaming with a smile. "The one you made on Timothy''s birthday?" J wanted to confirm because she loves Diana''s Creamy Mushroom Pasta. "Yup! Timothy loves it and it turns out Leo likes it as well." "Hmm... Okay." J has nothing against it. In fact, she has nothing against pasta. Pasta and seafood are her weakness. Well of course, except for Jacob. She helped Diana cut the crimini mushrooms that she will be using for the pasta. Since they will be serving steak, there should be potatoes. So while Diana is doing her Creamy Mushroom Pasta, J prepared her potato Savoyard. It was a french dish, a gratin to be exact that J learned to cook when she was experimenting in different dishes while living alone abroad. It only took her 15 minutes to slice the potatoes, seasoned it and then topped it with a generous amount of cheese. She put it in the oven and then will bake it for 45 minutes. Diana is almost done with her pasta, so J started to grill the filet mignon that she already wrapped with bacon. When Diana is done with her pasta, she took out the scallops in the ref and put it in the oven. Only one dish is left and that is roasted asparagus. Diana roast it since J is busy with grilling the steak. "God, I forgot about dessert." J was into cooking that she forgot about it. When she was at Hellebore with Jacob, she regretted it that she wasn''t able to cook anything for them because Madam Kelly wants that it was only her to do all the cooking. She, Leticia and Lily was just her sous chefs at that time. Although J was able to cook breakfast and dinner for Jacob even thou they already have Lulu back at Evergreen Villa, she still wanted to cook something special for him and her family during holidays. "Don''t worry about that, I''ve already made Chocolate Mousse ahead of time." Diana winked at her. Desserts are her specialty. She already made Chocolate Mousse in the morning while J hasn''t arrived yet. J and Diana were having a good time at the kitchen when Jacob take a peek. He doesn''t want to interrupt J who looked deeply engaged into cooking. He has never seen J interacted with anyone before like she did now with Diana. They were like best buddies in the kitchen. Chapter 503 - The Stroll Earlier, when Jacob and President Martin were having a stroll around the Loghouse, Jacob mentioned the incident yesterday when they spotted a member of Novus Rex following them from Hellebore. That''s how they got delayed from coming to Naupaka Mountain. "You really didn''t have any idea what that promise is all about?" Jacob asked. President Martin sighed in frustration. "I wish I had." Then he brushed his hair with silver streaks that has gone out of place due to the wind. President Martin is very particular with his hair. He has to always keep it neat and nicely done. It would take him hours of fixing it in the morning before he comes out of his room. And once he has fixed it, it would stay that way the whole day. This has become a habit that Madam Victoria unwillingly has grown accustomed to. "If I had known, this day wouldn''t have come." He continued after he successfully put back his hair into its place. Jacob looked at him with furrowed eyebrows. Unlike President Martin, he doesn''t care if his hair has become a bird''s nest. He actually looked even more gorgeous with messy hair. "This day?" President Martin looked at Jacob in amazement. He chuckled. "I''m talking about them threatening my daughter. Not your marriage." He knew what he was thinking by that frown on his face. He really can''t believe his daughter''s fate. Thou it was an arranged marriage, it was fortunate that the man loves his daughter more than what he had hoped for. "Oh..." Jacob sighed in relieve while scratching the back of his neck. If they were in a different circumstance and J was not arranged to be married to him. He was sure that one way or another, they will meet with each other and he will make everything he can just to get married to her. Because he knows that they were fated to be together. And he will not give up on her. He won''t let her go even if a thousand Alex Ogden tries to steal her from him. "I''ve heard that Leo was sent to Novus Rex to be a mole?" Jacob was back into his serious tone as they continued walking an unknown path. Thou he was not familiar with it, looking at President Martin''s familiarity with the path, he goes along with him. Although he was not surprised that Jacob has found out about it, he was surprised that he brought it up. He knew that after sending Leo with him in his meeting with Alex Ogden, he will eventually notice the familiarity between Alex and his men and Leo. "Yes, my father has full confidence in Leo''s skills and capabilities. As soon as he finished his training at Twelve Army, my father immediately sent him out on that mission." "Why?" That is the question that Jacob really wanted to know. He really suspects that it has something to do with Elder Do''s promise to Jack Ogden. President Martin stop in his track and raised his head to look up in a tall tree. The tree is huge with luscious leaves covering the place from direct sunlight. "Somehow, my father knows Jack Ogden''s way of thinking. He was already suspecting that one day, Jack Ogden would covet for The Robin Hood Society or the Twelve Army. So he sent Leo there as a precaution. He just wanted to know his every action. If they show signs of any form of an attack towards the Society or Twelve Army. We will know immediately and will be able to launch a counter-attack." Jacob was flustered. "He also wants the Twelve Army?" He knows of his interest with the Society, but Twelve Army? His grandfather never cautioned him about this before. Or he didn''t know? "Well, that was what my father says. But I doubt if your grandfather has any idea. My father never told him." Well, that explains why his grandfather never mentions that before. Then why Elder Do won''t tell Elder Parker about it? Unless Twelve Army has never been a target in the first place. Jacob thought internally but he never told it to President Martin. Jacob was surprised when they reached that familiar oak tree. It turns out that that unknown path leads back to that same place. So, they were just walking around the circle. Chapter 504 - Js Dinner [ Author''s Note: Sorry that it took me weeks to update. My mind was just in a complete mess.] After they were done with all the dinner preparations, Diana exits the kitchen to prepare the dining table. Instead of using the table in the dining room, Madam Victoria preferred that they have their dinner at the porch. She thought that the dining room is still too grand for them although they will be joined by Jacob and J, Diana, Leo and Timothy, and Peter. At least the table at the porch could still fit all of them and all the dishes that J and Diana prepared. J was doing last-minute check if they''ve prepared enough food for all of them when she felt muscular arms wrapped her waist from behind. "I missed you." J felt Jacob''s hot breath on her neck which made her gasped for air. "You were just gone for a walk." J was only able to say it after swallowing her heart back into its cage. "I know," Jacob said as he grabs her shoulder and makes her turn around to face him. "And I still missed you." Not talking and seeing each other for a couple of hours after a little quarrel felt bad. Jacob thought. And it made him missed her that much. He engulfs her into a tight embrace resting her head at the crook of her neck. He inhaled her unique scent combined with the scent of spices she used in her dishes that probably gets into her clothes and skin. J returned his embrace much tighter with a smile. "I missed you too." She said, one of her hands reached his head then she stroke his already messed up hair. "And I am sorry about earlier." Jacob moaned, obviously, he liked what she is doing with his hair, whatever that is. In return, he peppered kiss her neck until he found her sensitive part then suck it. "Jacob, stop it!" J''s eyes widened and pushed Jacob on his chest. Jacob chuckled. "Honey, I don''t mind you being stubborn at all. In fact, I loved it and you are the cutest whenever you are at it. As long as I win in the end." Jacob smiled smugly. J rolled her eyes. Diana was right. She really can''t win over this man. She may be intimidating but when it comes to Jacob, she was very submissive. "What''s with that hair?" J frowned when she noticed Jacob''s messy hair. Not that she minds it, in fact, he finds him sexy and hot with his hair so messed up. "Uhm... the wind outside did it," Jacob said as he brushed his fingers into his hair. His action made J ogled at him. Damn! This man looks more mouth-watering than her Bacon Wrapped Mignon. She noticed Jacob smiled at her mischievously and the next thing she knows his finger is on her chin closing her mouth shut. She felt her face burned up in embarrassment. Damn! Did my mouth just literally dropped in front of him?! She heard Jacob chuckled. "Honey, I know you want to eat me now. But save that for later." Jacob said smugly making her more embarrassed. She swatted his arms and pretended to be angry. "Go freshen up! Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes." Then she turned around to hide her burning cheeks although she knows that it is too late now. "As you wish, sweetheart," Jacob said. But before he left the kitchen, he was able to steal a kiss from J''s cheeks. When Jacob left the kitchen, Diana came followed by Leo. "Miss J, you can go now and prepare for dinner. We''ll take care of the rest." "No need. We still have time. I''ll help you." J replied. The truth is, she just wanted to give her time to recover from her embarrassment before she could face Jacob again. It was not too long when Jacob left to go to their room and if she leaves now, there is a possibility that she will meet her in their room. And God knows how much teasing will she get from him. Chapter 505 - Unwanted Call Jacob opened the bottle of champagne and poured each flute with it except for Timothy who is having an orange juice. Everyone complimented J and Diana''s cooking skills. Among them, President Martin and Madam Victoria were the most emotional in that dinner. It was their first time to have a taste of J''s cooking skills. They definitely missed a lot in their lives. "Diana, why don''t you and Timothy move here with Leo? It would be more convenient for the two of you." Madam Victoria said as they were chatting about random things. Diana just smiled back at Madam Victoria. "I would love to, but my job is in Lotus City." She replied. "Jacob, can''t you do something about it?" Madam Victoria turned to Jacob expectantly. "I''ll see what I can do, Mom." He said after dabbing a tissue on the corner of his lips. "Good." J knew that Madam Victoria treats Diana like her own daughter and she didn''t mind that at all. It was good to have a sister anyway. "Peter, you should get married as well." This time, it was President Martin. Madam Victoria and President Martin are taking turns in saying something to each of them. His words made everyone looked at Peter''s direction. It was actually surprising for someone like Leo to have a romantic relationship with Diana. J was now wondering, about Peter, will his fate with love is the same as Leo''s? To her, Peter looked as clueless as Leo and Arthur when it comes to love. "I haven''t thought about that yet, President Martin," Peter replied nonchalantly. "Are you dating someone?" As expected, Diana always wanted to be up to date with everyone around her. Peter looked at her then to Leo. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds before Peter averted his gaze and replied. "No." J noticed that icy stare that they gave to each other. As far as she knows, the two of them were not friends and not enemy''s as well. They were not close but they do get along quite well as civil as they can be. She heard a phone rings the everyone looked at each other. "I think that''s your phone sweetheart." Madam Victoria said pointing at her phone that is on the pocket of her dress. "Oh..." She took out her phone and looked at it. She frowned when she saw an unfamiliar number. She hesitated to answer it since she didn''t know who it was. "Why don''t you answer it, sweetheart?" Everyone is now looking at her. Jacob looks at her with suspicions, not to her but to the caller. J is an introvert person and doesn''t have any close friends except for Lance and Diana or Arthur''s Team. And if any of them would call her, she would eventually answer it. J doesn''t have any intention of answering it since it was an unregistered number, but her phone keeps on ringing and it was distracting everyone. So she answered it with irritation. Out of habit and being extremely cautious, she didn''t speak first. She waited for the other person to speak. But, that was a mistake. As soon as she heard the voice, her eyes widened in terror and everyone noticed that. "I''m glad that you answered my call." The voice on the other line was deep and hoarse. "I just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year, Love." Her hands trembled when she heard Alex Ogden''s voice. How did he found out my number she thought. "Honey, who''s that?" Jacob asked with concern when she noticed J''s reaction. J eventually hung up and takes a deep breath to calm herself. "I don''t know. Wrong number." She said and returned to her usual demeanor. Jacob knows that it was a lie but he didn''t probe further. Not yet. He reached out for her hand that is rested on the table and squeezed it. "You should change your number." Madam Victoria suggested, she was concerned that some unknown person managed to get her contact. She was worried about her security. "I will mom," J replied. Meanwhile, Alex Ogden''s gripped on his phone tightened before he smashed it on the wall. He contemplated for a lot of times to dial her number just to hear her voice. But when he did, he failed, instead, he heard Jacob''s voice. Chapter 506 - While watching the fireworks After their dinner, they sat under the huge oak tree waiting for the fireworks show that will happen all over Lotus City. Since their location should be hidden, they cannot have their own fireworks at the Loghouse. But, they didn''t mind it at all, because even if they can, they would rather watch the fireworks at Lotus City. They have a magnificent view of the Lotus City skyline and every firework from every corner of the city is a wonderful sight from their spot. It is a much better view than when you are in the city. J is seated on the sofa with Jacob''s arms wrapped around her shoulder as they silently waited for the fireworks. She lay her head on his chest, she could actually hear his heartbeat. "Honey?" Jacob''s voice vibrated in J''s ears. "Hmm?" She replied not moving an inch. She somehow loves listening to his voice with her ears on his chest. She was waiting for him to say a word again. "You know how much I love you. Do you?" J smiled by his words. But it also made her think. Does she? Well, maybe she already has an idea, but she really didn''t know up to much extent. She nodded her head not pulling away from him. "I guess you don''t." This time, J raised her head to look at him with a questioning look. How could he say that? Jacob smiled and kissed her on her forehead. They eyes with each other. As if reading her thoughts, Jacob said, "Because I know even I cannot say how much I love you. My love for you is unimaginable, inexplicable, immeasurable and limitless." J wanted to laugh with Jacob''s choice of words but she was actually speechless. She doesn''t have any idea of how to respond. She just stared into Jacob''s eyes. "You don''t have to say anything, Honey. I hear everything that you can''t say. Your eyes say how you love me. Your smile says how you need me. Your every touch says how you want me. Everything that you wanted to say, I can hear it, I can feel it." Jacob said tenderly as he stares back at J''s eyes. J felt her heart melted. Jacob knows what is in her mind. She was glad that she is not compelled to express her feelings and thoughts to him, he doesn''t force her because he already knows. And she is just too blissful to form a word. She gulps the knot in her throat. She wanted to say, at least three or five words. "Thank you." She was just resting her head on Jacob''s chest, now she wraps both her hands in his waist and she nuzzled closer to his neck. She whispered, "I love you." Jacob smiled. He couldn''t ask for more. Well, except to have babies with her. The fireworks display over Lotus City started with one, it''s colored orange. It was Timothy who first noticed it. They just realized that it has started when Timothy screamed in excitement. Then one firework was followed by another. Soon, the sky over Lotus City is covered with the fireworks display in different colors. There were red, orange, yellow, blue, purple, silver and white. The colors were intensely bright, bursting into the sky. J looked around her and saw the content and bliss in everyone''s face. It was like, they were not having troubles in their life. It was good, right? J thought to herself. For just a moment, under that huge oak tree, while watching the flickering lights over the dark sky of Lotus City, they have forgotten all their troubles. How she wished that this would last. But she knows that tomorrow when they woke up in another day, they will have to face these troubles again and they cannot just run away from it. Fortunately, she has Jacob with her. And she knows that everything might just be temporary but her feelings for Jacob, what they have, is not. It is permanent, she will carry it with her until she dies. Chapter 507 - An Exhausting Day It has been exactly a week since J and Jacob spent the New Year at the Loghouse in Naupaka Mountain. They were now back in the hospital. It was an exhausting yet fulfilling day for J. It was ''toxic'' as what the medical persons would say, or in layman''s term, busy. The morning started with cardiac surgery with Dr. Gonzales that takes about 5 hours. Although Diana has been training under Dr. Gonzales to be his assisting nurse, if the circumstances allow him to, he would still prefer J, which other nurses don''t mind at all knowing how exhausting each and every surgery of Dr. Gonzales. Then after the cardiac surgery, there was an incident that needed the OR Teams'' help. Apparently, there was a shoot out and most of the victims were sent to CLP Hospital. 3 of them have to be wheeled to the OR for surgery. And since it was an emergency case, Dr. Aaron Choi has to take one of them with two nurses with him. Dr. Jacob who was fortunately in his office on the 10th floor volunteered to take one of the cases and therefore making J busy again after the cardiac surgery with Dr. Gonzales since Jacob wishes only her to assist her. Although Jacob hesitated because he knows that his wife would get tired after this nonstop surgeries, J insisted because other nurses will be assisting another surgeon on deck to operate on another patient. So Jacob was left without an option. J arrived at Evergreen Villa feeling exhausted. Jacob has to go to Twelve Army Headquarters so it was only J and Arthur'' Team. It was already 6 pm. Her shift was supposed to end at 3 pm but because of the outpour of patients, they all worked overtime. It was already 5 pm when her shift ended. She dragged her tired body into the bedroom, she wasn''t even able to change clothes. She dropped her dead body into the king-size bed. She didn''t know when she fell asleep. She was awakened by the continuous ringing of her phone that is still on her bag. She opened her eyes and searched for the clock on the bedside table to check on the time. 8 Pm. Urgh... I hope Lulu cooked dinner. She wished internally. She forced herself to sit on the bed and searched for her phone that is now ringing for the second time. She was surprised when she saw that it was Leo who is calling her. She had a bad feeling about this. She immediately answers the phone. She waited for Leo to speak. When she was sure it was him, she replied. "Yes? What''s wrong?" When she heard Leo''s reply, her eyes widened, her hands trembled and in an instant, her face was drained out of the blood. Tears started to flow down her cheeks like a river. She didn''t know how she mustered to come up with words and asked him a lot of questions. In the end, she said, "Take Felix with you." But Leo was obstinate in refusing. Yet, J was adamant. She knows that Leo is a one-man team. He is used to working alone and never asked for assistance from anyone. But, J just cannot let him work alone in his condition. She wanted to at least have someone that she could call. Because once Leo set out alone in his mission, she was sure that he would not answer any calls. And she cannot just sit around in the dark. She has to know what is going on in every second. That is why she still insisted on sending Felix to help him even if he refused to. Diana... She thought of her. Why does it have to be her? What would happen to Diana now? Then she thought of Diana''s condition. There is a high possibility that Diana''s condition will worsen because of this. She just hoped that she doesn''t. Her eyes were flooded again with tears. Diana''s condition is getting better now. She is happy with her life having Leo and Timothy. Why does it have to happen to her? When Leo hangs up, the last thing he told J is to watch over Timothy for the meantime. Chapter 508 - It Okay to Cry When J finally calmed down, she walked out of the bedroom. She still hasn''t changed her clothes. She reached the living room and saw Arthur''s Team sitting on the sofa with a glum expression. It looks like they have heard of the bad news and were just waiting for her. She walks towards them and as if on cue, they all looked up to her. Felix was about to ask her if she knew already but base on her swelling eyes and gloomy face, it seems like she already knew. Arthur was the first one to stand up and walked towards her. "Are you okay?" He asked full of concern. J shook her head indicating that she is not. Then she looked at Felix. "Felix, please track down Leo''s location and help him." J gave an order that made Felix astounded. "Uhm... Miss, are you sure? I mean, it is Leo... I don''t think..." "I don''t care if he agrees or not, I just needed you to be with him," J said in an intimidating tone. It''s not that Felix doesn''t want to. He would give anything just to get a chance to work with Leo, but that man was resolute in working alone. That is why Felix hesitated at first. Aside from espionage, he is also good at tracking. If he ever finds Leo''s location, he doubts if Leo will let him stay with him. But it was their heiress who gives the order, so he has to abide. "I''ve already talked to him," J said. "And he agreed?" Felix wanted to confirm. J sighed. That''s not good. Felix thought. "Neither he agrees or disagrees. Whatever I just want you to be with him and report to me about your situation. Especially Diana''s situation." J''s expression became downcast when she remembered Diana again. "I got it." Then Felix hurriedly left the villa on his motorbike. But before he did, Arthur reminds him to keep their communication always open. "Miss, dinner is ready. Do you want me to prepare it now or you will wait for Dr. Jacob?" J heard the voice of Lulu behind her. She was sure she wouldn''t be able to take in any food right now. She looked at the three remaining men and it seems that they don''t have the appetite either. She glanced at Lulu who is unaware of what is happening and shook her head. "You can go now, Lulu. We''ll just reheat the food when we get hungry. Thank you." Lulu just nodded her head and left. Then there was silence for a moment before a phone ringing was heard. It was J''s phone, she looked at it and found Jacob calling her. He must''ve known. "Honey, I''ve heard. Are you okay?" Came the worried voice of Jacob. "No," J replied with a trembling voice. She bit her lower lip to prevent another pool of tears from flowing down. "Where are you?" She asked. "I''m on my way. I''m coming home." Jacob replied. He knows that J is trying to keep her tears from falling. "Honey, it''s okay to cry." J nodded her head and she burst again into crying. She sits on the sofa and curled up. Arthur looked at her full of concern, he walks up to her and stroke her hair although he knows that it won''t help ease up her worries. She is worried about Diana, they were all worried. In 15 minutes, Jacob arrived. He bolted inside the villa to find J fidgeting on the couch with Arthur beside her. Daniel is working on his laptop probably finding ways to help Leo and Felix. Stefan is pacing around the living room. He sits on the coffee table facing J. Arthur didn''t leave. "Honey..." It was only then did she realized that Jacob arrived already. She straightened her back and put down her feet on the carpeted floor. She wraps her arms around Jacob''s neck. "Will she be okay?" She asked in a muffled voice. "Let''s pray that she will." Jacob doesn''t want to make false reassurance. He stroke J''s hair and back then he glanced at Arthur. "Any news from them?" He was referring to Felix and Arthur. "Felix has found Leo. He is with him now." Arthur replied. "Good." Jacob nodded her head. J pulled herself away from Jacob. "Let''s go pick up Timothy in Diana''s apartment." Chapter 509 - The Good Kid J almost forgot about Timothy. Although he has his nanny with him. she can''t be at ease. So she asked Jacob that they should pick up Timothy and let him stay at the villa for the meantime. "Miss, do you want us to pick him up instead," Arthur asked J. He wasn''t sure about letting her go out at this hour. Especially in this situation. And Jacob agreed with him. "No." J stubbornly shook her head. "I want to be there to pick him up." After 1 hour, two cars arrived at Diana''s apartment which is just a block away from CLP Hospital. On the black bulletproofed SUV is Jacob and J on the backseat, Arthur is driving. On the black bulletproofed sedan are Daniel and Stefan. They were the first one to alight the car to check out the safety of the surroundings. When they came near the SUV, Arthur is already out opening the door for J. "Miss J..." Timothy''s nanny opened the door and she was obviously feeling emotional when she saw that it was J. She looked at the men behind her then she looked at her. J has no time to explain. "Where is Timothy?" She asked as the nanny widened the door to let them in. "He is already asleep." It was already past eleven so J was not surprised. "I''ll be taking him with me. And you are coming with us. You''ll be staying at my house in the meantime." J said her face is void with emotion. The nanny didn''t ask further and nodded her head. They were on their way back to Evergreen Villa when Timothy was awakened in J''s arms. He was seated on her lap while J was cuddling him. His eyes were half-open while looking at J''s face. "Mommy..." a little voice was heard inside that silent SUV. Jacob looked at J. Arthur glanced at the rearview mirror to look at J. While the nanny who was sitting on in front check out on Timothy. J''s heart tightened. Oh God... how is she going to tell him. He wouldn''t understand. She thought. She closed her eyes and takes a deep breath to calm her shivering heart. "Hey, little buddy... it''s Auntie J. I''ll be taking care of you for the meantime while your Mommy and Daddy are away, okay?" J said in a gentle voice which J thought was not enough to convince Timothy. She knows that Timothy is a smart kid. He knows when something is wrong but sometimes he just chose not to ask questions. He has never been a burden to Diana. She felt Jacob squeezed her shoulder. She looked at him feeling defeated. When she looked back at Timothy, he has fallen back to sleep. The next day, J didn''t go back to work. She has been waiting for Felix''s report but until that morning, he hasn''t called her. Although his communication with Arthur has remained open. It just seems like there is nothing important to report yet. It''s either there is no progress or Leo is keeping himself from Felix. J watched as Timothy plays with Beauty and Beast along with Stefan. The little boy doesn''t seem to mind that he is in a different environment and that his mommy is away from him. But J knows that he has been wondering. Just this morning, when Timothy wokes up, he rushed to the kitchen and as soon as he saw J, he asked, "Is she coming home yet?" J was frozen in place when she heard him. She just cannot find words to say. Seeing her speechless, Timothy just shrugged his shoulders and didn''t wait for an answer. He seemed to already know the answer. "He is such a good kid." J mumbles to herself. But Arthur who was standing beside her heard her. "She''ll be fine." Arthur tried to come up with consoling words. "They''ll be fine." Yet he is still struggling. Chapter 510 - Luring her out "Boss... I heard that Diana is..." Jeric was cut when Alex asked him. "Who the hell is Diana?" Alex scoffed without looking at Jeric. He is busy reading and signing papers for AM Entertainment. "She is Miss J''s best friend. I thought you might want to know Miss J''s situation." When he heard that, Alex raised his head and motioned Jeric to continue talking. "How is Jenny?" He asked. He is now standing in front of a large window of his office. His hands in his pocket. His stare is icy cold as usual. "She''s hasn''t been going to CLP Hospital for three days now," Jeric replied. "Where is she?" "Probably at Evergreen Villa. She was seen three nights ago picking up Diana''s son from their apartment. It seemed like she has been taking care of the kid." Alex hummed in reply. "Prepare the car," Alex ordered which made Jeric uneasy. He more or less already know what he is thinking. "Boss, I don''t think this is a good idea. Miss J lives at Evergreen. It was exclusive and only homeowners can enter. Her house is surrounded by tall perimeter fence and security from Twelve Army. I also heard that the house is fully equipped with CCTV Cameras. Not to mention, Arthur''s Team lives with her 24 hours." Alex glared at Jeric. "Who says I''m going there to see her?" He takes off his suit leaving him with only a Henley shirt and jeans. He looks devilishly hot in that attire. I''m going to have her see me. Alex thought to himself. He walks out of his office followed by Jeric. "Find out everything about Diana," Alex ordered Jeric. "Yes, Boss." Jeric nodded his head. What the hell is he planning? He thought. J was making snacks for Timothy when her phone rings. She looked at the screen and her face turned grim when she saw the unregistered number calling her again. After last time, she had familiarized that number so that when he calls again, she wouldn''t accidentally answer it. She didn''t answer it. It rings twice then, stopped. Later on, she received a text message. Arthur was watching her every reaction. "It''s been ringing, yet you are not answering. Is there a problem?" J ignored him and take a look at her phone. It turns out that since she was not answering the call, he sent her a message instead. Her face turns darker. "Arthur..." J called him while taking off her apron. "Miss J?" Arthur has already sensed that something is going on. "Prepare the car." She said then walks out of the kitchen to get her bag in the bedroom. When she reached the living area, Arthur''s team were already waiting for her. "Where do you plan to go?" "We are meeting with Alex Ogden." Everyone was surprised and it made Arthur looked at her with narrowed eyes. "You know Dr. Jacob wouldn''t allow you." "I know." That''s why she is not telling him. "You realize that I still report to him, right?" Arthur knows that she is not planning to tell about this to Jacob. J nodded her head. "Yeah. Let''s go." That''s why they should go as soon as possible. The meeting place is just a few minutes from Evergreen Villa. If Jacob was to find out, it would take him one hour to reach them. By that time, she would be done talking to Alex Ogden. But then, just before they left the Villa''s perimeter, she changed her mind. She took out her phone and dialed a number. "Hey." She said after Jacob answered the call. "Honey, what the hell are you thinking?!" Came the infuriated voice of Jacob. J sighed. "I guess Arthur has already told you." "Yeah. And I forbid you to go." "Jacob..." J told him what Alex Ogdeb told her and the reason why she wanted to talk to him. "I''m coming with you." "I''m already on my way. Don''t worry, Arthur, Stefan, and Daniel are with me." But J could hear that Jacob is already driving and on his way as well. "Just, pick me up, okay? I''ll wait for you." She heard the exasperated sigh of Jacob before he hangs up. Chapter 511 - Worthy "He is just luring you out." J heard Arthur commented. "I know. And I want to know why." "You already know why. This is dangerous," he said. J half-smiled. "You got my back, right?" She glances at the rearview mirror where she met his gaze. Arthur nodded. "If I see a lot of Novus Rex around the place, we are leaving immediately." He said not giving any chance for J to retort back. "Okay." But J has a feeling that Alex Ogden is not going to hurt her. They reached a seafood restaurant near AM Entertainment. It is a famous restaurant that is located in a popular food district. There were a lot of restaurants around the place so it was actually not a secluded area. In fact, it was a busy place where a lot of office workers and students goes to eat. That is the reason why J agrees to meet him in that place. She has a feeling that Alex Ogden is not going to do any harm to her knowing that they were in a public place. Arthur and Daniel were the first one to jump out of the car. Stefan is nowhere to be seen. Probably watching everything in the shadows or on top of a building nearby. J looked around then up the rooftop of the establishments. And sure he was on one of it. Others might not notice it but nothing is unnoticeable in J''s observant eyes. Arthur and Daniel looked around wearing black shades, looking oh so handsome. "It''s clear up here." They heard Stefan says. Arthur and Daniel looked at each other then nod their heads. Arthur walked over J''s side of the car then he opened the door. "They are the most meticulous person I''ve ever seen." Alex heard Jeric commented behind him. "She is worthy of it," Alex said as she watched as a stunning woman exits a black car. She is wearing just a pair of black trousers, a white turtle neck shirt and a pair of loafers. It was simple, yet he finds her more alluring than those who wear expensive dresses. She is not even wearing makeup and her hair is just tied in a bun, with baby hair in the sides of her face. She is worthy of a second or third glance. He watched as she says something to the man beside her, then they walked towards the restaurant. Jeric was astounded when he heard Alex''s words. He shook his head and thought, that girl is the end of Alex Ogden. "How many are they?" Alex questioned him. Jeric is a keenly observant and as meticulous at Arthur''s team as well. He wouldn''t be in his position if he was not. "Three. Two with her and one on the lookout." He replied casually. Alex furrowed his brows. The last time he checks, she got four guards. "Where is the other one?" "Once in a while, Miss J would send one of them in a mission." Alex thought for a while. He could already see J entering the restaurant. "Are you sure she is not the leader of the Society?" "I am sure of it, Boss." Arthur scanned the whole place. The whole place is crowded with only a few vacant tables. The waiters were busy going around taking orders. He finds nothing unusual and decided that it was safe for J to stay. But still, they have to remain alert. "He''s over there," Daniel said looking at a certain direction. Arthur and J look at once and found Alex sitting by the window. There is one member of Novus Rex sitting in a chair behind him. J supposed that it is Alex Ogden''s, right-hand man. Alex is looking at them. They walk towards him. Alex stood up to pull a chair for him but Arthur beats him to it which earned him an icy glare from Alex Ogden. But Arthur remained unaffected. Alex smirk. "Arthur, how''s Isabella?" The corner of Arthur''s mouth twitched when he heard the name. "It''s none of your business." Alex laughed sarcastically. "You''ll be surprised." The two glared at each other. Chapter 512 - Just wanted to see her J cleared her throat to catch the attention of the two men. Arthur seats behind her with Daniel fully alert while Alex sits back to his seat. "What do you know?" J asked in a serious tone. "Please, eat first. I ordered your favorite." Alex replied ignoring J''s question. J''s brows perked up ever so slightly then she glanced at the plate in front of her. It was seafood pasta. Alex noticed and said, "I know a lot of you." J was not surprised. They were investigating him and it was just right that he does the same. But, should that include her favorites? "I don''t come here to eat," J said, her voice is intimidating. "Well, I do." He replied nonchalantly as he eats up casually in front of J. J is starting to get irritated. She closed her eyes and takes a deep breath. At that moment, Alex watched her at the corner of his eyes. He was mesmerized by her, he has always been. "Mr. Ogden, my husband knows that I am here and in a moment he will be arriving. And once he did, I don''t think we will be able to talk. So please." J''s tone was not pleading, it was actually obviously annoyed. Alex was irritated to know that Jacob will be coming. That''s the least he wanted. He just wanted to see her, to eat with her. Be alone with her, thou he knows that it is impossible to be alone with her for now because of Arthur''s Team that is leeching of her. J stared at him and come to a realization. "You don''t know anything, don''t you?" Yes, she was an idiot for letting him fool her. He was just luring her out, and she just let him. She was blinded by the fact that maybe he knew something or he has something to do with Diana. But it looks like, he isn''t. Jacob has every reason to be mad at her. Arthur has every reason to be wary of it. Alex could''ve kidnap her there and then, but she cannot sense any danger around her. Arthur and Daniel probably sense it too thou they were still on high alert. "You don''t know anything, yet you lure me out here. If you are not planning to kidnap me, why? What do you want?" She asked with a frown. Alex slowly raises his head. He is done eating and was just dabbing the corners of his mouth with a piece of white cloth elegantly. "I just wanted to see you. Is it wrong?" He wanted to make sure that she is fine. J had complex emotions, surprised, scared and angry at the same time, but she didn''t show it. "You are wasting my time, Mr. Ogden. Both of our time, in fact." She said in a calm voice. Alex leaned back and just keeps on staring at J. "I actually have ways... connections... to help you with Diana." J stared back at him. "I came here because you said you know something. I even thought that you were behind all of this. But, it seems that you actually know nothing. So, this is just a waste of time." She acted to stand up but that is the least that Alex wanted at the moment. He wanted her to stay for longer. "You don''t want my help?" He asked with his evil smirk. J raised her brows. "Mr. Ogden, have you forgotten who am I? Who my husband is?" J gave Alex Ogden an intimidating look. She is just reminding her how capable they are and what they didn''t need his help. "And by the way, you probably didn''t know who is Diana''s husband. Thou I am sure you are well familiar with him." She said with a smirk. Everything about the Society and its members is confidential. So even if Alex Ogden asks Jeric to find out everything about Diana, they wouldn''t find anything that the Society doesn''t want them to find. Or maybe they will, but it would take them years. "Diana is the wife of Leo. Or better known as Liam by the Novus Rex. Ring a bell?" J cocked her head. Alex''s gaze darkens, while Jeric behind him was astounded. Who really is Liam or Leo? They have been working with him.for years but it seems like they really know nothing about him. They hate to admit it but they feel like a pawn in Leo''s game. Chapter 513 - Defending Him "Along with my husband and Arthur, Leo is one of the most dangerous people I know. You of all people must''ve known that since you''ve been with him for years." J doesn''t care if she is giving them a hint that Leo is an ace of the Robin Hood Society. Alex''s thought is running wild but he managed to compose himself after a while. "You don''t see me as a dangerous person?" "I just met you recently. So, I actually don''t know you." J was becoming more straightforward in front of Alex and he liked it. A small smile appeared at the corner of his mouth but eventually fades away when he saw a familiar figure coming their way. "Honey, are you done?" J heard a familiar voice behind her. She raised her head and found her husband standing behind but his gaze fixed on the man in front of them. "Yes. I''m done." She nods her head. "I''m taking my wife now, Mr. Ogden. Please excuse us." Jacob said with a grim expression and help J gentlemanly. Now that Jacob has arrived, Alex can''t seem to do anything to make her stay for long. He just watched as the woman he likes is being taken away by her own husband. A cold hand gripped his heart tightly and the whole place seemed to have frozen. Jeric sighed. "We should''ve kidnapped her." He said. There goes their chance. But kidnapping her is not in Alex''s options. He wanted her to voluntarily come to him. He doesn''t want to force her. But that seems impossible. It was silent in their car and J cannot take it. She knows he is mad so she tries to break the silence. "Jacob..." Her voice was soft yet uncertain. How would she start a conversation with an angry husband? "Can you please explain to me what were you thinking back there? Do you know how dangerous what you did?!" And there goes his temper. She could actually match his temper but of course, she cannot, it is Jacob. She has always felt submissive towards him. "I''m sorry. I know it was. But I don''t think he would hurt me." She said, her head lowered. Her hand is fidgeting on the hem of her shirt. "He wouldn''t hurt you, yes. But he could''ve hurt me by stealing you away from me! He could''ve done that earlier!" Jacob is driving and his hands tightly gripping on the wheels. J noticed that. J sighed. "He wouldn''t do that. At least, not forcefully." "Seriously?!" Jacob glared at her which made her taken aback. "You are now defending him?" That did it. "Of course not! I was just defending my judgment!" J''s tone is a bit higher than before. "He said that he knows something about Diana. Then I thought maybe he has something to do with it so I decided to talk to him. Maybe he is really behind this. But I was wrong. He knows nothing. I don''t know. I was just worried about Diana and I can''t seem to do anything to help her. I felt useless knowing that I may be part of the reason why this is happening to her." J has become emotional and teary-eyed. In fact, her last words seemed to have slurred a bit. That time, they arrived at Evergreen Villa and before Jacob could say anything, J has already jumped out of the car and rushed inside the house. Jacob brushed his face with both his palm. He felt guilty for raising a voice at her. He was so furious that she became impulsive and went to meet with Alex. But he almost forgot that J was probably blaming herself for what is happening right now. A lot of people want to hurt her or get their hands on her. And they were just around waiting for a chance to do that. And the best way to do that is of course, through the most important person to her. Well, of course, Jacob or the Parkers are not on their list. Who would dare? No one knows of her relationship with Lance. And the only person that has a close relationship with her and is open in the public is Diana and Timothy. Diana is the most vulnerable. At least, that''s what they thought. Chapter 514 - A trap that is never really a trap Jacob quickly followed the obviously angry and emotional J inside the house. But he found her at the backyard hugging Timothy who looked astounded probably because of J''s sudden reaction. He felt Arthur stand beside him, they watched J for a couple of seconds in silent. The two looked gorgeous in their own different way. "Alex seems to have a liking towards her." Arthur was the first one to break the silence. Jacob was not surprised. Instead, he takes a deep breath. "You noticed it, as well," Jacob said as he brushed his hair with his fingers. "It was not hard to notice." Arthur looked at J with concern. "While it was quite a relief that he will not hurt or force her, he might resort into another way." Arthur continued and glanced at Jacob. "He might do something that will make Miss J voluntarily yet unwillingly present herself to him." Jacob''s lips pressed into a thin line. He had actually thought of it when he heard of what happened to Diana. And it was probably what J is thinking as well. They all thought that Alex is using Diana to blackmail J and make her come to him. The thought of her divorcing him and marrying Alex Ogden is killing him. He was furious when he found out that Alex Ogden asked J to meet him. He was scared, he thought that this is it, he might not be able to see her and call her his wife. And he cannot let that happen, so he rushed out from Twelve Army to where she is meeting Alex Ogden. He was only able to calm down when he received a report from Felix. Arthur received the report at the same time. "How''s Diana?" He asked he has never told J about her. He hasn''t got a chance. "They''re taking her to Loghouse. She is asking for Timothy." Arthur replied. Jacob nodded his head and looked at his watch. "We still have time. Prepare the team. We''ll take Timothy to her." "Okay. Looks like, Diana has her own troubles." Arthur said. It turns out that Alex Ogden really has nothing to do with what happened to Diana. "Every member of the Society has its own troubles," Jacob said then he looked at Arthur. His words have a deeper meaning. Arthur left to prepare to go to Naupaka Mountain while Jacob walked towards J and Timothy. "Hey, little buddy," Jacob called out to Timothy. Timothy looked up to him as well as J. "Ready to see your mom?" He watched as Timothy and J''s eyes widened at once. He chuckled at J looking no less like Timothy in amazement. Then Timothy suddenly jumped up and down in excitement. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Timothy screamed. "Where is she? Is she okay? I have to see her." J said feeling elated and worried at the same time. Jacob reached out to cup her cheeks with his palms. "Leo and Felix are taking her back to Loghouse. I guess it is better and safer for her to stay there." "Oh, God!" J felt relieved. She wrapped her arms around Jacob''s waist and seemed to have forgotten her anger at him earlier. "Thou I think she is not in her perfect condition. You knew about her previous illness, right?" J nodded her head. "Only Mom, Dad and me and of course Leo knows about it. Did it worsen?" She asked in a worried tone. "I am not sure about that yet. I guess only you and Mom and Dad can tell since only you guys know about it." "Let''s go? She asked for Timothy and I promised to take him there." Jacob said while he stroke J''s back. "Okay." J pulled herself out from Jacob but Jacob stopped her. "Wait." J looked up at his face. Jacob hasn''t let her go. His arms were still around her delicate body. While J''s hands are on his chest. "About earlier. I''m sorry that I shouted at you. I was just scared. I thought I''m gonna lose you. I thought Alex Ogden was using Diana to steal you from me. I thought he made a trap and you just willingly stepped into it." Chapter 515 - Falling in love multiple times for the same person "Shh..." J stopped him by putting her finger on his lips. "I know and I understand. In fact, I expected you to be mad at me. But I just cannot be at ease thinking that he must be the one behind all this and I am the only one who can stop him because it is me that he really wants." She watched as Jacob''s face darken but before he could say something, she stopped him. "Let me finish first. But that doesn''t mean I will give him what he wants. I wanted to know what did my grandfather promised Jack Ogden, and maybe, I could think of a way to change it. Maybe there is a way for negotiation. Somehow, I think that Alex is a more sensible man than his grandfather. Maybe I could change his mind." Jacob became worried because of J''s thought. Is there a way to change Alex Ogden''s mind? "What did he told you why he called you out?" J became silent. She hesitated to tell him the truth but she knows that she should. It is the right thing to do. She sighed. "He said that he just wanted to see me." Damn! What a trickster? Taking advantage of the situation just to see my wife. Jacob curse to himself. "Honey..." Jacob brushed his hair with his fingers. "Jack Ogden wants only the Robin Hood Society. But Alex Ogden is not interested. He only wants you..." Jacob said with gritted teeth. J stared at Jacob. "So what?" "So?" Jacob was worried, what if because of Alex'' persistence, J falls in love with him. J sighed and rolled her eyes. She already knew what Jacob is trying to point out. "I will fall in love once in this lifetime and if I did fall in love twice, thrice or multiple times, it will always be on the same person." J didn''t say it in a sweet voice but for Jacob, it was the sweetest words that came out of her lips. J stared at him with a raised brow. A smile was plastered on his lips and it was obvious that Jacob is currently in a bliss base on the spark in his eyes. "Okay, thou it doesn''t sound sweet but your words were very sweet, which was rare to come out of you sweet little mouth. So, I''ll let this one past. But..." Jacob raised a finger in front of her face. "The next time he called you to meet him up, inform me at once before you make a decision. Are we clear?" J nodded with a half-smile because she knew that Jacob wouldn''t accept a no for an answer. "And I will be coming with you." J rolled her eyes. I knew it! She thought. "Always." Jacob continued. "Remember that this is not only your problem. This is our problem. So don''t act impulsively. We will work together to find a way to resolve this. Okay?" J sighed. She''s got enough scolding for the day. "Got it!" Then Jacob felt a small hand tugging his pants. "Uncle Jacob? When are we leaving?" Oh, God! He forgot the presence of the kid! "Now!" He replied in an instant. "We are leaving now." He chuckled. Jacob leaned down to lift Timothy up into his arms. It was a one in a million chance to see the ruthless Chairman of Twelve Army carrying a 4-year-old child on his arms. What a sight! J thought internally. A small smile appeared on her lips as she watched the two enter the villa. She can''t wait to have a child of her own. Jacob will definitely be a good father. She unconsciously put her hand on her stomach just below her navel as if life has started to grow in there thou she knows that the little life hasn''t arrived yet. "Honey, are you okay?" She didn''t notice that Jacob has turned its back and the two were looking at her with concern. "Yes. I''m fine." She started catching up to them. "Auntie, come on! Mommy''s waiting for me!" Timothy called out impatiently. J chuckled. "Okay. Okay." Although it was almost dark, they travel from Lotus City to Naupaka Mountain. It is going to be two hours travel but J didn''t mind. She has to see Diana. She was worried. She was hoping that Diana is fine. Chapter 516 - Temporary Set up A week has passed since the return of Diana. Since then, she has been staying at Loghouse with Leo and Timothy. J helped her file an indefinite leave at CLP Hospital until she recovers. Leo is also on leave while Simon takes his position as Madam Victoria''s right-hand man for the meantime. It was uncertain when is Diana going to be back in her normal condition. Although she hasn''t been in a normal condition ever since. J was glad that Diana has been working it out and coping well with her illness since she and Leo got together. But, unfortunately, this previous incident makes it worse for Diana and she has to start from the beginning again. Fortunately, she is not facing this alone anymore, she has Leo and Timothy with her to help. She also got J and her parents. Although Diana doesn''t have biological parents with her, she''s got them that treats her like a family. Her heart aches for Diana, so she talked to Jacob and her parents the last time she visits Diana at Loghouse. Diana, Leo, and Timothy were temporarily occupying the guest house behind the Loghouse. "Mom, I know that you gave Diana a mission to look after me while I work at the hospital. But I don''t think I need it now. Jacob and Arthur''s Team has been watching me 24 hours 7 days a week. I want you to let go of Diana. I cannot put her at risk again. She''ll always be in danger as long as she stayed at Lotus City." "Sweetheart, are you blaming yourself for what happened to Diana?" Madam Victoria asked full of concern. "No, I''m not. But if something like that happened to her or Timothy, because of me I cannot help but blame myself." J sighed. "And I''m not going to let that happen." Madam Victoria nodded her head in understanding. Then she looked at President Martin. "Okay, if that''s what you want." "Thank you." She smiled, grateful for her parent''s understanding. "I''ll give the guest house to them. Her family can now permanently stay there. It would be safer for Diana and Timothy to be close to Leo. And at the same time, Leo will still be around your Mom." President Martin said. As a right-hand man of Madam Victoria, Leo has to be around her 24/7, that is why there is a room provided for him inside the Loghouse. But the room is designed only for a single person so President Martin decided that Leo could use the Guesthouse for his family since it doesn''t actually serve its purpose. Being hidden in the public, they never got to have a guest or visitor that would spend a night at Loghouse. Usually, it would be the council members but for the safety and security purposes of its members, they are not allowed to stay for more than 12 hours at the Loghouse or the Headquarters. Only a few were allowed, and those are the ones that temporarily reside at the headquarters because their skills and knowledge were needed at all times. "But I am not sure that Diana will be thrilled to give up her job at the hospital." Madam Victoria stated her concern. "Don''t worry about that, Mom. I already have a position waiting for her at the clinic in Twelve Army Headquarters. It is just 30 minutes away from here and she''ll definitely be safe there." Jacob said. J has already talked to him about this and he agreed. Although based on his understanding of Diana, she wouldn''t like the idea of her being away from J. Because it has been inked in her heart and mind to serve J. But this will only be only a temporary set up for them. J has already planned out the future, a decision she has to make. A decision that will change everyone''s life including Diana. A decision that she still has to talk with Jacob. Chapter 517 - Can I borrow the best hacker? Today is the mid-month council meeting of the Robin Hood Society. The council''s including J and Jacob arrived at the headquarters at Naupaka Mountain. Ever since they were introduced to the council, they started attending the council meetings. The mid-month council meeting is held every month to discuss the last mission and to decide on what mission to take for the next 30 days and then they will organize a team for that mission. The Society never plans for a long term mission, all planned missions should be executed within 30 days after it was constructed. They only plot one mission for the next 30 days. Others would call it a heist but for the Society, it is a mission. "Anything in the government?" President Martin asked looking at Mark Sloane. "We have been focusing recently in the private and informal sectors forgetting about the dirty under the table business going on around the government." Mark Sloane taps his finger on the table and said. "How about Mr. Steve Gold''s?" Everyone looked at him, "Do you think it is high time?" President Martin asked. Mark Sloane nodded his head. "An official is already silently investigating him." President Martin leaned back to his seat and pondered for a moment. Steve Gold is a businessman owning a multi-billion business empire in the country. His business started in Lotus City and slowly progressed all over the country. The Robin Hood Society has been diligently watching over his business for years now with the help of Mark Sloane. And over the years, they have found out that Steve Gold''s business was involved in tax evasion and economic sabotage and a couple of high-level government officials are receiving bribes from him to protect him and his business. "Do you have all the evidence?" Someone from the council asked. "Yes. I''ve already compiled all the evidence." Mark Sloane replied confidently. President Martin looked at everyone and asked, "Everyone, what do you think?" "Since an official started investigating Mr. Steve Gold, it would not be long until it became public, Mr. Gold and the high-level officials accepting bribes from him will be more cautious and meticulous." General George Lee said. "That''s right. Mr. Gold and these officials might start liquidating their assets and erase all traces of their transactions. It was just right for us to start acting before all of Mark Sloane''s effort go to waste." Police Major General Alejandro Sato said. "Okay, Sloane. That''s our mission for the next 30 days. You''ll lead this mission and you may start forming a group. You have someone in mind?" President Martin finally settled on a mission and now he wants to start the planning. "Hmm... not really. I might just be needing a couple of Professor Iris''s hackers." Mark Sloane replied. "We need them to hack the bank accounts of the high-level government officials involved in this case to pull out their money from their accounts." "Well then, I was actually wondering..." Professor Iris paused to glance at Jacob''s direction. "If Chairman Jacob would be willing to lend me the best hacker in the world." She said in a sheepish smile. The identity of Daniel Li as the best hacker in the world has always been a mystery, no one knows it except for a couple of people and it is not surprising that Professor Iris knows it. Everyone looked at her with curiosity. They were all wondering if Professor Iris knew who is this infamous hacker and what is his relationship with the Chairman of Twelve Army. Jacob smiled at her not surprised at all. "I''m sorry but he is exclusive unless the mission has something to do with Novus Rex." Jacob didn''t mention that that hacker is one of J''s security. "Maybe in the future, if the problems with Novus Rex has been resolved." Professor Iris nodded her head. "I understand. I am looking forward to be working with him." "That would be great." "Well, I guess I''m going to have to lend Mark Sloane the best hackers I have." Professor Iris said confidently. "Is it still safe to hack into bank accounts? I mean, most of the banks these days use two-factor authentication. If someone tries to make transactions using my bank account, I will quickly find it out. Because once my ID and password were entered for undertaking bank transactions, I will eventually receive a one-time temporary password via text message. Without it, no one can access my bank account." One of the council members, Robert Mayo, who seemed to not have any knowledge about the current technology voiced out his doubts. Chapter 518 - Understanding a Mission "Ha-ha. Robert, are you underestimating my people? That''s easy, first, we will access the target''s bank accounts with their ID and Password that we can get through a phishing attack, then we will attack the vulnerabilities of SS7 then voila!" Professor Iris waved her hand in the air. "We''ll get that OTP and with that, we can transact money with their bank account." She said then she winked at Robert Mayo. Robert Mayo chuckled and said, "Whatever! I don''t understand your language." J was just silently watching on her seat. She had heard of SS7 or Signalling System No. 7 from one of Daniel and Stefan''s conversation. It is a telephony signaling protocol used to set up and tear down phone calls in most parts of the world-wide public switch telephone network. If the SS7 is attacked by a hacker, the hacker can see the messages that are received by a certain person. "Okay, give Mark Sloane the men he needed. Pull out just the right amount of money. No more, no less." President Martin said that means they will only steal the amount of money that the high-level government officials received from Mr. Steve Gold. "How about the evidence you gathered?" "I''ll pass them on Police Major General Alejandro Sato." Mark Sloane said then he looked at the general. "Good, General Sato, we''ll leave that into your hands. Make sure that everything will not be tracked back to us." President Martin said with a stern face. Just like Jacob, President Martin has always been a laid-back person but when it comes to business, he takes everything seriously. "Copy that, President Martin. Expect a raid in 2 weeks." Police Major General Alejandro Sato stated with a smug smile. President Martin smirk. "Well then, we will be expecting that." The next 30 minutes were just discussion and planning of the upcoming mission which J barely participates or rather don''t participate at all. She just remained seated there lazily listening to their talking. Jacob once in a while share his suggestion. But J not participating in the discussion doesn''t mean she doesn''t care or doesn''t understand anything that they were talking. In fact, she understands them all. All those years being isolated from the Society, J would always receive reports from Lance regarding the status of the Society and that includes the minutes of every meeting. Lance would also report to her the details of each mission and how are they going to execute each one of them. So J more or less has already familiarized herself with the capabilities of the council members which were usually the leader of a mission. She also knows who are the most skilled and experts in different fields. She also knows that each mission takes a lot of preparation. They will first study their target for months or years. Then once they are familiar with their target, they make a plot against the target then the plot should be executed immediately within 30 days without wasting any second. "Okay, let''s talk about Novus Rex." When they heard President Martin''s words, they all fell into a silent and they all looked at the direction of Jacob. Everyone knows about those threats of Novus Rex wanting to take over the Society and they are all aware that Jacob is personally dealing with them, not because President Martin assigned him to as a council member but also because the threat also involves his wife. "Any movement from them?" President Martin directly asked. This time, Madam Victoria and Lance were all ears to what Jacob is about to say. Because this issue concerns J. And thou it involves her, J remained silent and indifferent. Obviously, she already knows what Jacob is about to say. Jacob is doing his investigation about Novus Rex through the help of James and some experts in the Twelve Army, while J is doing her own with the help of Arthur and his team. They thought that having two different teams investigating Novus Rex would help them not miss on any important information. "No." Jacob said after looking at J. "Jack Ogden hasn''t made any moves yet." He chose to address their adversary specifically because he knows that dealing with Jack Ogden is different from dealing with Alex Ogden. "He only has one way of taking over the Society and that way needs the cooperation of his grandson." Chapter 519 - A Man knows a man Jacob''s face became stern. "But I guess, they are having conflict. Not that Alex Ogden is not willing to cooperate. In fact, Alex Ogden is very much willing to fulfill his grandfather''s wish but for his own reason. They are having different time-frame. While Jack Ogden is in a rush, the younger one doesn''t seem so." "Chairman Jacob, I don''t understand." Miss Nancy who rarely speaks in a meeting voiced her curiosity. If it has something to do with J, she has to know everything about it because she cared about her. "Jack Ogden wants to take over the Society by marrying Alex Ogden to Jenny." Upon saying that, Jacob''s face turned grimmer and his grip on J''s hand that he was holding under the table become tighter afraid of letting her go. Everyone already knew of this information so they know that there is something else. So, they were all anticipating. "But... Alex Ogden is not interested in the Society. He is only interested in marrying Jenny." Although Jacob wanted to keep that as a secret, he can''t since it concerns J and the Society. Jacob looked at the confused face of the council members. "I don''t know if this is good, but, Alex Ogden... I think he... " "Damn! Alex Ogden wants to marry J because he has fallen in love with her?!" Lance was the one who says what Jacob can''t bring himself to say. J glared at him. Although she knew that Alex Ogden is interested in her, she doesn''t want to believe that he has fallen in love with her. And it irks her that Lance thinks of that way. She looked at Jacob and saw him nods his head. What?! J''s jaw fell on the ground. "That''s right. And because of that, I don''t think he will use any form of force to get her." She heard Jacob say after clearing his throat. She rolled her eyes. "Ahem... I think you are just assuming things." J tried to hide her slight embarrassment by being sarcastic. For the first time, the council members heard the voice of their heiress. They thought that she would remain quiet until the meeting ends. Jacob turned to look at J whose hands still engulfed in his. "Honey, I am a man and we can sense when a man has a special affection towards a woman. And I can say what Alex Ogden feels towards you. Even Arthur noticed it as well." J leaned closer to Jacob''s face and said something to him that only he could hear. "I don''t want to talk about this here." Her face is void of any emotion but Jacob could tell that she really is irritated and uncomfortable about the topic. Jacob stared at her and their gaze met each other. After a couple of seconds, J was the one to break away from Jacob''s gaze. "As I was saying, Alex Ogden ''might have'' a special affection towards my wife," Jacob stressed it out so that J would not glare at him and say that he was just assuming things thou his was certain that Alex indeed has some sort of a romantic affection towards his wife if not in love, at least. "So, we think that Alex Ogden would not try to harm her or use any sort of force to get her. He is taking his time, waiting for something that will never happen. And for this reason, Jack Ogden is getting more impatient and is having a little conflict with his grandson." "So, I am being more cautious about what would Jack Ogden do. But, I am not setting aside the fact the Alex Ogden is still being a threat. Alex Ogden believes that Jenny was supposed to be married to him because he is holding on to a promise that apparently, Elder Do made to Jack Ogden." His words made everyone puzzled. "What promise are you talking about?" Madam Victoria asked furiously. Jacob shook his head. "I don''t know about the details, but when I went to talk to him at Rendesvouz, he mentioned to me that Jenny was promised to be married to him. Chapter 520 - Putting J and The Society in Danger "Oh, God!" Madam Victoria clutched her chest, for a fraction of second, J thought that her mother would have a heart attack but by just merely looking at her, she realized that she is not. Thou she is feeling tensed and angered at the same time. "Alex Ogden also once visited Jenny at the hospital to tell her that..." Jacob paused for a while and glanced at J who is looking at her parent''s reaction. Finding any hint if they knew anything about this promise that Elder Do made to Jack Ogden. But she finds nothing but worry and confusion. "... she was supposed to be his and he will reclaim what is supposed to be his..." Jacob continued and it makes everyone astounded. "That''s ridiculous!" Miss Nancy expressed her anger. "Do you know anything about this?" Jacob turned to ask his father-in-law hoping that he does but to his disappointment, President Martin shook his head with a grave expression. "Father never mentioned anything about this to me, not even about your marriage." President Martin said feeling downcast. His father puts his daughter into this serious and dangerous situation and never even bothers to mention a thing to him. He felt gravely disappointed. "Did he told you about this?" President Martin asks Miss Nancy since she and her sister were the ones who knew about J''s marriage. Miss Nancy and Miss Eve looked at each other and shook their heads at once. "No, he didn''t mention it." The conference room fell into silent before General George Lee made a note. "I am afraid, Elder Do had put the interest of the Society in danger before, that''s why he married Miss J to Chairman Jacob Parker thinking that it will solve everything." "I am thinking of the same thing." Robert Mayo said while nodding his head. In fact, everyone is thinking the same. "Father, what have you done..." President Martin said in a low voice that almost only he could hear. He sighed then he closed his eyes as if it would relieve him of all his worries for the Society and his daughter. It was something that J also does to calm her down. Jacob takes note of it. "Aside from Jack Ogden, maybe Elder Parker knew about it. Have you found him?" Lance''s father asked. Jacob shook his head. "No. I have someone from the Twelve Army tracking him down and, J also has Lance to track him but we haven''t had the luck yet." "If we don''t have Elder Parker here, the only option we have is to talk to Jack Ogden and find out what Elder Do promised him. Thou it is obvious that it is to marry Miss J to Alex Ogden but for what reason. What made Elder Do make such promise knowing that it will put the Society in the hands of danger? What do you think?" Lance''s father asks looking at everyone. Everyone nodded their heads. "I''ll talk to him." Jacob volunteered although he knows that President Martin wants it to be him, they cannot expose him. Not only Jack Ogden is finding out who the current leader of the Society is. And President Martin was supposed to be already dead. Aside from Jacob and J, the identity of the members of the Society remained confidential. So everyone agreed. "But, are you sure that Alex Ogden will not hurt Miss J?" Miss Eve asked with concern. "Yes." Jacob nodded his head. "He has met with Jenny twice and during those times, he never brought anyone from Novus Rex." "Nonetheless, we still have to be cautious of him. Even if he doesn''t harm or force J, one way or another, he would think of a way to get her." Lance said. It was probably the longest meeting that the council has ever had. Everyone has left except for J, Jacob, President Martin, and Madam Victoria. J felt drained and exhausted while President Martin looked grave. Madam Victoria is on the verge of crying and Jacob felt guilty because he knew that breaking that information to them made them feel this thou he knew that he should. Chapter 521 - If it was only known "I am so sorry sweetheart for putting you through all of this." President Martin said apologetically to J while holding her hand both in his. J could feel her fathers emotion and he felt a tight grip on her heart. "Dad, it''s not your fault. You didn''t do anything." J said trying to console her father but she realized that she just made it worse. "That''s exactly my fault. I didn''t do anything. If I had known, I could''ve done something to prevent this from ever happening." J has always been a woman of few words and most of the time she doesn''t know how to express her thoughts. This time, she really doesn''t know how to respond to her father. She is afraid that if she says anything, it would make him feel worse. If there is something that she is thankful about what is happening right now, it is her marriage to Jacob. Although it was arranged and she was against it, she ends up falling for him and Jacob did the same. "What should we do now?" They heard Madam Victoria asked from behind them. "We will continue searching for Elder Parker and while we do that, Jacob will talk to Jack Ogden." President Martin releases J''s hand and said looking at Jacob. "Are you sure you''ll be fine talking to him?" President Martin is full of hesitation and concern. "Don''t worry about that, I''ll be fine." Jacob nodded his head and smiled to reassure them. Meeting with Jack Ogden is dangerous and risky. No one knows him better than Elder Do and Elder Parker since they almost grew up together. Thou Leo knew him personally, he cannot exactly tell Jack Ogden''s way of thinking since most of the time, Leo is with Alex. But Jacob still made a mental note to talk to Leo. After the meeting, each council member left the headquarters. But Lance remained to wait for J. "You haven''t left?" J asked him with a raised brow. "Yeah. How''s Diana?" he asked. "She''s..." J paused thinking for the right word to say. "...coping." "Hmm..." Lance nodded his head. "Can I see her?" J looked at Lance and hesitated for a moment. Lance didn''t know about Diana''s previous illness and she felt guilty that she hides it from him. She knows that he deserves to know since he is also one of Diana''s best friends. He even helps her a lot of times before. But Diana was adamant of not telling it to Lance or anyone. Not because she doesn''t want to. She was just embarrassed. "Okay." In the end, J decided to let Lance see Diana and tell him her condition. "Let''s go. She''s at the guest house." J and Madam Victoria went back to Loghouse with Lance. They were followed by Leo and Arthur. While Jacob and President Martin were left in his office to talk about some plans. Once they arrived at the Loghouse, J called out to Leo. "Leo..." "We will be visiting Diana..." She said. Lance cannot discern her tone. Is she asking permission or asking for help? Lance thought internally. Leo looked at Lance with a stern face, then back at J before he nods and walked towards the guest house. J and Lance followed him. After a while, they were standing outside the guest house while waiting for Leo and Diana. Lance was puzzled why can''t they go inside and has to remain standing outside. "Shouldn''t we go inside." J shook her head. "It''s better if we wait for them here." Then they saw Leo walked out holding Diana''s hand. "Lance." Diana smiled at him. It was a genuine smile. She was truly delighted to see him. She still looks beautiful as before. But something is different about her that Lance could not pinpoint. Until he takes a step forward to greet her. "I''m glad to see that you are fine..." But when he took a step forward, Diana took a step backward and almost hid behind Leo. This made Lance flustered. Later on, after chatting for a while and J and Lance were left alone, J told him Diana''s secret. Lance clenched his fist and anger appeared in his eyes. He cannot believe that Diana has been suffering for almost a decade now. If he had only known. Chapter 522 - Friends No Matter What "Hey." "What took you so long?" Jack asked Benjamin who is now panting with both his hands on his knees. "Sorry, I had to finish my thesis. I''m not like you two scholars who are smart enough to finish their thesis in just one night." Benjamin said sarcastically still catching his breath. Alexander scoff. "Says the top student of the Department of Medicine." "Ha-ha! I told you, you should have let me do your thesis. I won''t charge you too much." Jack said with a smug smile. "What... isn''t too obvious if a business management student does the thesis of a medical student?" Benjamin replied. "Huh! Are you doubting my capabilities? Of course, I can do the thesis of a medicine student even if I am a business management student. In fact, I already did one." Jack said with a smile waving a thick stack of papers on his hand. Benjamin''s eyes widened. "No way!" Then he snatched the papers in Jack''s hand and scanned every page of it. "I can''t believe it! You really did it! It''s like the work of a medical student! Did he really do this?" He asked Alexander who was just silently sitting on the grass throwing stones on the river. Alexander nods his head. "Yes, he did it last night." Alexander and Jack live in an apartment that they rent together so he knows that he really did that thesis. "You''re freaking awesome!" Benjamin is grinning as he gave Jack a high five. "Tell me, how much do you earn in doing papers from other students?" Benjamin said as he sits beside Alexander. Jack shrugs his shoulder. "Hmm... not that much. Just enough." "Thou seriously, you came from a well off family. You don''t need to do extra work to earn. Aren''t you planning to work in your family business once we graduated?" Benjamin asked which made Jack''s mood darkens. Yes, he did come from a wealthy family but no one knows that his family business back in Crocus is already bankrupt. Because of that, his parents got sick and now he has to work extra to support his parents and his younger brother. "He is saving so that he could marry Sylvia," Alexander stated indifferently. Among the three he is the coldest and a total introvert. "What? Seriously? Sylvia? The daughter of Senator Wells? Damn! Since when did you start dating her?" Benjamin exclaimed. Thou he already knew about Jack and Sylvia, he still acted surprised. Hearing the name, Jack''s mood became better. He scoffs, "As if you didn''t know!" "Isn''t she too high maintenance?" Benjamin asked with concern. He knows that the girl came from an elite family and has such high standards. "No, she''s not!" Jack retorted back. "But her parents are," Alexander said nonchalantly. "Well, our friend came from a well off family from Crocus, so, we shouldn''t worry about these things. Right?" Benjamin patted the back of Jack''s shoulder. For a fraction of second, there was sadness in Jack''s face but it was eventually replaced by a smile. "Hey, when the time comes, will you be willing to marry your kids to mine?" Jack suddenly asked with a serious expression which made Alexander and Benjamin taken aback. "Why would you suddenly ask that kind of question?" Benjamin asks with a frown. Jack shrug his shoulder. "Nothing, I just thought, wouldn''t it be great if our children end up together? I mean, we''ve been friends for almost 10 years now, thou I am sure that we will still be in the next couple of decades but we are not sure if we would stay together. If our children end up together, where ever we are we still have our children to connect us. We will still remain friends." Alexander and Benjamin fell silent. "We will still remain friends no matter what," Alexander said after a couple of seconds. "Do you agree with my proposition?" Jack asked. "Don''t ask me. I don''t have plans of getting married." Benjamin shook his head and then pointed his chin into Alexander. "Ask him." Jack looked at Alexander. They have always known that Benjamin doesn''t have any plans of getting married while Alexander does not reject the idea. "Okay. Sure." Alexander replied indifferently thinking that Jack might not take it seriously. But he was wrong. "Wait! What if you two got both boy or both girl?" "Then we''ll marry our grandchildren," Jack said as a matter of fact. "Oh... not bad." Alexander remained silent. Chapter 523 - It runs in the blood "Boss we''re here." Jack was awakened from his dream when his right-hand man called him out. He looked around and saw that they indeed have arrived at their meeting place. It was a private restaurant that Jack Ogden rented out for his meeting with John Parker. "Okay." Carlos, Jack Ogden''s right-hand man step out of the car and helped Jack Ogden out of it. Jack Ogden is almost 90 years old now but he still has that brawny physique, thou his movements were now slower than the younger ones. He steps out of the car emitting that strict and domineering aura. During his younger days, he is known to be either introvert or extrovert. He chooses his company well. But he is a mysterious but laid back person. Time has changed him. He still looked mysterious but you cannot see the laid back person from him. He looked like he is always planning something evil. He has never been strict and domineering but now he is. He walks inside the restaurant slowly and elegantly. Behind him is Carlos. Inside the restaurant, he expected only one person but he frowned when he saw two more persons. He immediately recognized them. When Jacob finds out that Jack Ogden reached out to his father and wanted to have a talk to him, he insisted on coming. At first, Chairman John Parker was resolute in not allowing him to go but Jacob was adamant saying that he plans to meet Jack Ogden on his own sooner or later. In the end, both of them went to meet him with James not taking any agents from the Twelve Army. Jacob informed J about this since he knew that he cannot hide anything from his wife. He looked at the old man walking towards them. He had that slight resemblance with Alex Ogden, Jacob thought. "Chairman John Parker, I never expected that you will be coming with a backup." Jack Ogden''s voice was grave, slow-paced and rugged. Some old man''s voice can bring calmness to its listener but Jack Ogden''s voice does not. It was somewhat disturbing. "I am sorry for coming without notice, but I have been planning to meet you sooner or later. So, I took this chance. I hope you don''t mind." Jacob stood up politely and bow his head to show the respect which any old man should receive from the younger generations. Jack Ogden waved his hand. "I don''t think I can do anything about it. It would be rude for me to throw you out of this place." He signaled Carlos to come closer to him after he seated comfortably and whispered something into his ear. Carlos nodded his head then went to talk to a waiter. Chairman John Parker and Jacob remained seated in front of Jack Ogden staring at him. While waiting for him to talk, they watch and observe his every movement. "Please, lay down your guard. I only came here to talk. As if an old man like me can beat someone younger and stronger than you." Jack Ogden scoff. Then they all fell in silence. After a while, a waiter arrived carrying a cup of coffee and put it in the table in front of Jack Ogden. "What do you want to talk about?" Chairman John Parker was the one to break the silence. But instead of answering his question, Jack Ogden looked at Jacob and asked the same question. "What do you want to talk about?" Jacob smiled. "Please, Mr. Ogden. You are the one who invited my father for a chat so I''ll save my words for later." Jack Ogden narrowed his eyes at Jacob but the latter remained unfazed. "You look exactly like your mother." Jack Ogden said afterward. They know that he is talking about Camilla, John Parker''s mother, the wife of Benjamin Parker. "She is such a beautiful and sweet girl. No wonder a man like Benjamin who never plans to get married was so smitten by her. It took us by surprise when he said that he will be marrying Camilla the same year that he met her. He always says that he won''t get married but then, among us three, he was the first one to get married." Jack said feeling a little bit nostalgic. Jacob was surprised. He never knew that his grandfather never plans on getting married but changed his mind when he met Camilla Lopez. Well, looks like it runs in the blood after all. Jacob thought internally. Chapter 524 - What Change Him "I know the reason why you want to talk to me, Jacob Parker. In fact, that is also the reason why I want to talk to your father. What a coincidence, right?" Jack Ogden smile smugly. "Actually, I wanted to talk to Benjamin, but I cannot seem to find him. Where is he?" He asked directly. "We don''t know where he is," Jacob answered and that was the truth. Jack Ogden scoff. "That old fox. I know he is hiding something from me. He and Alexander plot something against me and I don''t like it." "What are you talking about?" Jacob asked with a frown. "I came from a well off family. We have a chain of business in Crocus. But when I was in college, my family was bankrupt. My parents got sick and I had to act as the breadwinner of my family. No one knows about this. I never told anyone, not even to Benjamin or Alexander. I had to work for my family. Fortunately, I got a scholarship so I don''t have to worry about my study. But still, I had to work." Alexander and Jack both got a scholarship in college. They were both in a business course. Alexander is smart but he was an orphan so he needed that scholarship. They thought that Jack doesn''t need it since he came from a rich family but Jack said that he wanted it, so he applied for a scholarship and since he is smart, he got it. While Benjamin, thou smart as well, since he came from a true elite family, he doesn''t need it. Life was hard on Jack during those times but he never showed it to his friends. He has to study and work at the same time. He started by doing papers and projects for his classmates and schoolmates. Until he, later on, starts to work illegally by stealing test papers from the office of the professors and sell it to the students. Then he met Sylvia. She came from a family of politicians. She is beautiful, smart. She got everything that a man looks for a wife. And Jack falls in love with her. But Sylvia has her own flaw. She values power and wealth more than anything. Status is important to her. So Jack has to keep up with her expectations. That changed him. "My family sunk into poverty. I became poor. If I wanted to get married, I have to secure the future of my children. So, I had to make Benjamin promise to marry his child to mine." Chairman John Parker made a slight reaction. Jacob looked at his father thinking, that it was he who was supposed to get married to Jack Ogden''s child. But what happened? He looked back at Jack Ogden anticipating his words. "But, Benjamin... tsk... he said that he doesn''t have plans to get married and said that I should talk about that with Alexander. I never expected that Alexander would agree. That''s the least I wanted. He is an orphan, no family background. What use is he to me? But he is smart. He''s got a future ahead of him. So, I thought, why not?" A smirk appeared on his mouth almost identical to Alex''s smirk. "Soon, I founded the Novus Rex. I asked them to join me but they refused and instead stay away from me. They were my friends, I thought they would support me." Jack Ogden continued in a dejected tone. "What you were doing is illegal. You should be thankful that they didn''t report you to the authority." Jacob said. Jack Ogden laughed at him which made him annoyed. "Illegal? They didn''t support me because they thought it was illegal? Then why would Alexander found The Robin Hood Society later on? All this time, we were on the same page and yet he insists that what he is doing is different from mine." Jack Ogden started mocking them. "What you are doing causes harm to innocent people. That is different from helping innocent people which has always been the goal of the Society." Jacob defended. "Still, you cannot change the fact that it is stealing. They are taking another person''s property without permission or legal rights and it is against and punishable by law." Chapter 525 - Differences What Jack Ogden says is right and Jacob cannot change that fact. What the Society is doing is still illegal despite its purpose. But its principle and intention are different from those of Novus Rex. "Our principles and purpose are different from yours, Mr. Ogden. Your purpose is wealth and power not minding if you have hurt innocent people. It is purely for your selfish gain. The Society wouldn''t hurt people unless they deserve it. We only steal from those who steal. We don''t steal to get rich and powerful. We steal to serve and help people. We don''t steal from our own profit. And that makes us different from you, Mr. Ogden." "And that, Parker, is the reason why I want the Robin Hood Society. You are wasting such a good opportunity!" Jack Ogden said enthusiastically while pointing his finger on the table. "If Novus Rex is in the position, the skills of Robin Hood Society will be put in good use." Jacob looked at Jack Ogden like he was an insane man. J was right, Alex Ogden is more sensible than this man. How pathetic! "Now tell me." Jack Ogden leaned back and crossed his arms in his chest. "Who is your leader?" Jacob and his father didn''t say a word and just stared at him. Disbelief was in their faces. "Is it the heiress?" Jack Ogden assumed. "No." Upon hearing it, Jacob immediately answered. "Then it''s you?" It was either a question or a statement. Jack was looking at Jacob who remained unfazed. Jacob thought that it would be better if they think that it was him so that they wouldn''t keep on pestering his wife. But Jack Ogden''s next words disappoint him. "But, I doubt it was you. You just met the heiress last year and found out about her identity recently. The Robin Hood Society has still been operating even if its leaders have already died. That means... its either the heiress or..." He paused. "Someone is still alive." There was a glint in his eyes and Jacob noticed that. "You''ll never find out who is the Society''s leader Jack Ogden. And it has nothing to do with you now. Whatever Elder Do promises to you back then, it is already null and void. The heiress is already married to Jacob legally and you can''t do anything about it." Chairman John''s voice was firm. Jack Ogden''s face becomes stern. "Try me. You know... I am good at finding secrets." There is evilness in his voice. "You know, years after the three of us got married I found out that we all got sons. I thought that must be fate. Alexander was lucky. He already founded The Robin Hood Society at that time. Then, later on, I found out that Benjamin got two granddaughters. I thought, how unfortunate because I got a grandson. If Benjamin promised back then, then I could have Alex married to either your daughters. Alex could have control over the CLP Group of Hospitals or Twelve Army." Jacob should felt relieved that his sisters were spared but he wasn''t. He cannot find it in his heart. He saw his father flinched, he probably thought of what could happen if his father made a promise to Jack Ogden. Of course, he cannot let one of his daughters marry Alex Ogden. And he doubts if Leticia or Lily would like the idea as well. "Then years ago." Jack Ogden continues. "I found out that Alexander has a granddaughter!" "What a cunning old man! He is secretly hiding her from me. Does he thinks me of a fool?! He cannot hide a secret from me. He cannot hide her from me, well at least not from my grandson." He talks proudly of himself. "It probably takes us years, but you see? We found her. I thought that Alexander''s promise would not be put in use. I thought it was just a waste, but he has founded the Robin Hood Society. What a genius! So, I have to get the girl and marry her to Alex. But Benjamin and Alexander... they ruined my plan." His face turned grim and Jacob heard him clicked his tongue three times. Chapter 526 - Im not leaving her "Now I have a proposition." Proposition? Jacob was alerted, thou he still looked calm. "Leave the heiress and I''ll spare your family." Chairman John Parker frowned. "Mr. Ogden, I guess you have forgotten who you are talking to." Jack Ogden chuckled then challenged the gaze of Chairman John. "Or probably you have forgotten who you are talking to, Mr. Parker." The two of them looked at each other with a piercing glare. "You cannot touch my family. Don''t you dare." Chairman John threatened him with greeted teeth. His hands clenched under the table. "Oh, I''m sure I can!" Jack Ogden smiled smugly. "So what do you think Jacob Parker?" Jacob is fuming with anger but he is trying to control it. "I will not leave her and you will not go near my family." His voice was cold and threatening. Jack Ogden chuckled. "Let''s see about that. I know your company, I know your family, I know where they are and what they do. So, don''t challenge my patience." Jack Ogden shook his head then he stood up. Carlos immediately helped him. "I''ll give you one month." Then he left. He left Jacob and his father fuming inside. After a couple of minutes, Jacob stood up. "Jacob..." Chairman John called him out. "Dad... please." Jacob stops in his tracks but he didn''t look at his father. "I''m not leaving her." His voice was determined. He was thinking that because Jack Ogden is threatening them, Chairman John Parker will convince him to leave his wife. But he was wrong. "I''m not telling you to leave her." Chairman John Parker stood up and walk in front of Jacob. "Tell President Martin that I''ll be paying him a visit one of these days. If Novus Rex wants war, then we''ll give them war." There is going to be a bloodbath. Then Chairman John walked away leaving Jacob and James astounded. They have never seen Chairman John Parker that vicious before. .... "Can you please stop pacing around, sweetheart." Madam Kelly said while she herself is pacing around as well. "I''m sorry mom, I can''t," J said filled with worries. A couple of days after the mid-month meeting at The Robin Hood Society headquarters, Jacob and J received news that Jack Ogden sent someone to give Chairman John a message that he wants to have a chat with him. Jacob took this opportunity and decided to go with his father. J wanted to go but of course, Jacob didn''t let her. When Jacob left with James and Chairman John, J was left at Evergreen Villa. But she was unease. She wants to do something, she wants to go somewhere but she can''t. She is too preoccupied. She takes leave at the hospital because she knew that she cannot work normally. Her mind is not functioning well. She''ll get crazy so she decided to visit Madam Kelly. Arthur''s team never leave her side. But when she arrived at the Parkers Mansion, Madam Kelly is no less anxious than her. Probably worse. Why not? Both their husband is meeting with a lawless protagonist. J continued on fidgeting on the family room, she either sits or walks around but she won''t stay put in a minute. "I can''t wait any longer." Madam Kelly heard J speak then she saw J rushed out of the mansion. "Jenny!" Madam Kelly followed her. "Sweetheart! Wait! Where are you going?" Arthur who was on the lookout outside the mansion heard Madam Kelly, it was only then that he saw J bolted towards the car. J gets inside the car, she is determined to follow where Jacob is. But, to her dismay, the key to the car is nowhere. She saw Arthur walking towards the car. She immediately steps out and asks him for the key. "Miss J, what are you doing?" Arthur''s face was full of concern. Arthur was never like this to anyone, he is either cold, aloof or indifferent. "I need to see him. Give me the key." J said in a rush tone. But before Arthur could say something, they saw Jacob''s SUV. As soon as Jacob step out of the car, J has already rushed to him and pounced on him as if they haven''t seen each other for decades. Jacob felt her warm embrace not surprised at all because he would do the same. After his talk to Jack Ogden, the first thing that comes to his mind is to hold her in his arms and never let her go. Chapter 527 - The hardest battle "What did he say?" J asked curiously. They were still holding each other standing but this time, they already managed to get in Jacob''s room. They decided to stay at the mansion for the night. "Nothing." As much as possible Jacob doesn''t want to talk about it to her. J frowned. "He wouldn''t call you there for nothing." Jacob sigh. Of course, she will not stop until he speaks so Jacob reiterated what Jack Ogden told them. Disbelief was plastered on J''s beautiful face. Jacob expected that because that was their reaction as well. "Why would my grandfather do that?" she asked. Jacob shrugged his shoulders. They wouldn''t know what Alexander Do is thinking back then because he is already dead. Unless he told about it to Benjamin Parker. So Jacob just said what he thought. "Because they were friends?" "What?! That''s ridiculous! Complete nonsense!" J was astounded. "I know." Jacob wrapped his arms around her and settled his face into the crook of J''s neck. "Don''t worry, we are already married. And he can''t do anything about it." J became silent. "What else?" She asked later on. She knew that that''s not all. She can feel it. She can sense it by the way that Jacob is holding her. "That''s all," Jacob said without moving. He didn''t raise his head because he knows that his eyes will betray him. J would be able to read him and she will find out that he is hiding something. But J is smart. She has been thinking of the possible outcome of their conversation with Jack Ogden. She has been anxious because she knows that Jack Ogden might force Jacob to leave her and of course Jacob would refuse. She became silent again waiting for Jacob to say something but he didn''t. So she voiced out her thoughts. "He asked you to leave me in exchange for what?" When he heard that, Jacob raised his head and he reached out to cup J''s face with both his palms. "Honey, I would never do that." He said while staring into her eyes. "So, he did tell you to leave me," J confirmed with a slightly raised brow. Jacob sighed in exasperation. He brushed his hair with his fingers and sits at the edge of his bed. He looked defeated which J never saw before. He never showed this side of him to anyone except her. This is probably going to be the hardest battle he is going to face. Jacob nodded his head in response. J felt a knot formed in her throat. Although she has expected this, she still can''t help but be emotional. She lifts up her face to look at the ceiling preventing her tears to fall. She closed her eyes and takes a deep breath to calm her emotions. She swallowed the lump in her throat and asked. "And if you don''t?" Jacob didn''t answer so J made an assumption. The best way to force a person in doing what he doesn''t want to do is by attacking its weakness. And Jacob''s weakness is his family. "If you don''t leave me... he will hurt your family..." J mumbled. Jacob felt like his heart is being torn into pieces at the thought of leaving her. He is determined not to leave her, but what if she sacrificed herself and leave him. That can''t happen. He won''t let it happen. Not in this lifetime or the next. He stood up and place his hands on her shoulders. "Honey, I promise that I will never leave you. Nothing can make me leave you. You understand. So, please, promise me that you''ll never sacrifice yourself and never leave me. Please." Jacob''s eyes were pleading. Jacob looks vulnerable and J knows that it is because of her. She felt guilty. Jacob knows her well. He knows that worst comes to worst, she might sacrifice herself to save him and his family. But she doesn''t want to leave him. A tear falls from her eyes followed by another. Before she knows it, she is already sobbing in Jacob''s chest. "I-I don''t..." J said in between sobs. "I don''t want to leave you. But..." "Shh.." Jacob places a finger on her lips and shook his head. "You won''t leave me and I won''t leave you. Okay? We''ll find a way. He gave me one month. So, we will resolve this together." Chapter 528 - Die together The couple stayed in Jacob''s room for the rest of the day. They lay in bed, J felt drained and exhausted, she fell asleep in Jacob''s chest. After the meeting with Jack Ogden, Chairman John went straight to Loghouse in Naupaka Mountain to meet up with President Martin. Jacob knew that they were already planning something. He wanted to go with his father but he wanted to be with his wife more. When J was awakened, it was already dark outside. The room is dark except for the dim lights coming from the wall sconces. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes is the face of her husband. God! She can''t imagine waking up without this sight in front of her. She would kill just to be with him. She reached out to touch his face. She knows that he is awake. She can tell by his breathing. She leaned closer to touch his lips with hers. It was soft and tempting. "I love you." She said in a hushed voice. Jacob heard it and he suddenly opens his eyes. He should be happy to hear those words but why did he felt scared. He is frowning while staring at J. She rarely expresses her feeling and emotions in words. She is not that type of person. Then why did she suddenly said those words? Is she saying that for the last time before she leaves him? He is being paranoid. His arms tightened around her body afraid that she will leave. "You are not leaving me. Right? You are not saying those words because you are leaving me?" Jacob was fearful and it pains her seeing him like that. J shook her head. "No. I won''t." But that was not enough. Jacob could still feel that fear in his heart. "They''ll have to kill me first before they could take you away from me." J shuddered at the thought. "Jacob..." She raised her head to look at him. She hates it when he talks about death. "I know, Honey. But... I''ve never been this scared in my life. I can''t imagine my life without you. I know you don''t want me to talk about death, it''s bad luck. But, taking you away from me means they will be taking my life as well." J was touched by Jacob''s words. She felt her heart melts, she wanted to say that she felt the same way. She doesn''t want to be separated from him. She''ll slowly die without him. She snuggled closer to his body and buried her face into his chest. "I won''t. I promise I will never leave. They cannot take me away from you. If you die, I''ll die with you." Jacob was speechless. He thought that he was the only one who feels that way, he never expected her to feel the same way. That she is willing to die with him. He underestimated her love for him. Somehow, he felt relieved. "Thank you..." Is all that he could say. Minutes later, "Aren''t you hungry? Do you want to grab something to eat?" J suddenly felt her stomach grumbling at the thought of food. She remembered, she hasn''t eaten lunch. She nods her head, "Let''s go." At the dining room. "Dad, what''s happening? Why did I suddenly have four more guards? One is fine but addition of four?! Where is a brother? Did he send them?" Lily was anxious. If there is one thing she hates the most, that is having guards following her around. "Calm down. You are not alone." Leticia said in a calm tone. Lily looked at her with curiosity. "What do you mean?" Apparently, after their meeting with Jack Ogden, Jacob called the officials of Twelve Army and instructed them to assign five guards in each member of the Parkers including Lily, Leticia, Mark, the twins, and his parents. He also requested five more guards for J. Not only that, but he also requested to send agents to watch over Evergreen Villa, Parker''s Mansion, Lily''s apartment, Leticia and Mark''s house as well as Parker''s Pharmaceutical and Mark Sloane''s office. Consider it as over the top but he was just being extra cautious. And besides, he has the resources so why not use them. Lily''s jaw dropped. "What is happening?" When Chairman John arrived from his meeting with President Martin he immediately called them to spend the night at the mansion. Chapter 529 - A Parker Chairman John looked at everyone then to Mark Sloane. Mark Sloane was there when he talked with President Martin which he thought was good because he is also a member of the family. He gestured him to tell the rest of what is happening. "Jack Ogden wants Jacob to leave Miss J, in return, he will spare the family." Mark Sloane said without hesitation. Everyone fell into silence. But J and Jacob were already on their way to the dining room and heard what Mark Sloane said. J heard it. And she felt guilty. Everyone sensed their presence and looked at them. To her particularly. It was awkward. "Sweetheart..." It was Madam Victoria who breaks the silence and awkwardness. She stood up and walk towards her. She reached out for her hand and pulled her into an embrace. "I''m sorry." That''s what she thought she should say for dragging their family into this mess. "What?! What are you sorry for? You are a family, of course, we will not leave you. Jacob will not leave you. Right?" Madam Kelly said then he glanced at Jacob behind her. She already speaks out on behalf of the family. Everyone already knew about Novus Rex and their threats. They knew about Alex Ogden claiming that he is the supposed husband of J and Jack Ogden''s plan of taking over the Robin Hood Society once J and Alex got married. But they were not at all affected by it since they were certain about the legality of J and Jacob''s marriage. However, they didn''t expect that Jack Ogden will be too brazen to threaten their family. Jacob just nodded his head and wrapped his arms around J. "Oh my God! That Jack Ogden is mental. Is he taking us a fool? You are obviously a Parker, leaving you means hurting a Parker. He is not really giving us an option! What a jerk!" Lily roared. "Lily, watch your mouth!" Thou she agreed to what Lily said, Madam Kelly still takes notes of her words because of the presence of Paul and Paula. But if they weren''t there, she would be glad to join Lily in cursing Jack Ogden. "Ops... Sorry for the words but I am not sorry for cursing him!" She said glancing at the twins then back to Madam Kelly. "Don''t worry Jenny. We won''t leave you. You are a Parker and a Parker never leaves a family. Jack Ogden can take all of his lackeys from Novus Rex but they cannot harm our family. We have the biggest and most ferocious private army in the country. I don''t think he realized that. And besides, you have your brothers and sisters in The Robin Hood Society backing you up." Leticia leaned back and stated calmly. Mark Sloane''s arm is rested around Leticia''s shoulder. J felt warm inside. She never expected that the whole family will be there when she woke up and she never expected their support. They are right, the whole day, she worried about her and Jacob being separated. She only thinks about them and forgets that Jacob has the Twelve Army while she got The Robin Hood Society. Who would dare harm them? Who would dare separate them? She felt her confidence heighten and spirits uplifted. "Thank you." She said teary-eyed. She is literally out for words. "The food is getting cold. Let''s eat." Chairman John finally says some words and everyone obliged. While eating, they chatted and talked about topics not related to business or politics as it was too stressful and depressing. What they needed is something that has never been part of their daily lives. And since every one of them is not into entertainment business except for Lily, they talked about her career and her relationship with Lance. "Sweetheart, when are you going to go public with your relationship with Lance? I think you are being unfair to him." Madam Kelly started questioning her. "In time mom. And I don''t think I am being unfair. He is the one who suggested it." Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes. But he did it just to protect your career and not his reputation." Lily fell silent which J noticed. Is she taking Lance for granted? Lily thought internally. Chapter 530 - Emotions are weakness "You''ve met with Jacob Parker?" That night, Alex Ogden pay his grandfather a visit at Oxeye Castle after finding out that he had a meeting with the Parkers. "No. I''ve met with John Parker. Jacob Parker met with me." Alex narrowed his eyes to his grandfather who is making things sound complicated. "And what did you talked with them?" "I told them what they wanted to know and what they are supposed to know." Jack Ogden leaned back to his seat. "In one month time, the Parkers will leave your wife in order to save their family''s fortune." My wife. Alex savors the words in his mind. Claiming her might sound simple but it is not. It is just too complicated. "I don''t care about what your plan is, but just make sure that no harm will be inflicted on her. If you hurt even a single strand of her hair, forget about your dreams of taking over the Society." Alex''s words were cold and threatening. Jack Ogden scoff without looking at his grandson. "Don''t let your heart takes over your brain." "Don''t let your greed takes over your soul." Jack Ogden looked at his grandson with surprise. He never expected those words coming from Alex Ogden. That is not how he raised him. "What changed you?" Alex stared back at his grandfather. "I''ve always been this way. It was you who changed me." He replied. Alex grew up in the care of his mother who was sweet and gentle. But when she died, he was left under the care of his father who was in the military. His father, which is the son of Jack Ogden was a disappointment to Jack. He expected him to be the successor of Novus Rex but his son has never been interested in Novus Rex. In fact, he was ashamed to be the son of its founder. So he stays away from Jack Ogden and chooses to live a normal life with his wife and son. He joins the military and became a law-abiding citizen opposite to what his father has planned for him. But then years later, he died while on a mission. The young Alex Ogden became an orphan. Jack Ogden search for him and when he found him, he took him under his care. He raised him and trained him to be a worthy leader of Novus Rex. Alex as a child has always been charismatic and energetic. Being raised by a sweet and gentle mother and a principled and righteous father, he grew up adopting these traits from them. But when they died, Jack Ogden taught him differently. He was taught to be cold, ruthless and intolerant. He was exposed to Jack Ogden''s illegal business at a young age which is different from what his father is doing leading the legal and right path. He became arrogant and stubborn. But, just like Jacob, Alex is also a natural-born leader. Unfortunately, Alex''s skills were used in the wrong way. Jacob and Alex were almost the same in most aspects, charismatic, energetic, strategic thinkers, intolerant, ruthless, arrogant and dominant. If there is one thing that they differ, it is probably how they handle their emotions. Jacob can handle his emotions quite well, although he is not good at that when his temper is messed up. While Alex is great in disguising his emotions. Most of the times, he hides his true emotions. He was taught that showing emotions is showing weakness and those who show their emotions are weak and can easily be defeated. "You are showing too much emotions Alex. I know you have grown to like that girl but be very careful with those emotions. Those can be a time bomb that might explode at any moment if not handled well. That girl will be the end of you." Jack Ogden said with a stern face. Alex''s expression turned grimmer. "You don''t tell me what to do." "I am telling you what to do and you are to abide with it!" Jack Ogden''s voice echoed in the empty hall of Oxeye Castle. But Alex remained unfazed. He gave his grandfather his signature evil smirk before he turns around to leave. "I will just watch as you do as you wish but if you ever made a single mistake and hurt her... I won''t just watch." Chapter 531 - Unconditional Love "Hey." J was greeted by a warm smile coming from Jacob. "Good morning." She replied, then she closed her eyes again. Jacob chuckled. "Aren''t you going to the hospital?" He asked. "Mmm..." She nodded her head. "Just five more minutes." Jacob smiled. "Okay, your boss wouldn''t mind." J just laughed. Funny that she has to ask her boss to give her five minutes more in bed before she goes for work. Jacob hugged her tighter and rested his chin on the top of her head. "I''m sorry." He mumbled. "Huh?" J looked up at him with confusion. "I thought you just love love me. I never imagined that you would be willing to die for me. I guess I underestimated your love for me." J immediately understands. She pulled up his body so that her eyes are in the level of his eyes. "Well I guess, I underestimated my love for you as well. I thought I just love you because of your company and love that I''ve never had before. I never thought that I could love someone unconditionally. I never thought that I would be willing to die for you. When I said that if you die, I''ll die with you. I mean it. I really do. I''d rather die than go back to a life without you in it." Jacob was touched. He was truly moved. "Mrs. Parker, what have you eaten for you to be so sweet and bold?" He can''t hide the spark in his eyes. J pout her lips. "You are embarrassing me." Then she buried her face into his chest. "Ha-ha. I''m not. You made me so happy. The first time I saw you I never thought that you''d end up in my arms. Thou I made a plan. I just thought that it was going to be a challenge." J frowned. "So, I was just a challenge?" "The best and sweetest challenge." Jacob leaned to kiss her on her forehead. "You are the most stubborn and intimidating in the cutest way I''ve ever met." Then he kissed her on the tip of her nose. "And I love that about you." "Ever since I met you, I knew that you are someone that I can''t live without. I was desperate to have you. And now that I have you, here in my arms, I will never ever let you go. No one can take you away from me." Jacob said with his lips just inches away from J''s. Their eyes lock with each other. "Thank you," J said in a low soft voice then her eyes traveled from Jacob''s eyes down to his lips. Jacob noticed that and a soft smile appeared on his lips before he kissed her. Their kiss deepened making J moaned in pleasure. Jacob''s kiss is possessive and J somehow liked it. They parted their lips to catch a breath but only for seconds because Jacob said something that J cannot resist. "I want to make love with you." He said on her lips. J wrapped her arms around Jacob''s neck and replied without hesitation. "Me too." Jacob instantly hovers on top of her and leaned to kiss her again. Jacob pulled out just to take off his shirt in a haste. It was only a fraction of seconds before he is back to J''s lips again then his lips started to cover her face down to her neck. J closed her eyes to feel the sensation of Jacob''s lips and tongue all over her body. J is wearing one of the nighties that Madam Kelly prepared for her in Jacob''s closet. She can''t believe that up until now, she hasn''t replaced them with her normal sleepwear. Jacob has desperately taken off her nightie leaving her with just her panties. He is kissing her neck with her tongue then travels down and stayed longer on her upper breast to suck it. J widened in surprise, it would surely leave a mark. She thought internally. Jacob raised his head and meet her gaze. "I hope you wouldn''t mind." He said with a teasing smile. J narrowed her eyes at him and said. "You would still do it if I say I would." But internally, she loved it. She loves being marked by him. But she doesn''t have to say it out loud because Jacob understands her by just the faint smile on the corner of her lips. Jacob chuckled. Then he leaned in and put one of her hardened nipples into his mouth making J gasped. Chapter 532 - Cute when angry "Good morning!" Jacob greeted Madam Kelly as soon as he saw her in the dining room with Chairman John Parker. "Dad." He nods his head casually at his father. "Good morning. Have you talked about it?" Madam Kelly asked, her eyes landed on J who is just behind Jacob. "Uhm... I''m sorry. We haven''t had the chance to talked about it." She said looking at her mother-in-law apologetically. Jacob turned to look at her and questioned her. "What is it?" J looked at Madam Kelly then to Jacob. Her hand is still engulfed in his. She said in a low voice. "Mom wants us to move in." She originally planned to tell him about that this morning but they became ''busy'' and forgot about it. At first, she rejected the idea. She thought that living with her in-laws would put them more at risk. But if she was stubborn, Madam Kelly was adamant. And she can''t win against her. Jacob frowned then he looked at Madam Kelly with a raised brow. "I don''t think that is a bad idea." Jacob was surprised to hear it from Chairman John Parker. Although he is not against it as well, he never expected his father to support his mother outwardly. He had actually thought of it before. He realized that if J and his parents would live in the same roof temporarily, it would be easier to protect them. There will be more agents surrounding them in the mansion. And besides, the Parkers Mansion is inside a more secure residential area because most of the residents that lived there were retired politicians and military generals. Jacob looked at J who is now looking at him with a half pleading eye. He can''t help but smile because he thought that she looked so cute. He leaned in close to her ears. He knows that she doesn''t like the idea. So, he wanted to apologize ahead of time because he knows that she wouldn''t like what he is going to say. "I''m sorry, Honey." He whispered. J was disappointed but she didn''t show it in front of her in-laws. She doesn''t want to seem like she doesn''t like the idea of her living in the same roof with them. Thou she doesn''t like the idea but it doesn''t mean that she doesn''t like living with them. It''s just that she is not used to it. Although it only takes a day for her to get used to living with Jacob, it takes weeks for her to get used to living with Arthur''s Team. And now she has to adjust again in living with her in-laws. And besides, she thought that putting them all in one place will make it easier for Jack Ogden to target them. Although she was sure that Jack Ogden wouldn''t hurt her, being around Madam Kelly and Chairman John would put them more to risk. "Okay, I guess we''ll be staying here for now," Jacob said as he squeezed J''s hand. Madam Kelly was the most delighted. On their way to CLP Hospital, Jacob noticed that J is in a bad mood. "Honey..." He called out to start a conversation and fix her mood. "You do realize that me staying with them would put them at greater risk, don''t you?" J said before Jacob could say something. "Yes and no." Jacob glanced at her then he looked back on the road. One of his hands reached out for her hand. "Yes, I understand. And no, we are not putting them at risk. You are just overthinking things, Honey." He said then he puts J''s hand on his lips. It was a sweet gesture and J knows that he was just pacifying her, thou she liked it. J was still scowling at him when Jacob glanced at her and he can''t help but pinch her cheeks. J swatted his hands and sigh. "Will you ever take my anger seriously?" "Ha-ha. Sorry, Honey. You were just so cute when you look at me like that and I can''t help it." "You won''t." J rolled her eyes and looked outside the window. Jacob did not let go of her hand. Thou he finds her cute whenever she is acting angry and intimidating, he knows that he still has to appease her and fix whatever it is that makes her angry. Chapter 533 - The safest and most secure place "Honey, I know you are worried about them but believe me, this is the best set up for you and the family. Thou I still think it isn''t the best. I originally planned for us to stay at the Twelve Army Headquarters." Jacob paused to see J''s reaction and he was not surprised when J snaps her head at him with a deeper frown. Jacob chuckled. "I knew you would react that way, so I dismissed the idea. But worst comes to worst, I still prefer that you stay there. It is probably the safest and most secure place in the country. It could probably match or even surpass the security of the military headquarters. The headquarters has the highest and most advanced security level and the place is crowded with a skilled private army. The Novus Rex wouldn''t dare come near there." J looked at Jacob, thou she doesn''t like the idea of staying there for the very reason that it is too far from the hospital, she cannot deny the fact that what Jacob said is true. The Twelve Army headquarters is the safest place in the country against Novus Rex. She wouldn''t be surprised if one day, Jacob would just take her there to stay knowing how protective Jacob is towards her. "So, you decided that we should stay with your parents instead." "Yes. Because that''s the better option. At least the mansion is in the safest and most secure place in Lotus City since the mansion itself is surrounded by agents from Twelve Army and the residents there were mostly retired government and military official. So, Novus Rex would at least think twice to attack the place." J remained silent. Jacob glanced at her. She is not scowling at him anymore. That''s good, he thought, but she isn''t saying anything which is not good. He reached out to stroke her cheeks. One of his hands still on the wheels. "Honey, this is just temporary. Nothing would happen to them. You are not putting them in danger. Trust me." J holds his hand that is on her cheeks. "I know. I understand. I''m sorry. I don''t mind living with them. It''s just, I''m worried about them." She said. Her voice filled with worry. Jacob grasped her hand, "Honey, stop worrying, okay? Have you forgotten who your husband is? Are you doubting my capabilities?" He said arrogantly. J pursed her lips and gave him a side-eye. "You''ll stop worrying now?" "It''s not that easy." She replied without looking at him. It is easy to say but hard to do. She cannot just not worry. It is in human nature to worry for someone that you care for. People sometimes worry unnecessarily. "Okay. At least don''t blame yourself." Jacob knows that at the bottom of her heart, even if she doesn''t say it. She is blaming herself for everything that is happening now. Although she is, in fact, the biggest victim of the situation. J didn''t reply and just keeps on staring outside the window watching the scenery changed as they passed by. She knew she cannot stop blaming herself. Jacob thought internally. ''I have to keep her preoccupied.'' After an hour, they arrived at the hospital. Instead of dropping her off at the main entrance, they proceeded to the 1st Level Basement Parking where she noticed that it was again empty. She looked at Jacob with confusion. "It''s better that we use this exclusively." She heard Jacob said before he steps out of the car. As expected, her security became more strict. Before she could open her door, Jacob has already done and he helped her step out. Arthur and Daniel have already parked their car, they were driving ahead of them while Felix and Stefan were on their motorbike. She didn''t notice if they were ahead of them or behind them. Then she noticed another black SUV that parked near them. "I thought this parking is exclusive." She asked Jacob while watching as two buff men step out of the car. Then she finally realized. "Yes, it is. They are your additional guards. Three of them were outside the hospital." Jacob said casually which made J''s jaw dropped on the floor. What the...? Five more guards? Seriously? Chapter 534 - Cannot be intimidated by her So J went up to 10th floor using Jacob''s private lift with him followed by Arthur''s Team. She was supposed to use the common lift because it will lead her directly to 8th floor, unlike the private lift where she has to go to 10th floor before going back to 8th floor but Jacob insisted that she use only the private lift. What surprised her more is that, when she was about to go to the Department of Surgery at 8th floor, she was followed by Felix and Daniel. She glared at them not saying a word. Daniel looks the other way as if he didn''t saw J''s glare. While Felix just shrugs his shoulder. She didn''t have to say a word, they knew that she is questioning their actions. "Boss said that at least two of us be at least at the 8th floor if not inside the Department of Surgery. Two of us will stay in the control room on the 10th floor. We will exchange post after four hours. The five other guards were scattered around the hospital." Felix takes the initiative to explain their new arrangements. "Oh, God!" J rolled her eyes and turn to leave leaving them guarding the lobby of the Department of Surgery. "Is she mad or what?" Felix turned to ask Daniel. "She doesn''t have a choice," Daniel replied while looking around the lobby. "Right." Then Felix did the same checking out the lobby. .... Inside the Department of Surgery after changing into her scrub suit, J put on her headset and played music from Rascal Flatts. She walked towards the Schedule Board with her hands on her front pocket. "Nurse J." She heard Dr. Aaron Choi called her name. Although she has her headset on her ears, its volume is not too loud so she could still hear him. "How''s Nurse Diana? She only applied for indefinite leave, how come I heard from HR Department that she isn''t coming back. Is that true? You are friends with her so she probably had told you." J looked at Dr. Aaron, the thought of Diana makes her more feel guilty although hers was an isolated case and is not directly related to her. "She''s fine. She just moved into her husband''s place which is a bit far from here. Her husband prefers that she work in a hospital near their house." No one knows about what really happened about Diana. She just helped her file an indefinite leave through Daniel and Arthur. "Oh... is that so." Dr. Aaron Choi rubbed his forehead. He became problematic after losing one OR Nurse, that means he has to steal one capable nurse from other Department. The Department of Surgery prefers nurses that already has experience in the ward or ER Department of CLP Hospital. He was about to walk away when he seemed to have thought of something. He looked back at J while scratching the back of his neck. "Say, Nurse J..." J looked at him indifferently making Dr. Aaron hesitates to continue. But he has been trying to change his mindset. Even if she is the wife of the CEO, inside the Department of Surgery, he is the Chief and she is the nurse, that means he is still her Boss and he cannot be intimidated by her. "Ahem...I was just wondering...if you are pregnant yet?" Hearing his words made J embarrassed but she was still able to shot him an icy glare. Damn! I shouldn''t have asked that. I''m dead, I''m dead, I''m dead! Dr. Aaron Choi started to panic but he tried hard not to show it. They were in the hall of the Department of Surgery but, why does it feel like they were transported inside one of the OR Theatre where the airconditioning is at its lowest and he is on the Operating Table being prepared to be dissected. "I...I ah...Nurse Diana just left and I haven''t found a replacement yet. So, I was just hoping that... Ahem... you are not leaving yet. I mean... Jacob said that once you get pregnant he''ll have you take a 2 years leave...so..." Dr. Aaron Choi, the Head of the Department of Surgery is stuttering while explaining to his nurse. J closed her eyes and takes a deep breath to calm her down. She is scheduled to assist in a major surgery in the next hour so she decided to just leave Dr. Aaron Choi and prep the OR Theatre. Chapter 535 - Taken for Granted In her apartment, Lily is fidgeting. She has been waiting for Lance. He called earlier and said that he would bring lunch for them just like he always did whenever Lily is at her apartment. It is just timely because ever since she realized that she has been taking him for granted, she wanted to see him and talk to him. "Miss Lily are you fine?" Her lady guard asked her. Over time, her lady guard had become a friend of Lily. So, it is no surprise that she started to show some concern for her. "Yeah, I''m fine." No, she is not. ''What''s taking him so long?'' She thought internally. Then they heard a knock on the door. She bolted towards the door but she was stopped by her guard. "Miss, let me open the door." The lady guard said, after all, it is her duty to make sure that she is safe. No one knows the address of Lily''s apartment except for her family, manager, and Lance. So she has to make sure that the person who is knocking is either one of them. Although there were guards outside and they were also expecting Lance. When the lady guard opens the door, Lance has already expected her so he just greeted her. "Hey, where is Lily?" Upon seeing that it is Lance, she opened the door widely and let him in. "She''s waiting for you." She said before she exits the door giving Lance and Lily some privacy. "Thank you," Lance replied. "Sor-..." Lance wasn''t able to finish what he is about to say because Lily has already dragged him inside her bedroom. Once inside the bedroom, Lily pounced on him and embrace him tightly. Lance was astounded. "Hey, what''s wrong?" he asked with his voice full of concern. Lily pulled herself away from him and looked him in the eyes. "I want to announce our relationship to the public." Lance''s eyes widened. He was dumbfounded. "What? Why? Why did you suddenly think of that? Is there something wrong? Don''t tell me you were also arranged to be married to someone?" Lance''s confusion turned into wild imaginations. He knew about Leticia''s arranged marriage with Mark Sloane. Then Jacob has also had an arranged marriage with his best friend J. Following the course, it has a high probability that Lily might be arranged to be married to someone by her grandfather. And Lance cannot accept that. Lily was dumbfounded as he is. "What? No no no no! Why would you think of that?!" Then she realized something and yeah, he had reasons to think like that. She shook her head and sigh. Lily sits down on the edge of her bed. "I just realized that I have been taking you for granted. I mean... this relationship should be give and take and ever since we started this relationship it has always been you who gives and make sacrifices while all I did was take. We never go out on a date, it was always here in my apartment. You brought me food, you sent me flowers. It was always you. And I don''t like that. I don''t want that kind of relationship. I want to go out on a date with you. I want to walk hand in hand with you. I don''t care if people see us. I don''t care what they would say." Lily has always been a high spirited person and it is rare for Lance to see her like this, so downcast. "Lily..." Lance pulled a chair in front of her and sit on it. He takes both her hands on his. "Do you realize what are you''ve been saying?" He asked with a worried expression. Lily is looking down on their hands that are clasped together. "Look at me..." Lance lifted up her chin so that their eyes would meet. "You want the public to know about our relationship?" He asked. Lily nods her head but she frowns. "Why does it seems to me that you don''t like the idea?" Lance smiled. "Of course I do! I would love to go on a date with you. Walk hand in hand with you. Drive you to work and pick you up from work. I want everyone to know that you are my woman. I couldn''t ask for anything. But..." Chapter 536 - A way to make it last Lance paused when he noticed that Lily lowered her head. He lifted her chin up again. "But your happiness is more important to me. And I know where your happiness is. It is in your career. It is the most important to you. You cannot lose it. If the public finds out that you have a relationship with the producer of your film, people might think ill of you. They will judge you. It might ruin your career and I cannot promise that I will just sit and watch as the person I love is being trampled on by the public." "Actually, I don''t think it will totally ruin my reputation and my career because we started our relationship when the film is almost done and that was the first film that you ever produced. So, you are not that familiar yet with this business and the dirty business underneath it all. And if it did end my career, then let it be. I don''t care, I can just change career. I am a Parker, I am capable, maybe I can put up my own talent agency." Lily is just indirectly saying that Lance is more important than her career thou it makes his heart flutter, he can''t help but feel guilty. "Lily, I cannot let you sacrifice your career that you''ve worked hard for a decade for this relationship. I can wait. I will always wait for you." Lily shook her head. She cannot let him wait because she is not sure for how long he is willing to wait. Even if he says that he will wait, she cannot be at ease. "Please. Let me do this." She pleaded. "I want this relationship to work." She said after a while. "It will work, I promise," Lance said. "I don''t want this to go to waste." Lance smiled. "It won''t." "I want this to last." Lance''s smile became wider. "It will. I already have a plan on how to make it last." Yes, he did. Because of the moment that he realized that there is a possibility that Elder Parker might go insane and put her in an arrange marriage to someone, he also realized that he cannot let that happen. He cannot see Lily being married to someone else other than him. She belongs to him and no one has the right to be married to her except for him. For once, he set aside his principle and decided that Lily is the one that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. "You have?" Lily frowned and before she could probe on further, Lance asked her. "Are you sure about this?" Lily nods her head. "Yes. 100% sure." She replied full of conviction. Lance sighed. "Okay. But, just so you know. I am happy with whatever you decide in. I will stay by your side whatever happens. And I will not let your reputation and career get ruined." Lily finally smiled and Lance noticed that her shoulder has relaxed. "Thank you. But how will you do that?" "Just trust me." He said then he stood up from his seat. "Come here." Lance help her stand up and pulled her into a tight embrace. Lily returned his hug. If she could just bury herself into him so that they could become one. She thought. "You are a wonderful woman Lily. Beautiful, smart, charming, funny, sweet and everything." Lance said on top of her head. Lily felt her face turned crimson. She hasn''t been used to Lance''s flattery. "Why are you suddenly saying those things?" Lance changed his position and buried his face on the crook of her neck. "I am just so proud that you are mine. I am willing to sacrifice anything and everything for you Lily. God... I love you so much, Lily. I hope you know that." Wow! Lily never expected that Lance could be this emotional. Thou he is not crying, she could feel the emotions in his voice. She felt her heart somersaulted inside its cage and she cannot do anything to calm it. She doesn''t want to because she liked that feeling. "I know. And I love you too." And before she knows it, they are now making out in her bed. She doesn''t know for how long have they been kissing but she doesn''t care. She loves it. She loves the way Lance is kissing her. She loves it when Lance is on top of her. She loves running her fingers into his curly hair. She loves his touch into her skin. She loves everything about him. Chapter 537 - One Day After their passionate making out, Lily asked Lance who is still on top of her. "I thought you''ll bring lunch?" "Yeah. I brought myself." He said, his lips brushing hers. Lily laughed. "Seriously!" "I did." He said with a mischievous smile, loving the way Lily is laughing underneath him. "Aren''t you hungry?" She asked but her heart is becoming hard to control because Lance is looking at her with lust. "I was... now I''m full." Lily rolled her eyes. What a pervert! "Come on! Let''s eat." Lance felt defeated. He buried his face into the crook of her neck. Damn! He wants her. And Lily knows it because she could feel it. She could feel is hardness. She wants him as well but they haven''t got to that stage yet. After finding out that Lily hasn''t done it before with any other man, Lance was elated and excited as well. The thought of him being her first is something that he is anticipating. And he wanted it to be special. He wants her first time to be special. Of course, he wants it to be with him. He knows she is not ready yet, he could feel that she become tense whenever he tried to go beyond making out. And he doesn''t like to force her. If they are going to do it, she must be willing, and it has to be special. "Lance?" She called out his name. "Hmm?" "Are you fine?" No. He answered internally. "Yes." Then he pulled himself to look at her. He is still hovering on top of her. "Let''s eat lunch before I eat you up for dessert." Lily blushed again. She could not actually count how many times she turns red every time they are together. She grasped the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer for a kiss. "One day." She said on his lips. Lance nodded his head. "I look forward to that." "It won''t be long. I promise." Lily said with a sweet smile. She means it. In fact, she is ready for it. She''s just waiting for a perfect time. Lance prepared the food he ordered in Lily''s dining table. While Lily is taking out plates from the cupboard. "Have you seen the guards outside?" She asked when she realized that Lance is not asking about that. She thought he didn''t notice. "Yeah. I expected that. In fact, if Jacob didn''t do it I would be the one doing it." Lance said casually. "I''m sorry. I know you hate being surrounded by guards but this is for your own safety." Lance continued. "I know. I just didn''t expect that it would reach this extent that everyone in the family needs a guard." She said as she sits on the chair that Lance pulled out for her. "Tell me honestly. Do you blame J for this?" Lance asked her with a serious expression. "No. I don''t. And that''s the truth." Lance could see that Lily is being honest. He admired how honest and open-minded she is. "But... I felt pity for her. She didn''t do anything to be in a position that she didn''t want to. She deserves a happy and peaceful life." Lance felt sad for his friend. "You are right. Ever since she turns 10, she started hiding. Others might think that she is living peacefully but she is not. Who would live peacefully knowing that you are hiding from someone but not knowing who you are hiding from? She was not at ease. She is not living a normal life that she seems to be living. She has a family but pretending that they are already dead. She has a friend but she can''t see or be with them." "Well, it was good that she had Diana during those times. How is she by the way? I heard about what happened." "I think she is doing fine now. She is planning a small surprise birthday party for J." Lance said. Lily''s eyes widened! "What? My sister-in-law''s birthday? When is that? Where is going to be the party? Does my brother knows about it?" Lily can''t hide her excitement. "Yeah. A week from now. It will be held in Lodgepole. It''s a secret so don''t tell anyone, okay? Thou Jacob has his own plan I guess." Lance said amused by Lily''s excitement. "Oh! That''s Jacob! He is probably planning something special for my sister." She said and winks at Lance. Chapter 538 - Hot men are married "Hey! I just can''t help but notice the two freaking hot guys at the lobby. Do you guys have an idea who they are? They''ve been there since this morning." Nurse Maggie asked everyone as soon as she arrived at the Nurse''s Station. She just came back from transferring their post-op patient to the ward. Head Nurse Jing pointed her mouth towards J who is busy looking at the chart of their next patient scheduled for operation. "They are personal security hired by Dr. Jacob for Nurse J." Head Nurse Jing said not hiding the jealousy in her voice. "Oh God! I''m so jealous. Dr. Jacob is so protective over you Nurse J!" Nurse Maggie walked around and sit next to her then she nudged her. J rarely walk around the hospital so it is rare for the employees to see her being followed by Arthur''s Team. So, it was a surprise for them to see two of them outside the Department of Surgery. "Uhm...Nurse J. May I know their names?" Nurse Maggie asked leaning closer to J. Although she is ignoring her J cannot pretend that she didn''t hear. And she knows that she is talking about Felix and Daniel since it was only three hours since her shift started. They said that they will change position after four hours. Meaning, in just after one hour, Felix and Daniel will go to the control room while Arthur and Stefan will take their position at the lobby. "Felix and Daniel." She replied nonchalantly without looking at her. Nurse Maggie pursed her lips. "How can I tell who is Felix and who is Daniel?" J stopped in her tracks thinking on how to differentiate them. It would be easier if Daniel is wearing his glasses but this morning she noticed that he didn''t. He only wears it when in front of computers. "Felix has stubbles." She said because that is the only thing that comes into her mind. When it comes to facial features. They are both handsome. When it comes to their body, they are both a hunk. When it comes to their clothes, they all wear rugged black. It was Felix who has the habit of growing stubbles while the rest preferred to be clean-shaven. "Oh... is that so. Do you know if they have girlfriends?" Nurse Maggie''s eyes are sparkling with excitement. But J has to break the bad news. "They don''t." Nurse Maggie almost shrieks when she heard it but only to be disappointed after a second. "They''re both married." "Ouch...why does every time I find hot guys they have to be already married!" Nurse Maggie sulks in her seat. Other nurses laughed at her while J chuckled silently while she shook her head. After her shift, Nurse Maggie surprisingly tag along with her. J knew the reason, she wanted to have a small interaction with her guards. But by this time, she knew that it was Arthur and Stefan who is waiting for her at the lobby. For sure, Nurse Maggie would swoon over them and would probably jump into joy if she is to find out that they were single. J shook her head in that thought. She ignores her and walked out of the Department. But to her surprise, it is not only Arthur and Stefan but all four of them were there waiting for her. She watched the four of them and the moment they all looked at her direction, she knew that something is going on. The four men walked towards her and she felt Nurse Maggie behind her frozen in her spot tugging the hem of her shirt. "Miss..." Arthur was about to say something but he was interrupted by Nurse Maggie. "N-Nurse J..." But she herself was not able to continue when Arthur''s gaze landed on her. His gaze made her shut her mouth close. Arthur stands beside J distancing her from Nurse Maggie then he led her to the elevator leaving Nurse Maggie drooling over J''s guards. "What''s going on?" She asked before she gets in the elevator. "Alex Ogden is in the lobby of the hospital, alone," Arthur said in a low voice but it made J startled. Chapter 539 - Overestimated J frowned. What does he want this time? "Where is Jacob?" She asked as she enters the elevator. "He was at Twelve Army. I already notified him and is on his way." Arthur replied. J turned to look at him. "Please tell him he doesn''t have to and I''ll just meet him at home." Arthur nodded his head. J let him send Jacob the message because if it was her, Jacob would probably not listen to her and will start squabbling with her. Thou, she knows that Jacob would still come. "What does he want?" She asked. "He wants to talk to you." Daniel was the one to reply since Arthur is talking to Jacob over the phone. "Don''t worry Miss J. The other men were already taking care of him. They wouldn''t let them near you." Felix tried to appease her knowing that she is starting to get worried. But, they didn''t expect what is on her mind. "Tell your men to bring Alex Ogden in the parking lot. I want to talk to him." Her words made the four men look at her with disapproval. By that time, Arthur has already hung up the phone, fortunately, because if Jacob heard that, he would send his SUV flying over CLP Hospital. "Miss J, I don''t think that is a good idea." There goes her stubbornness again. Arthur thought internally. He knows that even if he tried to stop her, she wouldn''t listen. "Please," J said. As expected. The four men looked at each other then Arthur sends the message to his men at the lobby. Since J wanted to talk to Alex Ogden and they couldn''t stop her, they could only stay in full alert and protect her to the most of their capabilities even thou they know that Alex won''t hurt her. He didn''t even bring anyone with him. At the 1st Level Basement Parking. As soon as J step out of the private lift, the other opens and reveals Alex Ogden being escorted by two of her guards. The other three must have been on the lookout for other members of the Novus Rex in case someone came after Alex Ogden, J thought. She glanced at him then she walks towards her car. She thought in case Alex do something it would be easier for her to escape. She also felt Arthur''s Team step closer to her. "What do you want to talk about Mr. Ogden?" She asked as soon as Alex is standing 2 meters away from her. Alex didn''t reply. He just keeps on staring at her as if memorizing every detail of her face which makes her uncomfortable. "Call me Alex." Finally, he said but it is not what J is expecting. She just looks at him with a narrowed eye looking as intimidating as ever. She never intends to reply back. Sensing that she is not going to say anything, Alex takes a step forward making Arthur and Daniel do the same. "Leave the Parkers and come with me," Alex said in a grim expression. J remained expressionless. She already anticipated that Alex would talk about that. She didn''t move or say anything. She just looks at him waiting on how he is going persuade her into leaving Jacob. Not that she is going to be persuaded. "My grandfather will do everything he can to hurt the Parkers unless you leave him and come with me." Alex continued. He looks laid back with his hands on his pocket. Hmm...so he would just let his grandfather do the act and he would just sit there and wait until I come to him? J thought internally. That is not what she expected of him. She expected that Alex would mobilize all his resources to force her to leave the Parkers and come to him. She thought that he was ruthless. Did she overestimate him? But Alex sees through her. He knows what she is thinking. "Are you expecting me to drop a bomb anywhere a Parker is and take you away with me then hide you in some haunted mansion, aren''t you?" "I''m sorry to disappoint you. I am ruthless and would kill anyone that will prevent me from getting what I want but I will not hurt you." Chapter 540 - Desperate "So you knew that if you hurt the Parkers, you would also hurt me." J finally said with a raised brow. "Yes. And I don''t want to be the person that will be the direct cause of your pain, Jenny Do. I''ll just let that be my grandfather." "In a way, whether it is you or your grandfather, you will still hurt me by forcing me to leave Jacob and come with you," J said. "Would it hurt you by coming with me?" Alex asked. "Yes," J said without a second thought and it did hurt Alex even if he didn''t show it. Alex''s face turned dark. "Hurting you is the least that I would do but I always get what I want Jenny Do and I want you to be mine. I''ll prove to you that I am a better option than Jacob Parker." J flinched. His words made her unease. She is not comfortable when another person aside from Jacob is calling her ''mine''. "There is no such thing as better option Mr. Ogden. Because I''ll always choose Jacob." When Jacob heard that, a huge smile was plastered on his face. He is in a rush driving towards the CLP Hospital. When Jacob found out from Arthur that J let Alex Ogden talk to her, he was furious. He knew he cannot make it on time so he asked Arthur to call him once Alex and J meet and let the line open so that he could hear what they were talking. That''s how he heard J''s every word. It would surely break Alex''s heart but Jacob''s heart is now about to explode in happiness. J just said that whether or not he is the best option or Alex is the better option, she would still choose him. Coming from a cold person such as J, who wouldn''t be happy to hear that? For a fraction of seconds, J noticed the hurt and disappointment in Alex''s face but he was able to conceal it eventually. J closed her eyes and takes a deep breath. She has been talking to Alex for like 15 minutes and it is already draining her energy. She wanted to finish this as soon as possible. Alex was in a trance. For some reason, he was always mesmerized whenever J does that. He noticed that she always do that to keep her calm and somehow, seeing her like that makes him calm as well, despite what she just said. What she will say when she opens her eyes will probably surprise everyone. "Please... Mr. Ogden. Stop doing this. Can''t we be just friends?" Everyone was dumbfounded and it was Felix who cannot contain his surprise. "What?!" J heard Felix exclaim behind her. She glared at him and said "What?" indifferently. "Miss J! We are already your friends, right? Are you that desperate to have more friends?" J rolled her eyes at Felix and ignored him. She looked back at Alex and noticed a change in his reaction. He looks a bit surprised and...happy? Is he happy that she offered him friendship? J frowned at that thought. She actually never expected that reaction from him. And she was more flustered when Alex suddenly started laughing. He is actually really laughing? And it''s a happy laugh. The men around her look at each other in confusion. What the hell is happening? J felt irritated. "Mr. Ogden. Do you think this is a joke?" Alex calmed down and said. "No. I''m sorry. I know that you are not the type of person to joke around and I also know that you are not the type of person to initiate a friendship so I am deeply honored. However, if I accept your friendship, that would mean you will have to start calling me Alex." He said with a mischievous smile. She gave him a defeated smile. That again? He is really not going to let it go. Is it that important to him that I call him by his first name? She thought. "If you accept my friendship, you''ll have me. As a friend. And you''ll stop reclaiming whatever that is you are talking about." J said like it was a business offer. Alex laughed again. "You got me. And your offer of friendship is tempting." Chapter 541 - Shes lethal J frowned which Alex finds amusing. She thought that he is not taking her seriously. "Okay. I''ll accept your friendship." He said. J just stare at him with doubt. "I''ll be leaving now. I''m afraid that if I stay for longer I will fall deeply into your trap." He said then he turns around and act to leave. "Wait." Alex stops in his track. "I still want you to be my wife." He said making J dismayed. That''s not what she wanted to hear. She thought that if she offered him friendship, he will be contented with that. "But I don''t want to hurt you. So I''ll think about it." Then he started walking again waving his right hand. "Wow," Felix exclaimed behind her. J felt drain. "Jacob''s going to kill me." She said as she lowered her head. Then she felt Arthur tousled her hair like a kid. "He''s here." She heard Arthur said then she saw Jacob''s SUV. "Oh, God!" She said then she instinctively hides behind Arthur seeking for protection. Jacob didn''t have to park properly. He stepped out of the SUV and J immediately saw his grumpy mood. And the first words he said made her astounded. "Friendship?! Seriously Mrs. Parker?" Just then she realized that their conversation was heard by Jacob so she glared at Arthur who is looking cold as usual. "Where is your loyalty, Arthur?" J asked in a sharp tone. It was obvious that she was displeased by Arthur who remained unfazed. "My loyalty is in you. And my top priority is my mission and my mission is to protect you." That means in any situation, Arthur must be ready to call for back up and in J''s case. her husband is her back up. J pursed her lips then she forced a smile when Jacob got in front of her with his hands on both sides of his waist. "What happened to never let him get near her?" He asked glaring at the four men. "Don''t blame them, I gave them the order." She said. Jacob raised a brow at her. "They are my men." J did the same. "They are my team." They had a stare competition before Jacob sigh in defeat. "I can''t believe you offer him friendship." "It worked, didn''t it." She said then she looked at Felix asking for support because she knew that Felix would be bold enough to speak. "Yes, it seems. There is a saying ''Keep your friends close and the enemies closer'', so maybe it''ll work." Felix said which earned him a satisfied look from J. Then J gave Jacob a look that says ''see?'' Jacob looked at J. He was furious when he heard that J will talk to Alex Ogden and he was more furious when he heard that she offered him friendship. But now that she is in front of her, his anger gradually dissipated. His emotions are betraying him. He really can''t stay mad at her. Especially when she is looking so cute acting angry when she really is not. "Are you going home with me?" Then she suddenly changes the subject by asking him a question which he cannot refuse. Damn! Who wouldn''t want to go home with a beautiful wife like her? Did she use that same charm when she asked Alex Ogden to be just friends with her that''s why he accepted it? Jacob suddenly thought of it and it made him want to take and keep her home. Most of the times she is emitting that charm that makes the people around her want to adhere in everything that she says without her knowing it. Jacob sigh. "Fine, let''s go home." Then he reached out to take her hands in his and pulled her in his SUV. He originally plans to stay at CLP Hospital but he suddenly had an urge to go home and keep his wife lock in his arms. "Wow. She''s lethal. She was able to defy Boss Jacob and now Alex Ogden. And she is able to soften the cold Arthur. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk." Felix stated behind while watching Jacob takes J away. "Let''s go!" Stefan patted his shoulder. Chapter 542 - Undetected Inside Jacob''s SUV. "How much did you hear?" J asked curiously. "Everything," Jacob replied. Obviously, he is still displeased by J''s decision in making friends with Alex. J frowned. "I thought I could trust Arthur." "You can trust him, alright." He said glancing at her. J looks at him. "So are you saying that I shouldn''t have trusted you?" Jacob was dumbfounded. "No." "Arthur is overprotective of you. He just informs me that you''ll be talking to Alex which was the right thing to do. So that in case something happens to you or to them, I''ll have an idea. And it was me who told him to call me as soon as you and that Alex Ogden meets." J shrugged her shoulders and thought that it was an acceptable reason. She looked outside the window and thought of something that made her blush. "You said you heard everything?" She asked shyly. Jacob seemed to have realized what she is thinking so he replied with a grin. "Yes. Everything." J frowned in embarrassment. He is obviously teasing her. "Why are you grinning like that?" She started getting irritated. "Like what?" Jacob continued teasing her. "Stop it!" She can''t take it with him grinning at her like that. It is making her more embarrassed. "What?" J hit him on his arm using the back of her palm. She always does that whenever she is getting irritated at Jacob. "So there is no better options, huh?"Jacob said with a cocked head and a dimpled grin feeling proud of himself as if he achieved something that others cannot. J narrowed her eyes at him "Congratulations on your ego." "Haha. Yeah. Thank you." .... At the Robin Hood Society Headquarters. "Here''s the list of the officials that received bribes from Steve Gold as well as the exact amount that they received." Mark Sloane handed a folder to Professor Iris Parham. Professor Iris opens the folder and was quite surprised. "Wow! You made a diligent work." "Yeah. I''ve been investigating them for years." Mark Sloane is the presiding officer and the highest-ranking official in the house of congress. He is also a good candidate to run for senator in the upcoming elections following the footsteps of his ancestors. His family has maintained a good reputation and were the most popular in the lists of senators. But no one in his family runs for the presidency. "Hmm...these are big names." Professor Iris said after he closed the folder. "You are right, and I have an insider that Secretary Philipp Eke also has the same list and is now investigating them," Mark said. "If that''s the case, then let''s get to work. Follow me." Then Professor Iris walks towards a room. It was a huge room filled with different types of computers and supercomputers. Then they passed by an area where there are people assembling computers, laptops, cellphones and other gadgets which Mark Sloane is not familiar with being a not so techy person. Professor Iris Parham paused and catch the attention of the people inside that huge room. "Okay, Cleo and Claude..." Professor Iris scanned around the room until she spotted the two who stood up and walks towards them. They were twins, two of the best hackers of the Society. You can never actually tell that they are twins because aside from the fact that they were of the opposite sex, Claude is taller than Cleo. Cleo''s hair is blonde which she did intentionally while Claude''s hair is brown. And their eyes were of a different color as well. "And...where are Troy and Sam?" "Here." A deep baritone voice was heard from the corner. It was a man whose name is Troy. "Sam''s out." He said. "Call him and follow me in the workroom." The workroom is a room adjacent to that computer lab. It is where all their missions are done. It is basically just a white painted room with a huge round table that could fit 10 people in the middle of it. It is a special room where all activities cannot be detected. In fact, the whole place cannot be detected. The Loghouse and the headquarters don''t even show up in the satellites. Inside the workroom, everyone finds their seat as Professor Iris Parham passed them the details of the bank accounts that they are going to hack. "Nothing more. Nothing less." Professor Iris said after passing them the folders. "Now let''s just wait for Madam Victoria. Chapter 543 - Collecting Madam Victoria handles all the financial activities of the Society. It is her duty to make sure that all the money that they will be receiving is handled well. Aside from distributing the money to all the organizations and foundations under the Society, the HR Department will also receive a percentage so that it has something to distribute to all its members and beneficiaries. Madam Victoria also has her own team. Then they heard a knock on the door and as expected it was Madam Victoria followed by Leo and another two girls from her team. "Shall we start?" Professor Iris asked as soon as Madam Victoria and her team were seated. It is important that they are present so that once they already pulled out the money from their target, Madam Victoria''s team can immediately distribute the money. Every transaction should not last a minute. "Yes." Madam Victoria replied. Then the four hackers and Madam Victoria''s team pulled out a laptop each. The hackers of the Society never uses a single laptop or computer twice and they are not ordinary laptop or computers. They would either use a certain brand of laptop like Alienware then after a single mission, it will be destroyed and discarded. Or they would assemble their own computer from generic parts. Then after a single mission it will either be destroyed and discarded or will be reassembled for future use. By that, they reduce the chances of being caught. In Daniel''s case, he loves to assemble his own PC with bleeding-edge technology. Or if he doesn''t have his PC with him and needed to compromise or attack other people''s computer he would use other people''s laptop or PC. "I''m done," Cleo announced stretching her arms and fingers. She was followed by her twin brother Claude. "Me too." The Troy and Sam raised both their hands indicating that they are done as well. After a minute. One of Madam Victoria''s team member said. "All transactions are completed, Madam." They were given a task and that is to pull out the amount that each of those high-ranking officials received from Steve Gold. It doesn''t matter if they already had transferred that money into other accounts or dummy accounts as long as it was pulled out from their personal account. "Good. Take note of their names Iris." Madam Victoria said. That means those four hackers or their beneficiaries that were chosen for this mission were to receive a bonus. "Yes, Madam." "Thank you, Madam Victoria." The four of them said at once. "You worked hard for it." Professor Iris said to her people, she is obviously proud of them. "Now discard all those machines." She said pointing at their laptops. They each grab their laptop then left the room. "The rest is up to you now Mark." "Don''t worry Madam, I''ll notify General Sato at once so that he can now commence as planned," Mark replied. "Good." She paused then after a while she asked in a softer tone. "How''s my daughter?" Mark was not surprised. Every time that he would meet with Madam Victoria or President Martin, they would ask about their daughter that is married to his brother-in-law. "She''s doing fine. Jacob increased the number of her guards. And they also moved in at the Parkers Mansion since it is more safe and secure." Mark said. "I''m sorry that all of you and your twins have to be dragged into this." Madam Victoria said in an apologetic tone. She was worried that the Parkers would hold a grudge and blame her daughter. But Mark Sloane is as open-minded as the Parkers. "It''s nothing. She is a family so you don''t have to worry about that. The Parkers were the most rational people I''ve known. They were such a fine fellow. We wouldn''t hold a grudge or blame her for everything that is happening right now. After all, I''m sure she never wanted to be in this position. She is the victim here and we will protect her." Mark Sloane said. Madam Victoria started to become emotional. Good thing it was only her, Leo and Mark that was left in that room. "Thank you." She said from the bottom of her heart. Chapter 544 - Announcement Dear Readers, Due to some circumstances this book has been put on hold these past few weeks until now. In the meantime you can check out my other work, it''s called B.E.A. It is a story about five sisters who have superpowers and work as a bounty hunter. Below is the Synopsis. If you find it into your liking, please do add it into your library and please leave a review. It will be much appreciated. Thank you ???? B.E.A Sypnosis The Villan sisters were born in a military family thou they have the physical and mental abilities their father, who is a retired General refused to send them in military simply because he spoiled his daughters too much and he can''t bear to see them in a war. But unbeknowst to the retired General, his youngest brother recuited his daughters in his agency under the law enforcement to become a Bail Enforcement Agent or a bounty hunter. The Villan sisters who thought that living a normal life was simply boring and trivial accepted their uncle''s offer thinking that they can finally put their enchanced physical abilities and "special talents" in to use. But of course, they have to keep it from their overprotective father and loving mother. Chapter 545 - The Senator "Come in." a melodious voice breaks the silence inside that office. The door opens and reveals a worried look of her secretary. "Senator Rizza." The young secretary sounds and appeared nervous in front of the most popular, articulate and charismatic Senator of the country. She is only 36 years old but she is the most preferred candidate for Presidency. She is popular among women and younger generations. Probably because she is young and beautiful. Included in her platform is to fight against graft and corruption. And ever since she won the senatorship, she has been boldly fighting against it. But behind that beautiful and charismatic image is an ambitious and short-tempered woman. She has that overwhelming hunger for power. "What is it?" She asked not raising her head to look at the secretary. "I did what you''ve asked of me. I was regularly checking your bank accounts. And..." The secretary nervously said but had to pause because Senator Rizza raised her head and looked at her. "And...?" Senator Rizza is starting to get impatient. "Some...something...h-happened." The young secretary stuttered in nervousness. She cannot bring herself to say the bad news so she passed her the copy of the bank statements. Senator Rizza reached out for the papers with a frown, her gaze is not leaving the anxious secretary. Until she had the papers in front of her did she only looked at it. Seconds passed. Then minutes. The secretary noticed that the Senator''s grip on the papers tightened until the papers had crumpled. Then she started to tremble. The next second, she was startled when the Senator shriek in anger. The secretary was too afraid to look at the senator, she closed her eyes and gripped the hem of her blouse. "How did this happened?" Senator Rizza said in a muffled voice while trying to catch her breath that she seems to be lacking because of her anger. But when she didn''t receive a reply from the secretary, she repeated her question in a much terrifying tone. "How...the...hell...did...this...happened?!" The young senator sure lost her composure. Why not? She lost almost all of her savings in three of her bank accounts. If she doesn''t have a dummy account, she probably must''ve lost from them as well. Too terrified because this is the first time that she saw the senator this furious, the secretary started to cry as if it was all her fault. "S-senator...Rizza... The... the bank said that you might be a victim of... a-account phishing." The secretary struggled to say those words but she was still under the accusing gaze of the senator. "Explain!!" Senator Rizza wanted some explanation and it was only the poor secretary who is there to give her some explanations which she is not sure if she will be able to provide. Or maybe she can be but she is not sure that it will be the explanation that the senator wants to hear. The young secretary swallowed the knot on her throat and tried to explain what the bank officer exactly told her. "The bank said that it seems that there were anonymous and suspicious transactions in your accounts a couple of days ago. They already had someone tracked it down but they traced it back in your...residence and there were some irregularities so they cannot exactly tell where and when the transactions were made." After hearing that, Senator Rizza became more outraged. "In my residence...why would I fucking pull out all my money from my bank accounts! Are they insane! I never did that!" "Damn!" This time, she is already fidgeting around her office and is kicking anything that is blocking her way. "Get lost! Call Senator Melvin, tell him I want to meet him. Now!" Senator Rizza pointed at Her secretary then to the door without even looking at her. The secretary staggered towards the door not wanting to stay for even a second in that office. After witnessing the other side of the senator, she is not sure if she still wanted to work for her. "Fuck! This is not happening. This can''t be." Senator Rizza continued to mumble in herself. It seems that she had totally lost it. She cannot think of a reason who would do this and why would they do it to her. Who is targetting her? Chapter 546 - Sinful office She was in deep thought smoking a cigarette looking outside the window of her office when she felt a muscular arm wrapped around her waist. "So tensed." The man said. Then he peppered kiss the smooth caramel skin on Senator Rizza''s neck. As he did so, his hands traveled down her hips and under her skirt. "Damn it, Melvin! I didn''t call you here for that!" Senator Rizza was so irritated she brushed off the man''s hands and moved away from him. The man frowned. "What''s wrong?" His tone is obviously displeased. "Someone hacked into my bank accounts and pulled out all my money in it! If I didn''t have dummy accounts I could''ve lost it all by now!" The man was surprised. "How did it happened? You should''ve known if someone is trying to make illegal transactions from your accounts." "I know! But I didn''t and if I didn''t have the habit of checking my accounts regularly, I wouldn''t have known." Senator Rizza is a meticulous person, and since she has been regularly receiving money in her personal and dummy accounts from God knows where she made it a habit to check those accounts once a week. "What did the bank said?" The man named Melvin asked. He is now sitting on Senator Rizza''s armchair. "They said that the transaction was done in my residence!" She said and her tone and expression were saying ''I can''t believe it!'' The man looked at her with uncertainty. "Don''t give me that look! I didn''t do it!" Senator Rizza scowled at him. "Then who did it?" The man asked with a cocked head. Ever since he entered that office, Senator Rizza''s temper is exploding while he remained calm and reserved. "I don''t know! The bank said that there were some irregularities and it seems suspicious so they could not really tell when and where the transaction was ever made if it was not in my residence!" Senator Rizza became more agitated seeing that the man is not fazed at all. "Okay, okay. I''ll have the bank investigate it and I''ll also call a third party to investigate it further. Okay?" The man tried to calm Senator Rizza as if she didn''t lose a large amount of money. He is not the one who lost it, after all. "Come here." He stretched out his hands and pulled her to his lap. Senator Rizza didn''t object as she did earlier. She knows, she has to clear her mind so that she could think clearly. And she has a way to relieve herself of stress. A way that she always do with this man or any man that she wanted to. The man takes out the cigarette from her hands and put it out on the ashtray on the desk. Senator Rizza wrapped her arms around the man''s neck and they kissed desperately with their tongue. The man''s hand which were wrapped tightly around her waist started to stroke her hips up to her waist. While his other hand is unbuttoning her blouse. The office became filled with their lustful moans. Senator Rizza is a beautiful woman. Her face is small with full and seductive lips, her eyes were charming, her hair is long and wavy, she has that caramel skin and a body to die for. No wonder every man would lust over her but she cannot seem to find a man to marry. Because she has that almost perfect body and face and she is smart and powerful, she has a high standard for a man to marry. And she already has someone in mind, but it is definitely not the man whose lips she is biting now. Senator Rizza changed her position and is now straddling on the man''s lap. The man tightened his grip on her waist and pressed her body on his so that she could feel how aroused he is for her. The man had already taken off her blouse and left her only with her bra. She pulled her body away and started to unbuckle the man''s belt. The man looked at her shapely breast, his eyes filled with lust. He can''t wait so he pulled her closer and started to kiss her neck down to her breasts while his hands expertly unhooked her bra. As soon as he has taken off her bra, he put her hardened nipple into his mouth making Senator Rizza cursed at him. "Fuck!" "Come fuck me!" She said in a seductive voice but they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Then they heard the voice of her secretary. "Senator Melvin, your wife is in your office and waiting for you." The secretary said. Chapter 547 - An Affair Senator Rizza''s mood didn''t lighten, in fact, it worsens not because of the arrival of the man''s wife but because they were interrupted. The wife could have arrived later when they are done but she did at their most heated moment. She didn''t mind that the man already has a wife because they don''t have any romantic affection towards each other. It was purely lusting and they just needed to satisfy each other in bed. She was frowning while buttoning up her blouse and fixing her hair. She''ll never get over it so she said. "Meet me at my place later." A mischievous smile appeared at the corner of the man''s lips. "Okay. I''ll see you later then." He kissed her deeply before he left the office. Senator Melvin is in his early forty and has more experience in politics than Senator Rizza. He is not that good looking thou he is quite attractive because he is smart, well dressed and carries himself well. By appearance, he is not the type of man that Senator Rizza would be interested with so people never think that they have an indecent relationship. But he is good in bed, and he could satisfy Senator Rizza''s appetite. And yes, he is already married to the daughter of another veteran senator. And they have never been caught even if they always do it in either office. They are good at hiding their sexual relationship. No one has ever suspected them of having an affair. Well, of course except for Senator Rizza''s secretary. Her office is not soundproof so she could hear whatever it is that they are doing in her office. Senator Melvin love his wife but he just can''t resist the alluring Senator Rizza. It was just sex, that was what he always says to himself. Any man would die to be in his position. Senator Rizza and Senator Melvin work together in fighting graft and corruption so they were always seen backing up each other. So no one would think that they are having an affair. Senator Rizza continued her smoking after Senator Melvin left. She is anxious and cannot be at ease. Call it a woman''s instinct, she feels like someone is targetting her but she cannot pinpoint the reason or who, not because her conscience is clean but because she did a lot of things before and she might have offended a lot without her knowing. And now that it seems like someone is targetting her, she has to become cautious. She called her secretary through the intercom. And after a minute, the secretary opens the door and cautiously walked in. "Yes, Senator, do you need anything?" She said. "I want you to set me an appointment with the Chairman of the Twelve Army. Tell him, I''ll be coming over today." She said in a domineering tone. "Right away, Senator." Then she left the office in a not so obvious hurried step. .... After taking a shower and changing clothes, Jacob and J went back into his office and prepared to leave and take a good rest at home. Their training took more than an hour and J just wanted to sleep. It was almost dark outside and she was sure that once they got home, she would definitely fall asleep instantly. They heard a knock on the door and then James popped his head out of it. "Dr. Jacob, Senator Rizza Paz requested an appointment with you." Jacob and J looked at each other. Then Jacob looked back at James. "Schedule that for tomorrow morning." James nodded his head. "I already did. But the secretary says that the Senator is already on her way." Jacob sighed and shook his head. "Some politicians were really not that considerate of others." Then he looked at J. "Is it okay if we stay for a little longer?" He asked her because he knows that she is already tired and should be home by now. All the employees of the Twelve Army have gone home as well except for those that don''t really have a specific working hour like Arthur''s Team. "Okay. I''ll stay here." She replied and Jacob understands what she meant. He smiled and said, "Okay." "Tell her I''ll be waiting." James nodded his head and left. Chapter 548 - Hidden Plan After 30 minutes. A white car stopped in front of the guarded gate of the Twelve Army headquarters. A guard went into it and knocked on the window of the driver. The driver pulled down the window and greeted the guard politely. "Good evening sir." The driver said. "Good evening. It is rather late. Do you have an appointment?" The guard asked in a sharp tone. "Yes. We do have an appointment with Chairman Jacob Parker." The driver said. When the guard heard it, he talked to someone on his radio. Then he scanned the car, he noticed a woman sitting at the back of the car and was taken aback when he finally recognized her. The woman gave the guard a friendly smile and waved a hand at him. The guard nods his head cordially and instantly greeted the woman. "Good evening, Senator Paz. I''m sorry we were not notified that you are coming." Senator Rizza shook her head in a friendly manner. "No worries. I came on such short notice." She is dressed in a white blouse, a black pencil skirt, and a black blazer. She has a simple makeup and just a light pink lipstick so she looked formal and charming as well. The guard smiled back at her and was rather amused how sensible the senator is. "Please bear with us, we will just have to perform some security checkup." The guard said apologetically. "That''s alright. It''s your job." She replied again with a smile. After scanning the car making sure that it is not armed and confirming that she really has an appointment with their Chairman, the gate finally opened to let them in but they had to follow another car that will escort them inside the headquarters. When they finally parked inside the headquarters Senator Rizza took out her pursed and put on red lipstick and brushed her wavy hair. She also put on some perfume. The driver secretly glanced at the Senator and find her sexually enticing. "Stay here." The senator said to the driver before she steps out of the car. "This way, Senator Paz." A guard that escort them from the gate walked to her and escort her inside the building. She followed him until they were met by James at the lobby. "Good evening, Senator Paz. I am James, Chairman Parker''s assistant. He is waiting for you. Please follow me." James cordially bows his head and led the Senator to the elevator. He can''t help but noticed the seductive look of the Senator. It is different from how she appears in public or the television. He could sense that something is off about this sudden visit. He doesn''t know if he would be glad or worried that the Lady Boss is in the Boss''s office. "Thank you, James." The Senator replied and walked towards the elevator with her hips swaying. As soon as they get off the elevator, Senator Rizza unbuttoned the top three buttons of her blouse revealing her smooth caramel skin that of she moved carelessly, she will also reveal a part of her breast. When James noticed it, he already had a clear idea of what the Senator is planning. Of course, she is meeting with Jacob Parker so the Senator has to look good and ready. She has been eyeing him for a long time but unfortunately, when she was about to make a move and get close to him, he suddenly went abroad. And when he was back, he is already married. And to the heiress of the infamous Robin Hood Society. But she never sees that as a hindrance. It''s not as if she is going to steal the man. She just wanted to have a taste of him, and she doesn''t care if he is already married. She has heard about how playful Jacob was, he flirted and dated some girls before and even takes some of them into bed but he never takes them seriously. So, she was sure that a little bit of flirting, this meeting might end up with either her on top of him or him on top of her. A smug smile appeared at the corner of her lips. But, unfortunately, there are some things that she has never foreseen. "Dr. Jacob, Senator Paz is here." James knocks on the door and they heard Jacob replied. "Please let her in." The door opens and an enticing smile is already plastered on the Senator''s lips. Chapter 549 - The most beautiful face Earlier when she found out that Senator Rizza Paz is coming, she sent Arthur a text message. ''Send me all the information you have about Senator Rizza Paz.'' She was wondering why would the famous Senator suddenly wants to have a meeting with her husband. And she wanted to know everything about her before she meets her. She decided that she wanted to stay in Jacob''s office during their meeting and Jacob doesn''t mind at all. In fact, Jacob mischievously teased her. "Is that the jealous Mrs.Parker or the possessive Mrs. Parker?" She was embarrassed and just rolled her eyes at him because it was partly both. She has heard how charming and beautiful the Senator is. She has seen her on the TV and internet and she herself actually thought that the Senator probably has one of the most beautiful faces she had ever seen. And she can''t help but get paranoid. At the thought of her and her husband alone in one room is making her unease and about to explode. After just a couple of minutes, she received Arthur''s reply and it contains all the information about the Senator. Of course, that information came from Mark Sloane and is readily available. The information they got about the Senator was confidential and it is not something that the public and the media has ever grasped before. She was surprised at how vicious the woman is. She is fighting against graft and corruption but she herself is the number one involved in it. She was even more agitated when she read that she is having a sexual affair with a married senator. And she is also having sex with random guys as long as they were from elites. She looks at the woman that enters the door indifferently then to the picture of the Senator on her phone. The woman on her phone looks decent, smart and charming. But the one in front of her looks like a high-class prostitute. She secretly gave Jacob a warning look which Jacob finds cute. When Senator Rizza enters Jacob''s office she expected to see him alone. But her smile gradually dissipated when she noticed a beautiful girl sitting on the sofa and leisurely looking at her phone without even giving her a glance. As a famous and respected Senator, she felt disrespected. She is used that everyone who sees her, gives her praises and adoration. She has never encountered someone to give her that cold treatment. She frowned and said, "I''m sorry, Chairman Parker. Did I come at a bad time? I didn''t know that you are in the middle of a meeting." She stressed the last word because she actually didn''t think that it is a meeting. "Oh, no. Senator Paz, please come in. This is my wife." Jacob stretched his arms and J instantly understand his gesture so she stood up and walk towards him. Jacob wrapped his arms around J''s waist. Senator Rizza flinched at the way Jacob look and hold his wife with adoration. She is rather jealous because she never had someone treat her that way. She looked at the girl and studied her. She looks rather simple for an heiress of the Robin Hood Society. She expected her to be a high-maintenance princess of some sort. The woman has no makeup at all thou she could trace something on her lips. Probably a lip balm. She is wearing black jeans and a white shirt underneath a black coat. She is simple yet elegant and her cold and intimidating aura is making her stand out. Senator Rizza thinks that she is probably one of the most beautiful faces she has ever seen despite the fact that she is not wearing makeup or some luxury dress. The thought made her envious of the girl in front of her. J on the other hand just gave the Senator a small smile, shake her hand politely then walked back to the sofa without saying a word. She is not going to pretend that she likes the Senator because she really doesn''t like her. She is never planning to meet up with her in the future so why pretend? She doesn''t even think that she would be seeing her again after this. Jacob wanted to laugh seeing how his wife is acting. But, he tried to contain it and save it for late Chapter 550 - Flying daggers "So, Senator Paz. Is there anything I can help you with?" Jacob asked in a business tone as soon as both of them were already seated. At the corner of his eyes, he is watching every reaction in his wife''s face. If it was another man, Senator Rizza might have thought that Jacob has a deeper meaning in his words but seeing how uninterested he is towards her, she knows that he is in his business mode. ''I wanted to have a taste of you.'' That''s what she wanted to say but of course, she wouldn''t disgrace herself. "First, I would like to apologize for coming here on such short notice. I think I might have interrupted you and your wife." She said apologetically. "There is nothing to worry about, Senator Paz. My wife and I would gladly welcome you anytime." Jacob said while remaining casual and he caught his wife glaring at her. In J''s thought, ''You and I are not going to welcome her next time!'' "Thank you, Chairman Parker. Or can I call you Jacob instead?" J thought that her tone was too sweet for a business talk. Jacob again secretly glanced at her. Sure enough, there were daggers flying towards Senator Rizza coming from J''s eyes. J glared at Jacob. ''She dares flirt with you in front of me?!'' "Whatever suits you, Senator Paz." Jacob remained casual. J closed her eyes to calm herself before she could throw her phone into Jacob. "I am sure you have heard that I''ve never brought a bodyguard with me except for a driver and just recently, I''ve been feeling unsafe. Someone hacked my bank accounts and I feel like someone is targetting me." When she heard it, her ears were all on her. If her bank accounts were hacked, that means Mark Sloane''s mission has already started. J looked at her cellphone but at the corner of her eyes, she is watching the Senator. She probably knows our involvement with the Society. Does she already have an idea that it was the Society who attack her bank account? Is that the reason why she is here? J had those question in her mind so she silently observes the Senator. "Is that so? So how are we going to be of help?" Jacob asked in his business tone. "I wanted to hire some of your people." The senator said making J flustered. That''s it? That''s just it? She thought. "Okay." Jacob didn''t say anything and took out some folders from his drawer and passed it on Senator Rizza. "Take a look at these profiles. Those are the list of teams that you can choose from." Jacob obviously wanted to get this over with because he could already see the look on his wife''s face and that look says they have a lot of talking to do after this. Senator Rizza scanned each page, her face is rather impatient. "Is that all?" She asked later on. "Those are the teams that don''t have a mission as of now. Do you have a particular team in mind?" Jacob asked seeing that Senator Rizza barely read each team''s profile and just look at the pictures. "I actually have someone in mind but I don''t know their names." She said while she continued on turning the pages until the last page. Jacob passed her another batch of folders and said. "See if you can find them here. But these teams were already on a mission." "Really? But you can pull them out of their mission for me right?" Senator Rizza smiled coyly at Jacob but that was immediately caught by J making her grip on her phone tightened. "I''ll see what I can do." Jacob ignored her flirting and said before looking at J. Senator Rizza flipped the pages until she finally stopped. "I want them." Jacob looked at the profile that Senator Rizza is pointing with her finger and was surprised. "You want Arthur''s team?" He asked with a raised brow. The senator nodded her head. "Mmm-hmm. I''ve heard about them. They were skilled. One of your best. And used to be the President''s private security." The senator wanted to add ''and all good looking'' but she chose her words carefully. Chapter 551 - An Egotistical Slut "I''m sorry, Senator Paz but Arthur''s team were on a special mission. It is an important mission in fact." Jacob said apologetically. "Is it more important than me, Jacob?" the senator asked coyly. What an egotistical slut?! J can''t help but says to herself. She really hated that woman the moment she stepped into Jacob''s office. She has to make sure that she will never ever step anywhere Jacob is again. She is glaring at the back of the Senator with a greeted teeth. Fortunately, the senator is sitting with her back facing J so she cannot see the piercing glare coming from J. "I''m sorry but their mission is more important even to the President." Jacob didn''t directly say that it was more important than the Senator to save her from embarrassment. But the Senator noticed the meaning behind his words and she was obviously displeased. "Well then, give me your best team." She changed her angle, leaned back and crossed her arms under her chest giving emphasis on her breast that has been slightly exposed because of her movement. She was expecting Jacob to be attracted by it but instead, she saw Jacob busy taking out his phone from his pocket and make a call. Jacob gives James some instruction before he hung up. "Our best team will be sent to your address, Senator Paz. They will be on your doorstep as soon as you come home. Would that be all, Senator Paz?" Senator Rizza became slightly irritated. Ever since she came, she never heard Jacob called her by her name. She came with an intention to end up in a bed with him but it seems that it is impossible right now because he has his wife with him and he seems to be uninterested with her. And now it seems like he is in a hurry to send her away. But, Senator Paz tried to console herself. Maybe he just doesn''t show any interest because of the presence of his wife. Things might be different if they would be alone. She thought and it gives her hope. "Thank you, Jacob." She said in a sweet tone. Then she took out a business card from her purse and handed it to Jacob. "Just in case you need my help." She said with deeper meaning but Jacob didn''t even glance at the card and ignored her words. "You are welcome, Senator Paz." He said then he stood up preparing to send her at the door. "Honey, should we leave with Senator Paz?" Jacob turned and look at J. J nodded her head and said. "Sure. I''ll call Arthur." When she mentioned the name it made Senator Paz looked at her with curiosity. The three of them walked towards the door but before she did, J takes the small piece of paper from Jacob''s desk, crumpled it and put it in her purse. Jacob saw it and he can''t help but silently laugh. Senator Paz was walking ahead of them while Jacob and J were behind her walking with Jacob''s hand in J''s lower back. When the door opens, Senator Paz was astounded to see the four guards that she was coveting standing outside Jacob''s office. At first, she thought that Jacob changed his mind and gave her this team but then she suddenly realized what J said earlier. ''I''ll call Arthur.'' Does it mean, Arthur''s Team is currently the private security of Jacob''s wife? So, she is the person that is more important than her or the President that Jacob is talking about? Inside the elevator, Senator Paz could see their reflection. J and Jacob are standing side by side with Arthur''s Team surrounding them She is standing in front of them. She suddenly felt a surge of envy towards J. She is married to such a good husband and one of the most sought after men in the country and is being surrounded by such skilled and gorgeous guards. The Senator is starting to develop deep envy towards her and later on, that envy would turn into hatred. When they reached the parking lot, J and Jacob escorted her to her car. "Thank you, again Jacob." Senator Rizza leaned in to kiss Jacob in his cheeks. Jacob was taken by surprise and didn''t have time to move away. J raised her brows in annoyance and the displease in her face was quickly noticed by the Senator. Not that she intended to hide it. "It seems like Mrs. Parker doesn''t have a liking towards me." Senator Rizza said, her tone was a bit hurt. Chapter 552 - A nymphomaniac with split personality J just gave her an icy look. "Who would like a slut that is intentionally seducing her husband in front of her?" J''s words were sharp and the Senator didn''t expect her to be straightforward. "I hope you are prepared for the consequences of what you did." Then she turned and left, Jacob immediately followed her knowing that his wife is now truly angered. They left Senator Paz frozen in her place. For some reason, J''s last words gave her shivers. Inside Jacob''s SUV, the atmosphere is tensed and Jacob doesn''t like the silence. It has been 30 minutes since they left and J hasn''t said anything. She was silent throughout and never looked at him. Jacob knew that her silence is a bad omen. He cannot keep it that way. She''ll explode. "Honey, come on. Speak up." Jacob can''t take it so he breaks the silence. "Seriously Jacob Parker?! Flirting in front of me?!" J burst out in anger that made Jacob startled. "Okay, Honey, for the record. I did not flirt with her." Jacob said as calmly as he could be. "Oh really!" J smirked at him. "So you wouldn''t mind her calling you anything, like Honey, Sweetheart, Love? Isn''t that call flirting?" "Ha-ha. Sorry about that, Honey. I didn''t mean it that way." He knew that when he said that Senator Paz can call him whatever suit her might sound like he is flirting but he just can''t find a word to say then. "Do you find this funny?" J narrowed her eyes at him. "No. Of course not. I am just fascinated by you. Okay, let''s talk about this at home. Okay?" He said because he cannot concentrate on driving whenever he has that urge to hug and kiss his wife. "No. We are not going to talk about this at your parent''s house." J who was silent earlier was now adamant. Oh right. Jacob forgot that they now live in his parent''s house and if they heard them talking about this, in J''s current condition, they would think that they are fighting and his mom is going to kill him. "Okay. You are right. But, Honey try to be calm, okay?" "I can''t! How can you be so calm about this?!" "Because I didn''t do anything wrong." "Of course you did! You let her seduce you and you flirt with her!" Jacob feels like J is about to cry. "Okay, for the second time around, I didn''t flirt with her. And I didn''t let her seduce me. Okay? I wouldn''t let her do that, even if you are not around, even if I am alone with her. I''ll never touch her." Jacob reached out for her hand and kissed the back of her palm as he drives with one hand. "That slut! She obviously came with the intention to seduce you. Did you see how she looks? She looked different from how she appears on papers, TV and in public. She looks like some high-class prostitute dressed to hook up with some rich guy!" Jacob wants to laugh but he keeps silent and let J talk. "I think she has a split personality. She is mental. If she just wanted to hire protection, she could''ve just asked her secretary to talk to someone from Twelve Army. She really personally come to you! She is too obvious!" Jacob is amused at how can his wife can be so talkative when angered. But, he prefers her angry this way than be angry silently. The last time she was angry and just remained silent, she had an accident. "Do you know that she sleeps with a different man and she has sexual relations with a married senator?" J asked fuming. "Yeah." Jacob nodded his head. "I know." "You knew?" J was flustered. "Of course. I prepared myself the moment James said that she wants an appointment with me. I''ve seen Mark''s report, that''s how I knew all about her dirty secret. Do you think I will be seduced by that kind of woman? Of course not! I can only be seduced by you." His words made her calm down and she suddenly felt her heart flutters. She bit her lower lip to control her smile. He sure knows how to make her anger disappear. "She looks so decent in front of everyone, but in reality, she is a nymphomaniac. I can''t believe it. And she obviously wanted to be surrounded by good looking guys." J said after a while and pursed her lips like a child. Chapter 553 - Acting Childish "Why would you think like that?" Jacob turned and asked her. He can already sense that she has calmed down. "Did you noticed how she scanned the profile of your teams. She didn''t even read their profiles and skills, she only looked at their pictures. I have a feeling that she only wanted good looking guys to surround her that is why she specifically choose Arthur''s Team. She is too egoistic. She thinks highly of her self and she believes that only the best could come near her. And she expects that everyone praises her, adores and values her. She hates it when I didn''t even greet her. I can sense it." "Ha-ha. Honey, I''m surprised that in such a short time you were able to notice a lot of things about her." Jacob said but in fact, he noticed the same thing about the Senator. "Do you know why I let you stay in the office while we were talking?" Jacob asked later on. "Because I said so and you cannot say no to that," J said nonchalantly because she knew that that was the truth. "Wow! Honey, for the first time I felt intimidated by you." J just gave him a side-eye. Jacob chuckled. "Okay, but not just because of that. I knew that you will dig information about her and the moment you find out her dirty secrets, I knew you''ll never be at ease. Somehow, I already anticipated that you would suspect that she will try to seduce me so I let you stay. So that you''ll have peace of mind. But yet, you were still unease." "I was at ease until you let her kiss you! You think I forgot about that?" J said her eyes narrowed at him. Jacob felt guilty because he knew he could''ve avoided that. "I''m sorry but I was taken by surprise. I didn''t expect her to be so brazen and kiss me in front of you. I would accept whatever punishment you give me." Jacob said to show his sincerity. Punishment? J thought for a while. But she cannot think of any. What punishment could she give him? No touching? No kissing? No making love? Impossible. J shook her head. She might be the first one to break her punishment. Damn! She cannot think of a better way to punish him. Was it that necessary? "That''s not necessary." She then said. "You''re not going to punish me?" "As if punishing you will erase the fact that she kissed you," J said in annoyance. The thought that someone kissed her husband really irks her. "Just... make me forget about it." She said looking at the window. Is it possible? She thought internally. "Don''t worry, sweetheart. I have a lot of ways to make you forget it." Jacob stretched his hand and caress her cheeks. The car remained silent for a while. Then J thought of something and searched for her purse until she found a piece of paper. She opened the window and threw it out. Jacob saw it and laughed. "I never expected that you''ll act childish. You''re so cute." J glared at him "Would you keep that?" Jacob shook his head. "No, I wouldn''t dare. I wouldn''t need her anyway." Jacob wouldn''t dare anger her again. "Don''t you dare try and call her. And even if she called you, don''t come to her alone unless I am with you." J warned her and Jacob find it amusing. He has never seen her act this way. "Promise. I won''t. Don''t you trust me?" "I trust you. I just don''t trust her." She scowled at him. Jacob is too fascinated by discovering other sides of her. She can be really frightening when angered. And he is also loving how jealous and possessive she is towards him. If they were at home, he already crushed her into his embrace. He can''t believe that the cold and aloof nurse he met back then is now his jealous and possessive wife. It just feels too amazing. Chapter 554 - A victim of pretenses "You came just in time. Come on, dinner is ready. Your dad is already on the table." Madam kelly meets them at the doorstep. She and Chairman John were about to have dinner when she heard Jacob''s SUV arrived. "Get another set of plates for them." She instructed a maid that she saw in the kitchen. "Were you in Twelve Army Headquarters?" Chairman John asked as soon as he saw J and Jacob sit on his left. "Yes, Dad," Jacob replied. "I heard the Senator came." Chairman John said nonchalantly. J looked at him surprised at how fast the news traveled. She wondered how did her father-in-law found out. Was it reported on the TV or was it published on the internet? She hoped not. "Yes, she did. She wanted to hire some protection. How did you find out?" Jacob asked which made J thankful because she is curious. "David reported it to me." Chairman John said. J sighed in relief. David is James''s father and is still the assistant of Chairman John Parker. At least it was from him. "Which Senator are you talking about?" Madam Kelly heard their conversation when she entered the dining room. She is followed by a maid carrying two sets of a plate for J and Jacob. "Thank you," J said to the maid when she put a plate in front of her. "We are talking about Senator Rizza, Mom." Jacob knew that he cannot hide anything from Madam Kelly even if he wanted to. "Oh, did she personally come to you? Normally these high-ranking officials would ask someone from the Twelve Army to come meet them in their office. They think too highly of themselves and act pretentious. They believe that they were such an important person and their time was gold and cannot be wasted." "I am not surprised that Senator Rizza bothers herself to drive to Twelve Army and personally asked for protection. She is such a humble person. But, I heard that she never takes a bodyguard with her, why did she suddenly ask for protection? Is she receiving any threats?" "She is such a very good Senator, no wonder she would harbor a lot of enemies." Madam Kelly is obviously a fan of the Senator and this made J looked at her mother-in-law with such pity. If she only knew what kind of woman that Senator is, she would eat all her praises towards the Senator. Madam Kelly doesn''t involve herself much in the Twelve Army and The Robin Hood Society''s business, so, she is not aware that his son-in-law is targetting her beloved Senator and will about to expose her dirty personality. "Mom, don''t be fooled by her appearance and pretenses. Not everything that you see is what you should believe in. Some people just show what they wanted you to believe in and hides their true personality." "You''ll be surprised at what kind of monster you are praising," Jacob said wanted to save his mother from being fooled. Madam Kelly frowned obviously displeased that the popular Senator is being slandered. "Jacob, what do you mean by that?" "Mark is investigating a bribery scandal and your beloved Senator Paz is involved in it. Mark has worked for it in years so, there is no doubt about that. In just a couple of days, Senator Paz''s dirty little business will be exposed in public." Jacob said. Madam Kelly put her hand in her mouth. She was totally surprised and her son-in-law is working with it so she has no reason to doubt Jacob''s every word. "Oh my God! I didn''t know." Madam Kelly still can''t believe it. "No one knows, Mom," J said and that''s the truth. Because no one has ever suspected the Senator and she always appears charming and righteous in front of the public. "And she is also a mistress of another Senator," Jacob added. Madam Kelly widened her eyes in shock."What?!" Anyone would be surprised because the Senator always acts decently. "She even tried to seduce him earlier." J cannot help but blabber making Madam Kelly looked at Jacob furiously. "Jacob Parker! If you ever dare hook up with any other woman I swear to God I will disown you!" Jacob was speechless, he can''t believe that his wife will open this up in front of his parents knowing that they will be on her side. "Mom! Why would I hook up with another woman? I would never do that. You are overthinking things." Chapter 555 - A Rare Mother-in-Law "Were you seduced by her?" Madam Kelly asked him with narrowed eyes. Jacob looked at J pleading for help but she just looked at him with a raised brow. Obviously, she is still not over that kiss that the Senator gave her husband. Thou she doesn''t want to punish him because she thinks that it is not necessary, it doesn''t mean that her mother-in-law cannot. "I am not and will never be seduced by her or any other women. I can only be seduced by one woman and that is my wife over here." Jacob said feeling dejected that his mother and wife teamed up to stew him. "Don''t you dare, Jacob! Don''t you ever dare!" Madam Kelly was so furious that she is pointing a fork into Jacob while threatening him. Just earlier she is praising Senator Paz but now she is only filled with disgust towards the Senator and she even dares to seduce his son. Never will she let anyone ruined her son''s marriage to J. She is probably one of the rarest mothers-in-law that dotes on her daughter-in-law so much that she would even disown her son if he ever cheats on his wife. "Hmph! I can''t wait for that bitch''s dirty secret to be exposed in the public. When it''s going to be? I should call Mark to inform me ahead of time. I would love to witness her annihilation." Madam Kelly mumbled to herself. Chairman John Parker sighed as he watches his wife. "You should show some support to your brother-in-law." Chairman John turned and said to Jacob. After becoming a member of the Society, he has become aware of its mission and every action. "We will, Dad." After all, it is a mission that will be supervised by his brother-in-law and he and J would support him to ensure its success. After the dinner, J and Jacob prepared to go to their bedroom but Madam Kelly stopped them. "Lily called earlier. She said that she will be having a live interview tonight and she wants us all to watch it. She will call again later to make sure that we are all tuned in. So, after you change, go downstairs. Let''s watch together." J and Jacob looked at each other. Usually, Lily wouldn''t mind if her family watched her movie or TV shows much more an interview because she knows that they were not really into entertainment and she doesn''t want to force them, but this time, she specifically asked for them to watch. It was obvious that she is planning something and J more or less already knew what it is. .... When J and Jacob came down, the interview has already started. It was an evening talk show hosted by a 60-year-old female television host that is known as the queen of the talk show. She is very reputable and is known to make her guest confess at least one of their secrets. The host and Lily have already talked about Lily''s latest film that was shot in Mt. Celandine. They were now talking about Lily''s current and upcoming projects. J seated on the sofa beside Madam Kelly because the latter wants her to. Chairman John is seated on an accent chair on their right so Jacob chose to sit on the accent chair on their left. They watched as Lily talks about songs that she is currently writing and how proud she is of it because she can finally incorporate her favorite genre, which is country in it. Then she talks about when it is going to be released and about filming a music video of it. "Is this your first time watching a talk show?" Madam Kelly asked J. "Not really." J shook her head. "I''ve watched a couple before out of curiosity or boredom but I never finished any of it." J smiled faintly. J is not a gossip hunger person. She liked some celebrities and watched some good film but she is not the type to follow a celebrity''s daily life. She is not into talk shows, variety shows or TV Dramas. She finds them so fake. She would rather watch a documentary. Yeah. She is boring. Thou she listens to music a lot. "Hmm... Why am I not surprised?" Jacob stated making J gave him a side-eye. "I''ve met this female host before and she is quite decent but very witty and smart with her words. I think Lily should be careful in answering her questions. I forgot to remind Lily when she called." Madam Kelly said with concern. Chapter 556 - Dating her Boyfriend It was a one-hour show and on half of the show, the female host and Lily only talked about Lily''s career. Now the female host''s questions started to become more personal. "There were a lot of speculations circulating around about why did you arrive at the premiere night of your film alone. Everyone was expecting that you will be accompanied by General Andrew Brown." The female host stated and thou it was not a question, Lily knows that she has to say something about that. Lily looked especially stunning that night wearing a little black dress with half sleeves and a square neck. "Oh... Andrew is a very busy person. He cannot just leave the base even if he wanted to." "But you''ve been dating right?" The female host probe further. She wanted to get clear answers because Lily never clarified once before that she is dating General Andrew Brown. Lily cocked her head. "I wouldn''t call that dating. We were just hanging around." She said then she smiled on the camera. "Great! At least she cleared that up. It would be unfair to Lance if she let the media continue on speculating that she and Andrew were dating." Madam Kelly can''t help but make a comment. "Mom, isn''t it you who suggested that date?" Jacob rolled his eyes. Madam Kelly bit her lip. "Well at least they didn''t fall in love and Lance came just in time." "Oh... so let me clear things up. You and General Andrew Brown were not dating?" The female host looked surprised, she thought that she can finally make Lily admit that she and the General were dating. Lily shook her head. "No. We are not dating and we never dated before. We were just friends hanging out. Our families are friends, that''s how we met. We''ve been hanging out before so I was actually surprised that the media got a picture of us together just now." Lily shrugged her shoulder. "We all thought that the two of you were dating. It is good that you clarified that now." The female host said. "Yeah. It would be unfair to Andrew and her girlfriend." Lily said. Just recently she found out that Andrew finally started dating that military doctor that he is talking about. Good for him. "But how about you. Do you have a boyfriend or dating, someone?" The female host asked making everyone in the studio wait with anticipation. The camera zoomed in on her face to capture her small beautiful face. "Yeah. I am currently dating my boyfriend." Lily answered without hesitation. Suddenly the audience shrieked in excitement. J and Jacob looked at each other. "Oh, God! She better tell her that it is Lance or else the media will speculate again and it is not fair for Lance!" "Mom! Why do I have a feeling that you favor your in-laws more than your own children?" Jacob stated the obvious and Madam Kelly and J rolled their eyes at him. "Of course, I would favor them more because they will be the one who will take care of you when I am gone!" Madam Kelly said straightforwardly. Meanwhile, Lance who is still in his office watching the live interview is beaming with a proud smile. When Lily called him and asked him to watch her interview, he already had an idea in mind that Lily would probably announce their relationship tonight. Although he is against it at first, he still felt happy with Lily''s effort. The female host becomes overly excited because she feels that she will be unraveling more secrets today from Lily. "Is he from the entertainment industry as well?" She could have asked who is he but the host intentionally keep the audience hanging by going around the circles. Lily thinks for a while because although he did produce one film, he is basically not from the entertainment industry. "Hmm...well, yes. Maybe you could say it that way. But he is a rookie in this industry." She said making the audience think that he is probably some new artist. The audience and viewers at home started to write down the names of the new male artists in their mind. "Do we know him?" The female host asked. "Oh come on! Why are you going around circles? Just ask her directly!" Madam Kelly became an impatient audience as if the female host is just interviewing some random artist. "Probably not everyone knows him," Lily said. Chapter 557 - I want that photo "Is he good looking?" The female host decided to know more about the man before she asks his identity. "Probably better-looking than other artists you know." Lily boasted. Making the audience cheer. "Is he an artist or a model?" "No to both," Lily replied quickly with a smile. "What is wrong with this host?" Madam Kelly exclaimed making J chuckle. J is already becoming irritated and impatient because of the female host is prolonging the interview. She already wanted to go upstairs to sleep because she already knows what will be the ending of this interview, but she forced herself to stay because of Madam Kelly and she also knows that Lily would call her maybe tomorrow if she watched the interview. It will be embarrassing and she might upset Lily if she says that she did but she didn''t watch it until the end. "Now that is interesting." Of course, she and the audience couldn''t guess anymore since Lily already told them that he is not an artist or model and they might not know him at all. So the female host asks hoping that she will get a direct response from Lily. "May we know who is this lucky guy is?" The female host finally asked and then the studio became silent worried that if they make a single noise, they wouldn''t hear it if Lily decided to mention a name. "His name is Lance Kho," Lily replied without a second thought. The studio remained silent because the audience was thinking. They have heard of the name but cannot seem to remember who the guy is. If he is from the entertainment industry but not an artist or model, then could it be that he is a director, or producer or a Boss? "Ahaha! Great! Do you see that? Lily finally announced it." Madam Kelly said to nothing in particular. Among the four, she is the only one who is extremely elated at Lily''s answer because Chairman John, Jacob, and J already anticipated it. J looked at Madam Kelly amusedly. She wouldn''t be surprised if one day, Madam Kelly would dote on Lance more than her. The female host was silent for just a couple of seconds because she is trying to remember who Lance Kho is but it didn''t take her long to finally realize it. "Oh my God! You are talking about Mr. Lance Kho! The heir of K.H.O Law firm, a board member of AM Entertainment and one of the producers of your recent film?" The female host exclaimed in astonishment and at the same time, a photo of Lance appeared on the LED screen behind them. The audience gasped at once. Lily was right when she said that he is probably better looking than other male artists they know. In fact, he is one of the hottest bachelors in the country. Lily looked at the picture behind her. It was a photo of Lance that she has never seen before. It was probably a stolen shot because he is in the parking lot of AM Entertainment walking with a cup of coffee in his hand. He is looking gorgeous, clean-shaven but his curly hair looked messy as always. He effortlessly looked hot and sexy. "Wow! I''ve never seen that photo before. Remind me to get a copy of that." The audience laughed and thought that Lily is just joking but she is not. "No, seriously. I want that photo of him." Lily said making the audience cheer. "So it was him." The female host asked for confirmation. "Yes." Lily nodded her head. "Oh my God! I didn''t see that coming! What a revelation! Since when did the two of you start dating?" The female host ask the question that everyone is meaning to ask. Lily smiled. She was obviously in bliss and she really doesn''t mind talking about her relationship with Lance. This is what she wanted. To show everyone how proud she is with this relationship. "We started dating when the filming of my movie is about to finish," Lily answered. "Have you known each other before?" The female host started probing. This time, J''s phone rings. She looked at it and her eyes rolled when she saw that it is Lance. She answered. "What?" "Are you watching it?" Lance''s voice is ecstatic. Chapter 558 - Prove Himself "Yeah," J replied nonchalantly. She looked at Jacob and noticed that he is frowning at her. She opened her mouth to say that it was Lance but in only made Jacob''s forehead creases deepened. She mostly listens to Lance''s bragging while she was not able to follow the interview. The female host was now just asking about their relationship. "I think, you better hung up now because they are trying to call him." She heard Madam Kelly said. She turned to look at the TV and they were indeed calling Lance. They already attempted twice but Lance''s phone is busy making everyone feel awkward. J immediately hung up. And when she did, their call finally gets through. She knew Lance wouldn''t mind getting an interview from the host because he loves to be the center of attention. "Oh finally! We get through you, Mr. Lance Kho!" The female host said then the audience cheered. "I''m sorry, I was talking to my best friend bragging about Lily," Lance replied without a bit of shyness. "Oh is that so. We were just talking about you and Miss Lily''s relationship. Are you tuned in?" The female host asked. "Yes, I am." "So you''ve heard when she announced her relationship to you?" "Yes, I did." "So how do you feel?" "Well, I feel like the happiest man on earth." Lily giggled. "He''s been bragging about you to his best friend. Have you met him?" The female host asked probably wanted to get a reaction from her. "Yes. She''s a common friend and I''ve known her before we did." Lily said. "So, it''s a lady. Weren''t you jealous? Because if my boyfriend''s best friend is a lady, I would be." The host stated. "Yes, there were times that I was but she and her husband were the most possessive persons I''ve ever met, so there is no reason to be jealous of her," Lily said. J and Jacob looked at each other, obviously, it was them that Lily is talking about. "Silly girl!" J is amused at Madam Kelly''s reactions. She just realized that it would be entertaining to watch TV with Madam Kelly, not because of the show but of her reactions. "Are there any films that you are planning to produce after Miss Lily''s film?" They heard the female host ask Lance over the phone. "Ah... no. I don''t think I will still pursue this career. Mr. Ray, my friend just encouraged me the last time, and I agree out of curiosity. But it consumes my time. I am busy here at the firm and if I continue being a producer, I might not have time left to spend with Lily." Lance replied and his last words made the audience cheer. Thou it was the truth, he decided that he will not continue producing films because of Lily. However, there is still one more issue to deal with. Being J''s proxy as a shareholder of AM Entertainment, Lance became one of its Board Member. Others might think that it is a taboo for an artist of AM Entertainment to have a romantic relationship with its Board Member. They might think that Lance would favor Lily among others. J surprisingly finished the talk show much to Madam Kelly''s delight. They all headed back to their respective bedrooms. "What are you thinking?" Jacob asked when he noticed that J is staring at the dark ceiling. "I''m thinking about my shares at AM Entertainment," J replied. "What about it?" J frowned. "I''m worried that it may cause a problem in Lily and Lance''s relationship. You know, Lance is a Board Member of AM Entertainment, right?" "And so?" This made J looked at him. "How can you be so indifferent about it? We are talking about your sister''s happiness." "Honey, don''t worry about it too much. Let Lance handle it. Let him prove himself." Jacob said as he tightened his embrace on J. "Hasn''t he already proved himself?" J rested her head on Jacob''s chest. "No." "How could you? Lance is such a capable man! How else do you want him to prove himself?" J felt that Jacob is being unfair towards Lance. "I know." Jacob stroke the back of J. "Then?" J raised her brows at him. Chapter 559 - A Devil Himself Jacob sigh. "Honey, Lily is a capable and talented woman. She has been in that industry for 10 years and become successful on her own. Never once she asked for our or anyone''s assistance or support. She didn''t even use her family''s background. She came to where she is now by relying solely on her talent and capability." Jacob continued speaking while stroking her back. "Her relationship with a Board Member might slightly affect her reputation and career as there were people that were short-minded but it will not ruin her. People are smart, they knew how hard she worked for 10 years. In her current position, will she need anyone to back her up? No, I don''t think so. And people would think the same way." "Thou there might be some short-minded people that might cause quite a stir in her career but that can''t be helped. It''s the entertainment industry, sweetheart. It is as dirty as business and politics. People will intentionally find loopholes and try to pull her down." "Their greatest critic is themselves. It is up to them if they let these people get in their relationship and ruin her career." "Not that I don''t care about my sister or her happiness, it''s just that. I trust her. I trusted her for 10 years. Don''t you trust Lance?" Jacob asked afterward. J pondered for minutes. Jacob was right. Maybe she is just overthinking things. Maybe she is just worried about nothing. For years she relied on Lance''s capabilities whenever she has problems that she can''t solve on her own. If Lance has a way to solve her problems, of course he also has more ways to solve his problems especially now that it concerns the love of his life. "Hmm... you are right. I almost forgot how capable Lance is although he doesn''t seem so." J smiled. The two fell into silence. J was exhausted and sleepy when they came home, but after watching the talk show, she seemed to have difficulty in falling asleep. "Were you still buying shares of AM Entertainment?" Jacob asked. "Yes," J replied, although they don''t usually talk about each other''s business and assets, she doesn''t want to hide anything from him. "I was just curious. You''ve now become one of the major shareholders of AM Entertainment. Why would you want AM Entertainment? Is it because of Alex Ogden?" Jacob asked out of curiosity. J started buying shares of AM Entertainment anonymously until she reached the point that she is one of its major shareholders, the others were Lance and Alex Ogden who is presiding the board as the Chairman and also the President and CEO. J nodded her head. "Yes, I originally planned to just threaten him of his position." Jacob changed position so that he is now facing her. "How about now? What are your plans?" J looked into his eyes and shrugged her shoulders. "I don''t know. I have a feeling that he knows that I am one of the major shareholders of AM Entertainment. And if I continue threatening him, he might think that I am not serious in my offer of friendship to him." J noticed that Jacob''s face immediately darkens. "So, you are serious about that offering of friendship that you gave him?" J reached out to stroke his cheeks with her palm. "If it means that he will give up his hope on me, why not?" "You are dealing with a devil, you know that?" Jacob said as he tightened his arm around her waist pressing her closer to him. J pursed her lips. "I have been dealing with you, so, you know, I''m kinda used to it," J said indicating that Jacob is also a devil himself. Jacob narrowed his eyes on J. "Are you making fun of me Mrs. Parker?" A smug smile appears on J''s lips. "I am just saying that you are a devil as well. Can''t you just acknowledge it as a compliment?" "So, you want to be acknowledged as the wife of the devil?" Jacob asked being complacent. "That depends on which devil you are talking about." She replied with a satisfied smile. She is enjoying teasing her husband. "As if I am going to let another devil call you, wife," Jacob said then he positioned himself on top of her. "Now, why don''t we just talk about our baby-making project since it seems that you don''t have any plans on sleeping yet? Let''s make our night productive." Chapter 560 - A special day she almost forgot After a couple of days, J woke up feeling off. She could sense that something is going on and she could tell it by the way Jacob is staring at her. They were still cuddling each other on Jacob''s bed at Parkers Mansion. They were still living there and J doesn''t have any idea until when. Not that she doesn''t like it there, in fact, she loved Jacob''s bedroom. She loves how minimalistic it is, she loves everything about it or probably it is just because it has Jacob''s touch in every corner of it. She doesn''t mind that she lives with Jacob''s parents because the truth is that they rarely see them in a day. They only spend time with them during breakfast and dinner. They spend most of their time in their bedroom. So, it''s like they were in their own world. "Why are you giving me that look?" J asked. Her brow is slightly elevated. "You don''t know?" Jacob asked in amusement. J frowned. "Don''t know what?" Jacob laughed. He is really delighted just how innocent his wife look just now. He cannot tell if she is just pretending not to know or she really doesn''t remember what day it is. "You are not going to work today," Jacob stated and before J could retort, her phone started to ring. She reached out for her phone that is on the bedside table and saw that Lance is calling her. Jacob peeked and saw it as well. Before J could answer the call, Jacob snatched her phone and said, "And you are not going to answer this call." Because Jacob knew very well why Lance is calling her. That is to greet her on her birthday and he doesn''t want him or anyone to be the first one to greet her. It should be him. J becomes irritated. "Jacob, what''s wrong with you?" J asked with a frown. "Why am I not going to work and why can''t I answer Lance''s call?" She really doesn''t have any idea. Jacob thought internally. He shook his head and sigh. "Because today, is your birthday, Honey. And I want to be the first one to greet you." Jacob said gently. J was dumbfounded. It is her birthday, today? After New Year, she knew that her birthday is coming and she didn''t notice it until the day finally comes. In the past years, she wouldn''t notice that it is her birthday if it weren''t for Diana and Lance''s greetings. She doesn''t usually prepare anything for her birthday, it is usually Diana who does it. And knowing her current situation, she doubts if Diana could still do it. Wow. It is her birthday. She is already 31. She unconsciously put her hand on her abdomen. Suddenly, she had that urge to have a baby. The fact that she is getting older suddenly hits her. "Happiest birthday to my lovely wife." Jacob kissed her on her forehead then to her lips gently. Then he moved his lips just an inch away. "I wish for you to have a baby with me soon." Then Jacob kissed her again who is smiling. He knows what I am thinking. J thought. "And also, to be with the man you love for the rest of your life," Jacob said again in between his kisses. J chuckled. Thou she thought that it was a little bit unfair that Jacob''s wishes mostly favors him, it was actually what she wished for. To have a baby with him and to be with him for the rest of her life. J has already become used to Jacob making love with her in the morning. It has already become a habit that J didn''t notice. And she loved it as much as she loves making love with him at night. Definitely, because it was him. And ever since they decided to have a baby, it has become more frequent than before. Sometimes almost every day. "Happy birthday, sweetheart!" Madam Kelly greeted her once they arrived at the dining room. It was only her and Chairman John. She felt a little disappointed that the rest of the Parkers were not present. Thou, they already called and greeted her earlier. Lance and Diana also did. "Wow." J was delighted to see what Madam Kelly prepared for breakfast. She prepared breakfast pasta and put some seafood in it to make it special because she knows how her daughter-in-law loves seafood and pasta. Chapter 561 - Birthday Cake Then J spotted a cake as well. She guessed that Madam Kelly woke up early to bake her a cake. Although it was just a guess, she felt moved. "Thanks, mom," J said and the next thing she knows, Madam Kelly is hugging her. "I know you are not used to this but, from now on expect that you''ll be celebrating your birthdays like this. I will always bake you a cake and prepare your favorite dish for breakfast." Madam Kelly said while she''s still wounded in her arms. "I always do this to my kids. I wanted to make sure that they started their birthday in a good mood." Madam Kelly said with a sweet smile after she pulled away from J. That confirms her guess that she baked the cake. "So do you have any plans for today?" Madam Kelly asked when the four of them were already seated. "Uh... No, I don''t have any." It is not unusual because J never plans anything for her birthday. "Good, because I know Jacob does." Madam Kelly winks at her then she looked at Jacob. "Mom, that''s a surprise," Jacob said then he looked at J who is looking at him with curiosity. She has already experienced Jacob''s surprised before and it was always sweet and touching. She knows that he is very ecstatic when preparing these kinds of surprises for her. Thou, she doesn''t want to put her hopes high but she can''t help it. She wonders what would Jacob do for her birthday. "I know. I just knew that you would do something for her but I am not asking what it is." Madam Kelly smiled at both of them while she sliced a cake for J. "Here, I''m not going to let you leave without having a taste of your birthday cake." "Thanks, mom," J felt overjoyed by Madam Kelly''s gesture. She really dotes on her. "So, it''s a full day?" Chairman John asked Jacob making J looked at them with a cocked head. She is curious about what Chairman John means. "Yes, it is." And it seems like Jacob understands what he means. Does he know Jacob''s plan which she and Madam Kelly doesn''t know? She looked at Madam Kelly, however, she doesn''t seem like she minds at all. "Okay, just keep her safe." Chairman John said shortly after. She really can''t believe how the Parkers treat her. It was like she has always been a member of this family. And it''s making J''s heart filled with too much emotion. "Why? Aren''t you taking Arthur''s team with you?" Madam Kelly asked with raised eyebrows. "No, mom. I want this day exclusive for the both of us. And Arthur''s Team has things to do." J looked at Jacob. "Are they on a mission? Why I didn''t know?" J asked, after all, Arthur is her right-hand man and his team is her team as well. "Oh..." Jacob struggled to find words to say. "They will be reporting at Loghouse." He just said thou he knows that his wife wouldn''t believe it. J stared at Jacob with narrowed eyes. She knows that he is hiding something from her and she would find it out within the day. How could he not tell her Arthur''s mission? He is her right-hand man, his mission must come from her. She is now doubting Arthur''s loyalty. She has to talk to him. J thought internally. When they are done with breakfast, they eventually left the mansion because as Chairman John said, they have a full day ahead so they have to start early. Outside the mansion, she saw Arthur''s Team. She narrowed her eyes at him then she walks towards him. They were all looking at him. She was about to question their loyalty but she was stunned when Felix suddenly pulled out a bouquet of assorted flowers. So, her words were left hanging. "Happy Birthday, Miss J!" Felix said then he was followed by Daniel and Stefan. The last one to greet her was Arthur, however, he didn''t just greet her, he also tousled her hair. She looked at them and saw the sincerity in their eyes. Okay, I''ll just leave the questioning for later because these guys were sweet. She thought internally. Chapter 562 - Gift from the Wives "We hope that you don''t mind us giving you flowers," Stefan said with a smile. "No, I don''t mind." She replied and that was the truth. "We were actually discussing what gift to give you but we can''t think of anything and we know that you are not a materialistic person, so we just ended up buying you flowers. And of course, our loyalty and sincerity. We also promise to protect you not just because it''s our job but because you are our friend and we care about you." Felix said making J bit her lip. Who would''ve thought that an A-Team of Twelve Army that is known to be cold and ruthless could be this sweet? Daniel pulled out something behind him making Felix and Stefan widened their eyes at him. They decided not to give her anything as a gift, how come this guy brought her a gift on his own? Daniel just shrugs his shoulder at them. "This is from Hannah." It is a small gift box. "Oh... please thank her from me," J said as she accepted the gift. She is not eager to receive gifts but it would feel awkward if she doesn''t accepts it, after all, it came from Hannah. Seeing that it came from Daniel''s wife, Felix thought of something. "Right! Wait here!" He said, then he is gone only to return with a gift box of his own. He received an accusing look from the three men. "Don''t give me that look. I also have a wife." Then he looks at J and gives her the gift. "This is from my wife." J was surprised to receive a gift from Felix''s wife because they haven''t met before. It makes her doubt if it really came from his wife. "Oh my God! You don''t believe me don''t you?" Felix exclaimed feeling dejected. He is holding his hand on his chest. J laughed. "Okay, okay. I believe you. And thank her for me." "We should get going." Jacob interrupted them. J nodded her head. "Okay." She turns to look back at Arthur''s Team. "Thanks again for this." She said as she raised the flowers and gifts she received from them. "We''ll see you later." She heard Arthur said making her look back at them and ponder what he meant by that. She was about to ask him however, Jacob pulled her arm towards his SUV. Inside Jacob''s SUV. "Those guys dotes on you too much making me wary of them," Jacob said as he looked at the bouquet of flowers and gifts on J''s lap. J chuckled because she sensed the unnecessary jealousy in Jacob''s tone. "It was you who chose them for me." She reminds him. "I know. And it makes me doubt my judgment." Jacob replied thou he was a bit jealous he knows that there is nothing to be jealous about. J and Jacob left the mansion but they didn''t go anywhere yet. They went first to Evergreen Villa. "Why are we here?" J asked. Jacob gave her a goofy smile. "We''ll change the car." "Oh...then, I''ll just take this inside." She said talking about the flowers and gifts. J steps out of the SUV and takes the gifts in their room. She planned to open it later but realized that they probably won''t be coming there in a God knows how many days. And knowing Felix, he might ask her sooner or later if she liked the gift and she wouldn''t know how to answer that if she hasn''t opened it. So she decided to open the gifts quickly. She opened Hannah''s gift first. It is in a peach gift box with a peach ribbon on the side. When she opened it, she saw a small deep green bottle of bath oil. She didn''t expect it or maybe she just doesn''t know what to expect from a gift because she rarely receives gift. She opened the bottle and put it in her nose. She smelled a mix of jasmine, damask oil and neroli. It is revitalizing. Based on its packaging, J guessed that it is not cheap. Daniel probably must''ve known how she indulged herself for hours in the bathroom. She put away the bottle then takes Emily''s gift. It is in a navy blue gift box with a blue ribbon and a golden heart emblem on it. When she opens it, she can''t help but smile. Chapter 563 - Behind the steering wheel It was a book titled Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. Thou it is one of the greatest classic novels of all time, J hasn''t read it but it is in her reading list. She hasn''t met Felix''s wife and thought that it was so thoughtful of her to give her a book. Felix probably told her about her fascination with classic novels. She kept the book in the bookshelf that Jacob provided for her in the study room. Now how about the flowers. She doesn''t want to leave it at Evergreen Villa because they don''t live there temporarily. Now she regrets taking it with her. She should''ve left it at the Parkers Mansion. "Honey, aren''t you done?" She heard Jacob called her in the bedroom. "Yeah. I was wondering what to do with these flowers. I should''ve left it at the mansion." J said when she walks out of the study room. Jacob''s gaze at the flower turned grim. "Now they only gave you a problem with those flowers." J smirk. "You are just bitter." "Just leave it here," Jacob said. J gave her an icy glare. "Leave it here and I''ll have Lulu take it at the mansion. Happy?" Jacob said with slight irritation, however, J knows that he was just faking it. "And put it on a vase then place it on our bedroom," J added. Jacob rolled her eyes. "As you wish." J smiled with complacency. It is rare for her to accept flowers from others so the experience is a bit overwhelming. The couple left the house and J was taken by another surprise. "We are taking this?" J is looking at her blue sports car that is now out of its garage with wide eye. It has been weeks since the last time they drove her beloved sports car and she missed it. This past couple of weeks every time that they went to Lodgepole Estate, Eve''s and Martha''s Home, they would take Jacob''s SUV because of the stuff that they had to bring with them. Big boxes of grocery items and toys would not fit into her sports car. "Yes," Jacob replied satisfied with the look on his wife''s face. "Here," Jacob said then J looked at him with astonishment. Jacob is passing her the glass key of her sports car. "You are letting me drive?" She said with teary-eyed. The last time she drives was during the Lotus City Motor Speedway Championship because Jacob seriously never lets her drive in the street since her accident at the Naupaka Racing Circuit. At first, he just told her that she is forbidden to drive until her cuts and bruises heal but then he later on decided that he will only let her drive if he feels like it. And it has never happened yet until today. Jacob smiled sweetly. "It''s your birthday." "Is it just for today or from today onwards?" J asked hoping for the latter. Jacob thinks for a while before he answers. "Definitely for today." J felt a little disappointed. "But I''ll think about the latter." J''s eyes were sparkling with happiness. "Okay. I''ll accept that." She said before she walks around the sports car and steps inside the driver''s side. She drives ecstatically. Damn! She missed it! She missed the steering wheel. She missed the adrenaline. She missed seating on the driver''s seat. "Where to?" she turned and asked Jacob. The day''s itinerary was supposed to be a surprise but how can it be when she is the one behind the wheel. Jacob suddenly regrets giving her the key. "Black Heiress Team," Jacob replied. Their first itinerary is now not a secret anymore but what''s in there is still a secret. J looks at him then she replied, "Okay." without probing any further. The Black Heiress Team is located near the Lotus Motor Speedway. The front building is a two-story building. It is where the showcase area, souvenir shop and the team''s main office is located. While behind that building is the team''s own repair and custom shop. "I think you should not park there," Jacob said when J was about to park in front of the building. The race car enthusiast and fans of Black Heiress know that she owns that kind of sports car they are driving and if they saw it parked in front of the Black Heiress Team shop, people would flock around for a chance to see her. "Oh... Okay." J understands so she drives around the building and parked inside the repair and custom shop instead. Chapter 564 - The Showcase Area Her team already knew that they were coming. Jacob has already given them a heads up. And they also knew why Jacob brings her there on the day of her birthday. It was to give her her present. J steps out of the car and looks around the repair shop. She visits there once in a while sometimes with Jacob, sometimes with Arthur''s Team. Whenever she is getting bored and had nothing to do, she visits there to gets her hands dirty. It is the place where all the modifications with her race cars were done. When her first car was totaled in an accident at Naupaka Racing Circuit, it was shipped there to be repaired. But J didn''t know that the repair has already started. When she needed a new race car, Jacob ordered a new one and had it modified there. They could actually handmade a new race car for J but the time is limited. So Jacob had to order abroad and just let the team modified it based on J''s preference. Race cars or stock cars are different from streetcars. Almost every part of a race car is handmade from its body to the engine. "Come," Jacob put his hand on J''s lower back and led her to her team who is already waiting for her. To her surprise, another bouquet of flowers was presented to her by Buck. "Happy Birthday, Miss J." Then the rest of her team greeted her at once. J looked at them then to Jacob with a gaping jaw. She never spends her birthday at Black Heiress Team or anywhere except at CLP Hospital or Diana''s apartment because Diana would always prepare a simple celebration for her since five years ago. So, there are not a lot of people who knew her birthday. She now wonders, whom else did Jacob told about her birthday? "Thank you, guys," J said a little embarrassed. After that, everyone scattered away to do their jobs. J looked at Jacob with a raised eyebrows. "Did you just take me here so that I could be greeted by my team? You know I never like the idea of a lot of people knowing about my birthday or anything about me." "I''m sorry," Jacob said apologetically. "But, it just can''t be helped." He shrugs his shoulder. "Come here." Then Jacob leads her out of the repair shop towards the building in the front. Buck silently followed them. The first floor of the building is the showcase area where the cars used by Black Heiress and Hans were displayed. As well as their fire suits and Black Heiress''s symbolic helmets that she used ever since she started her career. There were also news clips, photos and of course, trophy''s that she received throughout her racing career. The showcase area and the souvenir shop that is located on the second floor is usually open to the public, but today, J noticed that it is closed. Inside the showcase area, J looked around. It was well lit, the whole place is painted white, and the floor is delightedly luminous white as well giving the whole place a clean look. Upon looking around, J noticed something. Usually, the showcase area has five cars on display. Three of them were Han''s race cars that he used throughout his racing career while the other two cars were the cars that Jacob recently bought abroad and modified by her team. One is her winning car while the other one is the one she is using during practice at Naupaka Racing Circuit. Then she looked at an obviously another car that is covered with black cloth with curiosity. "What''s this?" She asked. "It''s uhm... a present from the team." Buck from behind replied. "Well of course, under the strict supervision of your husband." J looked at Jacob with a quizzical smile because she more or less already has an idea of what is under the black cloth. "Check it out." Jacob cocked his head. They were already standing in front of it. J takes a step and reached out to pull that black cloth. "Oh my God!" J said then she bit her lip trying to avoid a tear from falling. Although, she has already thought about this but she still hasn''t prepared herself from the surprise. It hasn''t reached noon yet but she has already received a number of surprises. She is afraid that she''ll have a heart attack at the end of the day. Chapter 565 - Reunited J still can''t believe it while she is running her fingers around the car as she walks around it and checking out every detail of it. The last time she saw this car, it was totally wrecked. No one would think that it was the same car. But then she thought, is it? "Is it a new car?" J asked. "Well, after the accident, the insurance company determined it as a total loss. Although they had already paid us the total cash value of the car, your husband helped us decide to keep the car." Buck said then he looked at Jacob. "Then?" J asked confused. Jacob already bought two new race cars although its price cost more than what they will be receiving from the insurance company. Jacob said that the amount doesn''t matter as long as she will be safe. "The money we got from the insurance company is what we used to repair this car." Buck continued. "The car is repairable but the cost is a big one. In fact, more than what the car is worth. But still, your husband insisted that we repair it and return it to its original state. We used some parts of the car that can be salvaged, while the other parts were new. But still, it is the same car." J nodded her head in understanding. She is feeling a bit emotional being reunited again with her first-ever race car. "But..." Buck paused when he saw J''s reaction turned a bit sour. "Although it runs and is in good condition now. I am not sure if it will pass the inspection if you are going to use this for a race." J become a bit sad but she had already expected this outcome. Of course, she cannot ask for more. She looked at Jacob, then to Buck. "Can you leave us alone for a moment, please?" She said then Buck looked at Jacob and nods his head before he left. "Jacob..." J started but before she could say anything, Jacob beats her into it. "Honey, I know what you are thinking, but please hear me out first." J crossed her arms in front of her chest and leans in the car''s body. She waited for Jacob''s words. Jacob takes a step closer in front of her. "I know how sentimental you are. This car is important to you. It has been part of your life. But, because of me, you had that accident and this car was wrecked. You probably didn''t know how guilty I was." "So I had Buck take this car here and have it repaired at whatever cost as long as it will be returned to its original condition. Although you can still drive it in a track, unfortunately, you cannot use this in a race." J was rendered speechless. So, he was still blaming himself for that accident until now? She straightened up her body and reached out to put her hands into Jacob''s face. "Thank you for this. I really appreciate this." J said emotionally. "I''m sorry, it was just. You''ve spent a huge amount of money for these cars." J pointed at the three cars. "It''s nothing, sweetheart. Your safety, your happiness is my priority." Jacob said as he reached out for J''s hand and bring it to his lips. "Oh my God! Jacob, you are too good." J cannot find anything else to say. Jacob chuckled and pulled her closer to his body. "I know." J wrapped her arms around Jacob''s waist and snuggled deep into his chest. "Gosh! Three race cars." She still can''t get over it. Although the insurance company did pay them. The amount is just enough for one car. But Jacob bought two cars instead. And the repair cost of her previous car is overwhelming, it cost more than it''s value. So it is more than just three race cars. "Don''t dwell too much on the cost, okay?" Jacob put his hands on J''s shoulder. "So, what do you plan for this?" Jacob said as he looked at J. J was glad that the car has returned to its good condition but unfortunately she cannot compete in a race with it. "Can I drive it in the streets?" She asked with a goofy smile. Jacob laughed. "You know that''s illegal." They were talking about a race car, not a streetcar. And driving a race car on the streets is illegal. "Ha-ha. I know. That''s just wishful thinking." Chapter 566 - Someones Watching "You know I originally planned to have them convert this into a streetcar," Jacob said making J looked at him in amusement because converting a race car into streetcar might cost more than just the repair. "Then why didn''t you?" J was curious. "Ha-ha. You''re crazy." Jacob said as he pinched J''s nose. "This car is too popular and if you drive it in the streets, you''ll catch too much attention and that''s the last thing that I wanted to happen." J smiled because she knows that he is right. "Then, I''ll just keep it here at the showcase area for the meantime. But, will you let me drive this at Naupaka Racing Circuit once in a while?" J said with beseeching eyes. The way she looks at him makes him want to say yes immediately but his safety is his priority so he said, "I''ll think about it." instead. Thou it made J dismayed, at least, she has something to look forward to. Looking forward that Jacob would change his mind. Jacob ordered food for the team before they left because they still have their next itinerary to catch. Inside J''s sports car. "I still can''t believe you managed to keep that from me." J has been visiting the Black Heiress Team once in a while with Jacob or Arthur''s Team but never did she noticed that they were hiding something from her. She wonders where did they repair the car. "So, you were going there behind my back?" J glared at Jacob sending a different message. "Ha-ha. Honey, I am not going anywhere else behind your back that you wouldn''t like. I promise." J gave him a side-eye before she returns her eyes on the road. "So, where are we going next?" She asked. Jacob fell silent. "You know, this just feels weird that I am going to take you somewhere to surprise you but you behind that steering wheel asking the next destination is making it less exciting," Jacob said mopping. J frowned because she sensed where this is going. "Don''t you dare steal the wheel from me Mr. Parker or I swear I am getting out of the car and take a taxi back to Evergreen!" J scowled at him. "Okay, okay! Why are you so angered so easily? I won''t steal that from you." Jacob looked at her amusedly. "Let''s go to Lodgepole Estate." He said afterward when J didn''t respond. The last thing he wants for now is to anger his wife on her birthday. J looked at him with her eyebrows raised. Lodgepole? She wants to ask why but then held back herself because she might spoil Jacob''s surprise if there is anymore. Meanwhile, at Twelve Army Headquarters, Arthur''s Team used one of the control rooms to watch over J and Jacob''s every movement via satellite. In front of them were multiple monitors showing real time images of their location. They could clearly see J''s sports car taking a highway going to Lantana. They are on the look out in case there are suspicious cars trailing them or if there were any dangers ahead of them or coming to them from any area within their 15 km radius. If in case there is, they will immediately contact any agent from Twelve Army and the Robin Hood Society near them to protect the heiress. Arthur was against them being left behind at first. He even suggested that they can follow them secretly but Jacob insisted that he wanted some time alone with his wife. He cared about J that much especially now that Jack Ogden has already directly threatened them. Although Jack Ogden gave the Parkers one month to leave the heiress, they cannot be at ease. Threats of Novus Rex are everywhere. Threats from the second class elites were everywhere as well. Although the fact that someone is watching them made Jacob uncomfortable, he just reminds himself that this is to protect J. So he suggested that Arthur''s Team just watch them via a satellite. Jacob didn''t tell about it to J because he knew that it will make her anxious. Who would be happy to find out that someone is secretly watching you? J and Jacob have now reached Lantana Province and so far, Arthur''s Team hasn''t found any threats yet. They just hope that today would end smoothly and no harm would befall their heiress. Chapter 567 - The Feast J and Jacob reached Lodgepole Estate and although she had anticipated it she was still surprised when she saw everyone from the horse farm and orchard gathered at the house. Apparently, Jacob told Mrs. Potters that they were coming and that she should prepare something for her. But, Mrs. Potters did not just prepare something for her, she prepared a feast for her and called everyone to celebrate J''s birthday. Thou they were given notice that it would be just a short visit. The feast is complete with main courses and desserts. The women were busy helping Mrs. Potters in the preparation, kids were running around and men were gathered in groups casually chatting. J''s hand is in her mouth in surprise. "Did you tell them to do this?" She asked Jacob who is standing beside her. It seems that no one has ever noticed their arrival yet. Jacob shook her head. "No." He was astounded as well. "I just told Mrs. Potters to prepare something." "Well, I guess you didn''t give her an exact definition of something." She said without taking her eyes off the people gathered around. "They''re here!" They heard someone shouted from somewhere then everyone looked at their direction. They were standing at the balcony of the house that is overlooking the ocean. There is also a lemon orchard at the back of the house where everyone is gathered and busy preparing for the banquet. "Uhm...I feel like running." J said feeling nervous that everyone is looking at her. She hates being the center of everyone''s attention. When Mrs. Potters heard the commotion, she came out of the kitchen and meet J and Jacob at the balcony. "You''re here." Mrs. Potters said as she walked towards them. "Happy Birthday." Then she gave J a tight hug. "Thank you Mrs. Potters." She looked around after they pulled apart. "You shouldn''t have prepared something like this." She said which made everyone felt a little awkward. They eventually noticed that J doesn''t seem to like what they have prepared. J sensed the awkwardness, "Oh no! That''s not what I meant. It''s just that... isn''t it too much?" She said feeling a little apologetic. "Ha-ha. Honey, I know you are not used to this kind of birthday celebration. You are used to being with just Diana and Lance during your past birthdays and I know that sometimes you would rather spend the day alone and not celebrate it." Jacob said words to convey a message that J didn''t mean to be insensitive and that she is just not used to this. "But you have to get used to this because from now on, we will be celebrating your birthday just like this." Jacob smiled while he strokes her hair. "Oh Miss J. I can''t even remember the last time you celebrated your birthday here. I guess it was before that incident happened." Mrs. Potters hugged her again, she was talking about that ambush. "And since then, you were sent by Elder Do abroad and I doubt if you ever celebrated your birthday since then." J becomes teary-eyed because what Mrs. Potters said was right. J never celebrated her birthday abroad even if Lance insisted. He would invite her to a club, a bar or dinner at a restaurant or even at home but she is adamant about not doing anything. She would rather sleep or spend the day at a speedway. Even so, Lance would still give her a present which J cannot refuse. "When Dr. Jacob said that you were coming and that we should prepare something for you, I seized the opportunity to make up for the years that you were alone on your birthday. I called them here to celebrate with you." J gulped the knot that formed in her throat. She felt guilty. She pulled herself away from Mrs. Potters. "No, I guess I was just surprised and overwhelmed. I''m sorry." She turned and looked at everyone. "Thank you for this." She said then she gave them a faint smile. They actually didn''t mind. They just felt awkward seeing her reaction. Thou they are used to her cold and aloof demeanor, the were too overwhelmed by the celebration in the air that they seemed to forgot about it. They all smiled at her with understanding. They have known about her past and the sufferings that she experienced and they can''t help but sympathize with her. They each greeted her and there were even kids who gave her wildflowers. Chapter 568 - Celebration at Loghouse After the feast, J and Jacob rested for two hours before Jacob said that they have to be back on the road again. J is now getting curious at how many more surprised does Jacob has for her. It is already four in the afternoon when they left Lodgepole Estate. J still insisted on driving. She really missed being behind the wheels. "How many more Mr. Parker?" She asked with her eyes on the road. "You''ll see," Jacob replied with a smirk. J rolled her eyes. Did she expect him to give her an answer? No. "Okay. Then, where are we going next?" "Loghouse," Jacob said and J felt that he was just forced because she is the one behind the wheels. J laughed. "Okay, I guess I already expected that." She said with a smile glancing at Jacob who is sulking on the passenger seat. And just as she expected, when they reached the Loghouse, everyone was there. The Parkers, her mom, and dad, Lance, Diana, and her family and of course Arthur''s team. "You really are something." J nudged at him who is standing beside her with his hands on his pocket. They were looking at everyone who is waiting for them by the poolside. "Well, at least I didn''t invite the whole of The Robin Hood Society." He said with complacency. "Well...I commend you on that." She said leaning closer to him. "Did you prepare this?" She asked. "No, it was Diana." He replied then pull her towards everyone, their hands intertwined. "I am not surprised." Because Diana has always been the one planning a birthday celebration for the past five years and she would never accept a no for an answer which annoyed Lance because when they were abroad, although he made a plan it never materialized because he would always get a no from J. "Happy Birthday, sweetheart." J becomes emotional when her mom hugs and greeted her. When was the last time she celebrated her birthday with them? More than 20 years ago. Then, President Martin did the same. He was emotional as well. "I''m glad to see you are doing fine. Thank you for this." She said when she hugged Diana who is sitting between Leo and Madam Victoria. "Everything for my best friend," Diana said with a smile. She originally planned to have the celebration at the Lodgepole Estate but Jacob didn''t approve it. Because it would mean exposing J''s safe haven and President Martin and Madam Victoria as well. The Parkers were constantly watched by Novus Rex. Coming to Loghouse was already risky but of course, everything became possible with the help of a little disguise. "So, you are here." She said looking at Arthur then to Daniel, Felix, and Stefan. Arthur shrugged his shoulder. "Told you we''ll see you later." He said and she smiled. "Looks like you had a great day," Felix said with a hidden meaning. J smiled. "Yes, I did." She paused. "Thanks for watching over." She said then turned leaving them slack-jaw except for Arthur who chuckled and shook his head. She already warned them, they cannot hide anything from her. She thanked everyone and gave each a hug including the twins and Timothy before they started preparing dinner that of course, Madam Kelly prepared with the help of Diana and Lily. After the dinner, Diana immediately excused herself stating that she is tired which J understands. Leo was left to look after Timothy who was playing with the twins which although much older than him, didn''t mind playing with Timothy. J and Jacob were on the sofa under that big oak tree looking at the magnificent night view of the Lotus City. Everyone was around casually chatting, the kids were running around playing. "Happy?" She heard Jacob asked. His arms around her shoulder and her body are leaning on his muscular chest. "Very." She replied. "Good." Jacob nodded his head. They both fell silent enjoying the moment. "But why do I have a feeling that the day is not over yet?" J raised her head and looked at Jacob with narrowed eyes. She knew that Jacob is the type of person that would exert a lot of time and energy to prepare something special for her especially that it is her birthday. Although they had been busy the whole day with a lot of surprises, those surprised were not directly prepared by Jacob. The race car was prepared by her team with the help and guidance from Jacob. The feast at the Lodgepole Estate was prepared by Mrs. Potters with Jacob''s notice. The celebration at Loghouse was prepared by Diana, Jacob just invited everyone. What Jacob did was just to let her drive her sports car again. Is that it? J thought internally. She doesn''t want to feel hopeful but she can sense that it is not just it. Chapter 569 - For Arthurs Sake The couple stared at each other for a moment under that big oak tree. For the others, the two looked romantic and sweet but in reality, they were challenging each other''s stare. Jacob squeezed J''s shoulder before he leaned and closed the gap between their lips. It was just a short kiss. "Hmm...Let''s see about that." Jacob said. His lips still hovering on top of hers. J had her eyes still closed. When J opened her eyes, she was met with Jacob''s mesmerizing stare. She is enjoying their closeness. "Ahem..." They were destructed when someone cleared their throat behind them. The couple looked behind them and find Leticia and Mark with the twins. "Sorry to interrupt." She said with a teasing smile. "We just wanted to say goodbye before we leave." "Oh..." J said feeling embarrassed. Jacob looked at his wristwatch. "This soon?" He said. "The drive is long and the twins have classes tomorrow." J and Jacob stood up from their seats. "Well then, be safe," Jacob said. "Happy birthday again, sis." Leticia turned and greeted J again. "Thank you." J gave the twins kisses and hugs before Jacob escorted them to their car that is parked in the basement. Soon, everyone left. President Martin and Madam Victoria went to their room to rest. Leo has taken Timothy inside the guest house. Arthur remained near the poolside because J and Jacob decided to stay a little more under that big oak tree. "Where is James?" J asked. She already noticed James'' absence ever since they arrived, she just can''t bring the question up. "He asked for a day off. It''s his mom''s birthday today as well." Jacob said while stroking J''s arm. His arm is wrapped around J''s shoulder keeping her close to his body. The weather at Naupaka Mountain can be cold during the first and last quarter of the year thou not as cold as Hellebore. J didn''t have to look behind her to know that Arthur is still there. She could sense his presence. "I think we should go inside." She said looking at Jacob. Her eyes moved to the right sending message about Arthur being still there. "Don''t mind him," Jacob said ignoring J''s look. "Wow. How can you be so cruel?" J frowned. Although she knows that it is Arthur''s job to watch over her, she is not comfortable by the fact that he is working overtime when he is supposed to be resting while she is just sitting there outside watching the skyline of Lotus City when she can just watch it inside her room. Thou she knows that Arthur didn''t mind because he cares for her, she minds it because she cares for him too. J stood up. "Come, on. Let''s get inside. I''m getting cold." She reached for Jacob''s hand to pull his body up. Although he knows that she is just saying that for the sake of Arthur, Jacob stood up compelled to do every wish of his wife. "You should take a rest now," Jacob said to Arthur and patted his shoulder as they passed by him. Arthur nodded his head then looked at J. "Happy birthday, Miss J." J smiled at him and replied with a simple "Thanks." When they get inside her bedroom which is now their bedroom, Jacob told J to take a shower first. As soon as she is inside the bathroom, he searched for his phone in his pocket and made a call. .... "It''s done!" Felix exclaimed while dusting his hands. "I can''t believe we are doing this," Stefan said feeling like his years of training and experience was wasted in just one night. Felix wrapped his arms around Stefan''s shoulder. "You''re not allowed to complain. This is the Boss'' orders." He said as if he didn''t mind that they were ordered to do such things that are way out of their job descriptions and personality. Well, at least not for him. "This should be done by girls. He should''ve asked Miss Lily''s guard to do this." Stefan keeps on complaining. But before Felix could say something, his phone rings. When he looked at the caller ID, he smiled with complacency. "Yes, Boss!" Felix said. Jacob asked something on the other line. "Mission accomplished Boss!" Felix replied enthusiastically. Jacob said something then they both hung up. "Can we go now?" Stefan asked as soon as Felix hung up the phone. "Yes," Felix said nodding his head. "Great!" Stefan said stretching his back. "Hey, D! Let''s go!" "I wish I could''ve stayed back with Arthur. He is probably sleeping now in his warm and cozy room." Stefan keeps on mumbling as they walked out of that part of Naupaka Mountain Chapter 570 - The lights might turn off When J steps out of the bathroom wearing a white bathrobe, Jacob is standing by the window. He has already changed. He is wearing a black turtleneck shirt, light grey coat, grey pants, and white shoes. He looks hot and fashionable, by the way. But J is frowning. "Where are you going?" She asked. Jacob turned when he heard her question. "Let''s go for a walk?" He asked with a cocked head. J cocked her head as well and with her eyebrows raised she asked, "At this hour?" Jacob chuckled. "Who says you cannot have a walk at this hour?" J narrowed her eyes at him. I knew it! Looks like the night is not over yet. She thought to herself. "Come on. I prepared something for you to wear." Jacob walked near the bed were J found clothes that he already prepared for her. "Seriously?" She asked. "Yes. Don''t ask any more questions and get dressed." Jacob said with impatience. ''Or else the light might turn off.'' He added on his thoughts. It was white pants, white long sleeves, beige poncho, and brown leather boots. Jacob helped her dry her hair with a blower before she changed. As soon as she has changed, Jacob puts an animal printed scarf on her neck. "Let''s go." He reached out for her hand and pulled her out of the room. Minutes later, they are now venturing the forest of Naupaka Mountain. They are taking a path that is obviously not the path going to the headquarters. "Do you have a thing with walking in the forest deep into the night?" J can''t help but notice since they have done this before as well at Hellebore. After that night''s walk at Hellebore, her heart cannot help but anticipate that Jacob will take her somewhere that only them exist. "I think walking under the moon and trees is more romantic than walking under the heat of the sun. Don''t you think?" Jacob said glancing at her. J thought for a while and realized that he is right. "You have a point." "So, are you sure we can get home after this?" She asked with doubt because she is not sure if Jacob is familiar with the trails at Naupaka Mountain. It is different from Hellebore where he is very familiar with. She wonders if Jacob has explored this forest before because she hasn''t. "Don''t you trust me?" Jacob asked. She cannot see the expression on his face because it is totally dark except for the light coming from the moon. "I do." J shrugged her shoulders. "But if we get lost, don''t expect that I know the way back because I have never been here and I cannot see the trail that we have passed." She heard Jacob chuckled. "Don''t worry about getting lost, Honey." J sighed. She has a feeling that they will be spending the night there. As it is getting deeper in the night, the temperature is dropping. J felt Jacob pull her closer to his body to keep her warm. Minutes later, she could see lights ahead. "Jacob..." She called out his name but he remained quiet. She felt butterflies in her stomach. Shouldn''t she be afraid of the unknown that is ahead of them? But she is not? She is in fact, feeling a little excited. She has been too preoccupied to notice that they had already stepped on a pathway with lit candles on both sides. J halted her steps to check on the candles. Thou feeling emotional she can''t help but notice. Candles in the forest? Seriously? Is someone trying to set the mountain on fire? Jacob chuckled, "Relax Honey. Those are just LED candles." "Oh... I thought." Then Jacob pulled her again close to his body and continued walking. "What is going on here? Did you do this?" J asked in a low voice. But Jacob remained silent. "Hey..." J tugged his hand that is holding hers. Jacob stopped and stand in front of her. He used his other hand to lift up her chin. "Wait till you see everything." He said in a soft tone. They continued walking and soon there were occasional small lanterns hanging on the branches of the trees that they passed by. They were swayed by gentle winds making them looked like fireflies dancing under the starry night. But what made her heart stop is what''s waiting for them at the end of the path. She raised her hand in her chest clasping her poncho. Her eyes started to become wet. She bit her lip and try to stop it from trembling. Chapter 571 - The Last Birthday Surprise At the end of the path is a huge tree with different sizes of lanterns hanging on it. Under the tree were small LED candles scattered to the ground. It was so simple yet so romantic. The place appeared like an enchanted forest with a huge tree surrounded by dancing fairies. It looked like it came out of a fairytale book. "Oh my God..." J gasped in astonishment. She is totally speechless and can''t help but just let the tears roll down her cheeks. "Did... you..." She wanted to ask him if he did that and why but she can''t seem to make words come out of her throat. Jacob pulled her under that tree careful not to step on one of the candles. "Hey, Honey, calm down. I want you to listen to me. Okay?" Jacob said as he cupped her face drying her tears with both his thumbs. J closed her eyes and takes a deep breath to calm down. When her emotions had already settled. She nodded her head and said okay. Not knowing that Jacob''s next words will cause her heart in disarray. "Honey, I know this is kind of late. We already have a marriage contract, wedding bands and are already planning to start a family. But there are a lot of things that we missed that I wanted you to experience and of course, I want you to experience it with me. I want to be the one to give you that experience. I want you to experience dating because I know you haven''t been in one. And I want to be the first and the last one to date you." J smiled because he was right. She hasn''t been on a date even once and she doubts if she will ever be on a date with anyone except with Jacob. "I want you to experience a wedding proposal, and I want to be the only person to give that to you. You don''t have any choice." J chuckled but the truth is, she could already feel her heart in her throat. "I want you to experience wearing a wedding gown. But I guess I just wanted to see you wearing a wedding gown. I want you to experience walking down the aisle while looking at me and I wanted to see you walking down that aisle. I wanted to hear you say ''I Do'' and that you accept me as your lawfully wedded husband in front of many people." This time, J has started to cry again. She never sees herself wearing a wedding gown or walking down an aisle or saying marriage vows in front of many people because she never really plans or dreams of getting married in the first place. But now that the words are coming from Jacob, she wanted to experience them. She wanted to wear a wedding gown for him. She wanted to walk down the aisle if it is him she is going to meet. She wanted to say ''I do'' to him and tell the world that she wanted him to be her husband. She would only want a wedding if it was Jacob she will be married to. "What I am meaning to say is, Honey, Let''s have a wedding celebration." Jacob kneeled down on one of his knees and pulled out a velvet brocade box out of his coat. "Will you marry me, again, voluntarily?" J was overjoyed and overwhelmed to the point that she couldn''t figure out what to say or how to react. Jacob''s unconventional proposal is so unexpected and it started a waterfall of complex emotions. Some say that it is normal to be freaked out or terrified after a marriage proposal but J didn''t feel that. What''s there to be terrified about? They had already experienced and are still experiencing bumps in their marriage. Having the country''s most notorious organized crime group threatening your marriage is probably more terrifying than anyone could think of. J and Jacob have already prepared themselves for any kind of struggles that their marriage might face in the future. J is not afraid because she is with Jacob. She is married to Jacob Parker. So without hesitation, J nodded her head and said "Yes." Her voice was filled with emotions. She didn''t say any words because she really couldn''t say anything. But Jacob didn''t mind. He stood up and place a red diamond engagement ring on her finger before he wound his arms around J''s body. She is crying. She has been crying. Her tears were flowing nonstop and it seems that it is not coming to stop any soon. "God, I love you so much. Thank you." Jacob whispered on top of her head. Chapter 572 - Glamping "I love you too, Jacob," J said feeling emotional. "I love you and thank you for this wonderful experience." She tightened her arms around Jacob''s waist and buried her face deep into Jacob''s muscular chest. Jacob is in bliss. Who would''ve thought that he would do this kind of thing? Who would''ve thought he would want to experience these things? Only for her. Only for Jenny Do-Parker, his wife. After a couple of minutes in Jacob''s arms, J''s emotion finally calmed down thou she hasn''t recovered normally yet. "Now, how do you like the idea of glamping?" J heard Jacob asked her. She raised her head to look up at him without pulling herself away from his body. She loves the warmth that his body brought her. "Huh?" She asked innocently. Jacob smiled. He puts his hands in J''s shoulder and turns her body around. J was surprised to see a white bell tent not far away from their spot. She didn''t notice it earlier. From their position under that tree is another path covered with LED candles on both sides. At the end of it is a white bell tent lit with warm yellow light. J thought that Jacob''s surprises were never-ending. She smiled and leaned her back into Jacob''s chest. Her body is wanting his warmth. Jacob wrapped his arms around her shoulder from behind and rested his chin on her head. "You liked it?" He mouthed. "I love it." She replied. "So, that''s why you are not bothered that we might get lost on our way back." Jacob hummed in response. J turned around to face him then she wrapped her arms around his neck. She tiptoed to meet his lips. The third time J initiated a kiss and Jacob is getting used to it. He is loving it. He returned the kiss in a deep and more passionate way. "Thank you. You''ve just turned me from a lonely to a happy person. You have no idea how you make me happy in just one day." She said staring on his eyes then to his lips. "I would do anything for you...anything and everything," Jacob whispered back on her lips before he claimed her lips again. Their hands were intertwined when they walked towards the bell tent. J was impressed. Inside the bell tent is a queen size bed filled with rose petals. Everything is too luxurious for camping. She looked around and wonders. "How did you do this?" She turned and asked him. "I was busy all day so I had to call for help," Jacob replied with complacency. "Hmm...they might be an expert." J didn''t hide her amazement. "Yeah. You could say that." Jacob shrugged his shoulders. "I actually doubted them, but I am surprised as well. They really did a good job." J was picking up rose petals from the bed. Jacob was talking about Felix, Daniel, and Stefan. Yes, they were an expert in guns, computers, and espionage but not in setting up a romantic enchanted forest and glamping. He was really impressed. Thou he doubted them at first if they could do it. He doesn''t have a choice because he cannot hire anyone from outside the Society. And they were already there so, he took the risk. Among the three, Felix was the most ecstatic. He loves challenges. Although sweet talker when it comes to wooing girls, Stefan lacks in this kind of romantic effort. While Daniel just goes with the flow. Who would''ve thought that their joint effort will result in this? Jacob takes note of their help and effort in making his wife''s birthday extra special. "By the way." J sits on the bed and some of the petals fell off from it. She raised her hand in front of her and check out the engagement ring. "Isn''t this the Golden Red?" Jacob walked in front of her. "Yes. I thought it would look good at your finger so I had someone to design and put it in a ring band." "I like it. Thou I hope that you are not expecting me to wear this all the time." She said because she is not really into gems or jewelry. She never wore any jewelry before especially that jewelries are not allowed in the operating room. Not until Jacob gave her their wedding band. She never takes it off, except inside the OR theater. Jacob smiled. "I know. I''m glad you liked it." "So, we''re spending the night here?" J asked. "Yes, Honey. We''ll be spending the rest of your birthday here. I promised myself to make every second of your birthday a memorable one." Jacob said in a seductive tone as he inches closer to J until he pinned her down to the bed. "Happy birthday, my love." He whispered on to her lips. Chapter 573 - Expose That night was a heavenly experience for J and Jacob. But for others, it was the beginning of their worst nightmare. It was already late at night but the lights in Senator Rizza Paz''s office were still on. One might think that she is a hardworking government official, working overnight. But inside the office, Senator Rizza was seated on a plush chair, her hands trembling as her gaze is fixed on the television. Senator Melvin is pacing back and forth in the other side of the office, their phones were continuously ringing but they never spared a second to glance at it. They don''t have the intention of answering any calls right now. Not at this moment. Not in this situation. The office was silent except for the voice of a female newscaster on the television. The newscaster is talking about an expose that was released earlier that night. It was about a bribery scandal involving numerous high ranking government officials who were apparently is receiving bribes from a businessman owning a huge business empire to protect him and his businesses. Aside from receiving bribes, it was also said that these government officials were favoring the businessman''s companies in some of the government''s large-scale projects. In return, these government officials will receive a commission from those companies. Senator Rizza and Senator Melvin had already received a tip earlier that someone will be exposing them at the end of the day. They tried to find that ''someone'' and planned to pay them with a huge amount of money in exchange for keeping that information and their mouth shut but they failed. When the news was first exposed, it was not mentioned who are the parties involved but as the night deepens the media, public and netizens started to have their own speculations until that moment. In the current news, the name of the businessman and his companies were revealed as well as the list of the government officials involved. Senator Rizza and Senator Melvin were on the top of the list. "My wife has been calling. She''s worried." Senator said in a worried tone while glancing at his phone that has been continuously vibrating on the top of the coffee table. "The hell I care!" Senator Rizza''s voice boomed in the office. She is in a black mood right now and she cannot find anyone to blame. Thou she is looking at the television, her mind is preoccupied with thinking of who could be that someone that exposed this information. How did they find it, how did they get the list and how much information do they know? She can only think of anyone but someone that is also involved with it. If it is one of those government officials, why would they put their names on the list? She checked all the list that was stated in the news and they were all accurate. Not missing even one name. So the traitor is not among them. It is one of Mr. Steve Gold''s associates? It could be. But she has to make sure. She picked up her phone that has temporarily on a break from continuous ringing and dialed Mr. Steve Gold''s number. "You have a traitor in your side Mr. Gold!" Senator Rizza accused the old man on the other line. Senator Melvin heard her and walk towards her with a frown. He was wondering what the beautiful senator is talking about. Has she found that someone that exposed them? "What the hell are you talking about Senator Rizza?" Mr. Gold questioned her with an air of arrogance. "Someone within us revealed this information to the media. If not, who else could it be?! Unless you''ve been careless, Mr. Gold." "That''s impossible. Let''s talk about this and find a solution. Let''s have a secret meeting." Mr. Gold said trying to be calm. "Okay, send me the address and we''ll be there as soon as these fucking reporters leave outside my office. I cannot go home anyway since the reporters have also surrounded my house." Senator Rizza hung up. "What did he say?" Senator Melvin asked. "Looks like he doesn''t have any idea where that information came from." She said flipping her phone on her hand. "I have a feeling that someone is secretly investigating us." Senator Melvin said in a grave expression. Senator Rizza looked at him, by this time, she has temporarily forgotten about her money in the bank that was stolen from her. Soon, she will realize that everything that is happening is interrelated. Chapter 574 - The Traitor It was two in the morning when the reporters outside Senator Rizza''s office left. Finally, Senator Rizza and Senator Melvin were able to get out of there. By that time, Senator Melvin has already talked to his wife who has been worried about him. She has been asking if the news were true. He just said, "Of course, it''s not true. Someone''s framing me. I have to get to the bottom of this. We have to find who is framing us and clean my name. In the meantime, you and the kids should stay at home to be safe. I am sure the reporters will come to you and harass you." Senator Melvin acted like a loving and caring husband to his wife. Although it is true that he loves her, he still cannot erase the fact that he is cheating behind her back. And he just has to be good at hiding his secrets. The two left the office and went to the address that Mr. Gold sent Senator Rizza. When they reached the address, the other government officials and Mr. Gold''s associates who were involved in the bribery scandal were already present. It turns out that it is not only them who had a hard time leaving their place. The others were also flocked by reporters. Mr. Gold has been silent while the government officials were talking seriously, it seems like they had uncovered something. They all looked at Senator Rizza and Senator Melvin with a grave expression as soon as they arrive. "What is it? Have you found the traitor? Is he in this room?" Senator Rizza asked scanning the faces of everyone in the room with accusation. "No. We haven''t." One of the government officials who is in his 50s stated miserably. "But... we just found out something." He continued. Senator Melvin frowned and takes a sit in a vacant chair. "What have you found out?" The man in his 50s didn''t answer and instead looked at the other government official. He is probably the oldest, around late 50s and is wearing thick glasses. The man in thick glasses looked distressed. "When the news breaks out, I checked my assets and bank accounts to try to liquidate some of them by transferring it to my children. But..." The man trailed and Senator Rizza paled in that instant. She already had an idea of what he would say next. "I found out that a huge amount of money was missing." The man in thick glasses continued. As soon as she heard that, Senator Rizza clenched her fist in anger. Soon others spoke the same situation and in the end, it turns out that all of them had lost the same amount of money from their bank account except Senator Rizza who lost more. Senator Rizza was hopping mad when she heard it. "How about you Senator Melvin?" One of Mr. Gold''s associates turn and ask. Senator Melvin was speechless. He hasn''t checked his account yet but if all of them lost money, then there''s a possibility that he did too. The associate nods her head understanding that Senator Melvin doesn''t have any idea yet. "I have checked the book and turns out that the amount of money each of you lost is the same as the exact amount of money that you received from Mr. Gold." She said in a grave tone. By this time, anger has started to take control of them. And they all seem to have realized who is behind all of this. "Could it be..." One of the government trailed off. She was sweating profusely and trembling. She has been anxious since the very beginning. She is one of those officials that was forcefully dragged into this kind of mess against her will because she doesn''t have any choice or else she will go against the other officials. "It'' them... It''s the Robin Hood Society." Finally, Mr. Gold who has been silent all this time expressed his thoughts. He already had his suspicions ever since the news breaks out. "T-the... the... Robin..." "We have to do something about it, Mr. Gold!" Senator Rizza was the only one acting furiously while the others have already accepted their fate. "No, I can''t." Mr. Gold shook his head. "What?!" Senator Rizza was enraged. "It'' the Robin Hood Society. I cannot go against them. No one ever did. Especially now that their heiress is married to Jacob Parker." Mr. Gold stated with a stern face. Chapter 575 - Sweetest the most "Hey..." Jacob said gently when he noticed that J is waking up. "Did I wake you?" He asked seductively. "Hmm... What do you think? Your finger is all over my back." J said slightly irritated while she keeps her eyes closed. She didn''t say it but it tickles and making her toes curl. But she wanted to sleep more because Jacob didn''t actually let her sleep all night. Jacob chuckled and pulled her closer to his body while his finger is running circles in her bare back. He has been doing that since he wakes up. Although he knew that by doing that he might wake her up, he just can''t resist it. Her skin feels so smooth and enticing against his body. Last night, J found out that Jacob didn''t prepare any change of clothes for them. At first, she thought that he was just joking but then she can''t believe that he really didn''t bring anything. He said that they won''t be needing them all night anyway. J was dumbfounded by Jacob''s reasoning. So, she ends up sleeping naked. But in the end, Jacob was right, she won''t be needing clothes anyway. The sun is already up but she is cold, she is not sure if it is really cold or is it because she is totally naked. Thou the bell tent is equipped with a heater. Jacob felt her slight shiver so he pulled the covers up until her neck then wrapped his arms around J''s body to transfer the heat of his body to her. J must admit that it did help. "Honey, I love your morning scent," Jacob said in a seductive voice. "Hmm? I feel and smell stinky." She can''t believe that he is still trying to seduce her after everything that he did to her last night. "Of course not. You smell so sweet especially after we made love." Jacob said ever so casually. J blushed and bit a skin on Jacob''s chest. It will surely leave a mark. Jacob lowered his head and looked at J''s face then to his chest. "Honey, there is a better way to leave a mark on my skin." He said in astonishment. J rolled her eyes at him then snuggled back to his chest. She is too tired and sleepy to argue with him. Jacob smiled and just let her sleep. As if she would still be able to fall asleep. Damn! Dr. Aaron Choi will be furious because she didn''t report to duty yesterday and today. Jacob already said that he will settle the matters with Dr. Aaron but she still feels that it is not right. J''s thought was filled with these worries. She doesn''t want to appear that she is taking advantage of her position as the wife of the CEO and do whatever she wants. "Can''t sleep?" J shook her head. Jacob''s hand stroke her hair then he kissed the top of her head. "Senator Rizza and her gang were exposed," Jacob said casually. James sent him a message last night before the news came out. When she heard that, she suddenly opens her eyes and looked up at him. "When?" She asked without any hint of surprise. She has been expecting that. "Just last night. It''s probably all over the news." Jacob replied. "Why didn''t Arthur told me about that?" She frowned. After all, shouldn''t she be informed about that? "I told him not to. It''s your birthday and I don''t want it to be spoiled." J frowned. "How would you know? I actually wouldn''t care unless she is trying to mess around with my personal belonging." Jacob laughed. He knew she hasn''t moved on to that day that Senator Rizza tried to seduce him in front of her. He should''ve thought that she might even be happier if she sees Senator Rizza in her worst state. "Hmm... My wrong. I guess I should''ve told you last night." "Yeah... you should''ve," J said with disappointment. "Arthur is my right-hand man. Your not his Boss anymore so stop ordering him around." "When it comes to your safety, I am still his Boss and I can still call the shots," Jacob said lifting her chin so that their gaze would meet. J narrowed her eyes at him. "So, what''s next?" She is referring to what will happen next now that the scandal with the government officials and Mr. Gold has been exposed. "There is going to be a big show today," Jacob said confidently. Others might think that the involved party might have already hidden all the evidence that might prove them guilty. But its the Robin Hood Society. No one gets away with them. Chapter 576 - The Search for Evidence J and Jacob returned back to the Loghouse and J was not surprised that everyone didn''t come to look for them. It turns out that Jacob has planned everything out and everyone except her knows about it. They were immediately meet by James and Arthur. "Happy birthday, Miss J," James said with a smile although the greeting was late he thought that is was better late than never. "Thank you, James. Happy birthday to your mom as well." J replied with a small smile. "I will. Thank you." James nodded his head. Then he turned to look at Jacob, he is anticipating that Jacob has a lot of questions to ask and he was right. "How''s everything?" Jacob questioned him. James started to report about the CLP Group of Hospitals to Jacob. Although he was only gone for one day, Jacob doesn''t want to miss out on anything with regards to the hospitals or Twelve Army. J sensed that it was going to be a long talk so she decided to go first. "I''ll go first," J said to Jacob which he replied with a nod and a kiss on her temple. J finds him sweet every time he does that and she loves it. "Where''s mom and dad?" She turned and asked Arthur. "They are in the office." He replied sternly. "Okay." She walked upstairs and noticed that Arthur was following her. He was just doing his job, she thought but he cannot just follow her everywhere. So, she turned and say, "I''m just going to take a shower. I''ll meet you at my dad''s office." J gave her an order trying hard not to sound intimidating. She has been trying to sound and act pleasing but only to the people that she cares and that includes Arthur or his team. After an hour taking a shower, J came out of the room with blue-washed skinny jeans and an oversized white pullover. Her hair is still slightly damp but she is not in the mood to blow dry her hair. She met Jacob on the doorstep of their bedroom. "You''re done?" She asked talking about his talk with James. "Yes." Jacob nodded his head with a slight frown looking at her hair. She looked sexy with wet hair but he was worried that due to the cold weather, she might get cold. J already know what he was thinking so she averted her gaze and tried to quickly get away from him. "I''ll be just in dad''s office." She said then she''s gone. She was sure that she will get a good scolding from him if she stayed a little longer. Ever since they lived together, Jacob would always urge her to dry her hair, but he knew that she was too lazy to do it with a blow dryer or a towel. So most of the time, he is the one doing it for her. If they have time, he will use a towel because he knows that she hates to blow-drying her hair. But if they are running out of time, he has no choice but to blow dry it. J knocks on the door first before entering her father''s office. She was surprised to see Mark Sloane sitting on the brown leather tufted sofa with Madam Victoria in front of him. Her father is sitting behind his office desk with Peter not far from him. She saw Leo sitting in an armchair near the glass door of the balcony while Arthur is standing near the door, probably waiting for her. They were all eyes on the TV screen that is mounted on the top of the fireplace. "Good morning, sweetheart. Come here." Madam Victoria greeted her and pat the space beside her. "Good morning, mom. Good morning, dad." She said walking towards them. She sits beside Madam Victoria. So, what''s going on? She thought to herself when she noticed that everyone''s face is stern while watching the TV. That''s when she noticed the live screening of Secretary Philipp Eke along with other government and police officials searching Mr. Steve Gold''s company office and his mansion all at once. Apparently, a search warrant was issued earlier granting Secretary Eke and the investigating team to search Mr. Gold''s office and mansion for evidence that involving him and numerous government officials in the current scandal. Mr. Gold and his associates were confident that they would found nothing because they had already destroyed all the evidence. The government officials involved in it had put their faith in him. Although they cannot do anything about the money that they lost, they cannot lose their reputation and their position as well. Chapter 577 - A Legend But Senator Rizza Paz is a hard-headed person and has always been ambitious. She cannot lose her money, she cannot lose her reputation and she cannot lose her position. The young and beautiful Senator came from a well-reputed family of politicians. They have a long list of family members in the government. Some of them were still in a position while others were already retired and has already passed their legacy to their next generation. And throughout the decades of her family being in the government, they had already established a lot of big connections in the formal and informal economy. "Don''t worry about it, Darling. You''ve done a great job. Let me handle the situation. I''ll make sure that you''ll retain your position and your reputation will be cleared." The sound of her father''s voice consoled her. "Thank''s dad. You''re the best." She replied. She has always been a spoiled rich kid and her father is the one to blame. Her father spoiled her too much that he didn''t care if what she is doing is right or wrong as long as she is happy and she gets what she wants. "Everything for my baby." His father replied. "Now regarding the money that you''ve lost. Forget about it. You can never have it back. But you can still earn it back." "I know, Dad." Senator Rizza trailed. "But you know what, Dad. I cannot just let it go." Senator Rizza had a glint in her eyes while talking on her phone. "What do you mean?" Her father frowned not understanding when her daughter is thinking. He might be able to read that glint in her eyes but he is currently abroad and can only talk to her through the phone. But even thou he is far away, he has a lot of ways to help his daughter. He just needed a phone and his sweet words. "I am going to take revenge." Senator Rizza said in a grave tone. His father smiled evilly. "That''s my girl! You are going to make history." He said. His voice filled with excitement and pride. No one has ever dared to cross The Robin Hood Society because no one ever found out where they are or who they are. They were too scrupulous in every mission and not leaving a trace or evidence that will point to their identity or whereabouts. But ever since they found out the identity of its heiress, their world has been turned outside down. Yes, the Robin Hood Society now has an identity by the name of Jenny Do-Parker. But they cannot still do anything about it. They can abduct her easily or shot her dead but no one dares. Well, there is one actually, but what happens? He was detained by the Twelve Army and released him only after he was gone insane, his lackeys were shot dead and his wealth gone down the drain. The elites have an internal understanding of what happened. And since then, no one dares to get close to the heiress of the Robin Hood Society, not that Jacob Parker is around. If Senator Rizza Paz will be able to successfully vanquish the infamous and notorious Society, she is going to be a legend. The second class elites will look at her like she is some kind of a hero, a goddess, a savior. That thought played in her mind and she can''t help but smile. Everyone will look at her with adoration and great respect. Who wouldn''t want that? "Thanks, Dad. I''m going to hang up now." She said without waiting for her father''s reply. After hanging up, she dialed a certain number. That number is her only way to reach the man that she has been eyeing for so long. The man that she thinks deserves to be betrothed as her husband but that man thinks too highly of himself that he wouldn''t let anyone, not even her to just call him casually. She has to make an appointment first and that hurts her ego. He wouldn''t even give her his personal number. But Senator Rizza didn''t mind, she was sure that one day, he will fell on his knees and ask for her hand. He would adore her as a puppy does to his master. But for now, she needed his help. "Good day, Senator Rizza." The man from the other line answered her call with politely. She smirks at the man''s greeting aware that the man knows that she is not having a good day. "I want an appointment with your Boss. Tell him that I want it as soon as possible." She said acting domineering. Chapter 578 - Dream man "The Boss is still at home, resting." The man from the other line replied. "Then send me the address and I''ll meet him at his house." The young Senator insisted. "I don''t think he would like that idea." Senator became infuriated. Until now, she can''t get his address or even his phone number. "Then tell him to meet me now!" Senator Rizza demanded. There was silence before she heard the man again. "The Boss said he''ll meet you at his office in one hour. He said that he doesn''t want any publicity stunt so make sure that the reporters are not following you." The man warned her knowing the scandal that the senator is involved right now. "Hmph!" The senator hangs up the phone and prepared to leave. She knew that his Boss is just in front of him and is giving him orders. The fact that he is just there but refuses to talk to her irritates her. She is currently wearing a pencil skirt and a silk blouse which is too ''her'' so she changed into casual jeans and shirt and put on a blazer. But before she could leave her house, she changed her mind and instead put on a short black wrap-around dress with a deep V-neck line. Then she put on a stylish princess coat. She put on a shade before she left her house. When she is about to reach her destination she received a call from that man and said that his Boss cannot make it in the office on time and instead will be meeting her halfway. The man sends her an address and she immediately identifies it as a private resort. She was slightly irritated because of the sudden late notice but after finding out that he will be meeting her in a private resort, a smug smile appeared on her lips. After thirty minutes, she arrived at the said private resort. They were supposed to meet in an hour but the drive and sudden change of location make it an hour and a half. But the Senator didn''t mind. She would seize this opportunity. She parked her car in the parking area. She noticed that there were no other cars parked there except for the resorts service car. She wondered if the haven''t arrived yet. She looked at her mirror and retouched her red matte lipstick before she exits her car. She made sure that she would look good and alluring in front of her "dream man". She has to make sure that this time, he cannot resist her. The guards that she hired from the Twelve Army were in another car. Thou she liked the feeling of being an important person with two buff guards following around her, she is not comfortable having them inside her car. Unless they were Arthur''s Team. She spotted them and soon they joined her. She enters the resort, looked around and found the reception area. She plastered a charming smile on her face before she approached a young girl dressed in a black suit. The receptionist smiled back at her and greeted her. "Good day, Senator Paz. This way, please." It seems like they were already anticipating her arrival. "Thank you." She said in a friendly manner. She followed the receptionist into a room that seemed like a home office. She is expecting to see her "man" there but to her dismay, the room is empty. They haven''t arrived yet. She thought internally. "Stay here." She ordered her guards before she enters the room. She takes a sit in one of the accent chairs then she looked around. "Do you want anything to drink Senator Paz?" The receptionist asked. "No, please. Thank you." The senator replied while maintaining her friendly demeanor until the receptionist left the room and closed the door. Her smile eventually fades away. It looks like they haven''t arrived yet. She leisurely looked around the office. 15 minutes had passed, and they haven''t arrived yet. She took out her phone reached for any updates in the news. Her father promised to do all his might to clear her name. She expecting any progress within the day. That''s when she read the news of Secretary Philipp Eke finding evidence in Mr. Gold''s office. She scoffed as if they would find any. They had burned every evidence that will prove them guilty. At the end of the day, the news will turn out to be fake and just false accusations. Although they were not sure yet if its the Society who released that information, she has already decided that she will make them pay her back ten folds. Chapter 579 - Always been waiting "Stop the car." When Jeric heard it, he pulled the car on the side immediately and came into a halt. "Did you forgot something, Sir?" Jeric asked while looking behind him through the mirror. "No," Alex replied. Alex and Jeric remained in the car doing nothing. Jeric didn''t have to ask, it was obvious that Alex Ogden is deliberately trying to extend their travel time. After thirty minutes. "Let''s go," Alex said. Then Jeric started to drive back in the road. Thirty minutes. It has been thirty minutes and they haven''t arrived yet. And Senator Rizza is starting to get pissed off, but she cannot let it affect her mood. She was tightening and loosening her fist, her legs that were crossed were jiggling. She is getting impatient. It is now obvious in her face. Another thirty minutes past and finally she heard the door opens. She glanced at her shoulder. When she saw Alex Ogden enters followed by his assistant Jeric, her face brightens. She stood up and plastered a sweet smile on her face. "Alex." She called his name ever so sweetly. But the man paid her no attention at all as he was saying something to his assistant. Senator Rizza frowned slightly. But she thought that maybe he was just preoccupied and didn''t hear her. So she waited for him to settle down first. As soon as Alex was seated in the armchair behind the office desk and his assistant left the room, Senator Rizza walked and takes a seat in front of Alex''s desk. That was the only time that Alex looked at her. "Senator Paz, you''re still here," Alex stated impassively showing that he didn''t care that he let a beautiful senator wait for him for two hours. The corner of Senator Rizza''s lips twitched and Alex noticed it. "Of course, I waited for you, Alex. Like I always did." Senator Rizza''s word had another meaning. It was years ago when they met, Senator Rizza back then was just starting to make a name in the politics while Alex Ogden has started to take over Novus Rex. They met through Senator Rizza''s grandfather who was then establishing their connections with Novus Rex. Ever since she met Alex Ogden, she has already set her eyes on him and only to him. But the man heeds no attention towards her. For him, she was just someone he knows. Senator Rizza has set a high standard in men because of Alex Ogden. There were only a few who met that standard and that includes Jacob Parker. That is why she also eyed Jacob Parker but she never had an interest in him like the way she did towards Alex maybe because Alex is too mysterious. For her, Alex Ogden is the perfect definition of husband material. But it was obvious that her sky-high standard is based purely on his looks and status. Because she never really know him at all. Over the years, she could count to her fingers the time that she was left alone with him. And during those times, Alex barely paid her any attention. When she received no reply from him, her eyes roamed around the office. "I didn''t know you owned a private resort, Alex." She says his name casually as if they have been closely acquainted. But what she didn''t know is how Alex hated it every time she calls him by his name. "Is that why you waited?" He asked in a cold demeanor. Senator Rizza obviously didn''t like it when she is treated like she is of no value. "So you deliberately did that?" She asked sounding displeased. "I thought it was already obvious," Alex replied sarcastically. Senator Rizza frowned, she hates it when Alex is being straightforward in showing his disinterest to her. Can''t he be at least act politely? So, instead of going around the bush, she decided to get straight to the point and tell him the reason why she wanted to meet him. But of course, she wouldn''t let this chance to seduce him slip off her hands. She''ll lighten the mood between them first. "I want to hire an assassin." She said as if she was just ordering her favorite dish in a restaurant. When Alex heard it, his fist tightened its grip on his chair. He feels like he doesn''t like the sound of it. He has been following the scandal involving the Senator and something tells him that The Robin Hood Society is behind it. "Who you wanted dead?" He asked impassively hiding his real emotion. "The heiress of the Robin Hood Society, Jenny Do-Parker." She replied while looking straight in Alex''s eyes. Chapter 580 - Sacrificing her Sanity When Alex heard the name, he clenched his jaw and his lips were pressed together. But that was for only a fraction of seconds as he was able to hide her anger afterward. He became impassive again. Alex became silent as he glared at an inkstone displayed on his table. He is aware of the affection that Senator Rizza has for him and if she founds out that he has the same kind of affection towards the heiress of the Robin Hood Society, he is sure that she will become more aggressive on having her dead. And based on the Senator''s personality, he could tell that she wouldn''t be satisfied with having her just dead. Now he is conflicted whether he should let the Senator use his men in inflicting harm towards his beloved or he would turn her down. "Others were wary in touching even a single strand of her hair. But you... You want her dead. Aren''t you too bold?" Alex stated with a smirk. Senator Rizza just smiled and shrugged her shoulder. "She messed with the wrong person." She said in a playful voice. "I wonder..." Alex trailed while staring at the Senator condescendingly. "A week ago, someone audaciously stole a huge amount of money from my bank account. The other officials had the same experience. My instinct tells me that she is the one behind this scandal." She said with a cocked head. To hell with your instinct. Alex thought internally. Well, based on what she said, it is something that The Robin Hood Society would really do. "Why I haven''t heard that they already confirmed that she is the current leader of the Robin Hood Society." Alex leaned back lazily and stated. "Why do I have a feeling that you don''t want to help me?" The Senator playfully asked although she was already having qualms as to where this conversation is heading to. "You are right, I don''t want to help you. But hiring an assassin and asking for help were two different things." Alex said in a straightforward manner. Senator Rizza is getting irritated. "You do know you are dealing with The Robin Hood Society and The Twelve Army, right?" Alex asked maintaining his cold demeanor. He is prolonging this conversation while thinking if he is going to let her hire his assassins. "Yes. And I don''t care." She replied arrogantly. "I noticed your guards outside. They are from the Twelve Army." He stated pointing out her hypocrisy. "And so?" Senator Rizza raised her eyebrows. She is getting irritated at his demeanor but damn, he looks hot and sexy in that kind of demeanor. "You are not afraid of ending up in their chamber?" The Senator smiled. "So, what is this? You are worried about me?" Although he looked cold and impassive his words give her hope but only to be disappointed by his straightforwardness. "No. I''m worried about my men." He said as if his men were more important than her and it made the Senator furious. She frowned and said, "Are you doubting your men''s capabilities?" "No. I doubt your judgment. After all, you are willing to sacrifice your sanity just because of your instinct." He stated the fact that she just wanted to kill Jenny Do based on the fact that her instincts tell her that she is the current leader of the Robin Hood Society and that she is the person behind her stolen money and the bribery scandal without any concrete evidence. And her capriciousness might end up with her locked out in the Twelve Army''s chamber while losing her sanity. Senator Rizza narrowed her eyes on him. If it was another woman, they would already lose interest in Alex. His demeanor is a turnoff. But not her, he was a challenge for her. "Are you going to let me hire your assassins or not?" She said in an irritated tone. She wanted to get this over with so that she could now proceed to her other agenda. "Yes," Alex said without hesitation. He finally came into a decision. "But..." Alex trailed and gave the Senator an icy glare which she didn''t know what for. "Although I got the best assassins in the country, I cannot guarantee the success of this mission. If this fails you cannot put the blame on me or my men." Alex''s assassins have a 100% success rate unless they deliberately wanted a mission to fail. Senator Rizza understands his concern, after all, they were dealing with the Robin Hood Society and the Twelve Army which no one has ever dared to do before. But it is not like she is only relying on these assassins. They have a lot of connections, remember? Chapter 581 - Disgusting Woman "Great!" Senator Rizza replied with a smile while maintaining eye contact with Alex Ogden. But, unfortunately, the man doesn''t seem affected at all. "I''ll have Jeric to send you the contract. If you don''t have anything else, I need to be somewhere." Alex Ogden said. "Oh... you are such a workaholic person. Why don''t you relax a little bit? I''m curious about this private resort of yours. Can you give me a tour?" The Senator said seductively sending Alex a hidden message. "I am a busy person, Senator Rizza. If you want a tour, I''ll have one of my staff to accompany you." Senator Rizza frowned and gave Alex a half-hearted smile. "Nevermind, I just wanted to spend some time with you. Can''t you just give me the privilege?" Alex returned the senator''s smile with a mocking smile. "Last time I check I am not obliged to give you such privilege." Senator Rizza is fuming inside. Can''t he just give me a face? Doesn''t he really have any interest in me at all? She thought internally. She gave him a sly smile and thought, ''Let''s see if you can resist me.'' The Senator stood up from her seat and takes off her princess coat then she put it on the sofa before she walks around Alex''s desk. "Come on, Alex. Why don''t you loosen up a bit and have some fun? You are too cold, I can help you heat up a bit..." The senator said in a seductive voice while untying the ribbon of her wrap-around dress. If it was another man, they would''ve already fallen down on their knees. A sly goddess stripping in front of them with a sexually arousing voice can make any man''s knees feeble. Even a man with great willpower might surrender to her. In a matter of seconds, she is standing in front of Alex with her dress open in front, her sexy lace underwear and bra exposed for Alex''s eyes to feast. Her body curves are in a perfect place, her well-defined waist is narrower than her bust and hips. She''s got a type of body that other women would die to have and men would die to lay their hands on. She put her leg over Alex''s so that she is straddling him. She leaned closer to kiss him but Alex remained stone-cold. Throughout the senator''s effort to seduce him, the man remained unaffected and keeps on giving her an icy stare. "I think you are on a wrong chair, Senator Rizza," Alex said impassively before she could kiss him. The Senator chuckled, "Your willpower is quite commendable Alex. Let''s see how long it''s going to last." She whispered in his ears then bit the tip of it. She kissed his neck down to his collarbones. The tip of her tongue grazed over his skin. Her hands were exploring under his henley shirt. His firm muscles underneath his shirt are making her want him more. It is making her hot and she wants more of it. Until she heard him say something in her ears. "Your desperation disgusts me." Senator Rizza was frozen in place, her face red not from sexual arousal but from embarrassment. She never felt such cruel disregard from any man before. She pulled herself away from him and looked at him pained. But the man only looked at her apathetically. She searched for any signs of self-restrained on his face but he shows nothing but indifferent. "You... are you really unaffected at all?" She said with a disappointed tone. She wanted to cry but it is never in her character to cry in over men especially to Alex who seemed adamant in not bowing into her. Alex raised his eyebrows. "That depends on what kind of reaction you want from me. If you want me to be sexually aroused by you, I am sorry to disappoint you. Thou you seemed to be an expert in this, you didn''t really affect me. In fact, you''ve become filthy in my eyes." Senator Rizza never expected this kind of mockery coming from the man that she highly adores. She felt disgraced and humiliated for the first time. But she tried to mask her real emotions. She lowered her head and laughed. "I have always admired how downright you are, Alex. But don''t you think you are being too arrogant?" "Unlike you, I don''t intend to please everyone with fakeness." He replied gravely. Senator Rizza narrowed her eyes at him. "But you still enjoy how women kiss your feet, don''t you?" "That depends on who''s kissing my feet. Desperate women are a turnoff." Alex replied with a smirk. "Now if you don''t mind, I have a meeting to attend to." He stood up with Senator Rizza still on his lap making her fall on the floor. Chapter 582 - Corruption "How dare you, Alex Ogden?!" That moment the Senator became enraged at Alex''s rudeness. She stood up quickly not wanting to be in such a mortifying situation. She wrapped her dress around her and tied it on the side to cover her exposed body while following Alex. She walked fast and in a blink of an eye, she was able to block Alex''s way with her hand outstretched. Alex''s eyes turned grim. "What do you want?" "How can you be so disrespectful towards me?! Have you forgotten that I am a woman? And also a Senator?!" Her face is red in fury. Alex smirked at her, "You have to have some respect towards yourself in order to gain my respect, Miss Senator." Then he walked passed by her brushing her shoulder. Senator Rizza was dumbfounded. "Damn you, Alex Ogden! One day you''ll come to me begging on your knees to have you! You''ll regret that you snub and humiliated me!" She cursed out behind his back. "Good luck to that," Alex replied indifferently while waving his hand in the air not looking at her. When Alex exits his office, he found the Senator''s bodyguards standing in full alert. He just takes a look at them before he left. He found Jeric waiting for him in the lobby. "Sir." Jeric approached him. "Senator Paz wants to hire some assassins. Prepare the contract. Send her some novice assassins." Alex gave orders to Jeric as he continues to walk out of the lobby. "I got it." "And next time, I don''t want to see that woman''s face. If she insists, send one of your men instead." Jeric nodded his head understanding that his Boss is in such a foul mood. Once inside the car, Alex was quiet until the left the vicinity of the resort. "Isn''t she back yet?" He asked not looking at Jeric''s direction. "Not yet," Jeric replied knowing that Alex is talking about J. Alex''s expression darkens. He knew that yesterday was J''s birthday. He originally wanted to greet her personally but she has been missing in his radar since yesterday. He knew that Jacob takes her somewhere to celebrate but until now, they were not back at Lotus City yet. "Call James, I need to talk to Jacob as soon as they are back." "Yes, sir." .... At the Loghouse, they were watching the interview of Secretary Philipp Eke. "Secretary Eke, are you confirming the involvement of the officials in this scandal?" One of the reporters asked with a mic outstretched in front of the Secretary. "Yes. It is all in this book as well as the amount of money given to each of them. It proves that these officials directly received money from Mr. Gold to protect him and his company. Therefore, we will be instituting legal proceedings against these officials." The secretary said with complacency. "Is it true that Senator Rizza Paz is giving Mr. Gold special privileges in some of the government''s large-scale projects." Another reporter asked. "Yes." The Secretary nodded his head without inhibition. He doesn''t care that he is going against some big names in the government. "And we have enough evidence to prove that." "Are you saying that Senator Rizza is a corrupt government official?" One reporter probe the Secretary further. The secretary just smiled at them. "Bribery and patronage is a means of corruption." He indirectly stated that the Senator is a corrupt official. "What will happen now to Mr. Gold?" Someone asked from behind the group of reporters. "He will be prosecuted for tax evasion, economic sabotage, bribery, and various other charges." The interview continued on and the Secretary answers all the questions thrown at him without hesitation. "They will check out their assets and liabilities," J commented while watching the news. "I''ve already sent a copy of those official''s statements of assets and liabilities before we have taken their money from their bank account to Secretary Eke anonymously." Mark Sloane said to J which J nodded her head. Even if they checked it again now and found out that some amount of money was missing from their accounts before the scandal broke out, they will be accused of hiding the money. She never doubts any member of the Society. They make sure that their every move has no flaws in it. If upon investigation, it is found out that the public official has acquired property or an amount of money under her or his name or another person''s name that is not proportioned to his salary during his or her incumbency, he or she might be subjected to dismissal or removal from his or her position. And this is what Secretary Rizza feared the most, that is why she has already asked for her father''s help. She was hoping that with their connection, she will be able to clear her name. Chapter 583 - Sold off Jacob enters President Martin''s office after a while and joined them watching the news while discussing some other facts related to it. He has a grave expression on his face which J quickly noticed but she cannot bring her self to ask him in front of the parents and others because Jacob is sitting in front of her beside Mark Sloane. Jacob cannot bring the topic yet in front of them without discussing it first to J so he looked at J with a smile knowing what she is thinking. As soon as they all left one by one, J talked to her parents and said that they will be going back to Lotus City. "I understand. I know you cannot stay here any longer. Please be safe, sweetheart." Madam Victoria said as she hugs her tightly. "Don''t worry, Mom." She replied returning her hug. "Take care of her." President Martin said to Jacob. "I will. I''ll call you when we get home." The couple left the place on J''s blue sports car but this time, Jacob was the one driving which made J disappointed. She suddenly wished that it is her birthday every day. Arthur takes drives a motorbike while James is in his car. They all drive back to Lotus City. "Thanks for the surprises," J said while Jacob is driving. She thought that she was so lucky to have Jacob as her husband because she could experience such a kind of birthday. Jacob smiled at her. "Everything for you, Honey." He said then reached for her hand and lightly squeezed it. "So, what''s with that grave expression of yours earlier?" She finally brought it up. She never plans to wait until they reached the Parkers Mansion. "Your ''friend'' wants to talk to me." He confessed because even if he hides it from her, she might still able to find it. She will not stop until she makes him talk. "Friend?" J was confused. She only has a few friends, Diana and Lance. And Arthur and his team which she already considered her friends. Jacob raised a brow. "So, you already forgot about the person you offered friendship a couple of days ago?" "Oh...Okay. Why?" J finally realized that he is talking about Alex Ogden. She was truly surprised. Jacob just shrugged his shoulder. "I don''t know. He just let Jeric call James." "When are you going to meet?" She asked with a deep frown. She wonders why would Alex want to talk to Jacob. The last time they talk, she offered him friendship and he accepts. Will he do the same to Jacob? "As soon as we get back." He replied with his eyes on the road. "Can I come with you?" She asked casually. Jacob snaps his head to look at her. "Are you that eager to see him?" "Jacob!" J rolled her eyes at him. Jacob chuckled. He was just teasing her. He knows that she already has an idea that they will be talking about her that''s why she wanted to come. "No, you can''t. I am not giving him any chance to see you." He said after a while in a firm voice. J gave him a side-eye. "Of course! What should I expect?" Jacob just smiled at her. All throughout their journey back at Lotus City, they were both preoccupied. They were both wondering what could be the reason why Alex wants to talk to Jacob personally. J was silently hoping that he finally realized that there is no hope fighting over her and that he will convince his grandfather to forget about The Robin Hood Society and to give them and the Parkers some peace. While J was being optimistic, Jacob cannot help but be pessimistic. He has a bad feeling about this. He thinks that if it is nothing bad, Alex would talk to J and not to him. Meanwhile, Senator Rizza was fuming in anger when she found out that Secretary Eke found evidence proving that she is receiving bribe and commission from Mr. Gold. And now she is under prosecution. Her day started bad and she thought it couldn''t get any worse. "Where the hell is that old hag?!" She is driving back to Lotus City while talking to Senator Melvin on the phone. The latter was also getting anxious as the situation is getting out of hand. "I don''t know where the hell he is! We''ve been calling him but he is not answering until he already turned his phone off!" Senator Melvin shouted back at her which he never did before. "Damn it! Is he selling us out?! I am going to have that old man killed! "Senator Rizza shouted back. Apparently, Mr. Gold has been missing ever since Secretary Eke found evidence in his office and mansion. Chapter 584 - Could She Really Kill Her? "Don''t worry, I already have someone looking for him." Senator Melvin tried to calm her down although he knows that it is not possible because he himself won''t be able to calm down as well. "I can''t believe this! We already destroyed and burned all the evidences of our transaction with Mr. Gold. How come Secretary Eke still found some in Mr. Gold''s office. It is obvious that Mr. Gold Sold us out." The Senator''s grip tightened on the steering wheel. "But, Rizza... I was just thinking. What if Mr. Gold was right? What if the Robin Hood Society is behind all this?" Senator Melvin said. But there was silence on the other line. Senator Rizza was probably thinking the same. "We were the one that personally destroyed the evidence with Mr. Gold in front of us. He made sure that nothing is left." The thought made Senator Melvin shivers. Because is that was right, he fears that there is no chance that they could redeem themselves. "If that''s the case, I should put a stop into this as soon as possible." Senator Rizza said in a grave expression. "Huh? What do you mean?" Senator Melvin was puzzled. She is not thinking about going against that infamous Society, right? Senator Melvin thought internally and hopes that his thought was wrong. Because no one has ever done it before. No one has the guts. "I''m going to kill that heiress!" Senator Rizza said which made Senator Melvin almost fell on his seat. "Are you nuts?! You''re going to get yourself get killed before you can even touch that heiress!" Senator Melvin knew the capabilities of the Robin Hood Society. They can erase the existence of anything or any event without any trace or without anyone noticing it. He had heard recent incidences of how brazen the Robin Hood Society in stealing a bus filled with street vagrants from the most notorious organized crime group, Novus Rex. And not just that, they were also stealing from the group''s Darknet. Although it was not publicly reported, there was an internal talk within the circle. And everyone has the same thoughts. What would the Robin Hood Society get from offending the Novus Rex? If they were bold enough to go against this large-scale underground group, dealing with some petty corrupt officials is nothing to them. And he doesn''t doubt that they can erase the existence of a person that would try to kill their heiress. The fact that they reveal her identity in the public proves that they are not afraid of any threats. And her marriage to the Chairman of The Twelve Army is another fact that they should not miss. It only makes the future of those who would go against them indiscernible. "Do you think I cannot lay my hand on that bitch?!" "Rizza, I must remind you. The heiress of the Robin Hood Society is married to the Chairman of Twelve Army. These two organizations are not someone you would want to offend. The Robin Hood Society is vengeful while the Twelve Army is ruthless. Please think about it. We should just focus on redeeming ourselves and come out clean instead of wasting our time risking our lives." Senator Melvin tried to talk out some senses to Senator Rizza which she is obviously loosing. Hearing his words making Senator Rizza more furious. The fact that there were such infamous yet esteemed organizations protecting a single woman that she sees less valuable than herself irritates her. "Are you underestimating me and my family''s connection, Melvin?" The Senator smirk. And although Senator Melvin doesn''t see it, he could sense that she is mocking him. "No... that''s not what I mean-" Senator Melvin trailed not knowing what to say to convince the female senator. "Then shut the fuck up! I do not need a scardy-cat to tell me what to do! I am so fucked up with this heiress and I won''t be at ease until got to kill her with my own hands!" Senator Melvin shivered at her words. He didn''t expect the charming and sweet senator could say those words. Could she really kill a person? And not just a person. The heiress of the Robin Hood Society. Chapter 585 - A Chamber is Prepared Before the night fell, J and Jacob arrived at the Parkers Mansion. Although Arthur has been with them he has kept his watch on everything that is going on around them including Novus Rex''s activity particularly that of Alex Ogden''s. As soon as J stepped out of her sports car, Arthur approached her. "Miss, Alex Ogden sent something for you yesterday." J looked at him with curiosity then to Jacob who has heard what Arthur said. "Where is it?" She asked. "I''ve kept it for the meantime." He said looking at J then he looked at Jacob. "I already checked it, it is nothing suspicious or threatening. It''s just a normal... gift." A smirk appeared on Jacob''s lips. "He''s not wasting a chance." He mumbled to himself. "And earlier..." Arthur continued. It seems like he was not done reporting yet. "Senator Rizza met with Alex Ogden." This time, Jacob''s expression turned dark and J noticed it. She could tell what he is thinking, in fact, she is thinking the same. "Thank you, Arthur," J said. "Stay with her," Jacob said then pulled out his phone. "James, call Jeric. I''ll meet him now." He didn''t wait for James''s reply before he hangs up. He grabs J''s hand and pulled her inside the mansion. "You''ll meet him tonight?" She asked while watching Jacob walked in the closet. "Yes." He replied. He was already inside the closet but J could still hear him. "And don''t insist on coming because I will not allow you." He added as soon as he walked out of the closet. He already changed into a casual white shirt dress. J jutted out her lower lip and rolled her eyes. She is currently sitting on the bed watching Jacob button up his shirt. She stood up and help him. Jacob''s expression softens as he let her finish what he was doing. "I wouldn''t dare insist." She said while her focus is on the buttons of his shirt. As soon as she was done, she put her hands on his chest and looked up to him. "Do you think Senator Rizza is stirring up trouble that is why Alex wants to meet you?" Jacob sighed and stroke her smooth black hair while his other hand snaked around her waist pulling her closer to his body. "She better be not," Jacob replied. He was thinking the same but he hopes that they were wrong because if that is really the case, he already has a chamber prepared for that Senator. He wrapped both his arms around her and pulled her in a tight embrace before he left the mansion. J had dinner with Chairman John and Madam Kelly. The latter asked where Jacob is but it was Chairman John who replied saying that there was an urgent situation at Twelve Army that needs Jacob''s presence. She looked at Chairman John wondering why he would lie to Madam Kelly but she was the one who answered her thoughts in the end. Knowing Madam Kelly, she would probably worry too much which Chairman John deemed unnecessary. Chairman John trusts Jacob''s capabilities although Madam Kelly did the same that doesn''t mean she would be always at ease whenever Jacob is in a situation that she believed to be dangerous. She is a mother after all. A mother is always a mother, she will continue to worry about her child even if they grow up to be the most capable person in the world. The moment that Madam Kelly stood up and went to the kitchen to get the dessert, Chairman John and J were left in the dining room. "Don''t worry about him. It''s just Alex Ogden." Chairman John said to her thought his focus is on his food. Chapter 586 - The Limited Edition Gift After dinner, Chairman John and Madam Kelly decided to go upstairs in their bedroom to rest. "Are you going to wait for Jacob?" Madam Kelly asked when J said that she will be just at the backyard of the mansion. She nodded her head in reply. Madam Kelly''s expression showed disapproval. "You should call him and tell him to come home early. It is not wise for you to stay up late." She said. J understands what Madam Kelly is worried about. But instead of arguing back she replied, "Yes, Mom. I''ll call him now." "Good. It''s cold out there so don''t stay out for too long. If you will have to wait for him, wait in your room, okay?" Madam Kelly continued which made J felt like a child. She should be irritated but she was not. She chuckled. "Okay, mom. I will. Goodnight." She doesn''t want to sound like she is pushing her mother-in-law away but she did. But Madam Kelly didn''t mind, she knows how stubborn her daughter-in-law is. Instead, she cursed out on her son as she walked away from J. J can''t help but smile. The backyard of the mansion is landscaped with trees, green plants, and lawns. Since it was night time, the lanterns hanging on the trees and on the side of the pool were lit up. It gave out a calming ambiance. She walked towards an outdoor sofa set under a tree with lanterns hanging on it. She takes a seat on the sofa and looked around. The whole place is huge and quiet. She cannot see any maids walking around. J thought that they would be probably resting in their rooms already. Although the whole place seemed empty she was sure that guards were lurking around in the shadows and one of them is Arthur. She clearly remembers Jacob''s instruction to him. ''Stay with her.'' If it was before, she would be conscious to know that there were eyes watching over her in the shadows. But she already got used to it as time goes by. She also learned how to ignore them. She took out a book that she got from her bedroom. It was a classic novel that she has been reading this past few weeks but she cannot bring herself to finish it. She needed it to keep her mind busy and stop worrying about Jacob who was gone out to meet with Alex Ogden. After 30 minutes of reading under the lantern lights hanging in that tree, J didn''t understand anything. She was too preoccupied and worried since Jacob hasn''t sent her a message ever since he left. She wanted to call him but doesn''t want to leave the impression that she doesn''t trust him. She sighed and put down the book on the coffee table. That moment, she saw Arthur approaching her with a huge box on his hands. As soon as he reached her, she raised her head at looked at him with a questioning look. "What''s that?" "This arrived yesterday. There were also flowers but Madam Kelly throws it out in the trash bin." Arthur said. "Oh." J instantly understands that it was what Alex Ogden sent yesterday. She was initially surprised to hear that there were flowers as well that her mother-in-law throws like trash. Arthur placed the huge box on the coffee table and remained standing in front of it. J just stared at it before she looked at Arthur. "Do you think Jacob would be mad at me if I open this?" "Your husband is not a narrow-minded person," Arthur replied. J chuckled. He was right. Though he would be jealous, he wouldn''t stop her from opening a gift from Alex Ogden. Not that she is too eager to open it, she was just curious. Arthur took out a swiss knife from his pocket and handed it to J. "Thank you." After a couple of seconds, J was looking at the item inside that box and was a little surprised. It was a 3-piece riser Limited Edition Takedown Traditional bow constructed from Black Maple with red accent stripe. She reached out for the bow and lifted it so that she could examine it. She could see the limbs are fascor powered and backed and faced with high strength black fiberglass. The tips are hand-crafted with hard-core maple and black fiberglass. It was the bow that is seen in a recent action movie that is based on a novel. Only 199 of it were made in the world. She could even see that graphic of the title of the movie on the handle and limb to commemorate the movie. She thought that it was too considerate of Alex to make research on her and find out her fondness of archery but unfortunately, she is not a fan of that particular action film. Chapter 587 - The Wine Room She stood up and tried to draw the string. In all fairness, the draw length and the bow length match her body. But when as soon as she pulled the strings, she finds it a little harder to pull. The draw weight must be higher than her usual which is 35 and 40. In a traditional bow, the higher the draw weight, the harder it is to draw the string and shoot. For beginners, the starting point is usually 20 to 30 pounds draw weight. But as time goes by, they could increase the draw weight that they could handle. But usually, it depends on age, gender, and body weight. In J''s case, she could still increase the draw weight up to 50 but she was just used to 35 and 40. When she started to learn archery, she starts with the traditional recurve bow and she has still been using it until today. The recurve bow is the traditional or the simpler types of bow. But, as time goes by and archery has started to become her long term hobby she also started to use the more modern compound bow that uses a pulley system. However, most of the time, she still prefers to use the traditional bow. Which surprisingly Alex was able to find out. Now J wonders how much does this man knows about her. "Do you need a target, Miss?" Arthur asked while watching her. J chuckled. "No need. I might accidentally destroy my mother-in-law''s ornaments." She said although she knows that her mother-in-law would not care. "Have you heard from them?" She asked later on as she was putting the bow back in its box. "They have arrived at their meeting point," Arthur replied. Although Daniel and Felix have already left for home because J insisted that they should stick to that previous arrangement, Stefan and Arthur stayed as long as Jacob hasn''t arrived. Stefan was left in the control room that Jacob provided for them inside the mansion and has been monitoring the surroundings as well as tracking Jacob''s whereabouts. Although Jacob was adamant about not bringing any of his men except for James, Arthur still tracked them in case a situation that is out of their control arises he could send some backup. He also thought that J would ask him to do it so he takes the initiative. J takes a deep breath and nodded her head. "Okay." "He''ll be alright," Arthur assured her. J gave him a small smile indicating that she was slightly assured. .... Jacob reached their meeting place. It was a restaurant that offers private dining rooms. He looked around the place before he enters the restaurant. "Three men at four o''clock, a man and woman at ten o''clock." James leaned closer to him and said in a low voice. Jacob just nodded his head. He has already noticed them. In fact, he also noticed a couple of them outside the restaurant. But he was not threatened at all that they are being surrounded by members of Novus Rex even thou he didn''t bring any of his men except for James. He knew that Alex Ogden would not do anything harsh towards them. And he knew that although Jacob and James came alone, they were not literally alone. A fine-looking lady approached them. By the way that she dressed and behave, she is obviously the manager of the restaurant. "President Parker, this way, please. President Ogden is waiting." She said with reverence. Jacob didn''t say anything and just followed the lady. Soon they were in front of a private dining room. Jeric, Alex Ogden''s right-hand man is standing outside. He nodded his head on the manager then she left. "Chairman Jacob Parker." Jeric addressed him as the Chairman of the Twelve Army. He nodded his head before he opened the door. Inside the room, Jacob saw Alex sitting on a black leather chair, in front of him is a generous teak table. The copper ceiling of the room is strikingly illuminated with an ornate smoke glass pendant. The walls were steel wine racks. Alex is elegantly twirling a wine in its glass while smelling its aroma. "I hope I didn''t make you wait for too long," Jacob said although he doesn''t mind if he did. Jeric pulled a chair in front of Alex for Jacob and as soon as Jacob is seated, he exits the room. Jacob and Alex were left alone in the wine room. That''s what the restaurant calls that private dining room. "Actually, you did." He said in a sarcastic tone making Jacob smile with complacency. He should''ve stayed longer to accompany his wife and let this man wait for him. "But I don''t mind." Alex continued. "I intended to come early so that I can enjoy these wines alone. I heard that these rooms have the finest wines." He said as he looked around the steel wine rack. Chapter 588 - Hell is Better Than Earth As expected from a wine aficionado. Jacob thought to himself. "Whatever reason you called me here for, I hope that you will not beat around the bushes because I have to go back home as soon as possible. My wife is not used to sleeping without me beside her." As soon as he was seated, the first thing he did is ostentatiously flaunt his marriage to the woman whom the man in front of him is coveting. Alex''s grip on the wine glass tightened as the wine room seemed to become stuffy. Alex scoff, if it wasn''t for J, he wouldn''t waste time meeting this person. He could actually protect her on his own but Jacob''s men were stringent in protecting her not letting anyone suspicious, more so, a member of Novus Rex get near her. He just needed to warn them of Senator Rizza''s evil plan but that doesn''t mean he will just watch on the sideline. He will protect her even from the distance. He will protect her in his own way. Even if it means that his effort will go unnoticed and won''t be given any credits. As long as she is safe. As long as she will live. "You think highly of yourself. She had slept every night for 30 years without you in it. I am sure she can still sleep every night for another 30 years without you." Alex paused intentionally and glanced at Jacob. "Or maybe with another man." He continued with a smirk. After saying that, the temperature in the wine room dropped to a certain degree. Jacob is giving Alex an icy glare which the latter ignored and seemed to be unaffected. "I hope you didn''t call me here to ask me to leave my wife because I am telling you, that''s not going to happen even if you kill me," Jacob said in a deep and murderous tone. Alex snickered as he put down the wine glass on the teak table. "I am not going to waste saliva and beg for you to leave her. Why would I when I can make her leave you." Jacob laughed half-heartedly but his gaze is murderous. "I applaud your conviction Mr. Ogden but my wife is too in love with me to leave me." This time, Jacob noticed the twitch on Alex''s lips and his jaw tensed as if he was suppressing his anger. "Now what do you want?" Jacob said with a grave expression. He has already emphasized his position in J''s life so that Alex Ogden will realize that it is pointless to talk him out of leaving J. But Jacob doubts if that was the reason. His instinct tells him it was something else. "I know you''ve been watching my every move, so I assume that you know that Senator Rizza met me earlier today," Alex said after he calmed down his anger. "I am not surprised that she comes to you, it seems like she''s been going around the city whoring herself," Jacob said not hiding his disgust towards the woman. "Aside from whoring herself to you. What else does she want?" Jacob continued, he already has an idea what the Senator wants from Alex. Alex is operating an assassin for hire group. The Senator is in a grave situation and knowing her and her family''s reputation, they were vengeful people. They would probably hire someone to avenge her. What makes Jacob unease is, who is she going to take revenge? "She hired a group of an assassin to kill Jenny," Alex said in a grave expression after emptying a glass of wine. There was dead silence in the wine room. It became stuffy that if anyone enters might get suffocated. While the aura emanating from the two devilishly gorgeous men turned icy and murderous. "That woman is playing with the devil," Jacob said glaring at the steel wine rack behind Alex. He was threateningly calm and compose. But his eyes are brewing with a storm. He downed a glass of wine that he poured earlier. "I''m going to play with her game and make her wish that she lives in hell than on earth." Jacob stood up and looked at Alex. "Tell your men to not interfere because I will not spare them." He knew that Alex cannot deny the Senator''s request to hire some of his assassins because if he did, the Senator might suspect him of protecting Jenny and it will make her more furious of her. When he is about to leave the wine room, he heard Alex speak. "Just so you know, and don''t get me wrong, I am not asking permission here. I will send my own men to protect Jenny and if worse comes to worst if the opportunity comes, I might personally kill that wench." Alex said calmly as if he was not threatening to kill a woman. "Do what you want but do not expect anything in return," Jacob said glancing at his shoulder pointing out that whatever Alex does for J, he will not give her to him. "And I want that wench alive. Killing her is not enough." There was a glint in Jacob''s eyes and Alex already knows what he means. But he cannot promise that he will not do anything to that Senator. Chapter 589 - Not on my watch "Where do you want me to send this, Miss?" Arthur asked J pointing at the box where J had put back the bow. J contemplated for a moment whether to keep it in Evergreen Villa or to Lodgepole Estate where all of her bow collections were hidden. In the end, she decided that it is better to keep it at Lodgepole because the sight of it in Evergreen Villa might irk Jacob. "Hmm...just keep it for the meantime. I''ll take it with me at Lodgepole Estate." She replied. "Okay." Arthur nodded his head. That time, his phone rings. He pulled it out from his pocket and found that it was Jacob who is calling him. He glanced at J first before he excuses himself in front of J. He knew that if J finds out that it was Jacob who is calling him, she will start to worry. Arthur walked a couple of feet away from J. When he was sure that he is in a distance that J could never hear him, he answers the call. But, although pretending not to care, J is watching Arthur at the corner of her eyes. Meanwhile, inside his SUV, James is driving back to Parkers Mansion with Jacob leaning his back in the passenger seat. His phone is on his ear. "Where is Jenny?" Jacob asked Arthur on the phone. "She''s here at the backyard, reading." Arthur looked at J''s direction and noticed that she has already started reading again. Jacob''s brows furrowed. Although not as cold as Hellebore or Naupaka, the temperature at Lotus City can drop at this season especially at night. "Tell her to get inside, I''m on my way home," Jacob said with concern. "Yes, Boss," Arthur replied. "Would that be all?" Arthur asked afterward because he can sense by Jacob''s tone that something is wrong. He knew that Jacob went to meet with Alex Ogden and he could tell that it didn''t go well. Jacob sighed. "I''ll be sending additional men to protect Jenny. But they will remain hidden. Make sure that Jenny won''t notice. And stay on full alert. You and your team will not let your eyes away from her." "Copy that," Arthur replied. "What happened?" Arthur didn''t hesitate to ask. His brows furrowed as he watched J under the lights of the lantern. "Senator Rizza hired an assassin to kill her." Jacob''s tone was grave. He has to alert Arthur''s Team as soon as possible because any moment, the assassins hired by Senator Rizza might start attacking. Although Jeric has already given James the details of the novice assassins that they sent to Senator Rizza and he also told that the assassins will be sent first thing in the morning tomorrow, he cannot let his guard down. Because he has a feeling that the Senator will also mobilize her connections and will not rely solely on the assassins that Alex Ogden sent her. Upon hearing that, Arthur''s expression turned grim. His aura could be compared to Jacob''s aura when he heard that the Senator wants to assassinate J. J has taken a deep part of his heart that makes him want to protect her with his life. He doesn''t understand why there were people wanted her dead when all she did was care for others. J doesn''t deserve this kind of life but he never heard her complain. But instead, she doesn''t seem to care that there were people who see her like she is the most menacing person in their life and they would want nothing but her to be eliminated. J was more worried about the people around her, she was worried that she might inflict harm towards them. She thinks about them more than herself. But why people want her dead? She didn''t do anything wrong. In fact, they were the ones that are doing wrong. They were just putting all the blame to J as if it was all her fault. "I understand. I will keep an eye on her." He said in a grave tone. No one will ever hurt her, not on my watch. Arthur promised to himself. After Jacob gave some instructions to Arthur, he hangs up and stared at J who seemed so engrossed in the book that she is reading. In the dark, J could see Arthur''s silhouette in the corner of her eyes. She noticed that he already hang up the phone. But why is he not coming out of the dark yet? She thought to herself. She raised her head and looked at Arthur''s direction. This time, Arthur stepped out then walked towards her. She noticed the change in his expression. Something happened. She thought. "Miss, you should go to the mansion. It''s getting colder." Arthur said impassively. "Mm...okay." She said while staring at Arthur. Her chin is elevated since Arthur is a tall man and she is sitting. Then she raised her head higher to look at the night sky. "Is he coming home?" She asked. Arthur is not surprised that she knows who is he talking to but he didn''t say anything instead, he just nodded his head. Chapter 590 - Unfair When Jacob arrived at the Parkers Mansion, he was greeted by the sight of his wife asleep on the sofa with a book on her hands. He sighed at the thought that he made her wait for him for too long thou he already knew she will. He walked towards her and sits beside her. He reached out to touch her face, she has always been beautiful in his eyes even when asleep in the most awkward position. He loves it when she doesn''t care how she looks and that makes her more beautiful in his eyes. She is beautiful as she is and not the way she looks. Even in the darkest cave or under the night sky of Hellebore where no light can be seen, she would stand out in his eyes like the brightest thing he had ever seen and will never ever fades in his eyes. She is beautiful inside and out. Her beauty within could fill out all the cracks. She always thought that it is her responsibility to stop a million tears from falling and brings out so much joy from a simple hug. She only thought of extending a helping hand in the hopes that her simple act of kindness could change the world into a better place. She does things not expecting anything in return or any credits from it. She only hopes to spread out a little kindness everywhere and reach out to those who need it but it made others view her with doubt. Although the Robin Hood Society''s every mission does not come from her, their action reflects her and everyone thoughts that she is the person behind it. It made her life a little miserable. She had to hide her identity. She had to live away from family and friends. She had to think that she should live and die alone because having people close to her might make their life miserable as well. She had to live every day of her life with uncertainty if she will still be alive the next day. The threats on her life are everywhere so she had so shut herself from everyone. But Jacob never once heard her complain. Instead of worrying about her life, she worries about others. How could a person think of others before her own life? Instead of going against the Robin Hood Society who''s mission causes the long list of people who wanted her dead to grow, she supports their unconventional way of helping people and even sees herself as their leader one day. But how could there be a wicked person who thinks that they were the only person who deserves to do unlawful and unfair deeds to others but when the same things were done to them, they eventually resort to killing the person who they think was unfair to them even if that person just wanted some justice and fairness? J felt a thumb stroking her cheek, her lashes fluttered and tried to open her eyes. "Shh...Honey, it''s me." Jacob said in a hushed reassuring tone. He didn''t intentionally want to wake her up. He just wanted to stare at his wife and cherish every second that she is within his reach. He feared that any moment she would just disappear within his sight, that one morning he would wake up without her in his arms. He feared that the day would come that he could not feel the warmth of the sun or the cold of the rain because her absence will make him numb. Or he could not appreciate the beauty of the night sky at Hellebore or the vast ocean behind Lodgepole Estate because she is not with him to appreciate them. He feared that his family and friends would not recognize him because once his wife is gone, he will never be the same person again. His fears were evident in his face that J eventually noticed it even when her eyes were just half-open. "Hey..." She said reaching out to touch his face. When she has fully opened her eyes, she was startled when Jacob engulf her into his embrace tightly. She was flustered at first but later on return the hug even tighter thinking that it would help ease his fear. She knows that Alex Ogden might bring out the topic of her leaving Jacob for him again. She knows that it was what Jacob fears but she didn''t expect that it could be worse than that. She stroke his back with her palm and whispered words to his ear. "Hey, I''m here. I won''t leave you." Hearing those words, Jacob tightened his arms around her even more. "I know. And you are not going anywhere. I won''t allow that." J could sense the gravity of the situation based on Jacob''s voice. Chapter 591 - Scared "Well, that was scary," J said ever so casually when Jacob told her about what he and Alex talked about. Her expression doesn''t reflect her words. Jacob initially never plans to tell her about Senator Rizza hiring Alex''s men to assassinate her but J doesn''t seem like she would let him sleep until he told her so. At first, he fears that J would be worried if he told her, but seeing the nonchalant expression on her face making him worried instead. "Honey, aren''t you going to take your life seriously?" Jacob''s face was stern when he looked down at the face of J who''s head resting on his chest. They were already in bed preparing to sleep. J looked up to him. "I am. But, I feel like I have been having these threats for like forever. It''s nothing unusual." She said nonchalantly. Jacob frowned while tightening his arms around her body. Seeing her acting indifferently towards her death threat is making him want to mold her body into his so that no one could ever harm her. If they ever dare to, they would have to deal with him first before they could touch her. "You said that you just started receiving death threats a year ago?" He asked while staring at her eyes. "Hmm...kind of. But ever since I and my identity was concealed 20 years ago, I started to realize that my life is in grave danger. And it has become...normal for me." Jacob didn''t say anything. His face is unreadable and he just continued to stare at her. How could a woman like her see death threats like it was normal? His heart aches seeing her like that like she doesn''t care about her life. "Honey, things had already changed. You have me to care for you. Even if you don''t care about your life, I will and I do. Life must''ve been unfair for you but I will be the one to make it up to you. I regret that I didn''t meet you earlier so that I could have changed the meaning of normal life for you. Honey, hiding your identity is not normal. Having death threats is not normal." Jacob said in a worried tone. J chuckled. "Of course, I know that it''s not." She was thinking that Jacob thought she had misunderstood the definition of normal life. "Then don''t act like it''s normal." There was slight irritation in Jacob''s tone which made J taken aback. "Jacob..." "Honey, aren''t you scared?" Jacob''s voice is imploring. "Because I am. I''ve never been this scared in my life. I never thought that the thought of losing someone could make me think of crazy things. I''m scared of losing you from anyone more so from death. I''m scared of the future without you in it. I think I would go crazy." J reached out to touch his face. "I''m sorry for making you feel like this." Her voice is remorseful. "Hey what are you talking about? Stop blaming yourself." Jacob stood up so that he could clearly see her face. He knows that J has the tendency to always blame herself. "Jacob, I grew up always being reminded to be cautious and to conceal my name and identity. I grew up alone and away from my family and friends. Because if someone finds out that I am Jenny Do, the heiress of the Robin Hood Society they will kill me. I grew up with that thought in mind. My life has always been in danger and I just come to the point that I got used to hearing that someone wants to kill me. It just became normal to me." "I was scared, Jacob. I''ve always been scared. But I cannot do anything about it except cry alone in my room and establish a daily routine like everything is fine and normal. I constantly remind myself that everything will be fine that I will be safe because maybe, someone is out there watching over me so that I stay alive. Thou I am not sure if there really is someone watching over me, but, I''m still alive." J tried to liven her voice but it still cracked in the end. She lowered her head and played with her finger. "Jacob I want to stay alive. I want to live. Especially now that I already experience how to have a family. Now that I wanted to have my own family, with you. If it was before, I just wanted to live because I wanted to, now I want to live because of you." J started to become teary-eyed but she still raises her head to look at Jacob. "Now if you are asking if I am scared, yes I am. I''m so scared to die because I still wanted to experience life with you. It''s just that, for 21 years I have already mastered to cope up with my fear and anxiety." Chapter 592 - The Safe Zone Jacob noticed that J''s voice has started to become brittle as if she is about to cry. J has always been strong on the outside but vulnerable in the inside. She might not show that she is scared but internally or maybe when she is alone her stomach churns at the thought that any second she might be shot dead in the streets or might get poisoned by the food she eats or might not be awake the next morning. J jumped when Jacob suddenly pulled her from her shoulders and she crashed into his chest. Jacob wound his arms around her body that has started to become brittle as well. He strokes his hand in her back up and down gently while his other hand is holding her head into his chest. "You did great, sweetheart." He whispered the words on the top of her head. Jacob was talking about how well she handles her fear and anxiety. He was amazed by this woman''s coping mechanism. Because if she didn''t learn how to cope with her fear and anxiety, she might get stuck in it and become overwhelmed by fear that she might have wanted to stop living. "You don''t have to cry alone, Honey. If you are feeling scared, you can tell me. I''m here, I will forever be here beside you. I will never leave you. I will protect you with my life." Jacob keeps on whispering comforting words on top of J''s head afraid that if his voice gets a little louder, the brittle and vulnerable woman in his arms would shatter into pieces. But what he didn''t know is that the woman in his arms has already started shedding silent tears. If before she was uncertain if there were really someone watching over her and protecting her, now she is sure of it and it is this man who''s arms are locked around her body. When she was abroad her daily routine would either be university and apartment or apartment and speedway. Once in awhile she would spare an hour or two in the supermarket once a week. When she returns to the country she stayed and never left the Lodgepole Estate for two years. After her grandfather died, she returns to Lotus City and her daily routine would always be CLP Hospital and apartment. Her day offs will always be spent at Lodgepole Estate and Miss Eve''s or Martha''s Home. She is a prude person and never strayed anywhere that is out of her safe zone. Her safe zones were the CLP Hospital, Jade''s apartment, Miss Eve''s, Martha''s Home, Lodgepole Estate, Diana''s apartment and once in a while, Amanda''s gym, Joe''s and Lani''s. And there is a reason for that. These are the only place that she felt she is safe. She is scared to stray anywhere except for these places. But everything is different and ironic now. Her identity as the heiress of the Robin Hood Society has been exposed to the public yet she could still go anywhere she wants. And that''s because Jacob is with her. She has never felt safe like this before. It was only in the presence of this man. "Don''t leave me." Jacob was frozen when he heard her muffled voice in between her sobbing. She is crying. Jacob held her shoulders and pulled himself away from her. Sure enough, her cheeks that''s already wet in tears were red as well as her nose. He cupped her face with both his palm and dry her cheeks with his thumb. "I will never leave you, sweetheart. Even if you told me to. I promise." He promised gently. They were staring deeply into each other''s eyes. At his words, J tried to prevent a sob coming from her by biting her lower lip. But her action has affected Jacob in a different way. "Honey, don''t do that," Jacob said with frustration. "Huh?" J asked innocently. Jacob groaned. With a misty-eye, red cheeks and nose and a full lips that turned red from crying looking especially inviting when she bit it, Jacob didn''t understand why she looked more enticing after crying. "Jacob what-" J was about the say something but her eyes widened when Jacob suddenly crashed his lips into hers. Jacob kissed her desperately while his hands pushed her body back into the bed. He pressed his body against her, his hands felt every curve of her body. When J returned his kisses, he pried open her mouth with his tongue to taste her and she submissively obliged. She moaned as Jacob keeps on dominating her body. She felt him open mouth kissing her jaw down to her neck until he reached her sensitive spot. His hands were now traveling under her nightdress, one of those sexy dresses that Madam Kelly bought for her. She gasped when she felt his hand slip under her underwear. "J-Jacob..." She moaned his name while tugging his hair and pulling his head closer to her. Chapter 593 - Molly "I''m sorry sir, you don''t have an appointment with the Senator so I cannot let you in." The secretary said with conviction to the three men in front of her. The man in the middle glanced on the man on his left then on his right. They were all wearing black pants and a black leather jacket with their hands suspiciously tucked inside the front pocket. There is something in the air around these men that makes the secretary afraid to look into their eyes but she didn''t show it. "Just tell her, it''s Molly." The man in the front said in a deep baritone voice. The secretary looked at them with hesitation until finally, "Okay. Wait here." She said then she stood up from her seat and walked towards Senator Rizza''s office. Inside the office, the Senator is busy looking at some documents. Although she is under investigation she still insists on going to her office every day. "Senator, a man name Molly is outside insisting to talk to you." The secretary said lowered eyebrows. Ever since the Senator''s outburst, she has become more cautious of her words and actions in front of her. When Senator Rizza heard the name, she instantly snapped her head to look at the secretary. "Let him in." The secretary was surprised by her words. She wanted to ask if she would let all the three men in or just the man with a name Molly but she hold her tongue and decided to not ask when the Senator''s phone rings and she immediately answers it. After a minute, three men wearing a black leather jacket enters her office. By that time, she already received a call from Jeric saying that her orders have arrived. She raised her head and gave the three men a scrutinizing look but the latter seemed unfazed. "Who is Molly?" The Senator asked in a domineering tone. "We are all Molly." The first man replied. The Senator gave the three men a confused look. Apparently, Molly is not a person''s name but the name of the team. This group of contract killers that work under Alex Ogden is a separate group from Novus Rex. They have 3 types of assassins, the novice who was just at the beginning of their career, the journeyman is a more experienced, reliable, career criminal that has already completed a great number of contracts and lastly, the master hitman which is the most mysterious and gruesome of all. These contract killers worked either alone or in a group. The master hitman always works alone. The journeyman worked with another journeyman or a novice. While the novice work with another novice and a journeyman as their team leader. These assassins underwent an immense screening and training before they were given a contract. Molly is a three-man team composed of two novices and a journeyman as their leader. "Nevermind." Senator Rizza didn''t ponder more on the name because it doesn''t really matter. She doesn''t intend to know their names after all. "I hope Jeric already told you about your mission because I don''t want to keep on repeating myself." Gone is the gentle and charming Senator that is known to the public. She now sounds intimidating and overbearing. But the three men remained impassive. They were trained to show no emotion in front of their employer and most importantly in front of their target. The man in front which seemed to be more experienced nodded his head. "Yes Senator." Senator Rizza frowned. "The moment you stepped out of that door, this meeting never happened. Understand?" Although Jeric had already assured her that they keep the identity of their employer confidential he still reminded the contract killers in front of her. The leader nodded his head again. They were also trained to never speak or question with their employer as much as possible. "Good," Senator said with satisfaction although she still doesn''t trust these men. After the treatment that she got from Alex Ogden, she learned that the man cannot be trusted. The same applied to these men who works under him. "Although I said that I want her dead, you are not going to kill her, just yet." The senator paused to see the men''s reaction but she didn''t find any. "I want you to kidnap her first, take her to the address that I am going to give you. Once I''m done with her, only then you can kill her." Seeing no reaction from the three men, Senator Rizza couldn''t tell if they have any objections because, in their initial contract, they were supposed to just kill her on the spot. It is never on the contract that they will abduct her first. "Understand?" She asked with a raised brow. "Yes Senator." The leader replied impassively. Of course, they cannot express their objection in front of their employer, if they have any, they will have to express it to Jeric. "Good. Now leave." As soon as the three men left, there was a glint in the Senator''s eyes. She originally planned for the heiress to be shot dead on the spot but she changed her mind. She wants her to suffer in her hands first. Chapter 594 - Additional Men In the 58th floor of the Lotus Skyline, Alex was having breakfast when Jeric approach him to report to him. "Boss, Senator Paz changed the order," Jeric said waiting for an outburst of anger. "Hmm..." But it never came. "She wants Miss J to be abducted first before killing her." Jeric continued seeing that Alex remained unfazed. This time, the bacon that was about to be delivered in Alex''s mouth was paused mid-air. The room temperature dropped and Jeric immediately felt his hair at the back of his neck rise. "What a daring decision." Jeric heard Alex scoff. Alex didn''t get to finish his breakfast as he had already lost appetite. He takes out his phone and texted someone before he grabs his suit that is rested on the armchair and puts it on. Jeric immediately noticed that Alex''s eyes had turned darker than earlier. "Boss, should we go on with the contract?" Jeric asked. "Go on," Alex replied coldly. As if that wench would ever get a chance to touch his Jenny. Alex thought internally. .... J is sitting on the passenger''s seat of Jacob''s SUV while Jacob is driving. They were now on their way back to CLP Hospital. J noticed the sudden change in Jacob''s expression ever since he received that text message. "If that text message has something to do with me, please don''t keep it on yourself." She said. Jacob was startled. Of course, she noticed. He thought internally. He sighed in frustration. "She wants to kidnap you first." Jacob said in a grave tone leaving the word ''killing'' behind. He cannot bring himself to say that word knowing that it is indicated for his wife. "Oh...she wants to torture me first before killing me." But the word came out casually in her mouth. "Honey, can you please not mention that word so naturally. It bothers me." Jacob said. After their talk last night he realized that most of the words that she says or how she says it does not reflect what she really feels. She is just so good at hiding her true emotions. "Oh...okay." "But you are not going to let her, right?" She asked, her voice is seeking reassurance. Jacob turns his head to look at her who is already looking at him. "Of course!" "Then what''s with that face of yours?" She asked with furrowed brows. Jacob''s face softens a little bit. He reached out to caress her cheeks. J leaned into his hand and feel its warmth in her skin. "Don''t you trust yourself and your men?" she asked as she places her hand over his that is on her cheek. J looked ahead of them. In front of them is Stefan and Felix riding their motorbikes, then followed by a black bulletproof sedan with Arthur and Daniel in it while behind them is another black SUV with two additional security that Jacob arranged ever since his meeting with Jack Ogden. Aside from the ones that she could see, she knew that there were two more men watching over her from a distance. But being a keen observer, she noticed another black car that is secretly trailing them. It is obvious that they were Jacob''s additional men. Because if they are not, Arthur had already noticed them and they would have already changed the route to lose them. But they didn''t. "And your additional men?" She said with a smirk. "What do you mean?" Jacob pretended not to know what she meant. J didn''t reply instead she crossed her arms in her chest and looked at him with a raised brow. "Okay, don''t be stubborn. You need them." Jacob had already told Arthur about the additional men to protect J from a distance. He instructed Arthur to keep it from her as much as possible although he knew that sooner or later she will find out knowing how meticulously observant she is of her surroundings. But he didn''t expect that she would notice them this soon. He realized that he should meet with Cancer one of these days so that they can talk on how to improve their men''s skill in concealment. Surprisingly, J didn''t argue about that. Jacob looked ar her with amusement. "By the way, don''t be surprised if you notice some member of Novus Rex around," Jacob said glancing at her waiting for her reaction. And as expected, he did get a reaction from her. She looked at him with confusion. And she didn''t have to ask the question. "Alex Ogden sent them." "Why?" "To protect you." This time, J''s forehead creases deepened. "I guess his affection towards you is not that plain and simple." Jacob continued. "You asked for his help?" She asked with uncertainty because she knew that Jacob is not the type to ask for help especially from Alex Ogden. "Of course, not. He voluntarily sent them." "And in return?" She will not believe that he didn''t ask for anything in return. She hopes that he didn''t ask for her. Chapter 595 - Overthinking "I made it clear to him that he will not get anything in return," Jacob said knowing what runs in her mind. "Don''t worry if later on, he asks for anything in return, I would give him anything except you or anything that concerns you." He said the reached out for her hand and squeezed it. "He knew I can protect you even without his help but he still voluntarily sent some of his men to protect you. He doesn''t have the right to ask for anything in return." "Okay. I trust that you won''t give me to him." J said while looking straight in Jacob''s eyes. "Trust me. I won''t. I promise you that. Even if he claims that you are friends." J jutted her lower lip out. "Seriously?" She knew that Jacob still hasn''t moved on to that event when she offered Alex friendship which the latter accepted. Jacob just smiled at her. "Even if you changed your mind and decided that he is a better option, still I won''t give you to him. Never in this lifetime or in the next. You''re mine, sweetheart." He is really that possessive of her. J thought internally. But she has nothing against it. In fact, if they were to change the situation and it is Jacob who is being threatened to be stolen by some other woman from her, she would never let him go as well. She''ll fight tooth and nail for him. "My mind doesn''t change that easily." .... They were already in Jacob''s private lift when J thought of something. "How many assassins did she hire?" She asked out of curiosity. She just wanted to know her worth. "Three. Two novices and a journeyman." Jacob replied while staring at the numbers that keep on changing. Arthur''s team was with them. "Just that?" J didn''t hide her displeasure. She thought that the Senator would hire some master hitman to kill her knowing that she is strictly protected by the Twelve Army and the Robin Hood Society. Did she just underestimate the Twelve Army and the Robin Hood Society? She thought to herself. Jacob looked at her amusedly. "Of course, she didn''t know that Alex Ogden intentionally sent her some novice assassins. It is never his intention to send her any in the first place. But he realized that if he didn''t give her what she wants, she would suspect that Alex is protecting you as well and it will only make her more aggressive in causing harm towards you." "Why would that be?" J asked. "Because the Senator wants Alex for herself." Jacob cocked his head towards her. "Huh? I thought she wants you?" "Don''t look so disappointed sweetheart. She wants every good looking man to bow down to her with adoration but there is only one man that she wants to marry and that is your friend." J pursed her lips. Such a disgusting woman. She literally is a whore. "And don''t underestimate those novice assassins, Miss J. The fact that they chose that career means their soul has already been tainted with human blood. They have probably killed people before they become part of Alex Ogden''s group of contract killers. So the word novice is actually an understatement." Felix who has been listening can''t help but butt in their conversation. J and Jacob had been used to it. He''s not different from them anyway. "But don''t worry, Alex made sure that his men would not touch you," Jacob reassured her. "Then what''s the point of all this additional security?" J asked indifferently. "Honey, Senator Rizza''s family have a lot of connection in the military and in the underworld. I don''t think she would only rely on contract killers from Alex Ogden. It is better to be more cautious." J fell silent. Her thought started to run wild. It seems like Senator Rizza is going on an all-out war just to get her hands on her then, later on, kill her. Will there be a bloodbath? Someone might die. She thought internally. She thought about Jacob, Arthur''s Team and other men from the Twelve Army, the Robin Hood Society and even from Novus Rex who will sacrifice their lives to protect her. Her thought is too preoccupied that she didn''t notice the five men staring at her reflection in the elevator door. "Honey, you are overthinking things." J jumped when she heard Jacob speaks. "Huh?" She raised her head on the right and looked up at Jacob. "I know what you are thinking. Stop being stubborn and do not act on impulse. No one will die. At least not on our side." Jacob said, his gaze fixed on her reflection on the elevator door. "Tsk. Miss J, are you thinking about going to Senator Rizza and try to talk things out? I''m telling you if that worked out on Alex Ogden that doesn''t mean it will work out on that Senator. She is too infuriated at you that she is ready to shot you dead even at the mere sight of your toes with all guns blazing." Felix shook his head at her. Chapter 596 - Overdone "She''s an impossible woman, Miss J. Don''t ever think about it." Stefan butted in making J snap her head at him whos is standing behind her. "That''s not going to happen." J was glaring at Felix and Stefan who seemed to be on the same page lecturing her when she heard Daniel who is standing beside Stefan speaks. Then it was followed by Arthur. "Not on my watch." J sighed in defeat. Her shoulders slumped forward. She thought that she is in control of her men but it turns out that they were now in control of her. "Don''t give them that look, Honey. It is their job to protect you and keep you away from any harm and danger. And the mere presence of that Senator is already considered dangerous." Jacob glanced at her who seemed unfazed that his men are bullying his wife. J rolled her eyes. At that moment, the door of the elevator opened on the 10th floor of the hospital. But instead of going directly to his office, Jacob accompanied her back to the 8th floor. Arthur''s Team did the same. ''God, they are overdoing it!'' J sighed internally. "I think I''ll be safe from here." J turned around and looked at the five overprotective men. They were already in the lobby of the Department of Surgery. She could see Nurse Maggie''s eye ogling at them as she passed by the lobby. "Okay. Since Diana is not here, I''ll be eating lunch with you at the cafeteria." Thou J didn''t mind eating alone she didn''t reject Jacob''s suggestion. But she hasn''t seen him eat at the hospital''s cafeteria. "Are you sure?" She asked. "Of course. Now don''t be stubborn. Get inside." Jacob replied. "Okay." After J enters the Department of Surgery, Jacob''s expression turns dark. "Keep a watch on her. I have a feeling that she is planning something." Jacob knows that J has a great sense of responsibility as a person and as the heiress of the Society. She heaps all responsibility to those people under her and even those that protect her for herself. And because of that, she has the tendency to takes all the blame and liability if something happens to them. That is why, as much as possible she tries to maintain a secure and stable environment from them by putting herself at risk instead not knowing that she is being unintentionally insensitive to the other people''s feelings. She could be as stubborn as she can be when it comes to putting herself in danger just to keep her people away from it even if the main purpose of these people is to keep her away from danger. Sometimes, she is an idealistic person. She could be naive, impractical and out of touch in reality. She thought that everything can be solved in a peaceful way. If she could avoid a bloodbath, she will. Jacob knows that she is thinking that way when she fell silent inside the elevator. He knows how she cares about her people and putting their lives at risk is the least that she would wish to happen. So, she might think of a way to talk to the Senator and end this dispute in a peaceful way. Just like when she tried to talk with Alex Ogden the last time. And he is not going to let that happen again. .... At the cafeteria of the hospital, J saw Jacob in a far distance away from the crowd. Since it is lunchtime, almost half of the employees of the hospital were there to have lunch. And Jacob was smart to choose a more isolated table for the two of them since he knew how J likes to be alone. And the spot he chose is J''s favorite spot in the cafeteria. She walked towards him and noticed that he already got them food. She also noticed some employees watching them because it is very rare to see her eating with anyone else except Diana. And this time, she is having lunch with the President of the hospital. Although everyone already knows that they are husband and wife, it was still surprising to see them in the cafeteria together. It was actually the first time. "I asked the cook to prepare something for you," Jacob said as he pulled a chair for her. J looked at the table and her nose instantly turned at the sight of foods on the table. "Isn''t it too much? You don''t have to ask them to prepare something. I am good at anything." Jacob frowned slightly, "Hmm... you don''t like it? I though seafood is your favorite but they don''t have seafood in the menu today so I ask them to prepare that especially for you." "Well, thank you but... I am not really into seafood today." She said feeling guilty that Jacob made an effort for this lunch and she turns him down. Chapter 597 - Afraid of Getting Fired There is nothing wrong with the food, in fact, it looks appetizing. It was a butter garlic shrimp on top of brown rice with broccoli. But J cannot stomach the food right now. Maybe due to stress and worry. And Jacob thought that she was just stressed out that her appetite is a little bit shy today. "Okay, what do you want to eat? I''ll check if they have something on the menu." He knows that her lunchbreak is limited so he doesn''t have time for the cook to prepare another dish. "No need." J smiled, although for some reason she lost her appetite, she was overwhelmed by Jacob''s thoughtfulness. "I''ll have this salad and soup." Fortunately, Jacob also ordered salad and soup alongside the shrimp. J pushed the bowl of brown rice with shrimp on it away from her and keep the salad and soup. "Are you sure?" Jacob looked doubtful. "Yes. I''ll fill up later when I get hungry." J replied with a smile. "Okay," Jacob said although he didn''t hide his worry on his face. They ate silently then after a couple of minutes, Jacob noticed something in the corner of his eyes. His mood immediately dampened and J noticed it. "What''s wrong?" She asked. "He''s overdone it," Jacob said with a grim expression. J looked around and eventually noticed two women in one table eating. "Did you let them in?" She asked wondering how could a member of Novus Rex gets inside the hospital under the watch of Arthur''s Team. "No. They probably pretended to be a relative of a patient." Jacob replied. Although he has an order that no member of Novus Rex could enter the hospital especially when J is on duty, they cannot stop one if they claim to be just visiting a patient especially if they really have a patient admitted to the hospital. Jacob is started to regret letting Alex Ogden have his way. Although he is thankful to him that he voluntarily sent people to watch and protect J against Senator Rizza''s attack even if he doesn''t really need them, he can''t help but suspect that Alex is using this as an advantage so that he can get J''s attention. "Mm... don''t mind them," J said nonchalantly. Jacob narrowed his eyes at J then noticed the two women taking secret glances in their direction. "Don''t let them get near you." He warned. J laughed. It was a sight to behold for the hospital''s employees out there who have never seen her laugh before. It was a rare event that could happen only in front of their President. "As if you are going to let them get near me." She knows that even if these women try to before she knows it, Arthur''s team has already blocked them. Jacob frowned. "Honey, I am not joking." J smiled and reached out to grab his hand that is on the table. "I know." For a moment there, he felt a tickle in his heart. Her smile can easily brighten up his dampened mood. "Don''t worry, I won''t let any member of Novus Rex get near me," J said to make Jacob feel reassured. After eating, J slumped back to her chair with her hands on her front pocket lazily. "Are you okay?" Jacob asked with a worried tone. "Yeah. Just tired." J said. "Is Aaron making you overwork?" Jacob immediately thought of that. She just started working after 2-days off and she barely finished her shift and yet she is already tired. The only possible reason is that Dr. Aaron Choi makes her worked the whole morning. "No." J thought of it. She just had a prostatectomy and tonsillectomy this morning. Although the Department of Surgery was busy, her cases were not too tiring. Maybe she was just too stressed out for overthinking. J thought. "Do you want to go home?" J smiled. "You are giving me too much privilege." Although she is the wife of the President she will not take advantage of her position to slack off. She looked at her wristwatch. "I only got two more hours before my shift end. I don''t have much to do this afternoon anyway." "Okay. Then I am going home with you when your shift ends." Jacob said. "Don''t you have work to do?" She asked because she knows that after that 2-days off, his works must''ve filed up. "I can always take them at home. My job as your husband is more important. It should be my priority in order to not get fired." J can''t be helped but get elated by his words. Although feeling tired, she managed to give him the sweetest smile. The employees around them who were silently watching the couple were mesmerized by her smile. It was like they are watching a meteor shower that they have to seize the moment and stare at it before it suddenly vanishes. Jacob noticed the stare that J is harboring from that smile. He looked around the cafeteria and cleared his throat loudly to catch everyone''s attention. This made the onlookers snapped back to their senses and once they saw the grumpy look on the face of their Boss, they immediately go back to what they are doing as if nothing happened. Chapter 598 - Connections Two days past peacefully into J''s surprise. She thought that something was off. She could also sense the grave atmosphere around Arthur''s Team while Jacob has been overly possessive these past few days. He has been urging her not to go out of the mansion for a couple of days, but as stubborn as she is, she still insisted saying that she''ll die of boredom in the mansion. Jacob has been with her for almost 24 hours except for when she is inside the Department of Surgery. But once in a while, Jacob would still drop by even thou he could easily see her if he went to the control room where Arthur''s Team is watching her. Jacob has been staying at the CLP Hospital and will only leave after J''s duty. He never goes to Twelve Army or to other hospitals under the CLP Group of Hospitals. Arthur''s Team kept its position in the lobby of the Department of Surgery and every four hours they would change position with the two men from the control room. Once in a while, some members of Novus Rex would be spotted inside and outside the hospital. J has been feeling queasy these past days not because of nervousness but because of the presence of a lot of security watching around for her. Thou they tried to conceal themselves, nothing could be passed by J''s keen eyes. Based on her observation there were two to three members of the Novus Rex strolling around inside the hospital while there were no less than five of them around the hospital. And once she gets out of the hospital more or less ten of them would follow her. Surprisingly, Jacob didn''t do anything about it. He said that as long as they won''t get near her, he''ll pretend that they don''t exist. Jacob''s men who were around twenty were scattered where ever she is trying to remain unnoticed, maybe for others but not for J. She still thinks that it is exaggerated. She also finds out Professor Iris Parham is in charge of watching over her via satellite. Apparently, there was a team of computer experts under Professor Iris. There were suspicious numbers that were attempting to communicate to J and trace her location through her phone but Professor Iris''s Team managed to block them and trace the location where it comes from. They already send someone to that place but found it to be abandoned already. The day that Molly, the assassins the Senator hired from Alex Ogden arrived, someone already tried to hack into the CLP Hospital''s CCTV probably trying to get live footage of the heiress. They were planning on how to get her by studying her everyday routine. But fortunately, Professor Iris''s team noticed it and was able to block the attempt. Since then, Professor Iris''s team is on strict watch over the CCTV cameras inside the hospital or around the place where J is. Arthur''s Team and Professor Iris''s team work hand-in-hand and they kept their communication open in order to protect the heiress. While Novus Rex does their own way of protecting her. "There were two to three suspicious men around the hospital but they didn''t do anything." Professor Iris said. Jacob and Arthur''s Team were having a video conference with Professor Iris and President Martin in the control room inside the mansion. "They are planning out," Jacob said in a grave tone. "That''s what I''ve been thinking as well. And these men were not from Alex Ogden." Professor Iris said. "She is obviously utilizing all of her resources." Arthur leaned back to his chair with his arms crossed in front of him. "Are they from the military?" Jacob asked. The creases on his forehead have deepened. "No, I don''t see anyone from the military as of now." Professor Iris leaned closer to the monitor. "I don''t think that she''ll ask the help of the military just yet. As much as possible, their family will try to keep this to themselves in the meantime, but if the situation requires it. They will eventually contact their connections in the military." President Martin analyzes the situation based on how he knows of the Senator''s family. The Paz family has its connections in the military. For years serving the government, they had already made ''friends'' in the military. They first find illicit activities that some of the military officials hide under their covers and used this information so that they could make these officials wag their tail into them. The Paz family promised to protect these unlawful officials and even support them in the future. In return, these officials oath their loyalty to the Paz family and even promised that when the time comes that they will need them, they will support and utilize all their resources for the Paz family. Chapter 599 - Bloodroot Clan President Martin believes that the Paz Family will not use this connection yet. He has insider information that they will use their connections to advance their position in the government. President Martin already has someone in mind that the Paz family will use to get his daughter. The Paz family has a deep relationship with the Bloodroot Clan. It is a mafia terrorist type that originated in the Province of Foxglove. Their core activity is protection racketeering whereby they provide protection to the businesses or other groups through violence outside the sanction of the law. Although some prefer to hire a private army from the Twelve Army, some would still secretly hire protection from this group. The Paz family started to develop a close relationship with Novus Rex years ago but with Alex Ogden, they are someone that the Paz Family cannot manipulate, unlike the Bloodroot Clan. The Clan provides protection to the family and in return, the Paz Family also protects them. "The Bloodroot Clan has been targetting us for a couple of decades now but they didn''t do it for their own benefits. Of course, there were still some group and people that hire them to come after us but they never succeed." President Martin revealed. Although the Society remained untouched they cannot deny the fact that Bloodroot Clan is a threat to them. Especially now that the Clan is not only inclined to traditional physical security but also to computer security. Professor Iris Parham has a separate group of highly skilled computer specialist that deals with the Bloodroot Clan. "I think they will use this opportunity to boost their morale." President Martin continued talking about how they were able to defy every attempt of the Bloodroot Clan to destroy them. Because their every failed attempt to do so will keep their name tainted. Jacob''s gaze turned murderous when the name of that group was brought up. "I finally find an opportunity to deal with this stinking group." Aside from The Robin Hood Society, The Twelve Army also has a personal grudge with the Bloodroot Clan because they are taking some of their clients. Although the Twelve Army is a very reputable company that provides private army services, they do not indulge or initiate a war against another business or group that their client has a grudge with. Their main purpose is to defend and not to offend which the Bloodroot Clan is doing. That is why some of the business, group or personality especially those in the underground sector would still hire a group from the Bloodroot Clan to inflict harm towards others which the Twelve Army will never do. Initially, Jacob just let this group do their own ways as long as they never go against the Twelve Army. Although he really wants to have his way to them that is just not practical and a waste of resources. But now, they are asking for it. They didn''t just go against the Twelve Army, they are after his most precious and beloved wife. That''s just not going to happen. They are asking to perish. Jacob will not bat an eyelid in dealing with the Paz Family and Bloodroot Clan at the same time. "I don''t get it. Why did the Senator hire assassins from Alex Ogden if she already has the Bloodroot Clan?" Felix voiced out his concern because he thought that with a group as vicious as Bloodroot Clan, why would the Senator need assassins from Alex? "She is testing the waters," Daniel who was in deep thought said. "Huh?" Felix was flustered. "They wanted to know who''s side Alex Ogden is," Arthur explained it to him. As a man who operates an organized crime group and a group of contract killers, Senator Rizza would want to not just get into his pants but also his support. She has the military and the Bloodroot Clan backing her up and she also wants Novus Rex. She was actually overwhelmed when Alex let her hire his men to assassinate the heiress of the Robin Hood Society which means, he hasn''t established a certain connection with the Robin Hood Society or the Twelve Army. But what she didn''t know is that Alex Ogden doesn''t need a connection just to protect the heiress of the Society. He is a man that doesn''t need any connections. His capabilities are enough for him to stand on his own. "Oh, I get it." Felix didn''t expect that one day, he will be thankful that Alex Ogden has that kind of affection towards their heiress. But he didn''t voice it out or he will be shot dead on the spot in that instant. Jacob is a hubristic person, and he had every reason to be. His resources and capability are enough to protect his precious wife without Novus Rex''s protection. As much as possible, he doesn''t want to be in debt to Alex Ogden''s affection. Chapter 600 - Sacrifice "I am advising you to be unpredictable in your moves." Professor Iris said after a while. Jacob acknowledged it although he already talked about that with Arthur. "We will do that. Thank you." Jacob said. "So for now, we only have the Bloodroot Clan watching over Miss J''s every move most of the time. We''ve seen Molly once in a while thou they are not a threat we still have to be cautious because Alex''s men were known to attack in surprise." Arthur said. "I don''t think they will attack," Felix said but Stefan counter him. "They will because they will still have to act," Stefan said. "They shouldn''t be expecting us to be discreet towards them just because they were just acting." He continued contemptuously. J knew that Jacob is in a video conference with his father in the control room. She wanted to join him but Jacob was resolute in not letting her. So she decided to call her mom although she was not sure if her mom is with her dad at the conference as well. Fortunately, she is not. Because President Martin didn''t let her as well. "How''s everything there, sweetheart?" Madam Victoria said with full of concern. "Hmm...surprisingly peaceful." She replied nonchalantly. She is seated in the only accent chair inside Jacob''s bedroom. Her head is rested on her palm while she is staring outside the window. She is watching one post light that is flickering in the distance. "That is not good." Madam Victoria commented. She is starting to get worried. "I know." She said but she remained calm. "I think you should stay at home for a while and avoid getting outside." J rolled her eyes. "You are asking me to detain myself, mom." She said although that is not what her mother is pointing out. "Sweetheart, you''ll be safer at home." J pondered for it. Madam Victoria has a point, but she thought that if the Senator''s men are bold enough, they might attack her in the mansion and her in-laws might be inflicted. She sighed. Madam Victoria heard her sigh. "Sweetheart, what are you thinking?" "They''ll follow me where ever I go." She said. She sounds calm but her heart is trembling. "But you have Jacob with you. You''ll be safe with him." "I know. But, I am afraid that he will get hurt." That is what she fears the most. She is afraid that in the process of keeping her alive, someone might sacrifice their life. That is the least she wants to happen. It will bother her for the rest of her life. Although Jacob reassured her that no one will die at least not on their side, she still can''t help but be pessimistic knowing how vicious their opponent is. In the past days, she already asked Arthur to find information about Senator Paz''s connections. That''s how she finds out about Bloodroot Clan. She knows how vicious and lawless these people are. They will not hesitate to kill people. Madam Victoria didn''t speak a word because J''s worries were unavoidable. She cannot say that no one will get hurt or die in the process of protecting her just to comfort her because she knows that it is very unrealistic. "Sweetheart, I am sorry for putting you in this situation." Madam Victoria said apologetically because she felt that she could do nothing to comfort her only child. "Mom, don''t say that. I am part of this family that my grandfather built. And I never regret it. It is better that I than you or any other member of the Society." Madam Victoria trembled upon hearing her daughter''s word. At that moment, she felt a thousand needles pricking her heart. She felt goosebumps run her spine until the back of her neck. "Sweetheart, don''t you dare sacrifice your life! Please." Madam Victoria''s voice is shaking. The thought of her daughter being dead scared her. "Mom..." J had thought of it once. She thought, that since the entire country believes that she is the leader of the Robin Hood Society, she might as well die so that they will stop bothering the Society. There will be no one left to blame in every action of the Society. They will think that their actions were done by other groups. But she thought about Jacob...everything that Jacob did for her. All his sacrifices... It will all go down the drain once she died. She thought of what he said before. That he''ll never be the same person if she is gone. She is afraid of what he will do if she died. She wants to live for him. She still wants to have children with him. She wants to spend the rest of her life with him. She will only die with him. Chapter 601 - Safer "Mom...I won''t." She said with an exasperated tone. "I won''t sacrifice my life. The least I would do is to pretend that I died but I will not sacrifice my life. I don''t want to leave you yet. I don''t want to leave Jacob." She said to make her mother convinced. Madam Victoria sighed in relief. "God! You almost scared me to death." J smiled faintly. She has never heard her mom talked this way before. She has always been soft and intimidating. She rarely sounds scared. "I''m sorry, mom." "But...I wish there is something I could do to make the people around me safe." She voiced out what really bothers her. "There is something you can do and that is to stay out in the open." This time, Madam Victoria''s tone is firm. She is determined to convince her daughter to stay at home instead of going out. J thinks about it for a moment. Maybe she could try that. Jacob assured her that the Parkers Mansion is located in one of the safest places in Lotus City anyway. But she still thinks that the Twelve Army away from Madam Kelly and Chairman John would be the safest. "Okay. I''ll file an indefinite leave and then ask Jacob if we could stay at the Twelve Army for the meantime since I don''t have to go to the hospital. But, I still have to report to duty tomorrow because Dr. Aaron Choi will be enraged if I suddenly didn''t show up and not give him enough time to find my replacement." J finally made a decision. Madam Victoria felt like a huge rock was lifted from her heart. "Good. That would be better. The Twelve Army headquarters will be the safest place for you that you won''t have to be worried about inflicting harm to the Parker family." Their conversation finally came to a conclusion. She was sure that Jacob will agree in staying at the Twelve Army headquarters. She doesn''t have to go anywhere. Jacob could work in his office and she can still keep herself busy by helping in the headquarters clinic. The clinic in the Twelve Army headquarters never runs out of patients that are mostly suffered from trauma. Usually, the patients there suffered injury from their training or their mission. J has already taken a shower when Jacob returns. She is wearing one of the nightdresses that Madam Kelly bought for her. It was silk, nude color nightdress that reached just above her knees. She started to get used to it but only for Jacob. She would still prefer her pajama pants and shorts. She is sitting on the bed with a book on her hand. Her lower part of the body is covered by the blanket. She raised her head and meet Jacob''s gaze. "Is everything, okay?" She asked although she knows that it is not. "Yeah." He said then he laid beside her then he wrapped his arms over her stomach and rested his face under her chin. She raised her chin to give him more space and brushed his hair with her palm. She knows that he is lying. Her current situation can never be okay. "Hmm...why don''t you take a quick shower so that you can take a rest?" She said worried that Jacob might fall asleep in his position. "Yeah...I''ll do that. Just a couple of minutes." He is tired, J could sense it through his voice. "Okay." After a couple of minutes. "Jacob..." J called out his name in a hushed tone. "Hmm..." He replied indicating that he didn''t fell asleep. "Tomorrow, I''ll file an indefinite leave. Let''s just stay inside the Twelve Army headquarters." She said when she confirmed that he is all ears on hers. When he heard that, Jacob suddenly pulled himself away from her and looked at her eyes with a frown. "It will help from keeping me safe if I stay out in the public and with that everyone will be safe as well. And I think that the Twelve Army headquarters is the safest place for me. What do you think?" She said imploring. After a while, Jacob''s face softens. "Okay. That''s a good idea." Jacob had always wanted to keep her at home because it will be safer. He had also thought of taking her to the Twelve Army headquarters. But he knew that his wife cannot just let go of her job. He was delighted that the same idea comes out of her. Thou he knows that she probably thought of that because she is worried that her stubbornness will hurt the people around her. But that doesn''t mean that they will just stay there and do nothing. Of course, Jacob will still perish those that wanted his wife dead. He is determined to give his wife a peaceful and normal life. He didn''t tell that to J because he knew that she will get worried. Thou he knows that she will find it out sooner or later. Chapter 602 - Its Time The next day, J went to the hospital with her ''visible'' and ''invisible'' security watching over her. As usual, Jacob never left her side until she reached the Department of Surgery. "What''s this?" Dr. Aaron looked at her with a puzzled expression. "I am requesting an indefinite leave. I hope that you would approve of it." Although J tried to say the words with regards. It doesn''t seem to in Aaron''s ear. Even if she doesn''t ask for it, he doesn''t have a choice. It is the wife of the CEO. Of course, she is free to do whatever she wants. Thou recently she has been on a random leave, Aaron knows that it was Jacob''s intention and not her. He knew that J is not the type of person that would take advantage of her position. But her sudden request to take an indefinite leave surprised him. "Are you pregnant?" Dr. Aaron Choi suddenly blurted out his suspicion. He cannot think of other reasons for her to request indefinite leave. Everyone in the hospital is oblivious of the threats that their colleague is having in her life. J blushed instantly and felt embarrassed. "Uh...No." "Oh...okay. Does Jacob know about this?" He asked because recently it was Jacob who is suddenly pulling her out of her duty for a day or two without asking for a formal request. And now, J is formally requesting for leave. Aaron can''t help but be suspicious. "Of course, we''ve talked about it. He actually thought that it is not necessary for this but I just thought that I won''t be coming back for a while and not sure when so I guess I have to formally file a request." "Oh...Okay." Dr. Aaron''s mind is still not functioning well. He already lost Nurse Diana and not sure when she is coming back. Now Nurse J also wants an indefinite leave and not sure when she is coming back. He felt that he is slowly losing his nurses in the Department of Surgery. "You''ll allow me. Right?" J asked imploring. Dr. Aaron Choi was startled. "Yeah. Of course. How can I not?" He said but deep inside he is crying. As if I have a choice? If I didn''t approve of it I might lose my job because of your husband! How am I suppose to get a temporary replacement for you? He cried internally. "Good. Thank you." She said then smiled at him. Oh God! Am I not supposed to be the person in control of my nurses and not the other way around? Dr. Aaron screamed internally. .... In the control room on the 10th floor. Arthur is watching the monitor with Stefan. That means Daniel and Felix were in the lobby of the Department of Surgery. In the monitor is the CCTV footages inside and outside the hospital. While Professor Iris and her team were monitoring the situation within 15 miles radius from J''s location. "Arthur, I got five suspicious cars within 15 miles radius." They heard the voice of Professor Iris on their communication device. "Exact location?" Arthur replied in a calm and firm tone. "One in Aspen Street, there is another one in Quince Road, there is one in Peony Lane, two in the corner of Oak and Maple Streets." Professor Iris replied back. "Can you identify them?" Arthur asked. "I''m working on it." Then Arthur turned to look at Stefan with a grave expression. "Send words to Boss." "Okay." Stefan nods his head then left in hurried footsteps. Meanwhile, inside Jacob''s office, his brows furrowed when he received a text message. The words were ''It''s time.'' If it was from another number, he would think that it was sent in a wrong number but it was from Alex Ogden and he knew what he meant. Then he heard a knock on the door, in a couple of seconds he saw Stefan''s grave expression. He immediately stood up from his armchair and followed him in the control room. "Have you identified them?" Jacob asked after he heard Professor Iris''s report. Initially, there were five suspicious cars, now there were eight. "Three cars, the one in Quince, Aspen, and Oak. I am positive they were men from Bloodroot. As for the others, I am not certain." Professor Iris said that sounds a little disappointed. Jacob whose hands are in his pocket standing in front of the monitor nodded his head. "I understand." He cannot expect Professor Iris to easily identify all of them. After all, no one can identify a member of Bloodroot Clan, unlike the Novus Rex. There was a moment of silence. Arthur and Stefan were waiting for Jacob''s order but Jacob seemed to be in deep thought. Arthur looked at his watch and saw that it is almost time for J to finish her duty. "Your orders, sir?" Arthur asked. Chapter 603 - Trust Jacob remained silent. "Do you want me to send some of our men in those streets?" Arthur asked again. This time, Jacob replied. "No, it''s just a decoy. Stick to the plan and never leave your eyes on Jenny. We will be leaving in 15 minutes. I''ll take her with me. Whatever happens, we''ll meet at the Twelve Army Headquarters." "Copy that." Arthur and Stefan replied at once. They immediately understand what Jacob means. The Bloodroot clan intentionally sent suspicious cars in that locations to distract them. They wanted to lure out as many of them in the locations until there were only a few of them left to look after J. But they cannot be fooled by just some petty distractions. Jacob had already seen through them. After 15 minutes, J and Jacob were already inside his SUV. Arthur and Daniel in the black sedan while Stefan and Felix on a black motorbike. "Put on your seatbelts." J heard Jacob said in a grave tone. This is rare because he rarely reminds her to put on her seatbelts because he doesn''t have to. She has the habit of putting on her seatbelt as soon as she gets in the car. She already felt that the atmosphere is off. "Are they here?" She asked straightforwardly. Jacob turned to look at her with a worried expression. He nodded his head and J immediately understands. "Oh...I thought it was too early or am I late in my decision to stay at Twelve Army?" She said with a faint smile. She looked calm but deep inside her, she is already panicking. "Honey..." Jacob reached out to caress her cheeks. "I''ll do whatever it takes to protect you. Do you trust me?" J didn''t have to think twice. She nodded her head and said. "I trust you." "Good," Jacob said before he started the engine of the SUV. 5 minutes past. It was still a peaceful drive. In front of them were two motorbikes then Arthur''s car. Behind them is another SUV. But J cannot settle down. She wants something to grab on. She looked at the steering wheel and she had the urge to take it from Jacob but she was sure that he wouldn''t let her, just yet. At exactly another minute past, they heard Professor Iris''s voice in their communication device that is connected to Jacob''s SUV. "Three motorbikes behind you." Those words made J flinched. It has started. She thought internally and prayed that everyone will escape this place unscathed. They heard a man said. "Got it." J looked at Jacob confused then she looked behind them. Suddenly another three motorbikes appeared from nowhere and positioned themselves side by side the first three motorbikes that started to follow them. She felt Jacob''s hand on the top of her hand. "Don''t worry, sweetheart. They got them." She looked at the rearview mirror and saw that one motorbike is already down. She cannot tell if that one is on their side or the enemy''s. She hasn''t recovered from her surprise when she heard Professor Iris''s voice. "Snipers ahead targetting Felix and Stefan." "Oh, God!" J gasped for air when she heard it. Thou she remained calm, she cannot hide her worry towards Felix and Stefan. "Honey, relax. They''ll be fine." She heard Jacob said making her furious at him. "How can you tell me to relax when your men are being targetted by snipers?!" She can''t believe how could Jacob show worry for her while staying calm when his men are in danger. "Because they are my men, I know their capabilities. I trust them." Jacob said. His words struck her. She almost forgot that Felix and Stefan had undergone training in the Twelve Army. Jacob knows how capable they are because they are under him. He wouldn''t choose them as her personal security if he didn''t trust them. She also heard that they were the best team in the Twelve Army. "Piece of cake." She heard Felix''s voice and it made her smile. J didn''t saw how Felix and Stefan swerved their motorbikes from side to side dodging the bullets that were aimed at them. The onlookers on the sidestreet were amazed at the sight of two motorbikes that seemed to be showing off on the streets. "We''ll take care of the snipers." Professor Iris said. Inside a huge control room in the headquarters of the Robin Hood Society, there were about ten computer experts busying themselves on their keyboard while their eyes fixed on the huge monitors in front of them. "Troy." Professor Iris called out a name. A man with brown hair, red baseball cap, and denim jacket raised his hands. "Got it." He said, his deep baritone voice doesn''t match his looks. This guy named Troy has developed drones that are able to aim and fire at enemies while flying in mid-air. While the typical drones can be controlled by remote control at a maximum range of 1.6 km, he can control his drones at a maximum range of 100 km. And he can also control multiple drones through his computer. He is a tech-nerd. Chapter 604 - The Anonymous Group In just a second, there were four armed drones flying over them and specifically targetted two snipers that were on top of a building. The drones shot the snipers which were taken by surprise. They didn''t expect those drones to target them. "Two snipers down." They heard Professor Iris''s voice again. In fact, not only they could hear her. All of Jacob''s men that are part of J''s protection team can hear her. Professor Iris''s team serves as their eyes. The Robin Hood Society will not just watch as their heiress is being threatened to be killed by this lunatic Senator''s men. In fact, the three other men in the motorbike were a member of the Robin Hood Society that Arthur worked with before. "Okay, there are numbers of them but I cannot tell just how many. But one thing is for sure, they are scattered on your way to surprise you. But we are way ahead of them so you guys have nothing to worry." Professor Iris''s voice was reassuring. "How did they find out where we are going?" Jacob asked. He initially thought that there is a mole inside his men but immediately disposed of the idea because aside from them and Arthur''s team, no one knows that they are headed for the Twelve Army headquarters. "They didn''t know. They are coming from different directions and it seems like they were just following the words of the previous attackers." Professor Iris said. "Okay," Jacob replied calmly. His eyes fixed on the road ahead of them. J is busy looking around them. She also noticed the four drones above them. She knew that they were from The Robin Hood Society. She had already heard of Sam and Troy, the tech-nerd of the Society. .... Meanwhile at the ancestral mansion of the Paz family. Senator Rizza leisurely sat on an outdoor sofa sipping tea with her father and another man that is a high-ranking personality from Bloodroot Clan. "How is it going?" Senator Rizza asked. "As expected, the heiress''s security is tight. We haven''t got the chance to get near her. And aside from people from Twelve Army and Robin Hood Society, there is an anonymous group that is also protecting her. It turns out that there were supposed attacks that didn''t happen because there were other groups that are ambushing some of their men even before they could get to the heiress''s location. Senator Rizza''s grip on the teacup tightened. "Have you identified them?" Senator Rizza''s father asked. "No." "Have you seen any member of the Novus Rex?" Senator Rizza asked. For some reason, she had an inkling that Alex Ogden might send out some of his men but she could not tell if it was for her or for the heiress. The man cocked his head in confusion. "Except for the assassins that you hired, I don''t see any of them." Alex thought of it before so he didn''t send his men from Novus Rex to protect J that day. Instead, he sent some of his journeyman and master hitmen. These assassins have the most mysterious identity. No one could recognize them easily. They do not have the markings like the Novus Rex so they cannot be traced back as Alex Ogden''s men. "Where are they now?" Senator Rizza''s father asked. "They are on their way to the Twelve Army headquarters." The man said. Senator Rizza elegantly put down the teacup on the coffee table and leaned her back as she crossed her leg. "I don''t care how you do it just bring the heiress to me alive before they reached the Twelve Army headquarters." Because once the heiress reached the Twelve Army headquarters, it would be impossible for them to get her. .... "Boss..." In the 58th floor of Lotus Skyline, Alex refused to leave his penthouse. He knew that today the Senator will execute her plan of abducting and killing the heiress of the Society. Although he had already sent his men to protect her, he couldn''t be at ease. He has to monitor everything that is going on. "We have already obstructed two attacks," Jeric reported to him. "Hmm...keep on going. Send additional men if necessary." Alex replied. His face was dark as night. "Yes, Boss." As soon as he left. Jeric let out an exasperated sigh. Alex has been in a black mood since morning and he knows exactly why. He knows that Alex wanted to be personally there to protect the heiress but he just cannot show himself as it will worsen the situation and put the heiress in more danger. Instead, he went to the Senator''s place with some of his men to put an end to the Senator''s madness but he didn''t expect that Jacob had already thought ahead of him and sent some people to monitor the Senator''s place. It was obvious that the Senator is not there but Jacob''s men had already set a trap for her. Chapter 605 - Messing Up Back in the road. "Three cars blocking your away 5 km ahead. Felix, Stefan you have to make a detour. Make a left turn 3 km from your position." Professor Iris said. "Got it!" Felix and Stefan replied at once. Then their motorbikes engines rev up creating a loud engine noise. "Professor Iris, there is an armed SUV coming that street." One of Professor Iris''s team members said. Professor Iris looked at the girl who speaks. "Who is near the location?" The girl typed in her keyboard in a speed of light then said. "Coyote''s Team." Coyote''s Team is one of the men of the Robin Hood Society that were sent to protect J by sweeping the road and streets around the main road that J''s convoy is taking. Surprise attacks should be dealt with by Jacob''s men from the Twelve Army. They should be the ones that are closer to J''s location. "Coyote, take down an armed SUV in Almond street." Professor Iris gave the details of the specific car so that Coyote can easily identify them. "On our way!" A man on a motorbike looked at another two men behind him each riding a motorbike as well. Then he cocked his head to signal them. Their motorbikes engine rev up and left smokes behind to go to the direction Professor Iris said. After seconds, they found the armed SUV. It is just parked on the side street waiting for the convoy where J is. "Make it fast. Miss J''s convoy is arriving in a couple of minutes." Professor Iris said. "No worries," Coyote replied. Three black motorbikes came beside that armed SUV. Their faces were hidden by a black helmet. One of them knocks on the window of the armed SUV. Four men inside looked at each other before one of them opened it and glared at the intruder. To their surprise, the man in the motorbike threw something inside the SUV and a cloud of smoke filled the SUV. "Shit!" One of the men inside the SUV cursed and covered his mouth and nose. But it was already too late because he had already inhaled the smoke. One of them tried to open the door of the car and escape but another man in a motorbike prevented him to do so by slamming the door back to close. In seconds, the four men inside the SUV were down looking dead. The smoke that they inhaled was composed of chemicals that can make the victim fall asleep for hours and when they wake up they will have a temporary loss of memory. One of the men in the motorbike put on a gas mask and take over the SUV. He will be taking them to the Twelve Army headquarters. As per Jacob''s order, if they capture any of them alive, send them back to the Twelve Army headquarters. He is not going to let them escape. Coyote and the other man were left in Almond Street to sweep the area. "All clear in my position." They all heard the voice of the man named Coyote. Just in time because Felix and Stefan already turned to that street followed by Arthur''s car and Jacob''s SUV. J looked at Jacob who looks calm while driving. It looks like he planned this day well. She looked up and the drones were still there obviously ready to deal with snipers. They have eyes in the sky, so nothing could go wrong. But they cannot underestimate the Bloodroot Clan. "Professor Iris, someone is trying to mess up with our communication system." "Hmm...looks like this Bloodroot Clan is not as dumb as I thought." Professor Iris smiled viciously then looked at the direction of President Martin and Madam Victoria who were sitting at the back watching as their precious daughter is being chased down by a terrorist group. President Martin nods his head at her. Then Professor Iris looked at the direction of the young-looking man with a blonde messy hair wearing a loose white shirt and thick eyeglasses. "Sam!" The Robin Hood Society didn''t try to mess up with the communication system of the Bloodroot Clan but since they tried to mess up with theirs, it is time for them to face their true capability. Sam turned his head at Professor Iris lazily and nodded his head. "Mm.." Then he worked on his keyboard. "Just what are they up to." Daniel heard Arthur mumbled to himself. Daniel had already predicted that the Bloodroot Clan will soon realize that there is someone tipping them off of their locations and movements. And when they did, they will try and take them down. But Daniel also knows about the capabilities of the Society''s computer experts. "Do you wish to be behind your computer and not here?" He heard Arthur asked him and he just replied, "No." Chapter 606 - Compromised It has already been 30 minutes, so far no one from her convoy has been hurt. J wonders if there were already casualties on their side. On impulse, she talked to Professor Iris. "Professor Iris, what''s the situation?" She asked making Jacob looked at her with a frown. She just shrugs her shoulders and raised an eyebrow at him. Professor Iris was taken aback when she heard J. In fact since everyone could hear them, they were all taken aback. "Uhm..." Professor Iris didn''t know what she really wants to know so she started. "Your convoy remains intact and unscathed and is being well guarded, the snipers on your way are being taken cared of by the drones, the road you are about to take was already swept by our team, there were surprised attacks but the Twelve Army had dealt with them smoothly, there were anonymous group that was obviously sent by Alex Ogden that is blocking some attacks, the Bloodroot Clan is trying to mess up with our communication but Sam is already taking care of that." "I am not talking about that," J said intimidatingly which made Professor Iris confused because she really doesn''t have an idea what the heiress wanted to know. "Ah..." "Honey, you are interrupting them." Jacob butt in but he received a glare from them. "Do we have any casualties?" J asked. "Oh...uhm..." Professor Iris didn''t expect the heiress to ask that question in the middle of the mission. She expected that question at the end of it. "We have three men injured. But that was just minor injuries and is being taken cared of." J sighed. "Okay." "You are unbelievable." Jacob shook his head but J ignored him. Jacob knows what J is thinking. She is still worried that someone might die. He remembers that time when her patient died in the OR table, she cried the whole time and keeps on blaming herself even thou it is not really her fault. Since then, he realized that J has the tendency to take responsibility in every life that she had touched and whatever happens to them, she would blame herself for not doing something or for doing something. Sometimes she can be too insensitive and too sensitive. "The police have already been alarmed." Someone in the control room said. Since there were gunshots from the drone and snipers, concerned citizens reported it to the police. President Martin ordered them that as much as possible no one will use a gun in the streets to avoid civilian casualties. "Inform General Sato." Professor Iris was quick to make a decision. Someone in the room immediately contacted Police Major General Sato. After a while. "General Sato already reassured us that he will take care of his men." "Good." Professor Iris replied then she started to speak to their communication device. "Listen, everyone, the police have already been alerted but General Sato has taken cared of it. Don''t be surprised to see police cars around you, they are from members of the Society and will only deal with the Bloodroot Clan." Everyone heard her and someone from the Twelve Army even exclaimed. "Wow! It is so great to work with these people!" .... In the Paz ancestral home, the man from the Bloodroot Clan is already fuming in anger. "The police were already in the picture and is obviously targetting us! How is this possible?" He said in gritted teeth. Senator Rizza is nonchalant. "Did you get near her already." She obviously doesn''t care if the men from Bloodroot Clan will get caught by the police as long as she gets her hand on the heiress. "How could we do it?! Someone is attacking us even before we could attack. Our snipers were made useless, Jacob''s men seemed to be invincible. And the Robin Hood Society is messing up with our communication." The man sounds like they were treated unfairly. Senator Rizza just looked at the enraged man in front of her indifferently. "I said...I don''t care how you do it. Just get the heiress and bring her to me!" She almost shouted at the man. "But the Bloodroot Clan might be compromised!" The man retorted back. The Senator smiled with smugness. "Do you prefer it that I personally deliver you and the other leaders to the authority?" The man was taken aback. He would rather it be their men to be compromised than the leaders and higher-ups. He realized that it is not wise to go against the words of this Senator. She is too cunning. He took out his phone and made a call. "Bring out more men." He said to the other line. He would rather lose men that lose their whole clan. It is easy to recruit new members after all. Chapter 607 - The Daredevil Soon, the Bloodroot Clan sent more cars and motorbikes to chase after the heiress making the men from Twelve Army, Robin Hood Society and even Alex''s men busy. Every team, every person even the drones had to deal with every member of the Bloodroot Clan that is trying to get close to J''s convoy. There were gun fires in some areas, cars crashing on each other, physical combat in some streets. Police were dealing with them making the civilians safe as much as possible. They make it look like it was just a gang fight. J''s convoy was now on the highway with fewer cars and no residential or commercial establishments. There is only one town left then they will reach a highway that will lead them to the Twelve Army headquarters. The convoy was only left with Stefan and Felix''s motorbikes, Arthur''s car, Jacob''s SUV and the other SUV behind them. There is one drone that is hovering on top of them that is ready for an attack. Other cars from Twelve Army that is supposed to be guarding the convoy is nowhere to be seen. They were left to deal with other attackers. Suddenly a trailer truck hits the SUV behind them making it lose control and swerve to the other lane. "Oh my God!" J exclaimed in surprise. "Damn!" Jacob cursed silently but his eyes are still fixed on the road. "We are fine. Go! We''ll take care of this bitch!" They heard the voice of a man. It was the one that is in the SUV. Then J noticed that Felix and Stefan slowed down and let Arthur''s car and their SUV past. They positioned themselves on their left and right almost behind them. After five more minutes, there were three cars following behind them. "Haha! I have an inkling that they sent all the members of Bloodroot Clan just to chase after us!" Felix exclaimed in delight. Nothing excites him than extreme dangers. Felix was in fact right, the Bloodroot Clan had already sent hundreds of their members that is located at Lotus City and the nearby province just to chase after them. While Jacob already had 20 men from Twelve Army including Arthur''s team, Professor Iris sent five teams from the Society while God knows how many men did Alex Ogden sent. After a while, they heard gunshots from behind them. "Shit! Seriously?!" They heard Felix cursed. "Chairman Jacob, these three cars were armed and not afraid to shoot." Professor Iris said. She is still monitoring within 15 miles radius from J''s location. So far, they only have to deal with these three cars that are deliberately chasing after them while the others are already being dealt with. "Do you want me to send more men?" Professor Iris asked. "No!" It was J who replied. But Professor Iris was hesitant to oblige. "Chairman Jacob?" She waited for Jacob''s order making J glare at him. Jacob was silent. After a while. "No need. Felix and Stefan will deal with them." Jacob said. He knows that Felix and Stefan can easily deal with those pests that are still persistently following them. "Thanks, Boss!" J heard Felix''s excited voice making her rolled her eyes. He is a daredevil. She thought internally. "Leave them to us. We''ll be right behind you." It was from Stefan. She looked behind them and saw Felix and Stefan turned their motorbikes around. She widened her eyes when she saw the two of them facing a head-on collision with the three cars that are firing guns at them. "What the hell are they doing?!" J screamed. She was not sure if she should be angry, worried or amaze at their valiant actions. "They know what they are doing." Jacob glanced at the rearview mirror before he looked back at the road. "Don''t worry about them." She looked back behind them and saw that Felix is firing his guns at the three cars precisely while the men inside the cars were firing back at him, Felix was swerving his bike and was able to dodge all the bullets. One gun against six. One motorbike against three cars. One man against nine. Felix is a true daredevil. "Wait! Where is Stefan?" J asked no one in particular. She looked up at the sky. "And where the hell is that drone?!" She thought that there was still one drone hovering above them. The drone could help Felix. "The drone has to deal with something ahead of the road." She heard Professor Iris''s voice that seemed to be...calm? She looked back behind to check on Felix''s situation. To her surprise, she saw another motorbike behind those three cars. Was it Stefan? The motorbike inch closer behind that car in the middle. J didn''t know what Stefan did that made the car in the middle to explode after a couple of seconds. Chapter 608 - The Ghost Town J''s mouth was gaped open. The scene behind her seemed like a clip from an action movie. After the car in the middle exploded, the two others explode as well like a domino effect. Fires and a huge cloud of smoke blocked the highway. Stefan and Felix were nowhere to be seen. Her face was filled with worry for her two guards. Damn! If the Robin Hood Society doesn''t have any intent to kill. The Twelve Army won''t hesitate. Luckily the highway is almost empty because there is another diversion highway that most of the cars are using. Thou there were a couple of cars on the other lane but they were not implicated with the gunshots and explosion. Police Major General Sato has a lot of cover-ups to do. J thought. "That was a fine little explosive you got there, Stefan." She heard Professor Iris''s voice that is filled with admiration. "Haha. It took me months to perfect it!" J''s heart was filled with relief when she heard Stefan''s voice followed by Felix''s. "Boss, I guess this man here deserves a raise, he is not just a gun expert now. He is already an explosive expert." Felix praised Stefan indirectly. It seems like when Stefan got bored with guns, he would play with explosives during his spare time. Jacob smiled when he heard them. "I''ll have James inform the HR." They''re alive. Thank God they are alive. J sighed in relief. But Professor Iris''s next words made her worried again. "I guess you cannot go back to your position yet. There are three more cars coming behind you." "Okay! Leave them to us. We''ll just catch up on you guys!" Looks like Felix haven''t had enough of the thrill. "Please be careful." J cannot help herself but remind them. She thought, fortunately, Felix''s wife is not in her position or else, she might have already collapsed. "No worries, Miss J!" Felix said. "See you later," Stefan said before they become small in her vision as they drive away from them to welcome their next victim. "You are nearing the next town. I should warn you that there are surprises laid there for you. So you should be prepared." As if it is not enough, Professor Iris gave J more reasons to get worried. "Honey, what''s with that face of you?" Jacob looked at J and chuckled. J looked at Jacob with narrowed eyes. "How could you be so indifferent? For all we know a missile is already targetting us." Jacob laughed. "Honey, that is impossible. My car is equipped with convoy jammer." Jacob said with a cocked head. J looked at him with confusion. Although he is not looking, Jacob can sense her confusion. "It protects us from RCIED by blocking the signal of the receiver." "Oh...okay." Jacob doesn''t have to explain further. J is not that ignorant when it comes to weaponry because the Robin Hood Society is well equipped with them as well. Even thou Elder Do did not train her to become the leader of the Society, J educates herself well to become one. Her only flaw is her soft heart. Before they enter the town, the drone is back hovering on top of them. She wonders where did it come from as if it has a life on its own. Jacob looked at her with amusement. "Are you starting to get worried about that drone?" "You-" Jacob laughed at her embarrassed expression. The town looks like a ghost town. They were on the part of the town that is less occupied. There were old and new warehouses in that part. The locals of the town mostly live in the other part of the town. The atmosphere seemed off. "Isn''t there supposed to be workers in this part of the town?" For some reason, it looks...empty. Jacob just hummed in response. He didn''t tell it to J but the Twelve Army already informed the Mayor of the town to declare a half-day work for the workers of the town and no one should stray out in this part of the town once their convoy arrived. It was for their safety. That is the first town in Naupaka. And it is being protected by Twelve Army while the whole province is discreetly being protected by the Society although the locals didn''t know that the headquarters of the Society is located in their province. "Three...Five...Eight...Eight cars coming your way." They heard Professor Iris said. J instantly looked at Jacob. In just a couple of seconds, she heard gunshots. And based on its proximity, J could tell that it is coming from the drone above them. She looked around and saw a car behind them lost its control after their tire exploded. "One down. But there are three more. Making it ten." J heard Professor Iris said making her cursed internally. Chapter 609 - Get Things Over Bullets were fired deliberately in their cars, fortunately, their cars were bulletproofed. Although at first, she thought that Jacob''s overprotectiveness is too ridiculous, at this moment she can''t help but be thankful for it. She bends down her head and covers it as if she will be hit by a bullet that is why she cannot see where the bullets are coming from. Despite the gunshots, the two cars continued to drive their way out of there. "Hold on a little." J didn''t understand what Professor Iris meant until the sounds of gunshots increased. She realized that someone is firing back. Or rather, something is firing back. J peeked and found out that there were four more drones around them taking down the snipers on the top of the warehouse. "There are a lot of snipers around. The drones will take care of them. Arthur and Daniel I may have to ask you to take care of a couple of cars that are on their way to attack. Other teams that are left behind are on its way." Professor Iris gave instructions making J envisioned their situation. They are alone. Great! Inside Arthur''s car. "What are you doing?" Arthur asked Daniel who is taking out an RPG-7 from the backseat. "Getting this over with," Daniel replied impassively. Arthur looked at him amusedly. "You are overestimating them." He said nonchalantly. The RPG-7 is a portable, reusable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Arthur thought that they didn''t need a missile launcher to take down their attackers. But Daniel just looked at him with a bored expression. "I''m missing my daughter," Daniel said making Arthur slack-jawed. Ever since Senator Rizza threatened to kill their heiress, Daniel rarely goes home to see his baby girl. "Ambush on the intersection." They heard Professor Iris said. Arthur smirked then look at Daniel. "Please guide, Miss J out of here," Arthur replied to Professor Iris. Indicating that they will stay in the area to eliminate some pest. "Chairman Jacob, you are on your own now but two drones will accompany you." Professor Iris said. "Okay. Guide us out of here." Professor Iris instructed one of her people to find a route that doesn''t have members of Bloodroot Clan waiting for them. "The twins will guide you." Jacob didn''t reply and just look at J. "You trust me, right?" J nodded her head understanding the situation. "I trust you." "Good." Jacob smiled faintly then squeezed her hand. "In 300 meters, take that alley in the right." They heard a voice which is not from Professor Iris. J knows who the twin Professor Iris is talking about. It was Cleo and Claude. But based on the voice that they heard, it was probably Cleo. Before they turned to that alley, J glanced at Arthur and Daniel''s car that they will be leaving behind. She had seen how extremely capable and ruthless Felix and Stefan is. More or less, she already has an idea of how Arthur and Daniel are going to deal with their opponent. Jacob will not trust them for nothing. Arthur stopped the car at the center of the intersection. "Two cars coming from your left, two from you right and an...armored truck?" Professor Iris didn''t actually know how to describe the kind of armored vehicle that she is seeing in the monitor. It was like a customized or modified old army Vehicle. Arthur and Daniel looked at each other. "Got it!" Arthur replied. "Okay, let''s get this over with," Arthur said impassively. The two of them step out of the car. They wear an all-black rugged attire with their shades on looking like an action star. Daniel with his RPG on his hand while Arthur with two Glock 34 on both of his hands. They stood on both sides of the car and waited for their prey. In just a minute, Arthur saw a car and SUV coming his way. He didn''t have to guess because he knows that as of the moment, there should be no civilian cars in the area. Arthur raised both his hands with a gun in each and narrowed his eyes at the target. He is targeting the drivers of the cars at the same time. The men in the vehicle were surprised to see a man standing in their way. Their surprise eventually replaced by a mocking laugh. "Is this man tired of living?" One of them commented. Since their communication is unstable, thanks to Sam, they cannot find the heiress''s exact location and at the same time, they cannot tell who is waiting for them in each road they take. Their laughter eventually came into a halt when both their drivers were taken down by a single bullet each at the same time. They looked at them and find a hole in its forehead. "Shit!" Their vehicles lose control and swerve before it collides on each other. Chapter 610 - Armored Vehicle Vs. Arthur and Daniel While on Daniel''s side, he saw two SUV coming their way. As of now, he is too lazy to deal with them. So, without giving the men from the vehicles any chance to resist he shot PG-7VL ammunition from his RPG in their direction. In the blink of an eye, the ordinary SUV''s were on fire. Arthur looked behind him and shook his head. This man wouldn''t spare a second. He thought. He looked back at the cars in front of him that is trying to get back on road. The men inside them started to fire back at him but his eyes and fingers were much faster than them. While walking towards the two moving cars, he is dodging bullets from it while shooting his guns at them. He only needed five bullets to take down all the men inside the vehicles. Seeing that the vehicles won''t stop, Arthur walk runs towards the side to avoid the vehicle from crashing him but unfortunately, it directly crashed into their car. Daniel looked at the cars behind him that were just inches away from crashing him then cocked his head at Arthur with a look that says, ''You ruined the car.'' Arthur looked at him and just shrugged his shoulders. Suddenly a sniper shot three times near Daniel''s foot. Arthur raised his gun towards the sniper but before he could take a shot, a drone has already taken down the sniper. "Remind me to treat that drone to a meal later," Daniel said while looking at the drone. They heard a voice coming from their car. "That ''something'' is just 500 meters from your location." It was Professor Iris''s voice. Arthur and Daniel walk in front of their now slightly crushed car. Arthur saw someone move from inside the SUV at the corner of his eyes and without looking, he shot another bullet at the poor man. "You''ve got to be kidding me," Daniel said in a low voice. Arthur cocked his head. "Is that...?" Arthur has seen that kind of armored vehicle before. It was a military light tactical vehicle that is designed specifically to withstand improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and ambushes. It was said to be impenetrable. "Looks like it... but... what the fuck have they done to it?" Daniel cursed at the sight of the vehicle that is coming closer to them. Although they have seen some them that was transformed into a police vehicle or ambulance, they have never seen anything like that that was transformed like that one in front of them. The armored vehicle''s paint was supposed to be tan, but the one in front of them is black. Aside from additional guns, there were also spikes and pipes attached to its body. All that is missing were riders that are topless and have a skull painted on their face and a guitarist hanging like a puppet with its guitar spitting fire then it would look like it literally came from a dystopian action thriller film. Suddenly a gunner on top of it fired at them. Arthur and Daniel run behind their car to shield their body. Their car was supposed to be bulletproof so it was safe for them to hide behind it. "Arthur Brown and Daniel Li." They heard a man speaks on a megaphone coming from that props like vehicle. Of course, the Bloodroot Clan would know about Arthur''s Team since they were top agents. "It was really an honor to meet the two of you but we do not have enough time to ''chat''." Just tell us where your heiress is." The man said. His voice has that irritating tone. Arthur and Daniel squatted down behind their car. They looked at each other not interested in answering the irritating man''s question. Arthur looked at his Glocks. "You''re small firearm won''t work. That vehicle belongs to a category that is protected against small arms, landmines, and IEDs." Daniel said when he noticed Arthur looking at his guns. "Do you think that would work?" Arthur asked then looked at the RPG. "That depends." Then three drones hover on top of them. They looked at each other with the same thoughts in mind. They stared at the drones. Back at the control room at the Robin Hood Society, Troy who is in control of the drones stared back at Arthur and Daniel. He cocked his head then after a couple of seconds he said, "I got it." Then the drones fired at the armored vehicle creating distractions. At that instant, Arthur also shot the gunner on top of the armored vehicle and once the gunner was down, he tried and take down the machine gun on top of it. Daniel runs towards the rear end of the SUV that crashed their car and hid his body. Holding his RPG that is loaded with PG-7VL HEAT he successfully targetted the rear end of the armored vehicle which is the part that is bare of armor. It caused an explosion that made the armored vehicle tilt on the side. Chapter 611 - Gorgeous Demon Thou the explosion is not enough to destroy the armored vehicle, it was enough to topple it and cause chaos inside. Arthur and Daniel walk towards it and saw someone struggling to get out of it. As soon as the man was able to get out of it, Arthur didn''t give him a chance and shot him dead. Someone from the inside of the armored vehicle fires at them randomly while getting out of it. Daniel was the first one to get close to the vehicle and shot the man up close in the head. While doing so, one man managed to get out of god knows where and run for his life. But the drone or rather Troy''s fingers were faster than the man''s feet. The drone shot him multiple times. Arthur cautiously checked inside the armored vehicle and found the driver is trapped inside. His feet were wedged in between metals. Seeing Arthur and Daniel pointing a gun at him, the driver cowered in fear. "P-please...spare me. Y-you can have the vehicle." He pleaded for his life looking at the two men like they were demons that emerged from hell. A gorgeous looking demon at that. Daniel scoffed. "We are not as shameless as you." "Twelve Army doesn''t need this kind of piece of junk." After saying that, Arthur shots the man on the head. After finishing their deeds, they both walked back to their car. Luckily, the engine is not damaged even if the other side of it looks like a crushed tin can. "That was supposed to be invincible," Daniel commented while looking at the armored vehicle. "I thought so too," Arthur replied with the same disappointment in his tone. Thou the vehicle was, in reality, invincible, Arthur thinks that the military left the vehicle in the war zone seeing that it is not useful anymore. While the Bloodroot Clan came to pick up the junk and modified it. The Bloodroot Clan has the habit of scavenging in post-war zones to find anything that might still be beneficial to them. "Where is Miss J?" Professor Iris who was watching via satellite the show of ruthlessness from Arthur and Daniel was not surprised to hear Arthur''s voice. "Birch Alley, I''ll give you directions. They are being chased by three cars and three more on its way." Professor Iris replied. "How is she?" Arthur didn''t hesitate to ask about her state. "She''s fine. Chairman Jacob is firing back." Firing back? Arthur and Daniel looked at each other. That means they are getting shoot at. With that, Arthur drives at their location at the speed of light. Meanwhile, inside Jacob''s SUV. He is driving with his right hand while the other hand is firing at the cars in front of them that is trying to block their way and corner them. Three drones hovering above them were shooting at the cars behind them. "Jacob, you cannot shoot accurately while driving," J said although she knows that it is not true. Jacob had already made a headshot five times while driving. "What are you trying to imply?" Jacob asked although his hands are busy, he still managed to look at his wife. "Let me drive," J said without batting an eyelid. "Haha. Nice try." Jacob mocks her then slightly moves his head in the open window as he is targetting the driver of the car in front of him but he cannot see them. "Can you please not put out your head just like that!" J screamed as she pulls Jacob''s head inside the car afraid that a stray bullet would hit him. "Honey, please," J said which surprised Jacob. "Seriously?! You decided to call me Honey for the first time, finally while we are in a car chase?!" Jacob chuckled in amusement. He wonders, what else she would do to make him let her drive. J frowned. "Come on! Your the better shooter, I''m the better driver. What do you think?" Jacob had already closed the window of the SUV while still driving. He looked at his wife in disbelief. "No." Came his firm reply. But J is stubborn. She leaned down and pushed something under Jacob''s chair making his seat move slightly away from the steering wheel. J managed to make space between Jacob and the wheel. In just a blink of an eye, she is already sitting in Jacob''s lap and was able to steal the wheel from him. "Damn! What are you doing?!" Jacob was enraged. "Driving," J replied nonchalantly. "Now move." She said in an intimidating tone. Jacob moved to the passenger''s seat reluctantly. He scowled at J and said, "Just so you know, you''ll get punished for this." J feared him but refused to think about the punishment. She wants to get out of there as soon as possible. If she made it out there alive, she would willingly accept his punishment. Chapter 612 - Car Chase J pushed a button in their communication device that is directly connected to Cleo. "Cleo, find me the fastest route to the Twelve Army headquarters." Cleo was surprised to hear her voice. It didn''t take long for her to realize that their heiress is driving. "Yes, Miss J." She replied. J continued to drive faster than Jacob did. "Honey, remember we are not in a speedway." J nodded her head. "I''ll remember that we are in a car chase, Honey." Then she cocked her head at him and smiled at him sweetly. Jacob was mesmerized by her dazzling smile. He almost forgot that there were cars chasing after them. If it wasn''t for the gunshot that they heard. The bullet hits the rear end of his SUV, fortunately, it is bulletproofed. "Okay, I''ll trust you with the wheels." He sighed then reached out at the backseat of his SUV. He opened a hidden compartment and pull out a portable gun safe that he carries all the time. J didn''t know it, it was the first time that she saw that gun safe because it was always been hidden. Jacob opened the safe and choose from a couple of guns that are stored in there. J glanced at the gun safe and recognized some pistols. She was also surprised to see shotgun that is not yet assembled. "Do you always carry that with you?" She asked. Her voice is filled with amusement. "Yes. Why?" Jacob replied like nothing is unusual. "Oh. Nothing." She said then continued focusing her gaze on the road. Jacob picks up a Glock and loaded it with bullets. He opened the window and brought forth out almost half of his body and aimed at the cars that are few meters away from them. In just a couple of seconds, he fired a bullet and J heard a tire explosion. The other cars were also firing at them so Jacob had to pull his body back inside the SUV again before he finds a chance to fire back at them again. When he did, he specifically targetted the heads of the driver and soon two cars behind them collided in each other. "Take a left turn in an alley 100 meters ahead." They heard the voice of Cleo. When J heard it, she speeds up and as soon as they reached the alley she immediately takes a left turn. It was a small alley that can fit only one car. "Enter that parking building on your right!" It was almost a late notice but J still managed to make a right turn. The ramp is spiral and steep but it only takes two levels. "There are Bloodroot Clans surrounding the area so you can be safe there for a while. But do not stop. I''ll find an open way out." Cleo said. The car is already on level two of the parking building and she keeps on driving. "Two snipers on the left across the building. I don''t think that they have already noticed you." Cleo said. But Jacob won''t take a risk. As soon as he spotted the snipers, he surprised them by a bullet in their head. J''s eyes widened. "Jacob they didn''t spot us and I can outrun them. They''ll never get the chance to fire at us if ever they see us. Why do you have to shot them dead?!" "Honey, I won''t take a risk. What if I kept them alive then they caused a problem in the future. I''ll regret not killing them." Jacob said while he was rolling up the window. "You''re unbelievable!" J said while giving Jacob quick glances. "Miss J, take the south exit then go left. There is a rider on that road but Troy''s drone will take care of it." They heard Cleo again. She is quite impressive in doing her job. "Okay, thank you." When they got out of the parking building they indeed find a rider but it has been taken down by the drone. J wonders if the rider is still alive. But she doesn''t think that the drone would care about it. "Miss, if you could speed up more, there were three to five cars approaching that road. If you could make it to an open warehouse 300 meters from you, you could escape them." "Okay," J replied. As soon as J enters the warehouse five cars appeared out of nowhere in that road. Fortunately, they were not spotted. "Uh...Cleo. This warehouse doesn''t have an exit." J slowed down when she noticed that although the warehouse is empty and there were no obstacles in the way the three exit doors were all closed. "Uhm..." Cleo seemed to be speechless. "Miss, you can just hit the doors?" Cleo said thou she was uncertain about her suggestion. "What?!" Chapter 613 - Crashing Everything "Honey, what''s wrong with crashing the doors?" Jacob asked while glancing behind them with there were cars catching up on them. "Jacob! This is private property! I cannot just crash through the doors." Jacob''s head snapped at her in bewilderment. "Honey, are you expecting that there won''t be any damages after this?" "Well, at least we could try." "Honey, that''s impossible! We are in a car chase and there were shooting and explosions!" Jacob can''t believe that his wife still thinks of other people''s property instead of running for her life. Then there were gunshots. "Shit! They are here! Drive!" Jacob ordered her and fires at the cars behind them. J was startled and hesitantly drives the car towards one of the close doors. "Once you get out of there, turn left then right," Cleo said relieved that her heiress would take her suggestion. She just hopes that the heiress won''t get back at her after that. J closed her eyes as the SUV hits the closed door that could fit a trailer truck. Fortunately, it was an old warehouse and the door was made of old wood. The old wood was shattered into pieces and J screamed as soon as the hit takes place. Thou her eyes were closed, right after she hits the old wood door, she maneuvers the SUV to the left. She just opened her eyes when she had to take the right turn. The cars behind them keep on shooting at them. Although the SUV is bulletproofed Jacob had to get rid of them because if he didn''t they will keep on pestering them. So Jacob has to fire back. "I am not going to crash an old wood door ever again!" J shouts as she continues to drive like she is in a race. After that hit, her adrenaline seems to have risen. "Don''t hesitate to hit anything on the way, sweetheart. I will compensate for it all." Jacob said then he winks at her before he shoots back at their perpetrator. "Damn it!" J becomes more aggressive in driving in the streets. Cleo guided her in the ins and outs of the streets. She crashes some trash cans and some stalls on the sidewalk because there were streets that were just too small for an SUV to pass by. They were on a small passage when their way was blocked by a car. J has to stop the car and hesitated if she should hit the car in front or drive backward. But then, there''s another car behind them. Obviously, the passage is too small to turn around and there is no way out. "Honey, don''t hesitate," Jacob said then he shot the driver of the car that is behind them. "Damn it, Cleo," J mumbled in her breath careful that Cleo might hear her cursing her. Cleo was supposed to guide her out of town and as much as possible keeps her away from their perpetrator but here they are, in between cars that are ready to smash them. Her adrenaline is still high, J rev up the engine of the SUV. Her face is filled with anger and this time, with determination to hit the car in front of them. But before she could step on the gas and drive at full speed, she heard Cleo speak. "Someone will take care of them, Miss J." Her voice was calmer than before. Suddenly a car with a huge dent on the side hits the side of the car in front of them so hard that the car flew out of their way. Although there is a huge dent, the car looks familiar to her. The windows rolled down and Arthur and Daniel showed their face with a smirk. Behind them came Felix and Stefan. J sighed in relief. "It takes them too long then they will just appear to show off." Jacob scoffed. "Miss J, are you okay?" They heard Felix''s voice. And J can''t help but smile. "Yes, I''m fine. Your Boss takes good care of me." J said then she looks at Jacob that is sulking on her side. It seems that his wife worries too much about her bodyguards. "But, you''ll still need us right?" Felix asked worried that their Boss would fire them because he won''t need them anymore. Although Jacob can protect J by himself, he still needs the help of Arthur''s Team because he can not stay by J''s side 24 hours a day even if he wants it so. He has the Twelve Army and CLP Group of Hospitals to take care too. But his priority will always be his wife. J laughed. "Yeah. I guess so. By the way, is everyone okay?" "Yes, Miss. Those Bloodroot Clan cannot easily harm us!" "Cut the crap! Let''s go!" Jacob interrupts them. "Yes, Boss!" They all replied at once. Chapter 614 - Safe "Everyone is in town." They heard Professor Iris said. "Okay, let''s get out of here," Jacob said to everyone through their communicating device. Since everyone is in town, it would be easier for them to get out of there because of his men from Twelve Army and the Robin Hood Society, their perpetrators won''t have a chance to get near his wife. "We''ll take the lead. Stefan and Felix, stay behind." Arthur said then he looked up to find that there were two drones hovering above them. They were just a few kilometers away from the Twelve Army headquarters. The other teams and agents will continue sweeping the town and eliminate unnecessary pests around. Soon with no hindrance on the way much to J''s relief, they reached a highway that would lead them directly to the Twelve Army headquarters. "Chairman Jacob, the town has been cleared." Professor Iris reported which everyone heard. They all cheered. "Jacob smiled and looked at J who is still driving. "Good job everyone. I''ll see you all at the headquarters." "What about the captives?" Professor Iris asked. "My men will take them." There was silence after Jacob said that. Obviously, Professor Iris is not used by the way Jacob handles things. The Parkers have their own way of punishing their perpetrator especially those who go against their family. And since it was Jacob''s wife that they tried to capture and kill, Jacob will show no mercy. He was even thinking of another way to torture their captives. It was different in how the Robin Hood Society sees things. They believe in giving chances, but if it was a life that was taken or was almost takes especially that it is their heiress, President Martin has his own way of dealing with their offender. He has a restricted place in Naupaka Mountain that only him, the council, Leo, Peter, and Simon know off. Not even Madam Victoria knows about it. It is where they punish those that killed or tried to kill a brother or a sister unbeknownst to other members of the Society. They finally reached the perimeter of the Twelve Army headquarters. J could now see its tall gate. When the guards of the gate saw the approaching convoy, they eventually opened the gate knowing that it is the convoy that they have been waiting for. They were already notified by Professor Iris five minutes ago. As soon as they enter the gate, J knows that she is finally safe. Everyone is safe. The car in front of her stopped in front of the main building, so J stopped as well. She sighed, "We made it." Jacob stepped out of the SUV and walked around to help J out of it. As soon as J stepped out of the SUV, she felt muscular arms engulfed her body. She immediately felt the warmth of Jacob''s body. She could feel his fear of almost losing her. She sensed the presence of Arthur''s Team near them so J hesitantly pulled away from Jacob''s embrace. "Are you guys, okay?" She asked with knitted brow while scanning each of them. "Silly," Arthur said amused at how she ask of their condition first. It was they who were supposed to worry about her and not the other way around. But why does it sounds like she cares about them more than herself? "Not a single scratch. Don''t worry about us, Miss J." Stefan answered with a smile and a cocked head. "How about you? Did you get hurt? If you sustain a single scratch I swear I''m going to kill the first Bloodroot Clan member that I am going to see!" Felix is daring enough to ask the questions that the others are cautious to ask in front of their Boss. Yet they were thankful for Felix''s bravery to ask the question that they are meaning to ask. They were not just J''s bodyguards, they were her friends that genuinely care about her. J smiled. "I''m fine. Thank you for your risking your life to protect me." J is not oblivious to the fact that if it wasn''t for these people and for Jacob of course, she would''ve been dead by now. She is starting to get emotional due to physical and emotional fatigue. But she doesn''t want to show it in front of them. Fortunately, Jacob cleared his throat behind her. She looked up behind her and saw the grumpy look on her husband''s face. Obviously, Jacob doesn''t like the fact that Arthur''s Team got the attention that was supposed to be his and his only. "Arthur, take her to my office and keep an eye on her," Arthur ordered his men. J reached out for his hand. Worried flushed in her face. "Where are you going?" She asked. Jacob saw the worry in her beautiful face and his heart eventually melted. He cupped her face with both his palm and kissed her forehead. Chapter 615 - Tell Him If You Want As if on instinct, J closed her eyes to feel the warmth of Jacob''s lips pressed on her forehead. His breath sends calmness in her unsettling heart. "I''ll just be meeting everyone. Take some rest, I''ll be with you in a while." Jacob''s gentle voice gives her reassurance. "Can''t I go with you?" She asked which Jacob immediately declined. "I have to thank them." J insisted. "I''ll thank them for you." But Jacob was adamant. "Shouldn''t be I thanking them personally?" Yet, J has always been stubborn. "They''ll understand if you cannot thank them personally. You can thank them for some other time. For now, you should take a rest." But Jacob has always been patient with her. "What if someone is injured?" She asked and her face contorted when she thought of what if someone died in order to protect her. "They''ll be sent immediately at the clinic. And don''t worry, as I''ve said before, no one will die on our side. Now be good." Jacob reached out to pat her head. J wanted to say something, her mouth opens then closed again when she thought of something. She chooses not to voice it out because she knows that Jacob won''t allow her to. So she became an obedient wife. "Okay then. I''ll wait for you." Jacob and Arthur''s Team were flustered and looked at J with suspicion. J turned around then said, "Let''s go." Jacob looks at Arthur and silently conveys a message to keep an eye on his wife because he was sure that she is up to something. As soon as J enters the main building, she looked back at Jacob. When she was sure that he is gone, she turned around and started to walk out of the building. "Where are you going?" Arthur blocked her way. J looked at him intimidatingly. "I''m going to the clinic. You can tell Jacob if you want." J evaded him and walked towards the direction of another building where the clinic is. She doesn''t have to guess if there were casualties. Professor Iris already told her earlier that there were. She just wanted to visit them and make sure that they are fine. The four men followed her. "But, Miss J-" Stefan attempted to stop her but Arthur intercepted him. Arthur knew that she won''t be at ease until she sees it for herself that there were not many casualties and most of them were minor injuries. "Damn! You''ll have to answer for Boss''s wrath once he found out that Miss J is not in his office." Stefan said although he is not angry at Arthur because he understands J''s thoughts as well, he was just more concern about Jacob''s reaction. Inside the clinic. J looked around and noticed although it looked like an Emergency Room, the situation is not in the mayhem, unlike the usual Emergency Room. Although the beds are full of patients, nurses and doctors walk around, there were spots of blood on the floor, bloodstains on the beds, the situation seemed to be...peaceful? Maybe because the medical staff there were used to this kind of situation and these patients have high pain tolerance that they do not bother themselves if they are injured and in pain. Their endurance is quite commendable, J thought. Their intensive training in the Twelve Army must have made them. J walked around with Arthur''s Team quietly following her, sure enough, she found men with gunshot wounds thou mostly in the arm or some parts of the body that is not fatal. Some have bruises in their face and body which J cannot discern if it was from a car crash, it was not impossible since she had seen a tractor ran to the SUV behind them, or their bruises came from having hand-to-hand combat with their enemies. There were some who are unconscious but base on the monitoring machine connected to them, J could tell that they were in a stable condition and was just probably sleeping. There was only one who had a dislocated arm. J wonders how did it happen. No one noticed the presence of their Lady Boss probably because everyone is busy with their own stuff. J continued to roam around until she spotted a young boy. He looks so young that J thought that he is probably just 18 or 19 years old. The young boy has a gunshot wound on his left calf. It''s dressing is already soaked. J looked around to find a nurse to help him dress his wound but everyone is occupied. She noticed that the young boy is trying to tighten the already soaked bandage. The corner of J''s eyes twitched at the sight. She cannot just stand there and do nothing. "Get a new set of dressing kit." Ordered none in particular because she knows that at least one of the men behind them will do it. Chapter 616 - An Oath to Protect Stefan takes the initiative to get the dressing kit. It did not take long for him to return. J approaches the young boy who doesn''t seem to recognize her. She puts on a surgical mask and gloves before she examines the young boy''s calf that is wrapped with a soaked bandage. The young boy just stared at J with confusion. He is wondering if the beautiful woman in front of him that exceeds an aura of royalty and elegance is a new doctor or nurse in the clinic. He has been in the clinic last week and he never sees this woman before. J carefully removes the soaked bandage from the young boy''s calf. "What''s your name?" She asked in a cold tone not looking at the young boy. The young boy was in a daze staring at her that he hasn''t heard her until someone cleared their throat. The young boy was startled to see Arthur''s team behind the woman in front of him. He did notice them before but it was only now that he recognizes them. His eyes widened in realization. If Arthur''s Team is here, then...could this bewitching woman in front of him is...? The man was flustered that he was caught tongue-tied. "M-miss..." The young boy stuttered. This time, J had already removed the bandage from the young boy''s calf. She raised her head to look at the young boy. Felix laughed. "Your name is Miss?" Felix teased the young boy knowing that he is superior over him. The four men noticed that the young boy is still staring at their heiress. "You better keep that eyes of yours away from her," Daniel said in a tone as cold as his face. "Tsk! Are you tired of living? If the boss finds out that you are staring at his wife like that, he''ll deliver you in the 3rd level basement chambers without a second thought." Felix added with an evil grin. Of course, he was just scaring the young boy but who knows if Jacob would actually do it. "I-I..." The young boy felt a knot formed in his throat. "Miss J is asking for your name," Stefan remarked with impatience. This young boy in front of them is acting like he is not an agent of the Twelve Army. He wonders how did he manage to be one of the teams to protect their heiress. What they didn''t know is that the young boy is a member of the Robin Hood Society that voluntarily sends himself to train under the Twelve Army for the sole purpose of protecting the heiress of the Society. Although he hasn''t seen the heiress before, he has heard of the threats in her life. The young boy owed his life to the Society and he promised that he would repay them by protecting the heiress. That''s why when he finished the training last month with flying colors and found an opportunity to protect the heiress, he bravely volunteered to Jacob himself. Jacob was reluctant at first seeing that the young boy doesn''t have much experience as an agent of Twelve Army, but seeing the dedication and determination in the young boy''s eyes. He eventually agrees. But of course, he made a background check of the young boy first. That''s how he found out that he used to be a con man that the Society adopts and that the young boy swears to protect the life of the heiress which is his wife. On the battlefield, the young boy was ruthless and a daredevil but in front of the heiress, the young boy seemed to have lost all courage and ruthlessness. J looked at the men behind her. "Take a few steps backward. You are scaring him." J said not wanting to sound intimidating. She saw the reluctance in their face so she added. "Do you think something will happen to me here?" This time, she did sound intimidating. The four men looked at each other. Right, they are inside the Twelve Army headquarters and is being surrounded by agents from Twelve Army, although most of them are injured no one should underestimate them. The four men take a step backward reluctantly giving J enough space to move around. "My name is Will, Miss J. It is an honor to meet you." The young boy although in bed bowed his head with reverence. It made J uncomfortable so she averted her gaze from the young boy. J examined the gunshot wound on the young boy''s calf while pressing it to stop the bleeding. "On a scale of ten, how would you describe the pain?" She asked while keeping gauze sponges in the young boy''s wound with her gloved hands. "Uh...three?" The young boy replied which made J''s eyebrows raise. The young boy suffered from gunshot wound yet he said that he is just having mild to moderate pain. She examined the young boy''s face to see any signs of pain, and surely, he has none. This young boy''s pain tolerance is commendable. In fact, every person''s pain tolerance inside that room is impressive. J thought internally. Chapter 617 - Bleed to Death "Has a surgeon examined you already?" J asked. "Uh...Y-yes." The young boy stuttered. J frowned. When she first saw the young boy, all she saw in his face is total calmness despite his bleeding calf. Now all the calmness in his face was gone and all she could see is panic. Does she intimidate the young boy? She sighed internally. "Then why is the bullet still there?" She inquired again wondering why hasn''t the surgeon removed the bullet and stitched his wound yet. "And please stop stuttering," J added before the young boy could reply. She wanted to say ''It irritates me'' but decided not to. She heard Felix chuckled so she shot him an icy glare. Felix immediately shuts his mouth. "The doctor says that my wound is not fatal so it shouldn''t be a priority yet." The young boy said after mustering all the courage to not stutter. In an emergency situation where there are a large number of patients or casualties, the medical staff identifies the degree of urgency of wound or illness before they decide who to treat first. J raised a brow because, in the case of the young boy, he should be treated urgently because he could literally bleed to death. "You are bleeding profusely and it could lead to shock and later on death. How could the surgeon say that it is not life-threatening? Who is that surgeon?" Based on J''s tone, any moment she could cause chaos in the clinic so Arthur stepped in. "Miss, I''ll call a surgeon," Arthur said to calm her down. "It was not bleeding before. I am a bit careless and frolic that''s why it must''ve bled." The young boy quickly said upon seeing the anger in J''s face. But the young boy somehow felt touched because it seems the heiress is concern about his well being. Thou she is aloof and intimidating, he can''t help but still admire her. J finally realized that the boy''s painless reaction earlier is probably not just because of his high tolerance but because he doesn''t feel any more pain due to blood loss. "Then why didn''t you tell it and called out for help immediately?" J asked with a frown. She can''t believe how stubborn this young boy is. Even if he has undergone intense training and his endurance and tolerance have been tested in the point that they should not fear death, he should still care for his life. She just can''t understand the logic. "What are you doing?" A voice of a man echoed in the room and J knew that the man is angry. It was followed by a unison greeting from everyone that is inside that room. "Boss!" But Jacob ignored them and his icy stare is fixed on his woman that is touching a young boy''s wound. It was obviously bleeding based on the soaked gauze sponge on her hands. After speaking to his uninjured men, he was supposed to go to the chamber to check on their captives. But instead, he went straight to his office because he was feeling uneasy. He could sense that his stubborn wife is up to something so he has to check out on her. Only to find out that his office is empty. He immediately called Arthur but the man rejected his call instead Arthur sent him a message saying that J is in the clinic. Jacob sighed. He knew that his wife cannot be at ease until she has done something to make her at ease. Jacob''s leg took longer strides to get near J. He was too worried about her to even care about his surroundings. "C-chairman..." A doctor approaches him and was surprised to see their Lady Boss tending to one of their patients with a bleeding wound. "M-Miss..." The doctor was surprised to see her and immediately bowed his head. He didn''t know that their Lady Boss has been there for almost 30 minutes now. What the hell has he been doing to not notice?! He cursed at himself. The doctor had met their Lady Boss once when Jacob sent her in that clinic to be examined after her car accident at Naupaka Racing Circuit and he has never forgotten her face since then. Jacob glared at the doctor, "You didn''t know that your Lady Boss is here?" Jacob''s voice is loud and clear that everyone heard him. When everyone realized that their Lady Boss is in the same room with them, they strained their neck to take a peek. They were wondering what is she doing there? Did they failed in protecting her and she suffered an injury that''s why she is there to be treated? "I-I am sorry Chairman, we were too busy that we failed to notice. It is my fault. I am willing to be sent to the chamber." The doctor immediately admitted his mistake and claim responsibility. Chapter 618 - Tending a wound It has been a rule in the Twelve Army that when one person commits a mistake, he or she will suffer a day or two depending on the severity of their mistake in the 3rd Level Basement Chamber. When it comes to his men, Jacob''s rule and punishment have always been stringent. "Are you lacking in staff here? Why did you let my wife tend to his wound?" When everyone heard that, they realized that their Lady Boss is not injured, in fact, she is nursing another patient. "N-no Chairman. W-we triaged the patients and realized that this patient''s condition is not urgent so we tend to other patients first." The doctor said then he looked at the young boy in the bed. The young boy looked pale than earlier. His face widened when he saw a used bandaged on a tray that is soaked with blood. He eventually realized that the Lady Boss changed the dressing. Then his eyes landed on the young boy''s calf wound that is being pressed by a gauze sponge on their Lady Boss''s palm. "I-it was not bleeding before." The doctor was panic-stricken. "Honey..." Jacob''s head snapped back at his wife. Damn! He cursed internally. His stubborn little wife found another way to lighten his grumpy mood in an instant. The dark clouds around him eventually dissipated. But, why does it felt like she only calls him ''Honey'' when she wants something or she has done something against him? "The boy is bleeding, the bullet needs to be removed immediately so that we can stitch his wound to stop the bleeding," J said to catch Jacob''s attention. She doesn''t understand why is he fretting about the fact that she is tending a patient in the clinic. He would even go to the extent of punishing the doctor for not noticing her presence. Jacob looked at her tenderly before he shifted his gaze on the young boy''s wound. His face immediately becomes stern seeing the seriousness of the young boy''s condition. "Tend to his wound immediately," Jacob said to the doctor. "I can do it! Honey, let me do it. Everyone is busy and I guess they need an extra hand." And there she goes again. Jacob thought internally. J had removed bullets before multiple times under the supervision and approval of Dr. Aaron so she has quite familiarized herself with that procedure. While when it comes to suturing, she could say that she is already an expert being an OR Nurse that does the suturing most of the time. "I''ll do it," Jacob said. "Go and tend to the other patients." Then he gives an order to the doctor. Thou he is confident of his wife''s capabilities, he wouldn''t let her tire herself in doing things that he could do himself. J wanted to object but upon realizing that she had already gone against her husband''s words a couple of times today she decided to be a real obedient wife for once. At least for now. Taking the bullet from the young boy''s calf is a simple procedure. Jacob only needs to dive in and grab it. J helped him clean the area. Once the area is cleaned. Jacob grabs a bullet extractor and prepared to extract the bullet from the young boy''s calf. "Wait! You''re not going to inject him with anesthesia?" J looked at him with a flustered expression. Jacob looked at her with amusement. "Honey, we do not need anesthesia in just a simple bullet removal." He said casually. "What?!" J knew that removing a bullet from a muscle without anesthesia could be extremely painful. "Miss J, we can even remove bullets from our own body without using any tools," Felix noted on the side. "Honey, he had undergone intensive training so I am sure he can endure the pain," Jacob said in a matter of fact tone. "Miss, I can do it." The young boy although paled nodded his head at J to reassure her. And without waiting for her reply, Jacob dug in the young boy''s wound and grabs the bullet from his muscle. "It''s done." In less done an hour, Jacob had pulled out the bullet and placed it in a kidney basin. Out of curiosity, Stefan checked out the bullet to find out what kind of gun it is from. "A 9x19mm Parabellum Caliber. Probably comes from a pistol since I didn''t saw anyone used a submachine gun." Stefan stated. Felix as well takes a look and recognized the bullet as well. "I''ll do the suturing." J is already holding a needle holder with a suture on it and a toothed forceps which means no one can object. "Okay. I''ll just go and check around." Jacob nodded his head then turns to look at Arthur. "Keep her company." He said which is a much better way to say ''keep an eye on her''. At this moment, the young boy felt elated having his Boss and the heiress both taking care of his wound. Chapter 619 - Teasing After they spent more than an hour in the clinic, Jacob brought J into his office at the top of the main building. The moment they stepped into the office, Jacob turned around and looked at her with arms crossed in front of his chest demanding an explanation. J knew that she has to explain although she is not regretful of what she''s done. "Okay, I''m not sorry for what I''ve done, but I am sorry that I disregarded you." Thou her tone is not apologetic, at least it was trying to appease him. "I just wanted to do something to show my gratitude to them and the moment you said that some are in the clinic, I knew that I had to be there to help especially that I know that I can. And I knew that you wouldn''t allow me which I think is so illogical." "And you worrying too much when we are inside your domain is illogical," J added. Jacob just listened to her until she is done. "Okay, so what is logical to you?" He asked with a raised brow. J was taken aback. She didn''t expect him to ask that question. "Uhm..." She tried and think of what to say while Jacob waits for her patiently. "Would you allow me to visit the patients tomorrow?" J asked with uncertainty. Jacob allowed her today because he doesn''t have any choice but she is not sure if he would allow her the next time. "Okay, what else?" Jacob replied with amusement in his face. J was surprised that Jacob allowed her and now he is asking her again which J finds suspicious. "And allow me to help in the clinic while we stay here?" She said with a cocked head. Jacob is trying to hide the small smile that is trying to come out of his lips. He finds her cute and amusing. "Is that all?" "I think so...for now. Are you teasing me?" J become irritated the moment she saw that small smile that Jacob is trying to conceal. Jacob laughed. J frowned. "You are teasing me." Jacob pulls her into a tight embrace. "Knowing how stubborn you are, I know I''ll be seeing you in the clinic if I didn''t allow you. And about earlier, I was more scared than angry because maybe I haven''t moved on to the fact that I almost lost you today, and seeing that you are not in my office it drives me insane." "It drives me insane that I almost forgot we are inside my territory and that no one could ever harm you as long as you are here in my domain." Jacob sighed. "God, you are making me crazy!" J felt Jacob''s arms around her tightened. She could feel his tensed muscle and breathing. "Ah...you''re...squeezing me..." J said in a muffled voice because her face is buried in Jacob''s chest. "Oopss...Sorry." Jacob loosened his embrace but he didn''t let go of her. He kissed the top of her head before he rested his face on the crook of her neck. J felt tingles all over her body when Jacob''s warm breath touched her skin. "Jacob..." "Now it''s back to ''Jacob''?" His voice on her neck sounds disappointed. J smiled because he is acting like a child crying on her shoulder when something has gone wrong. "Honey..." J put it correctly and somehow, the words feel good to her tongue especially when the word is intended for Jacob. "Better..." J could feel Jacob''s lips spread into a smile. "Thank you, for everything," J said, her voice is filled with emotions. "And I love you." It was short but J believes that it was the most appropriate words to describe how she feels right now. Jacob raised her head and look at her. J''s arms were wrapped around his waist loosely and she kept it that way. "I love you more in a countless way." He leaned closer to her face and kissed her on the forehead, her closed eyes, then to the tip of the nose, to both her cheeks then lastly to her lips. It was soft and gentle. "Now, I will allow you to help in the clinic and do whatever you want in here, but Arthur will stay with you if I cannot accompany you. Okay?" Jacob said but he still keeps her in his arms. J nodded her head with a smile. "Good. But..." Jacob poked the tip of her nose. "don''t be stubborn and go to the places that you are not supposed to be. Especially, the basement." J is not oblivious to the existence of the chambers in the basement and Jacob knows that. So, before she could venture down there, he warned her ahead of time. "It is not a place for you to wander around," Jacob added. Maybe one day, he can show it to her but not today. He is not sure if she could stomach stepping in the basement especially now that he had remodeled the chamber based on his preference. Chapter 620 - Their Home "Now let''s get you some rest." Jacob releases her only to grab her hand and pulled her in one corner of his office. "Your driving skills earlier were impressive except the part that you closed your eyes when you crash a door." Jacob mocks her. "Jacob!" J hits his arm then J was flustered when they stop in front of a bookcase. J looked at Jacob with confusion. "What...are we doing?" She asked cocking her head at Jacob. Her eyes widened when the bookcase opened. It turns out that it was a hidden door. "That''s..." J pointed at the bookcase turned door. "A door..." Jacob smirk. "Yes, Honey. We will be staying here for the meantime." At first, J thought that she will be confined in a box type room but when she entered, she was surprised to see a different side of Jacob. It is not just a room, it is like a house. And surprisingly, homier than Evergreen Villa or Jacob''s room at Parkers Mansion. Which is ironic because the room is adjacent to his office. The door behind her closed and J immediately felt like home. It was spacious, a haven of timeless design and distinguished details. It has a separate dining room with an oval white oak dining table surrounded by six beige tufted dining chairs, a small kitchen with granite countertop, and a living room where an L-type off-white sofa is seated at the center with sweeping views of the Naupaka Mountain. Everything is so homey with a flawless combination of white paint, off-white and beige furniture, and wood tile flooring. "I didn''t know you have this kind of space in your office," J stated after admiring the marvelous space in where she is standing. Why does she have that feeling that she wanted to stay here longer? Then she thought of something that made her look at Jacob with a narrowed eye. Jacob didn''t have an adjacent bedroom in his office at CLP Hospital which pleased her. But why does he have one here? What''s the purpose? Jacob ignored the look that J is giving her. "Don''t give me that look, sweetheart. This room was never here before. I had someone to construct this a couple of weeks ago. It is not even finished the last time you were here. This is a secret place and no one knows about its existence except you, me, James and Arthur." "Oh...Is that so?" A smile appeared on her face. "Then why did you had this constructed?" This time, Jacob snap his head at her. He wasn''t sure if his woman is acting dumb or what? "Seriously? Of course, because of you! This is the safest place for you but I realized that there is no place here for us to stay comfortable. So, I had this constructed for you. I even made it feel like you were in Lodgepole Estate." Well, that explains why it is different from Evergreen Villa and Jacob''s room back at Parkers Mansion. It was build while considering her preferences. J was really touched. "Really?" She asked with her eyes sparkling in anticipation for Jacob''s answer although she already knows the answer. Jacob reached out to caress her cheeks."Of course, sweetheart. Everything for my Queen." J''s heart melted from his touch and his words. She smiled at him with an eyebrow slightly lifted. It was subtle that it is almost flirtatious. A smile that makes her look more attractive in anyone''s eyes. "Did you like it?" Jacob asked while suppressing the urge to kissed her while pulling her to the master''s bedroom. "I love it. To the point that I want to stay here forever." J''s happiness was evident in her glistening eyes. Their first home is her apartment which is technically hers. The second one is Evergreen Villa which is Jacob''s while the Parkers Mansion was not theirs in the first place. But this, although it was unconventional to call it home, J sees this place as ''their'' home. And she could already tell that this one is special and closest to her heart. "Well, we can stay here longer but not forever. I am still planning to build a palace for our future family." Jacob said with a complacent smile while his hands are tucked in his pockets. "Now go and get a shower while I prepare for dinner. I already had James bring your things in the master''s bedroom." Jacob said pointing at a door the leads to the master''s bedroom. Right. The master''s bedroom. I have to go and check it. J thought internally before leaving Jacob in the kitchen. And she was not disappointed. The master''s bedroom an embodiment of elegance and comfort. The ambiance is the same as the living room. The combination of a white king-size bed, white paint, and beige furniture. The floor is carpeted that J is tempted to remove her shoes to feel its softness. J enters another door which is the walk-in closet. It is connected to the master bath that features a double rain-shower with a soaking tub that looks out on the city. It is comparable to her bathroom back at Lodgepole Estate. Chapter 621 - Outnumbered The next day, Jacob woke up early to prepare breakfast for J. He looked at his woman cuddled in his arms. One of her arms is wrapped around his waist. Her head rested on his chest. Her face is an inch away from his chest that he could feel her warm breath into his chest despite the white shirt he is wearing. Chapter 622 - The Most Sinister Method They reached the two doors connecting to the big room. Two guards were outside the room and greeted Jacob as soon as they see them. Chapter 623 - The Sentence A guard approached the man and released his chain from the metal bar. The man tried to fight back and struggle as the guard drags him out of the big room but his bulky body is no match to Jacob''s men. Chapter 624 - Last Night J woke up and find the space beside her empty. She looks around to search for Jacob but he was nowhere to be seen. Until her eyes landed on a piece of paper by the bedside table. Chapter 625 - Visiting the Patients J snapped back from her thoughts when she heard her phone rings. She reached out for it that is placed on the bedside table. She looked at the screen and saw that Lance sent her a text message. "We heard what happened yesterday. Are you okay? We are coming over." Chapter 626 - Separate Retaliation J spends more than an hour at the clinic. She helped clean and dressed the wounds of the patients, give them medications and help perform some laboratory and diagnostic tests to them. Chapter 627 - Leave them to the husbands "Sis! I''m glad that you are safe. I never doubted my brother''s overprotectiveness towards you." This time Lily has already stood up and hugged J. Chapter 628 - The Tour Outside the main building just in front of the lobby, a typical looking black limousine is waiting for them. J knew that it was a new one because she heard that the car that she used to ride was damaged yesterday. Chapter 629 - Boring Meetings "Yes, I am having a meeting with the officials and you are coming with me?" Jacob said as they walked out of the factory with hands intertwined. "Ah...Honey. Meetings are boring. Do I really have to come with you?" J said looking at the majestic side profile of her husband while they are walking. Jacob laughed. "Ha-ha. Sweetheart, I know how you feel about attending a meeting but you''ve been attending a meeting at the Robin Hood Society, haven''t you got used to it?" Jacob asked amused. J jutted her lower lip outward. "No. You know that I am only forced to attend those meetings because of my Dad. He hopes that I would someday take over the Society." Jacob suddenly stops in his track and face J. "That''s right. If you plan to take over either the Robin Hood Society or the CLP Group of Hospitals or the Twelve Army, you should get used to attending meetings." He said then pinch the tip of her nose before they continue walking. "I never plan on taking over the Twelve Army," J said without giving it a thought because she never really see herself as the Chairman of the Twelve Army even if Jacob told her that he could hand over the hospitals or the Twelve Army to her if she decided to give the leadership of the Society to him. "I know. I never expected you to. You may seem intimidating on the outside but too soft-hearted on the inside. You are too afraid to crash a door how much more if you are going to crash a living creature." J frowned. "Are you teasing me or are you mocking me?" She said thou she knows that it both meant that he was making fun of her. Jacob laughed out loud. They already stopped in front of a new black armored SUV. "You are just so cute when making fun of." He said then pinch her cheeks which earned him a glare from J. After their late lunch at the cafeteria, the couple went back to the main building. James and Arthur have been waiting for them in the conference room together with the 12 officials of the Twelve Army. The conference room is located on the 3rd floor so they had to take the elevator. J thought that it could be easier to escape that boring meeting and hide in their ''home'' since they were just on the 3rd floor but unfortunately, she is still not familiar with the hallways of the building. She cursed at Jacob internally. Why does the building have to be like a maze inside? After exiting the elevator, they walked the hallway, turned right then left then right again and another right. They passed by several doors that looked the same until they stopped in one of them. Jacob''s hand is holding J''s while he used his free hands to open the doorknob. As soon as they were inside. J saw 12 men sitting in a long oval table stood up at once and greeted them with a salute. Jacob''s appearance with J surprised the 12 officials. They didn''t expect Jacob to bring the Lady Boss with her. The 12 officials can''t help but notice the striking contrast of the two. One is cold and aloof while the other one is laid-back. Nevertheless, the two looked like a match made in heaven. Their looks are comparable to a King and Queen while their demeanor was a perfect fit. One could fill which the other is lacking. J was astounded at the level of reverence that they show at Jacob. She scanned each of the men and she could tell that all of them are older and even way older than them. But the way they respect Jacob is something commendable about them. It just shows that age is not a basis to gain such a level of respect but a person''s capability. J didn''t notice James and Arthur until they approached the long oval table and pulled a chair for them. When J and Jacob were seated, Jacob started to introduce her to the 12 officials. After greeting and introduction, the meeting commenced. But J didn''t give much attention to it. Instead, she looked around and observe the conference room while keeping her ears still open. The theme of the conference room is black and white. The long oval table is black while the chairs were white leather. The lights are reflecting on the floor, walls, and ceiling. It doesn''t have a window, probably to keep the place hidden. And J could also tell that the walls were soundproofed. Overall, it was so minimalistic. Very, Jacob, J thought internally as she glanced at her husband beside her listening to the report of the officials. Chapter 630 - 12 Zodiacs Jacob has already told her about the 12 officials and that each of them uses alias after the 12 Zodiacs. And each leading their own army that are experts in their respective fields. Aries, a man with balding hair, well-trimmed facial hair, and long face. He looks like a dark horse, someone with greater ability than what he shows. He is assigned to a team that strategizes a security protocol for their clients. Taurus who is a clean-shaven man looked like a lone wolf. He is in charge of monitoring the armory. Gemini has long hair that is tied in a bun. J noticed that he is the one that talks and jokes a lot. She has seen him at the factory, no wonder because he is in charge there. Cancer has tanned skin. He is in charge of maritime security services. While Scorpio is in charge of the training facility in Crocus. Leo is a stern-looking man. He looks so dignified just like Chairman John. He is the spokesperson of Twelve Army. Virgo looks like a nerd with his thick glasses. He is in charge of the research facility. Libra and Scorpio are in charge of the training facility. Sagitarrius manages the whole headquarters and the administration. Capricorn looks like a codfish showing fewer emotions. Arthur''s team is under his army. He is working hand in hand with Aquarius with the expansions. And Pisces, the only one who seemed to be a happy camper turns out to be a doctor. He is in charge of the clinic and making sure that all agents are in good shape. "I heard that you finally utilized your newly upgraded chambers." Finally, something caught J''s interest. She looked at Sagitarrius who speaks. "Yeah. It was quite entertaining." Jacob replied with a glint in his eyes. "I find it disturbing." Taurus who likes to be alone commented. "Ha-ha. Don''t you like being alone? Why don''t you spend a night in one of the chambers there?" Gemini jokes around making Taurus glared at him. Thou the chambers are constructed under the basement of the Twelve Army headquarters, it is a separate entity from the Twelve Army. It has its own management and Jacob personally looks after it. "By the way, Miss J. We are glad that you made it safe here at the headquarters yesterday. Don''t worry, you''ll be safe here." Capricorn catches her attention. It was the first time someone initiates a conversation with her ever since she came. "Thank you. I wouldn''t have made it here alive if it wasn''t for the capabilities of your men." She replied politely. Since most of the officials were almost a senior, she speaks softer and less intimidating. Spending time with the elders at Martha''s Home helped her a lot. "We do not deserve such credits. All of us are your husband''s men. He should be the one that you are thanking and not us." Leo the spokesperson said. J cocked her head. "I don''t think that''s right, my husband couldn''t make it alone." J didn''t have to elaborate further. "That''s right, and besides, I don''t accept a simple ''thank you'' from my wife. Actions are better." Jacob said with a mischievous smile. J turned her head to look at Jacob who is grinning at her. She looked at him with narrowed eyes. Why does it sounds like his words have hidden meaning? "Anyway, maybe you have all heard that I and my wife will be staying here for the meantime. So expect her to be messing around in the clinic and the factory. And also, she''ll be using some of the training facilities for her training and that includes the shooting range. So, I expect everyone to be accommodating towards her." Jacob said in a dignified tone. "Aries, I want you to come up with a new security protocol for her," Jacob added. "Will you be needing additional men?" Aries asked. "No need." It was J who replied because she doesn''t think that she would need them anyway inside the Twelve Army Headquarters. Jacob wanted to argue, he was actually planning to get another team to protect her but since she already made a decision, knowing how stubborn she is, he knows that she will not agree. "Okay, you heard her," Jacob said which made the 12 officials surprised. It looks like from now on Jacob is not the sole decision-maker here. "But, if ever she has to go outside which I hope she doesn''t have to. I want two more teams to watch over her. And there is no room for argument, sweetheart." Jacob added not giving J a chance to argue. J glared at him which surprised the 12 officials. No one has dared to glare at their boss. It looks like their boss has really found his match. Chapter 631 - Renewal of Contract "What happened?" There was irritation in the Senator''s voice. "What do you mean?" Alex replied while keeping his head low. He''s been busy reviewing the papers to be signed when Jeric warned him that he failed to stop the Senator from making her way to his office. "Don''t give me that damn shit! You know what I am talking about!" The Senator was angry when she came and Alex''s indifference towards her makes her even angrier. She slammed her hands in the desk, the force was strong that it hurt her palms but she didn''t mind it. But Alex remained unfazed. He slowly raised his head and looked at the fuming Senator without putting down the papers and pen. Gone is the elegant and charming Senator that the public knows. In front of him is a beautiful white witch, that act charming and elegant but behind her mask is a villainous antagonist. "Oh...I get it. You contracted my assassins to kill the heiress of the Robin Hood Society then ordered hundreds of Bloodroot Clan which is Novus Rex''s rival, by the way, to chase after the heiress. Shouldn''t I be the one asking ''what happened''?" Alex said in an icy tone then he put back his attention to the papers that he is reading. "The Bloodroot Clan was an old friend of our family. They were just trying to help me by making the life of that bitch miserable before she dies." Senator Rizza will not admit that she really doesn''t have any plans on contracting assassins to kill the heiress. She was just using that alibi to test who''s side Alex Ogden is. She doesn''t need assassins because she has the Bloodroot Clan, but of course, she will not tell that to Alex Ogden. Her goal to make him her husband is still on her game plan. She has to get on the good side of him no matter what. But that would be impossible. "My men don''t work alongside anyone. How do you think will they be able to assassinate the heiress when there is a bunch of street rats chasing after her?" "But your men were supposed to kill her!" "Yes, to kill her. Not to abduct her for you to kill. Are you trying to make a fool of me?" Alex said casually without raising his head acting like the Senator is just someone that is not worthy of his time. In the original contract, the assassins were supposed to assassinate the heiress. Kidnapping is not in their job description. But Senator Rizza ordered Molly, the group of assassins that she contracted from Alex Ogden, to abduct the heiress so that she could torture her first before she could kill her. Alex found out about that which he thought was good because he doesn''t have any plan to follow the original contract in the first place. At least, he could tell that it was the Senator who broke the contract first. Upon hearing that, the Senator tried to calm down. Although she was wrong and she doesn''t want to admit it, but this man in front of her is Alex Ogden. She has to please him. "Okay, I understand. I''m sorry about that. I just wanted to see that bitch suffer in my hands before I finish her life. She made a huge mistake in stealing my money and now she is trying to ruin my reputation." Alex''s head is still lowered so the Senator didn''t notice his eyes turned murderous. His jaw clenched and unclenched. Alex came to realize that this Senator doesn''t really value her life and sanity. "How about, we reconstruct the contract?" The Senator''s voice suddenly turned sweet. "I know that Jenny Do is now inside the Twelve Army Headquarters. It would be impossible for anyone to target her while she is inside, but I know you can." Alex scoffed, "Didn''t you read the contract?" He thought that being a Senator, she has to be cautious with what she is signing. Is she acting dumb or she didn''t really read the contract carefully. But seeing the confused look in the Senator''s face, it must be the latter. Alex smirk. "Once the contract is broken, there is no chance for renewal. Unless it was my men who failed which never happens before." Alex leaned back to his armchair, rested his elbows in the armrest, and intertwined his fingers in front of him. He is planning to end this unwelcome conversation as soon as possible. "I am a busy person. My men were busy. We are all busy. Don''t waste our time with your petty retributions which you brought to yourself. If I were you, I would start finding a secluded island where the Twelve Army and the Robin Hood Society will not find you because I am pretty sure that as of the moment, there already dozens of eyes watching your every move waiting for an order to strike." Chapter 632 - The wrong person "And I am sure that you know how the Parkers punish their offenders, right? In fact, I''ve heard that they captured some of the Bloodroot Clan members that you sent to chase after the heiress. I am sure that they are having the best accommodation they could ever have." Alex said with his signature evil smirk. Senator Rizza is blinded by power and ambition. This kind of threat will not scare her. Yes, they may have lost members of the Bloodroot Clan making the elders of the Clan furious towards her but who cares. With just a click of her fingers, their whole clan will vanish into thin air. Her family could lose the support of the Bloodroot Clan but she doesn''t give a damn! They needed her family more than she needs them. She still has the military backing her up. And now, it is time to get Novus Rex on her side. Senator Rizza''s eyes become melancholic. "I know. And I am starting to get jittery inside. I cannot sleep and eat properly. I can only be at ease once I know that the heiress is dead. Then I can leave this place and maybe, take your advice and find a secluded island to live peacefully." In other people''s eyes, she looked pitiful. A damsel in distress that would make any man''s heart melt and rush towards her and offer her any help that they could offer. But into Alex''s eyes, she looks disgusting. "So, maybe. You could help me? Please. I need protection. I am willing to pay. I''ll give you anything you want. My family can support the Novus Rex." Her voice is pleading. As if it was real. Alex scoffs internally. Does this girl really think of him as a fool? He knows that she already hired personal security from the Twelve Army. How ironic because she hired them to protect her against them. And does this girl thinks he is lacking in money? He is probably richer than her. And who needs support. Novus Rex doesn''t need support from anyone especially from a person that is on the brink of insanity. "Senator Rizza, I think you came to the wrong person. I do not run a charitable institution. If you need help. I am sure, you can find someone, but it''s not me. So, if you could please, excuse me." Alex doesn''t want to stay in the same room with her for a longer time. Breathing the same air as she did makes him feel disgusted to himself. He needed to leave and take fresh air. And maybe, go home to take a bath. He pushed a button under his table and after seconds, Jeric came in. "Sir?" Jeric asked. "Please escort Senator Rizza out. I need to be somewhere." Alex stands while speaking. He was buttoning his suit and walks himself out of his office. Senator Rizza was left fuming inside. She has been disregarded by this man a couple of times and yet, here she is, still dreaming to be the wife of Alex Ogden. While fuming inside, she is ogling at his perfectly fit body that cannot be hidden by his suit. "Senator Paz, President Ogden has already left. If you could please..." Jeric was about to say something but the Senator raised her hand in the air stopping him from speaking any further. She left the office to chase after Alex, but when she was in the hallway, the man cannot be seen. Senator Rizza left AM Entertainment to go to her family''s ancestral house to meet her parents. As soon as she arrived, she was greeted by three high ranking military officials. The three middle-aged men stood up from their sit upon seeing her. They were in the mansion''s receiving area. "Senator Paz." The three men greeted her. She didn''t bother to be courteous to them and instead raised her eyebrow and looked at her father. "What is the meaning of this?" "We''ve heard that General Grady has already offered his help to eliminate the heiress of the Robin Hood Society. We want to offer help as well." One of them said. "Ha-ha! Since when did you have the courage to go against the Robin Hood Society and now the Twelve Army?" Senator Rizza mocked them as she takes a seat in a plush chair. She seated elegantly and crossed her leg over the other. "Well...they..." The man struggled to find words to say. "Let me guess? Your names are on their radar?" Senator Rizza smirk and leisurely drink the water that the maid offered her. "You want to stop them before they start targetting you but you don''t know how to. You came to me saying that you are offering your help when in fact, it is the other way around. I am not as halfwitted as you. Don''t make your self believe that you are audacious enough to go against them when in fact you are a coward." Chapter 633 - 633. Joining Forces The military officials were taken aback by the Senator''s straightforwardness. It is true that they''ve been dreading for a day to come that the Robin Hood Society would strike them. They wouldn''t know when or if it already happened. Because the Robin Hood Society always attacks unnoticed leaving their target oblivious that they have been doomed. One says that you can never sleep peacefully when you know that you have a guilty conscience. And that''s probably what these dirty military officials were angst about. They know how dirty they are and that one of these days, the Robin Hood Society will target them. That''s why when they heard that Senator Rizza is in conflict with the Society and is brazenly provoking them, they see this an opportunity to go against the Society because they knew that they can never go against them on their own. They would offer her help when if fact they were just clinging on to the Senator''s braveness in the hope that if their powers and influence are combined together, they could possibly vanquish the infamous and legendary Robin Hood Society. But they never expected their ploy to be exposed when only a few words were spoken. "You think highly of yourself if you think that I need your help with dealing with the Robin Hood Society." In the Senator''s thought, if she will be able to defeat the Society, the credit should all go to her. She knew how cunning and ambitious and power-hungry these officials are. If one should ascend from power through the downfall of the Robin Hood Society, it should only be her. "Sweetheart..." Senator Rizza''s father who has been silent since she arrived interrupted her thoughts. "I think, you''ll be needing their help this time." Senator Rizza''s father said with a stern face. "But father..." "Listen to me. We cannot afford to lose this battle. It is now all or nothing. And it seems to me that Novus Rex has no plans of siding with us for the moment. Set them aside for now, and deal with the Robin Hood Society and Twelve Army using the resources we have." Senator Rizza stare at her father''s dour face. She knew what he meant. The Novus Rex seemed adamant about not supporting her in this fight, she had realized that after a couple of times that Alex Ogden disregarded her. They may have established a broad connection in the business sector but none of them are willing to go against the Robin Hood Society or the Twelve Army. The only ones who are willing are the Bloodroot Clan but they have lost a lot of men already and the Elders of the Clan now seemed hesitant to send more of their men on her side. On the other hand, military officials are here offering their help. They are the ones who seemed to be capable enough to match the Twelve Army and the Robin Hood Society. But the Senator seemed to have forgotten that even the military has to send some of their soldiers to train under the Twelve Army training facility and they has to rely on the Twelve Army''s private army on a contractual basis. After pondering for a moment, Senator Rizza finally decided to agree with her father. "Okay, the plan is simple. I just want the heiress alive." The officials were flustered. "Senator Rizza, we thought you want her dead?" One of them questioned her. "Yes. But I want to be the one to personally kill her." The officials looked at each other. They never thought that the beautiful Senator will go to the point of staining her hands with blood just to get revenge. The Society only stole her money and made her hard-earned reputation questionable, so they realized that it was just reasonable for her to go nuts. "The heiress is currently residing in the Twelve Army headquarters. So, how do you plan on abducting her?" Senator Rizza said. Her tone is challenging them. "Aside from the President, Vice President, Senators and selected Representatives, only a few five-star generals were given permission to enter the Twelve Army Headquarters. General Grady is not even one of them. Of course, asking for help from other generals will be suspicious. So the other solution I could think of is luring her out of the headquarters." One of the officials stated. He was resting his elbow on the armrest while stroking his chin. He was delighted that the Senator finally agreed to help them but now that she did, the problem started to arise. "Hmm...yes. So, it''s up to you on how you will be able to lure her out. You are in the military, so you must have a strategy in mind." Senator Rizza said. She acts domineering in front of these military officials that are older and more experienced than her. The three officials nodded her head. "I want to see her within three days." The Senator declared then she stood up and left. The officials were left dumbfounded. Three days? She''s expecting a miracle in three days? Chapter 634 - Entrusting Information Little did they know that within three days, Senator Rizza will be judged. On the first day, she will be surprised by a piece of shocking news. On the second day, she will be visited by an unexpected visitor. On the third day, she will be graced by the presence of Kings. .... The first day of J in the Twelve Army headquarters was something that she had never expected. At first, she was against staying inside the Twelve Army Headquarters simply because it was too far from CLP Hospital. But since she already decided to temporarily stop working at the hospital, staying at the Twelve Army Headquarters doesn''t seem like a bad idea. Why not? First, there''s the clinic where she can still practice her profession. Secondly, there is the training facility where she can hone her skills in target shooting and Muay Thai and just today, she found out that Jacob ordered to put up an archery shooting range in the vicinity. Third, there is a factory where the armored vehicles were made. J was excited about it since she has always been fascinated by how vehicles are made. Back then, with her first race car as Black Heiress, she is hands-on with the modifications of the car. In fact, she had familiarized her self with it that she can make her own race car. J is a curious person and always hungry for new knowledge, so she will never let the chance of learning how to make an armored vehicle slip away. And lastly, but definitely not the least, there is the ''home'' that Jacob ordered to be built for them. The first ''home'' that J considered as ''theirs''. Jacob was working on his office reviewing and signing papers while giving instructions to James. J decided to stay in the clinic for a while after the meeting with the 12 officials of the Twelve Army. After staying there until 6 PM, she finally thought that it is enough for the day. Arthur left her to run some errands but J knew that Arthur must probably be in the basement. She called him to say that she has to talk to him before she went back ''home''. As soon as she reached the 3rd floor of the main building, Arthur was already waiting for her outside the elevator. "Miss J, you need something?" Arthur asked as soon as she stepped out of the elevator. J nodded her head. "I need you to contact an online news website. Give them the information we have and I want it released online at midnight today." J''s tone was determined. "Okay, you have anyone in mind?" Arthur asked as he followed J who had started walking toward Jacob''s office. She has started to get familiar with the maze-like hallways of the building. "Hmm...How about Lotus Exposed?" J asked Arthur although she had already decided about it. "Not bad," Arthur replied. J had already reviewed the profile of Lotus Exposed. It is an online news website that is ranked as number one in the country with over 80 thousand viewers monthly. It was the first news website to extensively use social media for news distribution. With the popularity of online news websites, fake news is unavoidable. And in just a couple of years, there were multiple online news websites that were charged with libel for publishing fake news. Some of them went on a hiatus while others had permanently ceased operation. But, Lotus Exposed remained their good reputation as the longest-running and most trusted online news website in the country. So J personally chose them. She knew that if they passed them the information they got on their hands and published it, the public will trust to believe it. She knows that Lotus Exposed will make their own investigations before they publish news to know if the news is legit or not. But, J doesn''t worry. She will give them all evidence and even if they do their own investigation, it will only end up that their piece of information is verifiable. "Okay, I''ll personally send the information and evidence to them tonight." J doesn''t have to say that they have to remain anonymous. All they have to do is to entrust the information to them and then after that, they don''t have anything to do with it anymore. They just had to watch as someone''s reputation is being ruined by her own conduct. After being assigned as J''s right-hand man, Arthur had started to widen his scope of skills and knowledge. If before, all he does is hone his skills in martial arts and strategizing, now he also has to widen his connection. He also has to improve his skills with communicating with people because at most, he will be the one to talk on behalf of J. Chapter 635 - Fake News But Jacob and J both agreed that Arthur remained as cold and aloof as he is when dealing and talking with people especially on behalf of J. They preferred it that way since J is known to be cold and aloof as well. They have to show that J is not that easy to deal with, which in some aspect, is true. Especially when someone is trying to piss her off by challenging her possessiveness and stubbornness. J tends to be indifferent toward other people. She thought, why would she care about irrelevant people. But, she is not the type of person to mess around with. It is very rare for others to catch her attention in a positive or negative way, but if one did, she would tend to be possessive, insensitive and stubborn. Just like when Jacob caught her attention, she became unconsciously possessive of him. She hates it when his exes would suddenly appear. And she hated it more when someone is trying to catch his attention. Fortunately, Jacob has changed his habit of flirting with girls when he met J. J has never been a jealous person until she met Jacob. The thought of another woman attracting his attention and taking him away from her slowly kills her inside. And when Senator Rizza deliberately tried to seduce her man in front of her, that did it. She was boiling with rage, determined to put an end to the Senator''s delusion that every man would want her. Her action might hurt someone and ruin a family, but it was another delusion that she wanted to put an end to. How can a man pretend to have a happy family when behind the back of his trustful wife, he is ''working'' with another woman in their own office desk? The next morning, the internet exploded with online news that was released the previous night. It was published in Lotus Exposed and was eventually spread throughout different social media platforms. The scandal was too shocking and unbelievable that the public first thought that it was just fake news defaming a well known to the public Senators. But the article released included some pictures proving that the article posted was factual information. Some even accused the online news website that the photos were edited. But then, later on, the website posted a video clip in which the photos were just a clip from the actual video to prove that it was not edited. Soon, the article, the photos, and video became viral even before the sun starts to shine. It was a double setback for the Senators involved since the previous scandal involving them was as they were allegedly receiving a bribe from a business empire and patronaging them hasn''t been resolved. Now, the Senators were also involved in an adultery scandal. In Senator Melvin''s house, his wife is preparing breakfast for the family when she received a call. These past few days, she has been hesitant to answer calls after the bribery scandal the involves her husband because she has been receiving insults from unknown numbers and calls from the media asking for her opinion as if she would give them any. She is a family-oriented person. Ever since she got married, she stopped teaching in a university to focus on her husband. Then, later on, the got kids making her more inclined to do her duty as a full-time housewife and mother to their kids. But this call earlier was from her sister. "What are you talking about? Why are you saying such things towards your brother-in-law? Can you please show us some respect?" She immediately becomes enraged after she heard the words of her younger sister, who is at the age that spends mornings on social media. "Sis, I am telling you the truth! Brother-in-law is having an affair with Senator Rizza. They even have a sex video and it''s all over the internet now! Why don''t you go and check it out?" The words of her sister are ringing in her ear. Affair... Sex video... It was the last thing that she expected from her husband. She has known him to be a loyal and honest person. How could it be? She immediately hung up the phone and searched the internet with a trembling hand. And there, it was the hottest topic on the internet. The words, sex scandal, and affair together with the names of her husband and that of Senator Rizza Paz were all in highlighted in capital letters. She opened the link to the website and read the article but stopped midway since she cannot take it anymore. She scrolled down and the sight of the photos makes it even worse. There were photos of her husband and Senator Rizza having sex in his office desk, in Senator Rizza''s office chair, making out inside an elevator in even in her husband''s car. Chapter 636 - The Senators Wife There''s even a video of them both naked in a hotel room. This time, the eyes of Senator Melvin''s wife is already blurred with tears and smoke since the whole kitchen is already filled with smoke. She is too preoccupied with the pain that she is having in her heart right now as if a knife is slowly slicing her heart off into pieces to care about the pancakes that she just spread in the pan when her sister called. "Oh my God! Darling, what happened!" Her grip on the phone tightened when she heard the voice of her husband behind her. She felt him walked fast around the kitchen but she didn''t move, her body felt numb. Senator Melvin turned off the stove that is in front of his wife then put the burnt pan under the running water on the sink. He opened the windows of the kitchen to release the smoke that filled the room since the exhaust is not enough. When all the smoke is gone and upon making sure that there is no fire, he finally checks out his wife that is still in a daze. "Darling, are you okay?" Senator Melvin put his arms on her shoulder and asked with a worried expression. "Are you hurt? What happened?" That''s when he noticed the tear-streaked face of his wife and phone on her hand. He already had a bad feeling about this. He looked down at the phone on his wife''s hand and found a video that is still playing. At first, he didn''t recognize the face of the people on the video that is obscenely showing their affections. He frowned not understanding why his wife is watching that kind of pornographic video in the morning while preparing breakfast. But not until he came to recognize the person in the video. It was him...and Senator Rizza... His eyes widened and his blood drained out of his face. He paled in an instant and felt a lump on his throat. He raised his head to look at his wife whose face turned from blank to angry. "Darling, let me explain..." Before Senator Melvin could continue with his words, his wife''s palm met his face in a loud slap. After that slap, his wife came into senses. "Okay. Explain." She said in a stern voice after taking a deep breath. "I..." It was easy to say that he can explain it but when given the chance to say, he cannot say a word. Because in any way one looks at it, he cannot justify his actions, especially that his wife never lacks in anything when it comes to their marriage. His wife waited for him to speak but he never did. "Did you had any second thoughts with this marriage at the very beginning?" She asked in a shaky voice. "No. You knew very well that it was my dream to marry you." Senator Melvin was quick to reply. "Am I lacking with attention towards you?" She asked again trying to figure out what went wrong in their relationship. She thought that maybe she''s been too busy with their kids and that his husband is jealous and was seeking attention from her that she didn''t notice. "No. You''ve been a good wife to me and a mother to our kids." This time, Senator Melvin lowered his head realizing how good his wife is for him to treat her this way. His wife silently stared at him before she asks. "Did you fell out of love?" Her eyes became filled with fear. Fear of what he would say. "Of course not! I''ve always loved you and love you even more." Senator Melvin tried to reach out and touch her face but his wife takes a step back avoiding his touch. "Then...it''s because of sex?" His wife thought about it. She rarely declines when he ask for intimacy. Now she wonders if she doesn''t satisfy him. Men tend to express their love in a physical way so sex becomes an important path to connection and intimacy. When they aren''t sexually satisfied, they tend to be insecure and that leads them to find satisfaction with other women. Upon hearing it, Senator Melvin became tongue-tied. The reason why he cheated is mainly because of sex. He loves his wife more than anything else and he would never regret marrying her. He could never see his future with another woman except for his wife. And when it comes to intimacy, he has always been satisfied with their lovemaking. But he just cannot resist it when Senator Rizza started to flirt with him until he was consumed by lust. One mistake followed by another one and then another until he became addicted to it and it became a habit of the two of them even thou he knows that Senator Rizza is also hooking up with another man. Chapter 637 - A Story Senator Rizza is a beautiful and alluring woman. Any weak man can be seduced by her and he is one of them with the exception of Jacob and Alex who have unyielding self-control. "I''m sorry." Was all that Senator Melvin could say thou he knows that apologizing is not enough for the mistake that he had done. Hearing that, his wife made another step back. "Just...I...I want to be alone." She said then make another step before she turned around acting to leave. "Darling..." Senator Melvin grab her wrist to stop her but his wife pulled her hand away. "Please." She said with a firm determination to leave. As of now, she cannot stay around his sinful husband. She cannot think right with him around her. She has to leave and stay away from him to think. With that, his wife left him taking their kids away. He stayed inside their house to stay away from the prying eyes of their neighborhood. The scandal had spread uncontrollably and everyone knows his indecent relationship with Senator Rizza. The two of them were among the few Government officials that were known to be the most sensible. He hasn''t even got time to clear his reputation after the bribery scandal recently and now this adultery scandal which cost him not just his reputation but also his wife and family. It is just too overwhelming that he seemed to have lost his sanity. After sulking in their living room thinking of ways to get back his wife and kids, he took out his phone from pocket and dialed a number. "Hello." A frantic voice of a woman was heard from the other line. "We''re exposed." He said in a defeated tone. "I don''t need you to remind me that! Do you think I wouldn''t know after a couple of calls and having seen it all over the internet?!" Senator Rizza shouted at him as if it was all his fault. "What should we do? My wife found out about it and left me." "What? Do you want me to chase after her and beg her to come back to you?" Senator Rizza said sarcastically. Senator Melvin went silent. Between the two, Senator Rizza has always been the dominant person. "What happened? Who taped us?" He asked. "How would I know? Do you think I would bother to find out if there is someone taping us while doing that?" Senator Rizza was totally enraged by his question. "Wait. Are you implying that I hired someone to do that?!" Senator Melvin didn''t say anything thou he never really think that way. But based on how he knows the Senator, she is the type of person that would do that to use as leverage against him. But of course, why would she personally ruin her reputation. He thought about it. "No, of course, why would you do that?" "Then stop pestering me, I have enough predicament as of the moment. If you don''t care about your reputation, then go chase after your useless wife." "Shouldn''t we resolve this matter together?" Senator Melvin asked. "Are you stupid? If we resolve this together it would seem like we already admitted that we are really together or are you thinking that we really are? Should I remind you that what we had was just pure lust?" Of course, Senator Melvin never thinks that it was more than lust because he never really felt any affection towards the Senator. "No, I just thought that since it was both of us involve, we should work it out together in sync so that people would believe us if we tell them a story." "And what story do you have in mind?" Senator Rizza asked him with a challenging tone. She wonders if he has anything in mind since she cannot think of any acceptable story behind those videos except for the fact that they were really having an affair. Senator Melvin sighed. Does he have a story in mind to tell the public that will not make them appear sinful? However they try to explain the videos, there is only one explanation that the public would believe and that is they are having an affair. If they tell them that they are in love, which is a lie, how will he able to get his wife and kids back? But if they tell them that what''s between the two of them was pure lust. Then what would that make them? People would think of them as a debauchee. An unprincipled person who sank below the normal moral standard. After a while, Senator Rizza hung up when she cannot get any useful ideas from Senator Melvin. Senator Melvin, later on, decided to remain quiet instead of explaining his side. He thought that he put more words to it and tried to explain their actions, his words might worsen the situation and people would still think of him as an adulterous husband. Chapter 638 - Reckless And since his reputation has been ruined, he decided not to put more fire into it in an attempt to salvage it. He could accept it if his chance to redeem himself in public''s eyes is low but losing his wife and family, he just cannot accept it. So, instead of focusing on trying to come out clean in the public like Senator Rizza is striving to do, he will focus on getting his wife and kids back. Meanwhile, it didn''t take long until a new article and video were published by Lotus Exposed. It was an article stating how Senator Rizza is hooking up with three men at the same time. There were three more videos. Two with Senator Rizza and a male model while the other one is the son of a businessman. The video is a date that reveals that each video was taken in the same month. It was the same month with one of the videos with Senator Melvin. Which means that Senator Rizza is having sex with three different men in one month. At least, that is how the public analyzes it. This time, the hatred and disgust of the public were focused only on the Senator, not minding the men she had sex with. That morning, after waking up in that distressing news, Senator Rizza went straight to their ancestral house to seek help from her family. But when she reached their house, she found out that her mother was hospitalized after watching the videos. Her grandparents refused to see her and other relatives distanced themselves from her as if she contacted a contagious skin disease. It was only her father who was compelled to face her despite his anger towards her. If she wasn''t his dearest spoiled daughter, he might have already repudiated her just like what his father is threatening to do if Senator Rizza would not be able to cleanse her name. The elders of the Paz family wouldn''t let her drag their family''s name down with her. Senator Rizza''s father looks at her with disgust and disappointment. "Is that true?" "Father..." Senator Rizza might be able to fool the public with her lies but she cannot fool her father. After all, the video speaks everything that she has been doing. "How could you whore around and not being careful about it?!" Her father already realized that the videos were real. It was authenticated by the experts. He just wanted to confirm it from her daughter herself but seeing the look on her face, there is no doubt about it? He was so angry about it. How could her charming, beautiful, and smart daughter act like a prostitute? With her looks, family background, and reputation she doesn''t have to whore around to find a decent man. And yet she did recklessly. "I am so disappointed in you Rizza!" Her father added. "I''m sorry, Dad. Can you help me with this?" Senator Rizza pleaded to her father with an apologetic look. "What can we do about it? Your recent bribery scandal and this one has grown to implicate the name of our family. You stained the clean-cut image of our family that we have maintained for decades." His father gripped the armrest of his chair. They were in his home office to avoid the prying ears and eyes of the family''s servants that are scattered all over the huge house. "What do you suggest?" Senator Rizza asked like a child who asks for her father''s help. She is pacing around his father''s office and once in a while, she would stop in front of the floor to ceiling window to gaze outside the house. "Do not accept an interview. Remain quiet and do not appear in public for the meantime." Her father said calmly. "But dad, if I remain quiet, it would mean that I already admitted the accusations." Senator Rizza replied in a frantic tone. "What''s there to deny? Those were a fact that you really did it and not just accusations. Do you have evidence that could tell that it was not you in the video or that you were just framed or you didn''t really do it?" "You haven''t even gathered evidence that would clear your name in that bribery scandal, and yet here is another one. You have been too busy plotting your revenge against the heiress of the Robin Hood Society and what that caused you? We lost the Bloodroot Clan''s support already." Her father scolded her waving his hands in the air. "That''s because it was all her fault! And I am pretty sure that this one is another scheme of her." Senator Rizza is red with anger. "You already know the existence of the Robin Hood Society. You should''ve been careful in the first place. I shouldn''t have spoiled you too much." Her father shook his head. Chapter 639 - Lasagna for Lunch "I shouldn''t have encouraged your petty revenge plot." Her father added in a solemn tone. "Petty?!" Her father''s word gave her the pip. "She stole my money! Exposed this bribery scandal and now my sex life! How could you say that taking revenge against her as petty?!" Senator Rizza slammed her palm on her father''s desk. "Insolence! Don''t you dare raise your voice against me young kid!" Her father stood up and raised a finger at her. "Stop this nonsense already! Going after the heiress of the Robin Hood Society will put our family into a more predicament and if that happens, the elders will renounce you!" If at first, her father was in full support of her ploys against the heiress of the Robin Hood Society, this time, he regretted it. He thought that his daughter is capable enough to brazenly go against the Robin Hood Society. The thought of her as the legendary woman who put the downfall of the Robin Hood Society is too blinding, but it turns out that it was just wishful thinking. They cannot win against the Robin Hood Society. No one can. And if they continue to go against them, it will only cause their family''s annihilation. So, he should now put a stop into his daughter''s fantasy of ever conquering the Robin Hood Society and killing it''s heiress before the table completely turns. "I''m telling you now! Go into hiding, do not show yourself in the public until the issue subsided, and do not ever accept an interview. Fewer words, fewer mistakes. Understand?!" Her father said in a stern voice before sitting back into his armchair. Instead of answering, Senator Rizza glared at her father. Then she turned to leave slamming the door leaving her father dismayed. He takes out his phone and dialed a number. "Watch my daughter''s every move. Make sure that she won''t do anything folly." He doubts if his daughter will take all his words. He knows his daughter well. He knows that once she is settled in doing something, she would make it happen no matter and whatever it takes. Meanwhile, after staying in the clinic that morning, J craved for a lasagna. She told Jacob that she wanted lasagna for lunch. "Okay, I''ll have the cook in the cafeteria prepare lasagna for us," Jacob said. But J shook her head. "I''d rather prepare it." That morning, she checked the fridge and the cupboard in the kitchen and find out that it was filled with supplies. It was a dream for someone who loves to cook. Jacob smiled at his wife. "Okay, whatever pleases my wife." He said then kissed her forehead. That''s how they separated that morning. Now, J is done preparing the lasagna for their lunch. She texted Jacob and asked if he is coming already. "I''m on my way." He replied. Indeed, after less than 15 minutes, the door opens and reveals her husband who looks dashing in his white dress shirt, he already unbuttoned the top two buttons. His coat is nowhere to be seen so he must''ve probably left it in the office. "You''re here." She said then she stood up from the sofa. She was just casually browsing a magazine that she found under the coffee table. "I was already on my way when you texted me. I''ve been waiting for your message that for a moment, I thought you''ve forgotten to share your lasagna with me." Jacob said with a smile then he leaned in to give her a kiss on her lips. "Hmm...I could already tell that your lasagna tastes delicious." He said afterward. "Huh? Don''t expect too much. As far as I remember, I haven''t cooked lasagna for you before." She said locking her eyes with him. After the short kiss, Jacob wrapped his arms around her waist and hasn''t let go of her yet. "Well, I''ve already tasted it." Jacob shrugs his shoulder and pointed at his lips. At first, J was confused until she finally realized that he must''ve tasted it on her lips. The savory and slightly spicy taste of the sauce must have left her lips after tasting it for one last time before she put it in the oven. J pouted her lips then followed her husband who had already released her and went to the dining to prepare the table. J then take out the lasagna that she hasn''t removed from the oven yet to keep it warm. "Have you seen the news?" Jacob asked while munching on the soft buttery pasta with a perfect combination of seasoned tomatoes, ground meat, and cheese. "Which news?" J asked nonchalantly. Jacob laughed. "Honey, you are good at playing innocent. How did you do that?" J raised her eyes and looked at Jacob impassively. "Honey, I don''t know what you are talking about." Chapter 640 - Award-winning Jacob put down his fork and propped his chin on the palm of his left hand. "Honey, you could win an award for playing innocent." J narrowed her eyes at Jacob then reached out and act to take away his plate of lasagna. "Hey!" But Jacob was quick in keeping his plate of lasagna to himself. He laughed then said. "Okay, sweetheart. I won''t force you to tell. But seriously, your way of getting even has always been simply ruthless." J rolled her eyes at him. "I asked for Daniel''s help to get those videos," J said afterward. She doesn''t want to take credit for something that she didn''t do. After Senator Rizza''s attempt to seduce her husband in front of her she asked Arthur to find the Senator''s dirtiest secret that she could use against her. And sure enough, it wasn''t hard for Arthur''s team to find them. J was not surprised to find out about the Senator''s sexual habit and addiction as well as her current and previous affairs. And she will be exposing them all in just one day. She won''t give her a second of peace. "Hmm...I''m not surprised. I never doubted them." Jacob commented as he takes another serving of J''s lasagna. "So, when will you be over with her?" He asked. "When she''s totally ruined," J replied casually. "But all of her dirty secrets will be exposed today. Don''t give her a moment of peace." She continued then takes a sip of water. Jacob watched his wife. "Hmm...I understand. Don''t get too worked up. Leave the rest to me. Are you done eating?" He said then looked at her empty plate. Thou she finished it, he noticed earlier that her serving might not be enough. "Yeah." J looked at her plate then nodded her head. "I thought you want to have lasagna for lunch? But it doesn''t seem like you wanted it that much." Jacob pointed it out because he thought that J would have a hearty appetite since she especially cooked it. He was sure that there is nothing wrong with her cooking because her lasagna is comparable to those that are served in a five-star restaurant. "I got sated while cooking," J said. It does happen, you crave for something but after personally cooking it, you''ll get sated in the process and lost appetite afterward. "Oh...okay," Jacob said not giving it much thought. "Honey, I''ll be at CLP Hospital. Will you be fine here?" Jacob asked with concern. "Yes, of course. I heard that they will be customizing a four-wheel drive military truck into a fully equipped ambulance. I wonder how will they do that." J said as she washing their dishes. Her back facing Jacob. "Then I''ll be meeting Stefan at the shooting range later in the afternoon." She added. Then she felt Jacob''s arms wrapped around her waist from behind. "Good. It looks like you''ll be too busy to miss me then." J raised her head and glanced at her shoulder. "What are you implying Mr. Parker?" She asked with a raised brow. Jacob chuckled. "Nothing. I should be going now." He said then kissed her temple. "Don''t miss me too much. And don''t wander around without Arthur." "Aren''t you getting wary of Arthur being around me all the time?" She asked. She has always been wondering about that, knowing how jealous of a person her husband is. "I was, but I know that you are not each other''s type," Jacob said, this time, J has already faced him. "But you know how jealous and possessive I am towards you. I would only entrust you to them while I am away." J cocked her head and raised a brow at him. She was sure that he knows something. "Don''t give me that look. I know everything about my men. Now be good, I''ll be going now." "Okay." Then they shared a passionate kiss before Jacob left reluctantly. After washing the dishes, J decided to rest for a while before she goes to the factory. She placed herself in a comfortable position on the sofa the turned on the TV. She scanned the channels until something caught her interest. On the screen, Senator Rizza is making her way out of the sea of reporters towards the gate of her house, there are private securities protecting her, probably the ones that she hired from the Twelve Army. One reporter said something that makes the Senator turned and looked at the reporter with an irritated expression. Senator Rizza pointed a finger at the reporter. "How dare you talk about my personal life like that? Have you forgotten who I am? I am a Senator. An honorable government official. I will not let go of this unnoticed." She said as she continued to point a finger at the reporter. Chapter 641 - Napping "Someone is obviously framing me and trying to ruin my reputation using my private affairs. I will not let go of this!" Senator Rizza continued then she let the security lead her inside her house. Her tone and facial expression are very different from what the public knows of her. She was always acting elegant, and charming. And as a sweet smile is always plastered on her face. But after her dirty secrets have been revealed one after another, her facade is slowly crumbling down showing her true colors. J smirk after watching the news. "She still acts like the victim in the situation that she created. And now she has the guts to flip the story and make it seem like she is innocent." J mumbled to herself. Fortunately, the public is not that easily manipulated. They had seen through the Senator and will not easily believe what she says. Outside Jacob''s office, Arthur is waiting for J. He came before the time that she said she would be going to the factory. But, 15 minutes had already passed and she hasn''t come out yet. She has never been late before. She has always been punctual. So, he took out his phone and dialed her number. But she didn''t answer her phone. After three more attempts, she still didn''t answer her phone. That''s when Arthur started to worry. He quickly opened the door of Jacob''s office then walked towards the bookcase that serves as a hidden door. Using the passcode that Jacob gave him to access the room, he opened the door to check out on J. Only he and James were entrusted with the passcode. Jacob thought that it is necessary that Arthur has access to their home in case of emergency and Jacob is not around. Arthur cautiously opened the door. Once he did, he looked around, his eyes and movement were in full alert. He takes a step inside until he saw J on the sofa who seemed to be asleep. He was flustered at first. He never knew that she takes a nap in the afternoon. He takes a closer look to check if she is just really taking a nap. Noticing the rhythm of her breath, he confirmed that she is indeed napping so he decided to leave. But before he did, he scanned her surroundings and even checked outside the window for any signs of threat thou it seems impossible while she is inside the Twelve Army headquarters. After two hours, J woke up. She looked at the 3D frameless wall clock and found out that it is almost time for her to meet Stefan in the shooting range. Earlier while scanning the channels of on the TV, she felt her eyes getting heavy so she decided to take a nap for a few minutes. She can''t believe that her supposed few minutes nap turns in two hours. She looked at her phone and found that she missed a call from Arthur and Jacob. She called Jacob first. "Hey, I''m sorry I fell asleep and didn''t get to answer your call." She said as soon as Jacob answered. "It''s fine. I called Arthur when you are not answering my call and found out that you fell asleep on the sofa." She heard Jacob said and was confused. "How did he found out that I fell asleep?" She asked confused then she looked around the living room to find if there is any CCTV camera. But she didn''t find any. "You had us worried when you were not answering our call. Arthur has the passcode in our house so he checked you out and found out that you were asleep on the sofa. Were you that tired?" "Oh...I''m sorry about that. I just fell asleep and woke up just now." J said feeling guilty that she made the guys worried about her. Then Jacob went silent. "Honey, are you feeling okay?" Jacob said after a while. "Yes. I just fell asleep after watching the TV." J replied. "Okay. If you''re tired, you can stay at home for the rest of the day. You don''t have to go to the shooting range." J frowned. She was looking forward to going to the factory and the shooting range, she just fell asleep. She would hate staying at home without anything to do. "No. I''m fine. I''ll be heading out now." "Are you sure?" Jacob''s voice was filled with concern. "Yes," J replied quickly. "Okay, don''t forget to call Arthur and take him with you." "Yes, I will." "Good, I''ll hang up now. I''ll see you later. I love you." Jacob said thou he was hesitant to let J out of the house. He thought that it was unusual for her to take a nap in the afternoon. In the short period that he had known her, he knew that she never takes a nap in the afternoon. So, he was worried that she might not be feeling well. "Okay, I love you too," J replied. Chapter 642 - The Outcome After they both hang up, J called Arthur and told him to meet her in the lobby of the main building. While driving the car on their way to the shooting range, Arthur asked her. "Did you rest well?" J glanced at him from the back seat. No matter how she insists on seating on the passenger seat, Arthur would not allow her as per Jacob''s order. "Yes, thank you. I''m sorry to keep you waiting earlier." J said apologetically. Then they both went silent. "Have you watched the news?" Arthur asked her talking about the scandal about Senator Rizza. He actually preferred that she didn''t because if she did, she might felt guilty about the number of people getting involved. Especially the wives, girlfriends, and fiancees of the men that Senator Rizza hooked up with. After this scandal was exposed, there were family and relationships broken as a result. J may seem, intimidating, cold and aloof but she is too soft-hearted. She might act on impulse but she can easily be regretful afterward. "I did." J''s reply made Arthur snap his head at her worried that she would change her mind as if that would still be possible since almost all the dirty secrets of Senator Rizza have been exposed. "She still managed to flip the story and act innocent as if she would be able to manipulate the public into believing that she is elegant and refine woman that they come to know," She said looking outside the window. Arthur wonders which news did she watched. He has been monitoring the events on the internet, social media and the TV. He finally remembered that she might be talking about the only interview that the Senator did. That''s good. He thought. At least she didn''t get to watch about the news about Senator Melvin''s wife and kids leaving him. Or the breakup between a male model and his long-term fiancee that was about to get married next month. But they didn''t know that J had thought about the outcome long before. She knows that this could be the result. She is partly blaming herself that because of her irritation to the Senator, family and relationship will be ruined. But, she is not the one who directly ruined it, was her only consolation to herself. She was just exposing them, which will be exposed later on anyway. Those family and relationships had already been ruined ever since their man cheated with Senator Rizza. "What will happen tomorrow?" J asked after a while. They are already parking outside the shooting range. "Chairman Jacob will deal with her," Arthur said directly knowing that J already knew of their plan. She just doesn''t know what are they going to do to the Senator. J''s expression turned grim. What does it mean by ''Jacob will deal with her?'' "Don''t worry about that. The Senator would probably wish that tomorrow won''t come." Arthur implied that tomorrow is not going to be a good day for the Senator. Then Arthur stepped out of the car and walked around to help J out of the car. In the shooting range, they saw Stefan already waiting for them. Daniel and Felix were sitting on a bench not far away from them. She looked at them and saw Felix waved a hand at her enthusiastically. She hasn''t seen them ever since the encounter with the Bloodroot Clan. They made it a habit to watch her every time she is practicing in the shooting range, and J didn''t know why they seemed to be engrossed in watching her shooting a gun. She had already mastered using a pistol and already had a preference. Jacob originally wanted to stop her there but J''s hunger for knowledge and experience wouldn''t stop her from there. So she insists on learning how to use rifles as well. Stefan and J were left because Arthur decided to join Daniel and Felix on the bench. J looked at the table then to Stefan. "Are we hunting deer?" She asked with a stern face. Because the rifles in the table were the ones she could see carried by hunters. It is different from the rifles that she saw carried by the men from the Twelve Army or Bloodroot Clan. Stefan laughed at her. If it were another person who doesn''t know her personally, they would already faze about her stern expression. But Stefan had already known her. He and the rest of Arthur''s team already know that what she shows in different from how she is. "Silly, these are Remington 700 and Ruger 10/22. The best rifle for the beginners. Everyone should own these kinds of rifles or at least know how to use this. Later on, you''ll learn how to use the more complicated ones." Stefan said amused. "Okay, should we start?" J said eyeing Remington 700 because she thought that it is more interesting. Chapter 643 - Lifelong Label At the Robin Hood Society headquarters. "Claude, you can now send the message." Professor Iris instructed one of the twins. "Roger!" The brown-haired tall hacker who is sitting behind his laptop replied. Then started working on his laptop. He searched for the phone number of General Grady on his system then using a software, he hacked into it and composed a text message that Professor Iris passed onto him on a piece of paper earlier. Then he sends it to a certain number acting like he is General Grady through spoof text message. With Claude''s level of expertise as a hacker, he can hack even encrypted phone data. "All done, Professor Iris." Claude raised his thumb on Professor Iris. Professor Iris nods her head in approval then she turned to look at President Martin. "President Martin, it''s all done." She said. "Very well, thank you, Professor Iris." President Martin replied. Professor Iris looked at President Martin wanting to say something. President Martin noticed it and asked. "Is there anything you want to say?" "Uhm...If I may ask. You are planning to retaliate on Senator Rizza?" Professor Iris assumed that after the failed assassination schemes of Senator Rizza towards their heiress, President Martin will never let it slide and would plan on getting back at her. But she wonders how President Martin plans on getting his retribution. "Hmm...My son-in-law has a lot of ways." President Martin said then turned to leave. Torture. That was the word that came into Professor Iris'' mind. The Parkers were known to torture their offenders that''s why no one dares to go against them. Because their way of torturing is simply sinister. But Professor Iris wonders. Would President Martin just let his son-in-law do the retribution? Wouldn''t he prefer to do his own, since it was for his daughter after all? Professor Iris doubts that. She looked at the retreating back of President Martin with a focused gaze. Back in the loghouse, President Martin made a phone call. "Is everything good on your side?" He asked on the phone. "Yes, dad. My men are watching her every move." Jacob replied. "Good. She''ll leave any moment from now." President Martin said with assertiveness. "All right, we''ll have her before midnight falls," Jacob replied then they both hanged up. Then he called James to make some preparations. He is on his way back to Twelve Army headquarters. At Senator Rizza''s house. Senator Rizza is drinking alcohol. As soon as she gets back home, new articles about her scandals and ''new face'' were published from different news channel and online news website and is being shared in different social media making her the number one talk of the town. They were talking about how she was the person who advocates anti-graft and corruption when she herself is involved in bribery and patronage which is a form of corruption. They were talking about how she acts as an altruistic, elegant and refined woman in front of the public when she is in fact an egocentric nymphomaniac and a man-eater home-wrecker. The public is now questioning her integrity and moral principles. They even question how her parents raised her, saying how her parents failed in teaching her some decency. They already labeled her as a corrupt government official and a home-wrecker. A person who doesn''t care about anyone else''s happiness and cares about her self and her own happiness. A name which will be her label for the rest of her life. Her scandal also made the public question the integrity of her family who has served the country in a couple of decades. Her predecessors never had this kind of scandal although they were also involved in a couple of under the table business while in position. This made them furious with her. Calling her names and cursing at her. This also put her parents in an awkward position. And just an hour ago, she received a call from her father saying that she shouldn''t go to their ancestral house for now and that she should leave the country for the meantime until the situation settled down. Although there is an uncertainty that her reputation will be cleared if she remained low-key, at least it would fan down the situation. But what made her drink is when she found out that her grandfather already disowned her and actually announced it to the public just so they could protect the reputation of the family''s name. There really is a family who values what other people would think of them more than kinship. They believe that they cannot keep their clean reputation if they keep on hanging out with messy people. And the Paz family is one of those kinds of family. They would rather lose her than their reputation. She can''t believe that after all these years of striving for a perfect image, just so she could maintain that prestigious reputation of her family, in just a blink of an eye, it was all shattered into pieces. Chapter 644 - Easy Prey Just then, she received a text message from General Grady. "I got insider information about the heiress of the Robin Hood Society that you can use against her. Meet me at the usual spot in one hour. And don''t bring your Twelve Army people with you." Upon reading the text message, Senator Rizza''s eyes widened in excitement. With her hand trembling, she tried to call General Grady but for some reason, she cannot contact the number. So, she sends him a message instead. Meanwhile, Claude, who still has access to General Grady''s phone already blocked her call and upon receiving the message of Senator Rizza, he deleted it even before General Grady could read it. Senator Rizza makes herself a coffee then takes a cold shower to sober up. Dressed in a low-key outfit, chose a low-key car to drive to a usual spot that General Grady told her to meet up. Before she left, she instructed the security that she hired from the Twelve Army to take the night off earning her a baffled look from the men. She understands why the General didn''t want her security to come with her because they might tattletale to their boss. The ''usual spot'' that ''General Grady'' is talking about is a parking lot of the view deck of a water dam. It was a not so popular local tourist spot during the day but quite dark and remote at night. It doesn''t even have CCTV Cameras or guards at night. So General Grady and the Paz''s family used this as their usual meeting place. The Robin Hood Society had investigated everything about the Paz family, including their connections. That''s how they found out about their connection with General Grady and how they meet up with him. Their relationship with General Grady is a secret to avoid complications on both sides. The Paz''s deep connections in the military should remain a secret so they would appear strong without relying on anyone''s power. When Senator Rizza reached the destination. She immediately spotted General Grady''s car. She could recognize it immediately because she had seen it a couple of times. It was the General''s favorite sedan among his cars. It is a black luxurious armored vehicle that can withstand an arsenal of gunfire, chemical assaults, and even explosives. She has been inside that car as well. Senator Rizza knows the old man well. He preferred to chat inside his luxurious car instead of other people''s car or outside of it. So, Senator Rizza walked out of her car then minced towards General Grady''s car. She opened the door of the backseat which she usually takes not surprised that it is unlocked since they were expecting her. Inside the luxurious armored car, the almost 60-year-old general looked intimidating in his formal military uniform. Senator Rizza knew how the old man prefers to wear his official uniform every day. Without a word, Senator Rizza felt the ar move as soon as she closed the door. "General Grady, where are we going?" She asked while maintaining her calm demeanor. "Let''s talk somewhere else." General Grady said without looking at her. Senator Rizza looked around and noticed that the driver is not the General''s personal driver that he had with him for 20 years. "I see you finally changed the driver." She commented. "It was necessary." General Grady replied. "I heard your grandfather disowned you?" He asked after a while. Senator Rizza smiled bitterly. "So, the news reached you." "It was publicly announced." He stated. Then the car stopped in front of a tall gate. Senator Rizza looked around and noticed that there weren''t any guards around. "What is this place?" She asked then she looked at General Grady. "My dear, you are entering the headquarters of the Robin Hood Society." General Grady said with a smirk smile. Senator Rizza''s eyes widened in surprise. How did General Grady found out the headquarters of the Robin Hood Society which others cannot find? Then the tall gate opened automatically. The car slowly ventured the steep road of an uphill. "How...?" Senator Rizza looked at the old man confused. He knows the headquarters of the Robin Hood Society. And he can easily access it. Then a thought flashed in her mind. Her eyes widened in anger and she started to be alert. "You are a member of the Robin Hood Society?" General Grady faced her and at the same time, they passed by a lamp post. That''s when she noticed that there is something different about the way the old man looks at her. "Yes and no, Senator Rizza." General Grady replied. This time, Senator Rizza started to panic. She tried to reach out for her purse to find her phone but unfortunately, she left it inside her car. "W-what do you mean, General Grady? Are you still on my side?" Senator Rizza stuttered. General Grady smirked and said, "You''ll find out soon." Chapter 645 - The Secret Passage The car stopped in the middle of the dark forest. Then the driver stepped out of the car followed by General Grady. Senator Rizza tried to open the door on her side but it was still locked. She knocked on the door to catch the attention of the driver that is leaning on the car talking to his phone. She looked around and General Grady is nowhere to be found. She started to get panic. She clasped her chest as if trying to even her heartbeat that is quickening. When General Grady told her that they are entering the headquarters of the Robin Hood Society, confusion was her first reaction. When she asked him if he is a member of the Robin Hood Society, his answer made her more confused. Everything started to become blurry and in slow motion. For a moment she thought she saw light coming from a loghouse but in a blink of an eye it disappeared so she thought she was just hallucinating and the next thing she knew, the car already stopped in the middle of a creepy dark forest. "Hey! Let me out!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as if no one could hear her when in fact, there is a man standing just outside the car. Although she knew that the driver cannot hear her, she saw the man walked to her side and opened the door. In a state of panic, as soon as the door opens, she dashes out of the car and tried to escape but the man''s reflex was quicker than her feet. The man grabbed her by the wrist and she stumbled back. Her back hit the door of the car and she gasped in pain. "You''ll only get hurt if you try to escape. And if you did escape, I doubt if you''ll ever get out of this forest." The driver said then looked around the dark and creepy forest. Senator Rizza glared at the driver but she cannot see his face clearly because it is too dark. She straightened her body and asked. "Where is General Grady?" "I''m here." She heard a man spoke but sense that something has changed in his voice. She looked around and found the silhouette of the man that she assumed to be General Grady based on his body physique. He was gone in a blink of an eye then just came out of nowhere. She wondered where did this old man come because when she looked around, she could see nothing but darkness and silhouette of the creepy trees that seem to be moving and playing with her imagination. "This way, Senator Rizza." General Grady stands on her side then lead her on the other side of the car. Senator Rizza hesitated at first because she feels like she is being abducted by General Grady and is being sold off to the Robin Hood Society. That is if what he said that they are in the headquarters of the Robin Hood Society is true. But what if, General Grady really took her in the headquarters of the Robin Hood Society and is taking her to a secret place where the heiress is hiding? "Where are you taking me?" She asked before she takes a step. "To the leader of the Robin Hood Society." General Grady replied, his voice became more different in her ear but Senator Rizza ignored it. She walked in the direction that General Grady is taking her. Which is just on the other side of the car. She tipped over when she stumbled upon brick or rock that she didn''t see because of the darkness. Fortunately, the driver who is just behind her catches her. "Careful." The driver said. This doesn''t seem like an abduction. Senator Rizza thought to herself. Then she followed General Grady. After walking to the side of the car, General Grady guided her to turn right. So she followed him. That''s when she noticed that they are walking down on a hidden passageway. It was hidden meticulously that no one would notice it''s existence. After a few steps, they were literally walking under the forest. She wonders how General Grady could see the way without light. Unless he has been there for a couple of times and has already familiarized himself with it. "How did you find out this place?" She asked trying to get some information. Because it feels like she walked into a trap willingly but she is having self-denial. "Because I am a member of the Society." He said casually. "But General Grady isn''t." The driver behind her added making her confused. "What do you mean?" she asked but they didn''t answer her. She was about to ask again when General Grady stopped and opened a door in front of her. Chapter 646 - Secret Door When the door opens, their eyes squinted at the sudden light. Senator Rizza closed her eyes and take time to adjust in the brightness although it is not too bright. But coming from a totally dark forest, she would need time to adjust in the light. When she opened her eyes, she saw that it was a dimly lit staircase that she assumed to be about a hundred steps. There were lights on the wall to make the steps visible. General Grady started to take a step down the staircase. Senator Rizza followed. "What do you mean General Grady is a member of the Robin Hood Society but he is not?" Senator Rizza looked behind her asking the driver but was taken aback. She didn''t expect the driver to be so good looking. He looks like a guy next door type of guy. And he also looked familiar to her. The driver grinned at her. "Please watch your step, Senator Rizza." His grin is mesmerizing yet it gave her chills at the same time. Senator Rizza is now starting to question her decisions and judgment. They were just supposed to talk about the information General Grady has about the heiress of the Robin Hood Society and yet, she allowed them to take her to this creepy place that they said to be the headquarters of the Robin Hood Society telling her that they would take her to its leader. And ever since then, their answer to her questions has always been confusing. She is now suspecting that they did something to her that made her not think properly. At the final step, they enter what seemed like a secret underground passageway. It looked old that one would think that this used to be a secret hiding place during a war. The thought caused her goosebumps. It was so quiet that only their footsteps were heard but why does it seem like there is more than just three pair of footsteps she could hear. Or is it just her hallucination? "General Grady, this is taking us long. You just have to give me the information that you have about the heiress of the Society. But why do you have to take me here?" Senator Rizza said behind General Grady. She didn''t hide her impatience and irritation. General Grady stopped in his track and turned to face Senator Rizza. "Senator Rizza, a king once said, impatience for victory guarantees defeat." That''s when Senator Rizza noticed the change in General Grady''s voice. Her eyes widened upon realization. "You..." Suddenly, the wall on her left opens. She didn''t notice that it was a door until just now. A tall, handsome and impassive looking man appeared in front of her. "Boss, special delivery." General Grady said. Senator Rizza looked at the impassive looking man that doesn''t show any emotion and General Grady bewildered. Who is this man that a military general like General Grady is calling boss? "President is waiting." The impassive looking man said. President? Did that mean, General Grady really did take her to the leader of the Robin Hood Society which she believed to be its heiress, Jenny Do? Then... this means, General Grady is really a member of the Robin Hood Society and works for them. And she let him take her to them. Realization dawned on Senator Rizza. "Right! Right!" General Grady said enthusiastically which made Senator Rizza looked at him. This is not how she knows General Grady. He was always stern and strict. But this man is way too laid-back. "Damn it!" Senator Rizza cursed making the three men looked at her. "You...you''re not General Grady." But no one answered her, instead, the impassive looking man said. "Get inside. Chairman Parker is on his way." "No!" Upon hearing the name, Senator Rizza finally confirmed that she is abducted and she willingly let them take her."Damn it! Who are you?! I''m telling you once I get out of here, I''ll never let you get away with this!" But the three men ignored her and forced her inside. Meanwhile, inside Jacob''s SUV. "Okay, dad. We are on our way." Jacob said on the phone then he hangs up. James who is driving glanced at the rearview mirror. While Arthur who was sitting on the passenger seat looked at his watch. When he told Jacob that he wanted to come, Jacob didn''t oppose the idea. Jacob knew that even Arthur wanted his own tit for tat. He left J with Daniel knowing that Jacob wouldn''t let him come if J would be left alone. "James, can you drive faster? My hands are itching." Jacob stated his impatience to get his hands on Senator Rizza. James nodded his head and speed up. The drive from the Twelve Army headquarters to the headquarters of the Robin Hood Society is thirty minutes but James took it only for 15 minutes. Chapter 647 - Tit for Tat Senator Rizza found herself sitting on a white oversized plush chair inside an all-white space with an eye-catching stone mantel. Once she was forced inside the room, she thought that she will be cuffed and chained, but ironically, they didn''t. They even made sure that she is comfortably sitting. Are they being lenient to her? She thought, making her feel more apprehensive. The room doesn''t have any windows, which does not surprise Senator Rizza since they are probably over a hundred feet under the ground. But she noticed two white doors on both sides of the stone mantel. The room looks like a warm and cozy living room. How ironic? Senator Rizza thought internally. The room is spacious enough to fit ten more people to casually chat in front of her as if she doesn''t exist. One man, sitting on a white oversized plush chair on her left that looks identical to the one she is sitting right now, she recognized as, Jacob Parker. He came not even bothering to give her a glance. His presence made her sure that they abducted her for revenge. General Grady, or so she thought, is lazily sitting on a black leather chaise on her right. She wonders who is this man behind this disguise. Standing near her is the guy next door driver who she finally remembered to be one of Jenny Do''s security which she saw once in the Twelve Army headquarters. Their striking appearance is not that easy to forget. There were four more men standing. She recognized one of them as James, Jacob Parker''s executive assistant. The other impassive looking man is standing near the stone mantel is the one that opened that secret door for them. The other one, the cold and aloof looking man, she recognized as Arthur Brown. She had heard that he is the right-hand man of the heiress of the Robin Hood Society. There is another man standing near the secret door. He looked rugged with a stone face. But nonetheless, she still finds the man, attractive. In fact, she is being surrounded by men with different types of attractiveness. Despite her situation, she was still able to notice that. Then directly in front of her, sitting on a long white sofa, there were two men and a woman in their middle age. Probably around 45 to 65 years old. One of them being the oldest based on his forehead creases and the silver hair. But nevertheless, he still looks handsome and dignified. The others, a nerd looking man and woman older than their actual age. "Your men doesn''t seem like the type of person who would physically assault a woman." The eldest man, whom they were calling President Martin said to Jacob. Senator Rizza doesn''t have to guess that the woman he is talking about is her. "Ha-ha. Indeed, but I guess that depends. Have you guys hit a woman before?" Jacob looked at General Grady and Stefan. "Hmm..." Stefan rubbed his chin. "I only know how to caress them. But you are right Boss, that depends on who is the woman we are talking about." Then he looked at Senator Rizza with an icy glint on his eyes. ''General Grady'' scoffed at Stefan. "You only know how to make them your girlfriend." "Damn it, Felix! Don''t badmouth me in front of our Bosses." Senator Rizza watched the two. The man named Stefan called ''General Grady'' by the name Felix so casually. So, she assumed that they are probably working together. He must be one of the private security of Jenny Do. She made her assumption based on the fact that she knows that Jenny Do have four private security including her right-hand man. Then she looked at Arthur. Does he seem like a man who would hit a woman? She thought internally. "Right, I''ve heard how fond they are with my daughter. So, I assume that they volunteered to come here for a tit for tat." Daughter? Senator Rizza snapped her head at the old man with furrowed brows. Is he talking about Jenny Do? If so, could this man be...? But, she heard that the person died in an ambush 20 years ago. "I also heard that you are quite fond of men, Senator Rizza. Now how do you feel right now, that there are a couple of fine-looking men who came here personally for you?" The man looked at Senator Rizza with a disturbing smile. It was obvious that he was implying that these fine-looking men didn''t just come to personally see her. They came to avenge their heiress that she tried to assassinate using a hundred men from the Bloodroot Clan. Senator Rizza narrowed her eyes at the man. "Who are you?" She asked. Her tone is filled with curiosity. Chapter 648 - Too lenient "Oh...where are my manners." The man stood up and elegantly walks toward her. "Allow me to introduce myself to you." "My name is Martin Do, it is my pleasure to meet you, Senator Rizza Paz." President Martin raised his hand for a shake hand in front of the dumbfounded Senator. But the Senator was too dumbfounded to react. "Oh...Senator Rizza, aren''t you too eager to meet the leader of the Robin Hood Society? President Martin is now standing in front of you, aren''t you going to shake his hand? It is an honor, you know? No one has ever given the chance, after, you know, he died 20 years ago." Felix babbled with a smirk. Senator Rizza snapped back into her senses and as if she was possessed, she raises her hand to shake the hand of the President of the Robin Hood Society. "You...you are alive." She mumbled while still looking at President Martin who was already back in his seat. "Yes, in flesh and blood." President Martin replied with a smile. President Martin''s smile is warm and captivating but for some reason, Senator Rizza finds it disturbing. "But...how..." All this time, they thought that it was Jenny Do, the heiress of the Robin Hood Society is their current leader. But, it turns out, that it was still her father. Suddenly, Senator Rizza thought of something. They took her the Robin Hood Society''s headquarters not even bothering to cover her eyes. She even met with the President of the Robin Hood Society who was supposed to be dead already, 20 years ago. Senator Rizza''s eyes widened in panic. "Why? Why are you showing these things to me?" President Martin cocked his head. "What do you mean, Senator Rizza?" "Your headquarters, this, you..." Senator Rizza was pensive. President Martin seemed like he was pondering for a moment. "Are you not afraid that I will reveal all these secrets to the elites?" She asked thou it was not really what''s running in her mind. President Martin suddenly burst out in laughter. The nerd looking man and woman beside him have that same disturbing smile towards her. Jacob have a smirk on his face. Felix and Stefan were snickering while the other four men who are standing remained impassive. "Silly woman, are you expecting that people will believe your word after you get out of here?" President Martin said. Senator Rizza blinked. She was expecting him to say that they''ll never let her leave this place alive. But, instead, he sounded like they will still let her go. But, Senator Rizza doesn''t feel right. "Dad, you should''ve let me handle this and take her to our basement." Jacob suddenly changed the topic. Basement. Senator Rizza had heard about that before but no one has proven its existence before. She heard that the Parkers have a basement filled with chambers that they use for torture until their victims became insane and that is the only time that they release them. A crazy man''s words are not reliable so no one would believe them if they said that they came in Parker''s basement and was tortured in their chamber. "Jacob, I think your kind of punishment is too lenient." President Martin in a matter of fact tone. "What?" Jacob was startled. His father in law thinks that what he believes to be the most sinister type of torture is too lenient? Does he have a more sinister way of punishment than his? "Why don''t we spice it up a bit?" For the first time, Jacob saw that evil smile on President Martin''s face. Felix straightened his back. "Fuck! I thought the Boss'' way of torture is too sinister. Could it be that President Martin has a more sinister way of torture?" He exclaimed with excitement. "Dad what are you planning?" Jacob asked with a cocked head. He is curious about how his father-in-law will punish Senator Rizza. "Oh, simple. I''ve heard that Senator Rizza thinks highly of herself and puts herself on the pedestal of the smartest and beautiful. Is that right, Senator Rizza?" President Martin smiled at her. This time, his smile didn''t only disturb her but it also sent chills behind her neck and makes her palm sweaty. "So, why don''t we prove her wrong?" President Martin added making Jacob, Arthur, Felix, and Stefan curious. They have heard that the Robin Hood Society has its own way of punishment but never heard what it was. "Doctor Miller, have you analyze her enough?" President Martin turned to look at the nerd looking woman that turns out to be a doctor. Doctor Miller pushed up her spectacles and looked at the Senator. "She has a fair complexion and beautiful skin. Her body curves are in the perfect place. Her lips are a pull, almost perfect nose and her eyes may look charming sometimes." Chapter 649 - Ugly Monster "So, I could tell that you already spotted which one to alter." President Martin said nodding his head. "W-what are you t-talking about?" When Senator Rizza heard the word alter, her level of panic rose a notch higher. But they ignored her. She looked around wanting to escape but Arthur and the two impassive looking men were all eyes on her. It was obvious that they are there to watch over her. With their level of skills, cuffing and chaining her is unnecessary. Jacob nodded in understanding. He never expected that his father-in-law has this kind of cruelty under his captivating smile. "Alterations?" Stefan looked at Doctor Miller with bewilderment. "Oh, I get it! You''ll turn her into an ugly monster!" Before Doctor Miller could say anything, Felix already said what she is going to say. "Yes, that''s right." Doctor Miller nodded her head. "No way!" Senator Rizza stood up in anger and panic. "You would rather sit down, Senator Rizza." In a blink of an eye, Arthur is already near her making her startled. While the others ignored her as if they were not talking about her. "By making her look different, other people would think that she is crazy by claiming that she is Senator Rizza while she looked like she is not when in fact, she really is Senator Rizza." Then President Martin looked at Jacob. "Making a person insane is cruel, but don''t you think that making other people believe that a person is insane when in fact she is not, is crueler?" President Martin cocked his head as if giving Jacob a lecture. Jacob smiled. "Come to think of it, you are right, Dad. But I still want her to experience the three kinds of hell that I prepare for her." President Martin nodded his head. "I will never stop you from that. You can do whatever it is that suits you." "Thanks, Dad. But you just gave me an idea. After all, I am still thinking of ways to innovate our chambers." "Hmm...Yes. I''ve heard that you renovated the old chambers that your old man originally made." President Martin replied. They chatted as if there is no Senator Rizza inside the room. While the latter''s imagination is running wild. She could already guess her future. And it doesn''t look good. "But what if she make a DNA test?" Stefan asked. "DNA test can easily be faked. The people are not dumb not to know that. They would just think that she faked it." Doctor Miller replied. "What if her family personally make the DNA test?" This time, it was Felix who asked. "Have you forgotten? Her family already disowned her. They wouldn''t do that just to prove that she is Senator Rizza is their daughter. They would rather have her gone." Jacob said casually making Senator Rizza enraged. "You, assholes! Have you forgotten that I am here?! I would never let you touch me!" Senator Rizza who was still standing cursed at them. But Jacob waved her had and glanced at her. "I don''t think you are in the position to cursed at us Senator Rizza. Have you forgotten that you are already on our leash?" He said with a smirk. Then he looked back at President Martin. "But dad, I think that this kind of punishment has its own flaws. A person''s memory can prove a lot about her identity. Unless..." Jacob trailed and looked at the man who is silently sitting beside his father-in-law. "Unless that is the reason why he is here." Jacob continued. President Martin smiled with pride. "You never failed me, Jacob. You are smart and sharp-witted as always." "This is Doctor Taylor, just recently, he finished his research and experiment about memory erasure." President Martin proudly said. "Thanks to the help of Miss J." Doctor Taylor said for the first time. "My wife?" Jacob was flustered that his wife has something to do with Doctor Taylor''s experiment with memory erasure. But what does he mean by that? What did his wife do to help him? "Yes, Jenny helped him in his research when they were still both abroad." President Martin said. Jacob was surprised. "I didn''t know that my wife has an interest in memory erasure." "She was my student back then." Doctor Taylor said. "She became interested in my research and experiment that she offered me and my wife her help. She said that she doesn''t have that much to do anyway. So, I let her. Until we finally made it." "Lance told me about it and that''s how I became interested in Doctor Taylor and his research. I was the one who reached out for him and finally convinced him to be part of the Society." President Martin said. "And my wife didn''t know about this?" Jacob asked. "No, she didn''t even know that this place existed." Chapter 650 - Memory Erasure Senator Rizza who was silently listening to their conversations thought about it. So, Jenny Do really doesn''t have anything to do with the stealing? But, why are they suddenly talking about memory erasure? Are they going to erase my memory? Senator Rizza wanted to cry and fight back but she knows that it is no use. "So...this kind of punishment was Miss J''s idea?" Felix asked amused about the memory erasure thing. "No, she just gave me the idea. I doubt if she knows that I knew about her helping in research and experiment about memory erasure. But I am sure that she didn''t know that Doctor Taylor is already working for the Society." Jacob leaned back to his seat and crossed his leg."So, you''ll change her appearance and then erase her memory?" "Yes." "But, you will just change her identity. You''ll just make it easier for her." President Martin smiled. "Believe me, we are not." Everyone became more curious. "We will only erase selected parts of her memory, specifically her memory of how to read and write and the things that she learned in school and university. But her memory of who she is will remain." Doctor Taylor explained. "You...you can do that?" Stefan was amazed. Doctor Taylor humbly nods his head. "There are many research and experiments on memory erasure. A lot of scientists were still striving oblivious of the fact that Doctor Taylor had already perfected it." President Martin said with complacency. "Wow! Doctor Taylor, you are amazing, but how do you do that?" Felix asked enthusiastically. "We do the technique of destroying selected neurons to erase specific memories." Then Doctor Taylor started to discuss the process which they cannot understand most of it except for Jacob that is in the field of medicine. But even he, himself was amazed at this breakthrough. "So, we will change Senator Rizza''s appearance through surgery, then erase some of her memories. But she will still have the memory of her identity intact except for the fact that she cannot prove it because she will become literally stupid and ugly." Jacob summarized it for them. "Exactly." President Martin nodded his head. They thought that the Parker''s chamber is already a sinister form of torture until President Martin talks about changing a person''s appearance. But both of them became petty compared to memory erasure. Senator Rizza, who looks like she is part of planning a person''s annihilation because of her presence in the room looked like her soul had already slipped away from her. Hearing them all plan about how to torture her is already torturing her. Their words are mentally destroying her already. Senator Rizza laughed as if she had already lost her sanity. "Experiment...research. Stupid. Do you think it will work on me?" Senator Rizza said. Doctor Taylor''s neck became rigid. Is this woman doubting my life''s prized work? "Don''t worry Senator Rizza, I will assure you that it will. It always did. Did you missed the part when we said that I already perfected it?" Doctor Taylor sounded like he is an insane person as well. He looked at her like the way he looked at a lab rat making the Senator scared as hell. "So, you''ve done this before?" Jacob asked. "Of course, a couple of times." Doctor Taylor said proudly. "Remember Mayor Hall?" President Martin said making everyone turned to look at him. Who wouldn''t remember Mayor Hall? He was the one that said to ambushed President Martin and Madam Victoria and stole the Galaxy and sold it to Aivy later on. But he was proven not guilty by the law, but not by the Robin Hood Society''s law. After a year, Mayor Hall disappeared. Some said that he went hiding afraid that the predecessors or the members of the Robin Hood Society will go after him. But a couple of years ago, a man appeared claiming that he is Mayor Hall saying that President Martin is still alive and he was abducted by the Robin Hood Society. He even said that he was detained in an underground cell which he assumed to be the headquarters of the Robin Hood Society. But no one believed him, simply because his looks are different from Mayor Hall not even a slight resemblance. Not only that, he knows that he used to be a Mayor but can''t even remember the ordinance that he passed as a Mayor. He used to study law but he cannot even state some of it. He even performed a DNA test and broadcasted it live but the result came negative. After that, he was branded as an insane man who was trying so hard to convince everyone that he is Mayor Hall. But the truth is, he is in fact, the real Mayor Hall. Chapter 651 - Sentenced "So, you did this kind of thing to Mayor Hall?" Stefan asked pensively. "Yes, we did." Doctor Taylor nodded his head. "Doctor Miller changed his appearance first through surgery first then after that, Mayor Hall was detained here until I came." "Right, I''ve heard about a ''fake Mayor Hall'' appeared in public a couple of years ago in the news. It became a sensation because the man was sure that he is Mayor Hall but the public only thinks that he is crazy. It turns out that he is the real Mayor Hall after all." Felix said remembering the news that broke out a couple of years ago. Senator Rizza also thought about it, she even remembers that time when Mayor Hall was making a scandal outside their ancestral house asking to talk to her grandfather. He said that he will prove to him that he is Mayor Hall. Mayor Hall has been involved with the Paz family. He has been embezzling government funds and her grandfather found out about it. But instead of reporting him, her grandfather promised to protect him. But in return, Mayor Hall has to give him 50% of whatever amount that he would embezzle. But the Robin Hood Society found out about Mayor Hall''s inappropriate dealings and stole from him then later on exposed him. Fortunately, her grandfather has been meticulous when dealing with Mayor Hall that even if Mayor Hall claims that the Paz family is receiving a bribe from him, he doesn''t have any evidence against them. "Wow, I thought after what Mayor Hall has done to President Martin and Madam Victoria and after stealing the Galaxy that belonged to Miss J, you just let it slide. So, where is Mayor Hall right now?" Felix asked with curiosity. After the humiliation that he gets, he wonders what had become of him. "He was last spotted in Crocus, working as a fisherman." President Martin said casually. "But don''t worry Senator Rizza, you won''t end up as a fisherman," Jacob said when she noticed that Senator Rizza has become paler and sweat beads were visible on her face. "Being a fisherman is a decent job. I don''t think you deserve any decency." Jacob said with a cocked head. He looked at the Senator with a murderous glint in his eyes. But a merciful death is not what she deserves as well. At least not when Jacob is around. President Martin inhaled deeply. "Okay, this meeting ends here. Tomorrow, we''ll commence as planned. We''ll meet the knew Rizza Paz." Senator Rizza snapped back from her daze. She knew that this might be the end of her if she didn''t try to appeal. At least she should try. "P-president M-martin...Please, I beg of you. Please spare me." Into everyone''s surprise, Senator Rizza fell down on her knees in front of President Martin. But President Martin just raise a brow at her. "Let''s see if you can convince me." President Martin said with a challenging tone. "I-I...I didn''t. It was my fault. I shouldn''t have tried to assassinate your daughter. I...I just did it because I thought that she was the one who stole my money and keeps on messing up with me." Senator Rizza said with her head lowered trying hard not to stutter but she still did. "Are you saying that it should''ve been me?" President Martin said with a smirk. "What? No!" Senator Rizza suddenly realized the wrong words that she used. "It looks like you already became slow-witted Senator Rizza," Jacob said mockingly. "Jacob..." Jacob raised a brow at her. "I mean, Chairman Jacob. Please, forgive me." Senator Rizza turned to Jacob still in her bended knees. "My, what should I do now about it. Didn''t anyone warn you not to go against me? And to make your life worse, you dared to assassinate my wife. In front of me? You sure think highly of yourself if you think that killing my wife would make you a legend. As if I am going to let that happen. You don''t deserve my mercy, Senator Rizza. Moreso, my forgiveness." Jacob said in an icy tone. "Well then, you''ve been sentenced." President Martin said then he stood up. What? So it was a trial? Senator Rizza''s thought was in a total mess. "I already had Peter prepared a room for you, Senator Rizza. Please rest well as tomorrow is going to be a tough day for you." President Martin said then he was followed by Leo. His right-hand man Peter together with Arthur will take Senator Rizza to her room in that underground chamber but before that, Doctor Miller gave them some order. "She will undergo a couple of surgery tomorrow. So please, do not give her anything by mouth after 12 midnight." Doctor Miller ordered as if she was preparing a regular patient for surgery tomorrow. Chapter 652 - The Lawsuit Senator Rizza''s mind is in a blur. Everything is in slow motion ever since she was escorted by the man named Peter out of that secret room. They are now walking down the hallway. Peter was not aggressive nor assertive when he takes Senator Rizza out of the secret room since Senator Rizza was not fighting back in the first place. It seems that Senator Rizza hasn''t completely understood her situation. She is in a state of denial. The way they talked about how to punish her in front of her seems like a nightmare. She thought she was just dreaming and it is not really going to happen. Or maybe, she thinks that they were just trying to scare her. She was wondering, would they really do that kind of thing? But thinking about what happened to Mayor Hall, it seems like they were not just scaring her. She had seen that ''fake Mayor Hall'' personally. And thou the man insists that he is the real Mayor Hall, he cannot prove himself. Everything that the ''fake Mayor Hall'' says about what the Robin Hood Society did to him was exactly the same as what they were about to do to her. Suddenly, Senator Rizza stopped in her tracks and snaps back into reality. It seems like she has been walking in a daze. She looked around the hall and asked in an aggressive tone. "Where are you taking me?" "In your room," Peter speaks for the first time. Senator Rizza brazenly tried to push Peter on the wall but the man was like a stone and didn''t even move an inch. "This is a kidnapping, I can sue you in court. This is a serious crime and you can be punished with imprisonment or death sentence!" It seems like Senator Rizza is getting awaken and started to realize the situation she is in. Felix chuckled. "Yes, you could do that, later once you get out of here." He said smugly. Thou they don''t really have plans on detaining her for a long time when the time comes that she will be released, it is doubtful if her mental state will allow her to file a lawsuit against them. "But wait, is this kidnapping? We didn''t force her to come. She came with us willingly, so, I don''t think this is kidnapping. Right, Arthur?" Stefan rubbed his chin and looked at Arthur. Even thou it was Peter and Arthur who were supposed to take Senator Rizza in her room. Felix who was still disguised as General Grady and Stefan tag along. "I think false imprisonment is more appropriate," Arthur said in a cold tone. Senator Rizza looked at them in bewilderment. Are these guys really discussing what lawsuit should I file against them in front of me? "Hmm...you are right. Kidnapping is taking her away by force against her will. But she voluntarily comes with us. While we are detaining her against her will. So this is false imprisonment. Those are two separate crimes. So, Senator Rizza, you may file a lawsuit against us and could be awarded money damages as compensation for any injuries or emotional distress we will cause you." Felix stated while nodding his head seriously. Senator Rizza was dumbfounded. Are these people stupid? They obviously know what crimes they are committing an even giving her idea of what lawsuit she should file against them. Her situation is making her confused. She didn''t know now if she should believe these people''s words or not. Will they just detain her? Will they really let her go after this? Are they really going to perform some kind of plastic surgery on her? Are they really going to erase some of her memory? Are they really going to torture her? Or they were just saying those sinister things in front of her just to scare her? She was still in a state of puzzlement when Peter speaks. "That''s enough. Let''s go." Wow! This stone man sounds domineering. Felix and Stefan looked at each other. This is the first time that they met and work with President Martin''s right-hand man. The rumors were true that Peter and Leo were at the same level of impassiveness and coldness. It was just right that Arthur became the right-hand man of the heiress of the Robin Hood Society because he is no different from them. When they came to the room the Robin Hood Society prepared for Senator Rizza, the latter becomes dumbfounded again. The room was an addition to her confusion. She expected to be confined in a cold, dirty, dark and smelly detention cell where you eat, sleep and poop on the same floor. But the room is nowhere near to her expectations. Is this really the way how the Robin Hood Society treats their detainees? By confining them into a room that could match those of a five-star hotel? Chapter 653 - Enhanced Interrogation The room is large with a three-meter ceiling adorned with an elegant decorative chandelier with three tiers of metal and clear glass rods encircle the light source, creating a subtle ambient lighting effect. There''s a dressing room that''s as big as the circular black and white marble bathroom next door. One look, you''ll think that you are on a vacation and not a detainee. Arthur said something to Peter and then the latter left leaving the astounded Senator Rizza at the foot of the bed with the three men standing behind her. "This is going to be your room for the night as well as tomorrows. As for the nights after that, you''ll choose among the three rooms that the Twelve Army prepared for you." Senator Rizza was startled when she heard Arthur speak behind her. She thought that they already left when she heard the door closes but apparently, the three guards of the heiress were left with her. She turned around and saw these three drop-dead gorgeous men standing behind her. If the circumstances were different, she would seem like a dog with two tails having these men in the same room as her. But the way their eyes look at her is something that you would not wish to look at. They look like a bull ready to charge at any moment if provoked. "Say, are we here for a payback?" Stefan said lazily while tucking his hands in his pocket. "Do you think Boss would mind?" Felix said with a malicious smile. "He wouldn''t," Arthur said with a cold glint in his eyes. "What payback are you thinking about?! I didn''t do anything to you!" Senator Rizza still has the nerve to shout at them. Arthur cocked his head while Stefan and Felix look at her in amusement. "You are right, you didn''t. But..." Felix nodded his head. "You tried to assassinate our heiress." Stefan continued in a matter of fact tone. Upon hearing that, Senator Rizza narrowed her eyes at the three men."What is it about her that you are willing to commit crimes just to protect her?" "What is it about money and reputation that you are willing to kill for it?" Felix mimicked her. Senator Rizza snickered. "My money and reputation is everything while your heiress is a bitch. Does your boss share her with you? Is she good in bed?" Her words made Felix and Stefan behind Arthur went ballistic. "You..." The look on their faces seemed like they have forgotten that the person in front of her is a woman. They wouldn''t care as long as they get their hands wrapped around her neck. Senator Rizza was startled and takes a step back. She didn''t really think that they would attack her. She thought that they were too lenient on her. But Arthur stopped them. "I thought you don''t hit a woman." His voice was disturbingly calm. His eyes were glaring intently into the Senator in front of him making the latter unease. "That depends on who is the woman you are referring to. If you are referring to this woman, I don''t mind. I don''t see her as a woman at all." Stefan who was the most laid back among the four said with a greeted teeth. "Who told you I don''t hit a woman?" Felix said as he smoothened his suit that has become crumpled when Arthur stopped him from strangling Senator Rizza. "Back when I was sent as an aid to the military, I was one of those who would torture some terrorists that they capture to gain information. And there were women among them. But they don''t call it torture. They called it enhanced interrogation." "Of course, as expected. The military would use innocuous words in place of torture to make it sound nonoffensive or pleasant." Stefan said casually. And then, they started to talk about physical torture in front of Senator Rizza who is already suffering from mental torture. "So, how do you do that?" Stefan asked with curiosity. Felix''s eyes glint with excitement. "How about I show you?" Senator Rizza''s head snapped at Felix. "Here?" Then she turned her head to look at Stefan who spoke. "Yes, here." Felix nodded his head with a grin. Senator Rizza looked at the two men. Are they talking about torturing me? She thought then she looked at Arthur he seemed indifferent. Who knows what is running in that head of his? But the truth is, he is quite enjoying this. "Okay, so which one should we do first?" Stefan said then he turned to look at Senator Rizza whose eyes had widened. "Uhm..." Felix rubbed his chin. "Waterboarding. Lets bound her to a declined board with her feet raised. Wrap her face then pour water on her face." Felix said with excitement. Chapter 654 - Mental Torment Senator Rizza''s heart started pounding on her chest making her catch her breath. Are they going to kill her by drowning her? "You don''t have declined board here," Arthur said nonchalantly. He has taken a seat on a chair in the corner of the room. "Oh, right," Felix said as if he realized something. "How about stress position?" Stress positions are a form of torture where the victims are forced to stand, handcuffed and with their feet shackled to an eye bolt in the floor or wall, for more than 40 hours, causing their weight to be placed on just one or two muscles. This creates an intense amount of pressure on the legs, leading first to pain and then muscle failure. Senator Rizza started sweating. "You don''t have cuffs or shackles." Arthur again said. Hearing this, Stefan looked at Arthur then he turned to Felix. "Why didn''t you bring one if you planned on torturing Senator Rizza?" Felix shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well I never thought of that. We can just strike her abdomen, or slap her and shake her. We won''t need a device." Senator Rizza started shaking and felt dizzy. Why don''t they just do what they are saying instead of discussing those things in front of her making her mentally tormented? Physical pain is better than mental pain. Stefan shook his head. "I always thought that the military''s form of torture is too lenient." "Well, they only do that to gain information," Felix replied. "But we are not after information here. We are after punishment." Stefan said. They seemed to have lost the interest of physically torturing the Senator. It should be good but Senator Rizza felt like she is already losing her sanity. Arthur watched as Senator Rizza slumped herself on the bed. Her hands clasped on her chest while trying to catch her breath. Thou the lights of the room is dimmed, her face has obviously paled. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. Being born from a rich family, Senator Rizza was used to be overindulged. She gets whatever she wants in excess. She only sees the world in her own perspective making her a self-centered person. She thinks that she is the only woman in the world that when another person got what she wants, she would go nuts and will try to obliterate them thinking that it is what they deserve. She doesn''t have any experience of pain and suffering. All she had and know is grandiosity. So, the thought of her in pain is nerve-wracking enough to put her in this state. Arthur has been observing her earlier. The conversation earlier about how to punish her through surgery and memory erasure made her confused and scared at the same time. But it seems that she is still not believing that it is possible. That they would really go to that extent. That is the purpose of her presence in that room. To make her experience fear. To make her confuse what is reality and nightmare. And now, it is time to make her thought of pain before letting her experience it in the next days. Arthur stood up from his seat and walk towards Senator Rizza. As much as he wanted to avoid an egoistic person like her, that can''t be help especially when she is unreasonably aggressive towards the person he is protecting. "Senator Rizza, you did this to yourself by thinking that you are more important than anybody else. Do you think you are the only one who deserves adoration? There are other people who deserve that more than you." "Do you think you are the only one who can steal another person''s money that when someone stole yours, you would go ballistic and just go around ordering everyone to assassinate someone?" "The world doesn''t revolve around you, and you only. You''ll realize that in the coming days." Arthur surprised Stefan and Felix by speaking a lot of words within just five minutes. He must''ve been too disgusted by her to say a lot of words. But sometimes, words are not enough to express one''s anger and disgust. Senator Rizza raised her head to look at Arthur. "Can you...let...me go? I-I''ll pay...what...ever amount. What...e-ever y-you wants." Senator Rizza stuttered. This is her last chance to plead. Because it seems that tomorrow, her nightmares will turn into reality. "Whatever we want?" Arthur asked then cocked his head. "I''m afraid, we''ll never get what we want if we let you go." He said in a cold tone. "And besides, Doctor Miller and Doctor Taylor will kill us if we release their lab rat," Felix added with amusement. It seems like Senator Rizza finally realized what she got herself into. Without a word, Arthur turned to leave. Seeing that they are already done, Felix said. "Rest well, Senator Rizza." Then they followed Arthur. Chapter 655 - A baby in her arms Meanwhile, J knew what was going on when everyone left leaving Daniel behind to watch over her. But she didn''t mind because she has visitors that kept her preoccupied. Hannah Li insisted on visiting her when she found out about the assassination attempt a couple of days ago. She brought her daughter with her. This is probably the reason why Daniel didn''t mind it when he was left with her. J let Daniel with his wife and baby daughter in their house. She was sure that Jacob wouldn''t mind. She even prepared dinner for the family which the latter was hesitant at first but in the end, they chose to eat since J will be eating with them as well and it would seem rude and awkward if they would just stand there and watch her eat alone. J is now holding the baby girl in her hand. And she just cannot hide the fondness in her eyes. "She''s so beautiful," J whispered afraid that she would wake the baby that has fallen asleep in her hands. J always thought that babies are the purest form of life on the earth. They are as pure as an angel. Hannah Li smiled. "Yes, she is. I see you have the gift of calming them." "Huh?" J looked at Hannah innocently. "The moment you had her in your arms, she eventually stopped crying and falls asleep." Hannah Li chuckled. "Oh, is that so?" J said nonchalantly because she never thought of that. This was the first time that she ever held a baby in her arms since Timothy. And Timothy is now 4-year old. "And you look good with a baby. Am I right, sweetheart?" Hannah said then she glanced at Daniel who was just silently sitting on a chair watching them. "Hmm." Daniel, a man of few words nodded his head. J felt delighted and shy at the same time. "Don''t you have any plans of having a baby yet?" Hannah Li suddenly asked making her blush. J looked at the direction of Daniel and Daniel eventually understands that this is girl talk. So, he excused himself and decided to stay at Jacob''s office instead. "We have..." J said after Daniel left them. "But we haven''t been blessed." J smiled shyly while her gaze is fixed on the baby in her arms. J doesn''t know how to identify who a baby looks like if it is the father or the mother. And since the baby in her hand is a beautiful girl, she thinks that she looked like her mother. She looks so soft and sweet, unlike Daniel who is kind of impassive and stern. "Don''t worry. You are still young. You''ll be blessed one of these days." Hannah Li said as if she was sure of it. "By the way, I''ve heard about the assassination attempt. I''m glad that you are safe." Hannah Li said. She is a conversant person, J thought internally and she was thankful because if it wasn''t for that, it would be a little awkward since she doesn''t know how to start a conversation. "Yeah. I''m sorry that I put Daniel''s life in danger." J said apologetically. "Don''t feel guilty about it, it is our job to protect people. And it is not their fault that they need protection. It''s just that there are people who cannot accept how other people show their kindness unconventionally." Hannah Li smiled to console her. By the way, she speaks. J could tell that Hannah is an open-minded person. J was enjoying chatting with Hannah Li that she didn''t mind that she is holding the baby in her arms for a long time already. Hannah wanted to take the baby from her afraid that her arms might sore after holding the baby for too long but J insisted that it was fine. She hasn''t held a baby close to her for long that she became excited about it. As a nurse, she was never assigned to the OB or the pediatric ward, so she never had a chance to cuddle a baby. At the OR, she was able to pull out a baby from her mother''s womb but she would have to pass the baby eventually to its pedia. Not lasting a minute in her arm. They were not even allowed to hold the baby closer to their chest. Suddenly, the door was opened from the outside. Jacob entered followed by Daniel behind. His heart melted at the sight of his wife holding a baby in her arms. Thou the baby is not hers, the sight was so beautiful and it made him excited about the future. J smiled at Jacob not knowing how Jacob feels at that moment. "Hey, you''re here," J said. Thou she has been calling Jacob ''Honey'' whenever they are alone. She was still shy in calling him that way in the presence of others. Chapter 656 - Making Friends "Chairman Jacob," Hannah Li quickly stood up when she saw who arrived. "Miss Hannah Li," Jacob bowed his head to greet the visitor. "Thank you for visiting my wife." He smiled showing his gratefulness. Hannah Li felt shy and a little awkward at the presence of her husband''s boss. "It''s nothing. I hope you don''t mind that I came without further notice. I even brought my daughter with me." Jacob smiled. "Of course I don''t mind and I was glad you did. Whatever makes my wife happy." Jacob said and look at J with fondness. He likes what he is seeing in J''s face. "Your daughter grows up fast," Jacob said fighting the urge to snatch the baby from J''s arms. "Yes, that''s true and false at the same time." Hannah Li said while looking at her daughter gently. J and Jacob looked at her with confusion on their faces. Seeing the confusion in Jacob and J''s face, Hannah smiled at them. "I mean, it''s true that babies grow so fast, but every moment I spent with her nothing seems fast at all, it was like an eternity. You''ll understand when you have a baby of your own." Hannah Li chuckled. "Once you have your own, spend more time with her and cherish every tiny moment. Because you''ll never notice it until the little baby in your arms is gone and replaced by a young man." Hannah Li continued. "Now you are making me guilty about giving Daniel too much work." Jacob scratched the back of his head. Hannah Li was taken aback. It wasn''t her intention to sound like she is complaining that Daniel spends most of his time with J than his daughter. "Jacob!" J glared at him worried that he might''ve offended Daniel''s wife. "Oh, I didn''t mean anything about that. I know Daniel understands what I mean, right?" Jacob said then turns to look at Daniel who was standing silently behind him. "Yes, Boss." Daniel nodded his head. "By the way, have you had dinner?" Jacob changed the topic to avoid making Hannah Li feel awkward. "Yes, Miss J prepared dinner for us." Hannah Li suddenly became timid. "Good, I was worried that my wife will lose appetite eating alone. I''m glad she had your company." Jacob said then reached to stroke the cheeks of J who was still sitting on the sofa and holding the baby. Then Jacob glanced at the sleeping baby on her hands. He felt a sense of longing. "You want to hold her?" J saw the look on his face and asked. "Nah. I''m afraid I might squeeze her." Jacob chuckled. The two couples continued chatting until it was time for Daniel and Hannah to leave. "Thanks for the visit," J said as they send Daniel and Hannah at the lobby of the main building. Daniel is already holding his daughter in his arms. "Your welcome. I hope, your arms don''t get sored after holding the baby for too long." Hannah said apologetically glancing at her arms. "Don''t worry about it. I enjoyed it. I hope you could visit often." J said glancing at Daniel. She is sending the message to him indirectly telling him to bring his wife and daughter more frequently. "I''ll try." Hannah smiled back at her then looked at Daniel and her baby. "We better get going." J nodded her head and the family of three left leaving her and Jacob at the lobby. There were few lights turned on in the lobby not making it totally dark. J and Jacob walked back to their home with hands intertwined. "It seemed that you are starting to enjoy making new friends," Jacob commented making J pout her lips. "She''s easy to get along with," J said casually. She doesn''t believe in making new friends as it was easy. She believes that friends will casually come and you''ll never notice that you just made real friends when they stayed. She is not the type of person that will try hard to impress and make friends. "I''ll make sure to have her and her baby around you more often," Jacob said. Especially now that Diana and Timothy cannot just go and visit her. While J cannot just leave the Twelve Army Headquarters. "And why is that?" She asked. "I can see how happy you are with the presence of the baby," Jacob said and looked at her with tenderness. They were already at the elevator. "Huh?" J didn''t realize how happy she looked with a baby in her arms. "I can''t wait to have a baby of our own. I am sure you are going to be the most beautiful and gentle mother." Jacob said sounding like he was in a dream. But J suddenly felt downcast. They''ve been trying for a while now to get pregnant but they are in no luck. "What if..." J trailed but Jacob eventually noticed the sadness in her eyes. Chapter 657 - Talking in my dreams "Hey, Honey." Jacob faced her and raised her chin. "Yes, I am longing to have a child of our own but you are more important to me than anything else." "With a baby or not, as long as you are here with me. I''m contented and happy." Jacob smiled and consoled her with a hug and kiss. "So, how did it go?" J asked once they were in bed under the covers. "Hmm?" Jacob played innocent. "You know what I''m talking about." J rolled her eyes then spread Jacob''s arm so she could use it as a pillow. Jacob chuckled. As expected of his wife. He cannot hide anything from her. He turns on his side and face her then wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. "She''s in your father''s custody. She''ll be punished for what she had done to you." Jacob said on top of her head before he kissed it. "As I told you, you don''t have to know how are we going to punish her. As long as you know that she''ll get her punishment, that should be enough. Leave everything to me. Okay?" J nodded her head indicating that she understands but she became curious when Jacob said that Senator Rizza is in her dad''s custody. She raised her head to look at him then asked. "Why is she in my Dad''s custody? Isn''t she supposed to be in the basement?" Jacob realized that J didn''t know about the existence of the underground facility at Naupaka Mountain. So, she probably didn''t even know about President Martin''s form of punishment. "Hmm...Dad wants to get his own revenge first. After he''s done, Senator Rizza will be transported here." Jacob said avoiding her gaze. J narrowed her eyes. "When you said revenge, is it physical or psychological?" she asked. Through observation and analyzing the circumstances, she had found out Jacob''s sinister way of punishing his offender and that is by psychological torture. As for the specifics, she cannot find any clue. "Let''s just say, it was both." Jacob knew that one day, she''ll found out about it. But he cannot explain it to her right now. Maybe later. J raised a brow at her. "You know one day or another I''ll find out about it, right?" "Yes, and I''ll be the one to tell you," Jacob said ending the topic. But J refused to end it yet. "It seems like everyone wants to get their revenge," J said. She was right, while President Martin, Arthur, and Jacob are getting their revenge at Senator Rizza for trying to assassinate her, J gets her revenge at Senator Rizza for trying to seduce her husband in front of her. For years, the Twelve Army and the Robin Hood Society had to put their own law in their hands especially to those who tried to harm them. And J understands it because the government''s law and justice system can be unfair and bias sometimes. Especially when the person involves is one of the governments or a member of a powerful clan. "Honey," Jacob said after a while. "Hmm?" "Are you still awake?" He asked thou it was obvious that she is still awake. So J replied sarcastically. "No, I am in deep sleep talking to my dreams." Jacob chuckled. "Could you turn around?" Jacob asked. "Why?" Jacob asked in return. "Nothing...just...a a change in position." Jacob tried to come up with a good reason so that J would oblige without probing further. But J didn''t reply, instead, she turns her body around resting jer back on Jacob''s chest. While Jacob keeps his hand on her waist. Jacob smiled. Then after a while, J felt his hand cupped one of her breasts and played on her nipple. Her eyes opened wide. Her face turned beet red. "W-what are you doing?" She asked embarrassed. "Mm...giving you a massage," Jacob replied casually. "Aren''t you supposed to massage my..." J had to take a deep breath because Jacob''s hand cupped her other breast "...back." "Who said that you only need to massage your back? This one needs massage as well." Jacob whispered on top of her ears sending tingles in her abdomen. "Honey, is it me or your breast became more tender? And these little buds, they are more sensitive." Jacob whispered to her ears. He had to change position so that he could lean closer to her ear. "I like it..." Jacob said before he kissed the tip of her ear down to her exposed neck. While J had lost her words at the sensation that Jacob''s hand and lips are giving her. "I''m glad that you get used to this kind of clothes," Jacob said talking about the one-piece laced satin nightdress that J is wearing. J just moaned in reply. As he was saying that, his hands were already traveling down. "It''s easier to penetrate," Jacob whispered seductively in her ears. And in a blink of an eye, Jacob''s hands found J''s sensitive spot down there. "J-Jacob..." J gasped and arched her body making her head lean back to Jacob. Chapter 658 - Retirement Place Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, in a city at the northern edge of the mountain range that forms the natural border between two countries, Elder Parker is taking a stroll to one of the city''s famous boulevards enjoying the scenic view of the mountain range. "I see you find yourself a perfect place to spend your golden years Elder Parker," Lance said while walking alongside with Elder Parker. Since it is summer in the city, Lance is wearing casual summer shorts and a t-shirt and a pair of loafers. He looked like a celebrity wearing a classic aviator sunglasses trying to escape the limelight by taking a vacation in a not so populated yet worthy to spend a vacation place. "You are right, young man. I don''t like the dense city lifestyle and its exorbitant cost of living." Elder Parker said thou almost 90 years old, he still exudes that strong and domineering aura from him. He could still walk without any aid or anyone helping him. One would be surprised if they found out that the old man lives alone in that city away from his family and friends. "Why here among other retirement places? You could''ve chosen, Mt. Celandine or Hellebore if you want high altitudes like this or Crocus or Lantana if you want a place near the ocean?" Lance asked. If he wanted to take that old man back to Lotus City, he has to get his trust first. The day that he visited J at Twelve Army with Lily and her parents, he found the location of Elder Parker with the help of some of the best trackers in the Society. He even asked for Leo''s help. Knowing that he is the best when it comes to tracking people. Until finally he succeeded and the moment he receives the news, he eventually booked a flight. Thou he told Lily that he will be gone for a few days for a business trip, he didn''t tell her that that business involves her grandfather. He has to make sure that the old man is really in the place that he was told. He didn''t even tell J about it to avoid giving them false hope. And now that he indeed found the old man, he has to convince him to go back to Lotus City with him. If he succeeded in convincing him, he''ll tell J and Lily. He if failed, he''ll ask help from Jacob or J. "Hmm¡­don''t you think this place is a perfect retirement place? The arts, the culture, the scenery, the climate, the boulevard where you can take a stroll not worrying that someone might suddenly press a gun or knife on your backside and ask for your money or watch, the castles and of course, the low cost of living." Elder Parker said then he stopped in one of the small panels in the boulevard. The boulevard runs along a terrace over the cliff. It is a perfect place for morning jogs and an exceptionally romantic place during the sunset. Lance chuckled. "You worry too much about living expenses when you can even buy one of the castles here with your wealth." "Ah¡­my wealth. I already left them to my son and grandchildren." Elder Parker said then he started walking again. Lance just followed him. Finally, Lance finds the right chance to talk about the topic involving his grandchildren especially those that concern Jacob and J. "Right, your grandchildren were looking for you. Especially, Jacob." "That boy. He is too capable, even much capable than me. What else does he want from me? I even got him a wife." Lance can''t help but smile internally. The old man is giving him chances to talk about Jacob and J. He''ll find out the reason for their marriage in time. "They wanted to find out why did you and Elder Do arranged their marriage," Lance said not sounding like he is getting information from him. "What for? It''s not like they are against it anyway." Lance was taken aback but he didn''t show it to the old man. It looks like he knows that the relationship between Jacob and J had developed in a romantic way. So, it turns out that Elder Parker has been monitoring his family back in Lotus City after all. Does Elder Parker also know that he is Lily''s boyfriend? That his whole family now is a member of the Robin Hood Society. That J recently had an assassination attempt. That Jack Ogden, his old friend came attempting to make chaos in the Robin Hood Society and the Twelve Army. And that his grandson, Alex Ogden is trying to steal the woman he chose for his son to be his wife? Chapter 659 - He Knows When Lance came in that city, he immediately went to the address that was said to be the Elder Parker''s current address. His family knows that he went nomadic, traveling from places to another place. But it turns out that Elder Parker has been living in this city for quite sometimes now. The Twelve Army searched in all the tourist spots and even in the most peaceful place but never in the best retirement place in the world since they thought that the old man was just traveling. They never thought that he preferred to retire overseas. The city where he chose to retire is not an easy place to go to. There is no direct flight from Lotus City. One must transfer from one flight to another to get there. And the last one should be via charter plane. The travel time takes 20 hours in total. Elder Parker''s house is a beautifully restored old house. The place is absolutely dreamy with privacy and tranquility. The single storey house consists of a spacious living and dining room leading to a large terrace overlooking the grounds and forest, an open kitchen with a dining area, a large office with an open fireplace, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, laundry, a fabulous wine cellar, and two terraces. The setting is idyllic, surrounded by green forest and at the back is a pretty stream. The house is the total opposite of his grand mansion back in the Lotus City. Lance introduced himself as a member of the Robin Hood Society and the adviser of its heiress. His identity is enough for the old man not to suspect him. But the old man didn''t even ask further questions to confirm his identity. As if he had known him and expected his arrival Elder Parker welcomed him and even prepared breakfast for him. After eating breakfast, he invited him for a jog at a famous boulevard. "They were, at first," Lance said. "And now, it seems that they were just too in love with each other that because of that, Jacob is ready to declare war against someone who is claiming to be J''s supposed husband." Seeing that Elder Parker went silent, Lance continued. "Jack Ogden has been threatening to harm the Parkers, your family if J didn''t leave Jacob and get married to his grandson Alex," Lance said while watching Elder Parker''s reaction. But the old man''s face remained impassive, he can''t tell what he was thinking. So, he continued. "Jacob is worried, that J might sacrifice herself to protect your family." Lance deliberately stated the fact that it is his family that J is trying to protect. "Jacob will declare war to protect your family and keep J by his side." Lance stopped when they stopped walking. He watched as Elder Parker gaze at the mountain range. Then he looked around until he found a bench. He walked towards it. Lance followed. Elder Parker sits at the bench. Lance remained standing waiting for the old man''s invitation. It took a while before Elder Parker realized that Lance is still standing. "What are you standing there for, young man? Waiting for an invitation?" Lance smiled politely. "I thought it was just right to wait for an invitation, as a sign of respect." Then he takes a seat beside the old man. Elder Parker scoff. "What can you get from kissing my ass, you already got my granddaughter." Lance chuckled. As expected, the old man knows a lot. "Well, maybe I could persuade you to come home with me," Lance said. "You are getting bolder, young man." Elder Parker commented. And Lance cannot tell if that was on a positive or on a negative note. ¡­. The next day, Senator Rizza was brought in an Operating Room which she didn''t expect in that underground facility. She screamed and shouted at the bulky man that forcibly carried her in that room. She cursed at them, scratch them, and even threatened them earning her a mocking laugh from them. She still managed to be arrogant in a situation where she is at a great disadvantage. Lying on the operating table where her four limbs and head are strapped so tight that she can''t even move them. And if she tried and struggle she might break her limbs and neck causing the additional torture that she''ll bring to herself. Above her is a huge mirror where she could see herself clearly. From the mirror, she could see the reflection of the people a few feet from her doing their own stuff. She called them names and shouted at them frantically. But no one gave her attention. "Should we put duct tape on her mouth? For a woman with such beauty and background, she''s got a very filthy mouth." She heard one of them said. "And noisy." Another one butted in. "Doctor Miller, can we shut her up for a moment so that we could work peacefully?" The person who suggested a duct tape turned and asked Doctor Miller. Chapter 660 - Special Participation Doctor Miller pondered for a moment. "Okay, but just for now. We''ll have to remove it later on so that we could work on her lips." "Yes!" One of them exclaimed and take out the duct tape. He walks towards the table where Senator Rizza is lying. But before he could put a piece of duct tape on her mouth, Senator Rizza was able to bit his hand. "Ah! Shit!" The man was slightly pained and cursed at Senator Rizza but it didn''t stop him from putting the duct tape on her mouth. "I''ll get at you later, you''ll see. I''ll never let this slide!" The man said angrily at her. But Senator Rizza was still glaring and shouting at him with a muffled voice. "That''s enough." Then Doctor Miller walked to her holding a marker. She examined Senator Rizza''s beautiful face then draw lines in it with a disturbing smile. "What a beautiful face." She said then looked at Senator Rizza''s reflection on the mirror above her. "Enjoy this sight while it is there. Because after today, you''ll never get to see this face anymore." Doctor Miller said then left the table. Senator Rizza''s eyes widened but she still continued to scream and send glare at everyone. The door opens. "Arthur, you''re here. We could start now." Miller said when she saw Arthur enters in complete set of sterile gown. Arthur didn''t say anything and just nodded his head then looked at the woman on the table. Senator Rizza heard the name of the newcomer. She knows who Arthur is, she first wanted him to be her personal security but unfortunately, the man was already appointed as the heiress''s right-hand man that made her more annoyed at the woman. She wondered what is he doing here. "I was surprised when President Martin said that you wanted to have a special participation in this operation." Doctor Miller said. "I''ll leave once I''m done," Arthur said nonchalantly. "Oh. Okay, we''ll start in a moment then she can have your punishment." Doctor Miller raised her spectacles that slide down her nose then continued working. After a moment, Senator Rizza is screaming in pain under Arthur''s punishment despite that duct tape. Apparently, Arthur''s punishment is to inflict real physical pain towards the Senator by slicing her cheek with a scalpel without anesthesia. The room was filled with Senator Rizza''s muffled scream. There were four men holding her struggling body to keep her in place. Performing surgery to a woman without anesthesia is simply brutal. The scene is disturbingly barbaric. Senator Rizza''s punishment was started to be served. Whatever wrong she did against the Robin Hood Society whether it is big or small, her punishment will still be the same. It just happens that the person she wronged is not just somebody. It was the heiress of the Society which despite her coldness and aloofness is being doted on by her husband and personal security that has become unusually close to her. So her punishment will not come from just one group or person. There is a series of it. And each is remarkable on its own. .... Two days passed by and J was silently staring at Naupaka Mountain from the living room. It has been unusually and unexpectedly peaceful. Was this what they call the calm before the storm? J thought internally. She knew that Jacob has been dealing with Senator Rizza these past few days. She wondered what had happened to the Senator and where she is now. Arthur''s team has been sticking with her as always wherever she goes despite the fact that she is inside the headquarters of the Robin Hood Society. Yesterday news broke out about Senator Rizza''s disappearance. But the speculations were different. News says that she fled away. After her scandal with a lot of men and the legal proceedings going on against her regarding her bribery scandal, the public thought that it was just expected of her to escape and never return. But this made a lot of people angry at her because the fact remains that she escaped before she could get the punishment she deserves. But what they didn''t know is that the Senator already got the punishment she deserves. She stole people''s money so the Society stole from her to return it to the people. She seduced and had an affair with married men and now she is labeled as a home-wrecker. She tried to assassinate the heiress of the Robin Hood Society and now, thou her life was not taken, her identity was. Soon, her sanity will be taken as well. "Hey, what are you thinking?" J didn''t notice when Jacob arrived. It is almost sunset, after spending her morning at the clinic, J went home to take a nap and after that, she''s been lazy to leave the place. Chapter 661 - That night Jacob leaned and kissed her temple before he sits beside her on the sofa. "A lot," J replied to her question. Jacob raised a brow at her. "Like what?" "Hmm¡­Senator Rizza and Jack Ogden and now Lance." J said nonchalantly. "Worrying about other people when your husband is just sitting beside you is not right, don''t you think so?" Jacob teased her in an attempt to distract her thoughts because he knows what she was thinking. She has been wondering what happened to Senator Rizza. In just two days, Jack Ogden''s one-month ultimatum is about to end. Which means after that, he will be back to get Jacob''s answer if he is going to leave J to protect his family or is he going to go against him and declare war. And Lance has been missing these past couple of days, they cannot contact him and doesn''t know where he is. Although, he told Lily that he will be overseas for a business trip. But his family doesn''t know anything about this business trip. J jutted her lips outward and gave him a side-eye. "My husband is a very capable man. I have nothing to worry about him unless he''s thinking about leaving me." "Then you have nothing to worry about your husband." Jacob leaned to the sofa then wrapped his arms around her shoulder and pulled her closer to his body. J wanted to ask ''until when'' but stopped herself and chose to trust his words instead. "So where is the Senator?" She asked instead while they stayed in that position to watch the sunset behind Naupaka Mountain. "At the basement," Jacob replied casually. "Can I see her?" She asked hoping that Jacob would agree. She wanted to find out what her father did to her. Even thou her mother-in-law already told her not to go into the specifics with how the husbands do some of their shady and sometimes unethical way of dealing with thins, she can''t help but be curious. "Tomorrow. I''m afraid you''ll get nightmares if I take you there now." Jacob said which made J look at him with surprise. So he''ll be taking her to the basement tomorrow? Although he said that he will someday, she didn''t expect it to be this soon. "Okay." J nodded her head. "Uhm¡­what about Jack Ogden?" She asked after a while. "What about him?" Jacob asked acting indifferent about it as if it was something that they should not give much thought. J sighed. "You know what I''m talking about." Jacob chuckled. "Of course, I know what you are talking about. It''s just that, he is someone that you should not give much thought about. More so, Alex Ogden. They can keep on threatening us as much as they want but they cannot take you away from me nor hurt our family." While Jacob was saying that, his hand that was on her shoulder slip down on her arm and rubs it up and down. "You should keep that in mind, okay?" Jacob added. J nodded her head before she said, "Okay." "Have you heard from Lance?" She turned her body to face him and ask. "No, that asshole will get a word from me once he gets back for making my wife and sister worried." He said as he strokes her cheeks then rubs the crease that forms on her forehead from worrying. "I wonder where he went," J said leaning her head on Jacob''s palm. "He is a grown-up man. He knows what he is doing. By the way, are you sure you are feeling fine?" Jacob suddenly changed the topic obviously not wanting to talk about Lance or maybe to keep J from worrying too much. "Yes, why?" J said confused with the sudden irrelevant question. Jacob just stared at her as if studying every pore on the skin of her face. "Nothing." He said later on. The truth is, he has been worrying about her. She has been lazy and sleepy this past few days. As a medical practitioner he could count the conditions were he could associate these symptoms as well as the other that he noticed in her. But he doesn''t want to make conclusions yet. He doesn''t want to give her false hope. "I''ll cook dinner, what do you want to eat?" Jacob said. J raised her brow at him. "Are you sure you are going to cook?" She said with doubt. "You said it yourself, your husband is very capable. Are you now doubting my capabilities?" He said with a seductive smile. "No, it''s just that. You haven''t cooked for me before. Well except for that chowder which I can''t remember how it tastes." She replied. "What chowder?" Jacob already knew what she was talking about but wanted to tease her. "The one that you cooked for me the night that¡­" J eventually stopped when she remembers what happened that night after they ate the chowder that Jacob cooked for her. She started to blush and felt embarrass. Chapter 662 - That isn’t her "Honey¡­" Jacob said with anticipation ignoring her crimson face as if he didn''t notice. "Oh, forget about it." J averted her gaze. Damn. This is the reason why I prefer to not talk too much! J scolded herself internally. She is too embarrassed. "Right, I remember now. But why can''t you remember what it tastes?" Jacob said and rubbed his chin as if thinking about something. "Maybe the desert is more worth remembering," Jacob said nonchalantly. "Oh, God!" J covered her face in embarrassment. What dessert are you talking about? You pervert! She screamed at the back of her head. "What?" Jacob asked innocently. "Stop it!" her embarrassment became an irritation. "Honey¡­" "Jacob!" J glared at him. Jacob was about to speak but then remembered something. The least he wanted now is to make his wife angry, so he stops teasing her. "Ha-ha. Okay, I''ll stop. I''m just reminiscing. That is not something to be embarrassed about." That night was the first time they made love. And Jacob was right, it is something to be remembered and not be embarrassed about because they have been in love since then. Jacob reached out for her chin and lifted it up. He leaned in to kiss her crimson cheeks then his lips. His kiss turned into them making out on the sofa before he cooks their dinner. ¡­. The next day, Jacob takes J in the basement but it''s not what she expected. Instead of the basement where the chambers are, she is standing inside a huge control room in the 1st level basement where she could see a lot of monitors in front of here. "Jacob¡­" J called out for Jacob who is standing behind here. She couldn''t bring herself to call him ''Honey'' because aside from them, there were five men in front of the monitors plus Arthur''s team who was there as well. "Yes, Honey," Jacob answered. J turned around to look at him. Then she inched closer to him and whispered. "I thought you are going to take me to the basement." "We are in the basement, sweetheart," Jacob said perplexed. "No, I am talking about the basement where the chambers are," J said in a low voice that only Jacob could hear. "Oh, one at a time sweetheart. I told you, I''ll take you to see the basement, not the chambers." J frowned when she heard that. "You said, I''ll get to see Senator Rizza." "Yes, you will." The Jacob grab both her shoulders and turned her around. "Look there." Jacob pointed a finger at one of the monitors. J looked at it and takes a step closer to examine the monitor. All she could see is white. It took her a while before she realized that someone is in there lying on the bed. The person in there is wearing a white gown that reached until the ankle. She couldn''t tell if it was a girl or boy since the person is a skinhead. "Zoom it in. And give my wife a better vision of her face." She heard Jacob said from behind. The man on the chair in front of the monitors replied. "Yes, Boss." Then the footage on the monitor zoomed in and the angle changed giving J a better vision of the person''s face. J frowned. What she is seeing is a person, asleep. Aside from being skinhead, the person''s face has a lot of stitches and by the looks of it, it seems that the stitches were just two to three days old. The bandages were probably just removed. She looked like a character in a horror film where her face was experimented by a pyscho scientist. Except that the stitches were obviously done professionally. What confused her more is that she doesn''t know who that person is. She turned to look at Jacob with a confused face. She thought that they probably have shown her the wrong person. "Jacob, that isn''t her," J said. Jacob takes a step closer to her. "Honey, that''s her," Jacob said slowly for her to understand his every word. J was flustered. Then she turned and looked back at the person on the monitor. It took her sometime before she realized what happened. While looking at the person''s face filled with stitches, her eyes widened and unconsciously brought both her hands on her mouth. Her back bumps on Jacob''s chest when she instinctively takes a step back. "That''s¡­" J mumbled to herself. Seeing the shock in her face, Jacob decided to take her away from there. "Let''s go." Inside their bedroom. "What was that?" J asked. Her face still filled with confusion. "That''s Senator Rizza," Jacob replied in a serious tone. "Jacob, are you trying to fool me?" Jacob frowned. "No, sweetheart, why would I do that." "Look, honey. I know it is hard to believe but, that person really is Senator Rizza. That was her punishment." J looked more flustered. "Her punishment? You mean, that''s your way of punishment?" Chapter 663 - Repression Jacob sighed. "No, sweetheart. I know that you already found out how I punish those that goes against me and those that tried to harm you. You know what happened to CEO Wang, right?" Jacob saw J nods his head. "He was in one of the dark chambers where he was confined until he lost his sanity. We released them when the diagnosis was confirmed but when he attacks you in a shopping plaza, we realized that there were still memories of you that could trigger him and caused him to attack you. So, he was taken back here for further evaluation and he was released only when we were sure that he will be taken in a mental institution where he could not harm you." "Our way of punishment has always been like that," Jacob said nonchalantly seeing that J could take the information well enough. J nodded her head, she already had the idea and it was just now that Jacob personally told her about it. "Psychological torture," J mumbled to herself. "Then, what about JK and Stella? Are they in there as well?" J is sitting on the bed hugging a pillow while Jacob is sitting on a plush chair. Jacob shook his head. "No, JK is still in the rehabilitation center, while Stella is just at their home. Both have lost money and profession and they just seemed at a loss. If they want to get back to their usual glamorous life, they have to go back to zero. And that''s an insult to their pride and ego. But, just so you know, I''m not done with them yet. I''m just finding the perfect opportunity." J look at him with a blank face. "You''ll still have them in one of the chambers?" She asked. "Yes," Jacob replied without hesitation. "Is it necessary?" J thinks that JK and Stella''s punishment is already enough. What CEO Wang had as a punishment was just kind of sinister. "Yes," Jacob replied without a blink. "Why?" "Retribution. Seeking retribution has been rooted deeply in the human''s repertoire." Jacob calmly said. "But it can only intensify the injury making it hard for a person to move on," J replied, her eyes fixed on Jacob who is calmly sitting on the chair across her. "You are right. When Senator Rizza kissed me in front of you and you were sure that she was trying to seduce me in front of you. Did you felt, offended right? And your instinct tells you to seek retribution. Even thou her offense is not that grave, you still seek retribution which exceeds the offense that she committed. Why?" Jacob didn''t break their stare on each other. J was taken aback by his question. It was like he was throwing the questions back at her in an inconspicuous way. "Its¡­the thought makes me uncomfortable," J replied lowering her head. She doesn''t want to admit it but Jacob is making his point about retribution as punishment clear. "After you had your retribution, that event rarely cross your mind right? You moved on that easily. Thou if you didn''t have your revenge, you might still be able to move on but it will take a lot of time, right? Seeking retribution could intensify the injury and make it hard to move on unless you get that retribution." Jacob stated which made J nodded her head in agreement because that''s what she really felt. Her irritation towards that incident has lessened. "But isn''t it too harsh?" "They are guilty so, they deserve it." Jacob chuckled because he thought that J was thinking too much. He was supposed to tell her about the underground facility at the Naupaka Mountain and the form of punishment that President Martin has under his sleeves. But the topic drifted away from the supposed argument. He stood up and walked towards her in the bed. The bed dipped when he sits in front of her with one leg on the bed while the other one hanging on the side. "Severe punishments such as this prevents them from committing the same offense as they did. People might find out about this form of punishment that we are doing but they''ll see no evidence, instead, they''ll feel repressed. But that''s the sole purpose of it. To instill in people''s minds that any misstep against us, or to you, could cause them to be punished severely. But people are smart, they know that only those who try to offend us will be punished." This is how the Twelve Army and the Robin Hood Society put the law in their hands. This is how they perceive justice. Even without legal authority, as long as they are not being caught, they didn''t do anything wrong in the society. They were just seeking justice against those who offend them in their own way because they think that some legal agencies are inadequate and unjust. Chapter 664 - Harden A Heart "You just brought her and detained her in the chamber," J said in deep thought. "Then, who did that to her face?" She asked looking at Jacob''s eyes. Somehow, she already has an idea but she just wanted confirmation. Jacob looked at J seriously testing if she could take the information that he will be telling her calmly. But J is a smart and observant person. She probably must have an idea already. "Your father has his own way of punishing those that offend him or his family. And that is identity and memory erasure." J''s jaw dropped. That information was not something that she expected. Or maybe she did when Jacob told her that it was not him who did that ''reconstruction surgery'' on Senator Rizza''s face, but she was in a denial. She thought that as the heiress of the Robin Hood Society, she should know everything about it. How it runs and operates, its rules and own law but a punishment like that was something that she thought didn''t exist. She thought that psychological torture is sinister enough as a form of punishment but her father''s way of punishment is exceedingly brutal. If her father''s form of punishment gets exposed to the public as the Robin Hood Society''s own, then she doesn''t need the Twelve Army''s protection at all. The people''s fear to be punished by the Robin Hood Society is enough for J to be safe. Now she wondered why her grandfather has to marry her to Jacob if they have that kind of punishment that people would fear. Now she is next in line to take over the Robin Hood Society, as its leader, she was certain that she could manage it well the way her father and grandfather did, but to punish their offender the way her father does, she became uncertain. She may seem tough and cold but she is very soft-hearted. Too soft-hearted to even look at the state Senator Rizza is in right now. But not soft-hearted enough to argue with Jacob or her father about the prerequisites of such punishments. As they were both leaders of a paramilitary organization and an organization enacting law without legal authority with their own rules and principles. And she respects them, she respects their principle. But the fact that she cannot stomach that kind of punishment doesn''t mean she doesn''t support them. She indeed supports them, it''s just that, she cannot seem to do it on her own. Now a question pops in her head. If she has to take over the Robin Hood Society, will she be able to harden her heart to do such things? "Honey, are you okay?" J''s head was lowered for long that she didn''t notice Jacob''s worried face. He has to cup her face with both of his palms and raised her head so that he could see her face. J blinked twice. "Yes, I guess¡­I was just surprised. I''ve never heard of that before." "Hmm¡­that''s understandable. Your father knew you too well that''s why he didn''t let you know. Only a few members of the Society know about it. Not even your grandfather." That explains it, J thought. Her grandfather didn''t know about that barbaric punishment. It was probably only her father''s idea. Jacob decided not to tell her about the underground facility at the Naupaka Mountain yet. ¡­. After that visit to the basement, Jacob left J to take a nap that afternoon. He didn''t probe further if she is tired or not feeling well. He just seems to have realized that she needed that much rest. When J woke up that afternoon, although she had lunch with Jacob, she still felt her stomach growling. She removes the covers on top of her and stood up. She slips on a slipper then she walked out of the bedroom. She is wearing a striped cotton tee dress and she looked comfortable in it. It was the same one that she wore that morning, she didn''t bother to change. She walked out of the bedroom and head towards the kitchen to see if there is anything for her to eat or for her to cook base on her taste bud''s preference at this moment. She was delighted to see a toasted waffle with almond butter and pear on the kitchen counter. She guessed that Jacob had already anticipated her hunger when she awakes and prepared the snack before he left. J smiled at the waffles before she devoured it while keeping in her mind that she has to make up to Jacob by preparing a special dinner for him. Once she''s already filled, she looked at the wall clock and found that she still has time to visit the clinic. So, she changed her slippers into white slip-on sneakers and left the house not before he sends Jacob a message that she''ll be at the clinic. She didn''t receive a reply from him. Chapter 665 - Elder Parker has Returned When she opened the door of their house leading to Jacob''s office, she was surprised at the number of people in his office. Jacob is sitting in an armchair in front of his desk with all the members of the Parker family in front of him sitting on the sofa. Even the twins were there. And surprisingly, Lance whom she hadn''t heard from in the past few days is also present. But, what made her confused is the old man sitting on Jacob''s chair behind his office desk. The old man looked familiar but she was sure that this is the first time that she has seen him. Or is it? The old man looked at her with familiarity. He seemed pleased to see her which made J cocked her head to Jacob who was already looking at her. "Sweetheart, you are awake. Are you feeling well?" It was Madam Kelly who first greeted her. She turns her head to look at her mother-in-law and gave her a small smile. "Yes mom, I''m fine." "Honey, come here." Jacob stood up and grab her hand. Then he pulled her to sit on another armchair in front of him. J looked at the old man who seemed to be studying her every move but somehow, it doesn''t give her the creeps that one would usually feel when a stranger is staring at them. "Your grandfather talked humbly of you. If I were him, I would be talking proudly of you." The old man''s voice was low and rough but pleasant to listen to. J presumed that the old man is about the age of her grandfather. The way he sits comfortably in Jacob''s chair as if it was his in the first place, the fact that all the members of the Parker family are here, his resemblance to Jacob and him mentioning her grandfather made her conclude that the old man in front of her is none other than Benjamin Augustus Parker. "I guess my grandfather was just sticking to his words and teachings to always keep a low profile," J replied giving the old man a polite smile. Elder Parker nodded his head. "You are right. You grew up a wonderful and brilliant woman. I''m glad that I agreed to Alexander''s proposal to arrange a marriage." At the mention of the arrange marriage, J thought that she should find the chance to ask him about it. "Is Jacob treating you well?" The old man asked, J was about to reply but Elder Parker continued. "Because if he is not, then I won''t hesitate to take you back from him. Who knows, Alex Ogden might treat you better." His last words made J frown and Jacob furious. "Grandfather, if you only came back to take her away from me then I''m sorry but I''m gonna have to throw you back to where you came from," Jacob said in a threatening tone. "Jacob!" Chairman John and Madam Kelly warned him at once. Thou J was not pleased with what Elder Parker said, she tried to remain calm in front of the old man. "Don''t worry Elder Parker, I don''t think no one could ever treat me better than Jacob." She said not looking at Jacob or the other''s reaction. But Lance''s cough didn''t escape J''s ears. Lance never expected that he would ever live to hear J say such cheesy words in front of people. "Hmm¡­is that so? I always thought that you deserve better than this wolf. At first, I was reluctant to agree to your grandfather''s proposal because I know my grandson''s reputation as a Casanova. I was afraid that he will only hurt you and it will only taint the friendship I have with your grandfather. If only I have another grandson, I will offer him instead." As the old man said this, the temperature in the room seemed to have dropped at an all-time low. J felt the tension building up in the room. She wonders why Elder Parker has to say such a thing knowing well that it will only provoke his grandson. She watched as Jacob clenched and unclenched his jaw. She knows that Jacob is fighting every urge to talk back to his grandfather by the fist that formed into a ball on his lap. She reached out to put her hands on top of his to try to calm him down. "I guess you underestimated your grandson," J said trying to please Jacob by putting good words for him thou she knows that she doesn''t have to because it is obvious that Elder Parker is just pissing him off. "No, I guess I underestimated your capability to tame a wolf." But the old man seemed to be determined to piss Jacob off. Urgh. I am running out of words with this old man. J thought internally. Chapter 666 - Little J "I''m sorry but, I haven''t introduced myself to you yet." J tried to change the topic. "Oh no." Elder Parker waved his hand. "You already did." J was puzzled as well as Jacob and the others. "I did?" "Yes." Elder Parker replied amusedly. "But I doubt if you still remember that time that your grandfather forced you to introduce yourself to me. You were just a little child, always shy and reticent." Elder Parker became nostalgic upon remembering that day at Lodgepole Estate. ..... "Your granddaughter is the same age as Lily, John''s youngest." Benjamin Parker said watching a little girl pulling a bow to shot an arrow in a target that is pinned by a nail on a tree. "Is that so?" Alexander Do said nonchalantly. "I hope one day, we could find time for the children to meet and play with each other," Benjamin said delighted with the idea. "I doubt that," Alexander said impassively. "Why do you think so?" Benjamin asked with a frown. "My Jenny is a shy and reticent kid. She would rather be alone than mingle with others." "That''s because you are not letting her out," Benjamin said in a matter of fact tone. "Who said I''m not? I did. It''s her who doesn''t want to." Alexander said. "Really, why don''t you call her so that I could meet her?" Benjamin suggested. Alexander pondered for a moment. "Okay." Then Alexander called his granddaughter. The little girl was reluctant to come especially after seeing that her grandfather has a visitor who seemed like he wanted to meet her. Pouting her lips, the little girl stomped her feet towards her grandfather. "Yes, grandfather. You called for me?" The little girl asked. "Come here," Alexander said and the little girl obliged. "This is my friend, Benjamin Parker. Why don''t you introduce yourself to him?" Alexander said testing the little girl''s temper knowing how stubborn she is. She is the type of person to do what comes to her mind and not do what others want her to do. The little girl looked at her grandfather then to his friend. As much as she doesn''t like the presence of other people in their estate, she has to show him politeness. The little girl reluctantly bowed her head and said, "My name is Jenny Do, it is a pleasure to meet you, Sir." Then after saying that, the little girl darted away from them carrying a bow in her hands. Benjamin Parker chuckled, amused at the cuteness of that little girl. Who would''ve thought that that little girl would be his grandson''s wife? .... "Father, where have you been all this time?" Elder Parker snapped back when he heard his son, Chairman John asked him. "I was in retirement." Elder Parker replied. "Retirement?" Elder Parker nodded his head. "Yes. I heard you all thought I went nomadic? Silly! Who would do that at my age?" The old man said sarcastically. The rest were dumbfounded. Base on how they know the Elder Parker, he is the type to do such a thing despite his age. "Grandfather, where did you retire?" Lily can''t help but ask. She found out that it was Lance who found him but when she asked him how and where he found him, Lance was tight-lipped as if he was threatened by the old man not to spill anything. "I prefer that you don''t know where. It will be quite messy if a lot knows where I am. It is enough that only your husband knows about it." Elder Parker is obviously referring to Lance who is the only one who knows his location. Well, except for his informant, of course. Lance almost choked when Elder Parker referred to him as Lily''s husband. It is true that he planned to be her husband in the future but Elder Parker saying that out loud made him startled. While Lily blushed in embarrassment. "Grandfather, he''s not my husband." "He will be since he knows a secret of mine that no one knows. And if he doesn''t plan on marrying you then I''ll have him shot in the head to keep him permanently shut." Elder Parker said sternly making Lance''s Adam''s apple goes up and down. "Grandfather!" Lily''s eyes widened in terror. "Shh¡­" Elder Parker waved his hand. "That''s enough. The travel back here is long and tiring. I need to have some rest." With that, Elder Parker rose from his seat. "Young man!" Elder Parker called out to Lance. "Yes, Elder Parker?" Lance immediately stood up. It seems that the two already had an internal understanding that Lance will be Elder Parker''s right-hand man temporarily while he is at Lotus City. "Come, drive me back to the mansion." Everyone was surprised that Elder Parker preferred to be taken home by Lance instead of his own grandchildren. Chairman John and Madam Kelly looked at each other dumbfounded. "Grandfather," Jacob stood up before Elder Parker could left. "Rest early, we''ll go visit an old friend tomorrow and take extra care of your wife, it is not good for her to get stressed." Elder Parker said without looking back. Then he left the office followed by Lance. Chapter 669 - The Bully "What''s there to be ashamed about? I am meeting an old friend which I haven''t seen for decades and he is one of the richest men in the world that I know of." Elder Parker said in a matter of fact tone. After a while, Carlos returned with an old bottle of champagne. Too old that it looked vintage, the label is already worn out but you could still see the name of it on the label and the year that it is manufactured. For some, the more vintage it looked, the pricier it gets. Carlos placed four tulip glasses on the coffee table and meticulously served each of them with the shipwreck champagne. Millions of bubbles float on the champagne making it pleasing in the eye. Elder Parker reached out for the tulip glass and brought it near his nose to smell the aroma. Then he takes a sip. Then Jacob did the same not even suspect that they could be poisoned from it. That would be impossible because the cork and the capsule of the champagne are completely intact, in fact, there was still dirt and residues on the lip of the bottle. The taste of that legendary champagne was interestingly sweet. Jacob thought internally. It tastes more like a marmalade with a little citric taste than champagne. "As expected from champagne from centuries ago, it is sweeter." Elder Parker commented. He is not a fan of wine or any alcoholic beverages and he only drinks them occasionally but he is knowledgeable about them. Jack Ogden already has a deep frown on his wrinkled face. Why not? The old man in front of him seemed to have only come to annoy him and taste one of his most precious champagne. "Can we go back now to business?" Jack Ogden said in an aggrieved tone. Alex Ogden who was just silently sitting there on one side of the sofa in front of Jacob smirked. He knew that this will happen. "What business are you talking about? I am already retired, so I did not come here to talk about business." Elder Parker peeked behind the tulip glass, still relishing the sweetness of the champagne on his lips. Jack Ogden''s face turned choleric. "Benjamin Parker, you are a traitor!" He said between gritted teeth. Elder Parker drunk the last drop of this champagne from the tulip glass then put it down elegantly at the coffee table. And with a stern face, he said, "I did not betray anyone." "I only helped a friend and a little girl. I don''t see any betrayal in that. A traitor says one thing but does another. I didn''t promise you anything, my old friend." There is no trace of the lively Benjamin from earlier. He now sounds and looked at Jack Ogden gravely. Jack Ogden''s grip on the tulip glass tightened. "You were there when Alexander promised to marry his grandchild to me." Elder Parker scoffed. "You are right, I was there when Alexander apathetically agreed to your proposal like it was some petty child''s play. But I could still clearly remember that Alexander didn''t say the word ''promise''." Jack Ogden laughed as if he wasn''t getting pissed at his old friend. "My friend, I hold on to the words of my friend even without the word ''promise'' in it." "Then I guess you two had a misunderstanding. So why don''t you go meet him and chat about it?" Elder Parker said nonchalantly but his words made Jack Ogden fuming inside. Alexander Do has long been dead and Elder Parker was just indirectly telling Jack Ogden to die so he could meet Alexander Do in the other world and soothe out their misunderstanding. Lance who was standing a few feet away from Elder Parker was laughing internally. The old man is an adroit bully. Jack Ogden pressed his lips together and clenched his jaw, he is giving Elder Parker an icy stare but the latter was nonchalant about it and was instead looking at Jack Ogden with teasing eyes. But after a moment, Jack Ogden''s expression loosened up. He managed to calm himself down because he knew that getting angry at Elder Parker will bring him nothing. "It seems to me, that you have no intention of returning back the heiress to me. So why waste time to come here?" Jack Ogden said not wanting to spend more time with his visitors. Elder Parker became a teaser again. "Who says I came here to waste my time? I get to taste the legendary shipwreck champagne so it is not a waste at all!" Elder Parker laughed. "Thou I still prefer harder liquor like brandy." Jack Ogden scoff. "You are wasting my time Benjamin Parker. If you don''t return the heiress to me, take your grandson with you and wait as I eradicate every person that has your blood running on them one by one." His voice was menacing. Chapter 667 - He signed the Marriage Contract "Is the marriage contract authentic?" Jacob asked Elder Parker. The next day, early in the morning, they started traveling going to Oxeye Castle where Jack Ogden spends his days. J originally wanted to come but Jacob insisted for her to stay at the Twelve Army Headquarters. Letting her come with them would only send an impression to Jack Ogden that they were having second thoughts on giving her up by taking her with them. They were seated at the back with Lance and James on the front of Jacob''s SUV. He wanted to ask every question he wanted to know and he would not spare a second while Elder Parker is still present. They might not know when will the old man be leaving again and they are sure that he will leave without notice just like he always did. "It is. And if you have any doubts, go and marry her again." The old man said keeping his eyes tightly closed. Thou his eyes were closed, Jacob knew that he is awake. He doesn''t have the habit of sleeping while traveling in the car. "And I will," Jacob said with determination. "But how did you do that? I don''t remember ever signing a marriage contract neither J." "Of course you don''t. You are too drunk to remember." Jacob''s brows furrowed, he is too meticulous to make such a mistake. "I don''t sign contracts or any documents when I am drunk." He said. "Yes, you don''t. Unless it was me who asked you to sign them." The old man opened his eyes then turn his head to look at Jacob with a smug smile. Then the old man narrated what he did that night when Jacob came home drunk. He seized that opportunity seeing that Jacob is too drunk because he is not sure when he''ll get the chance because it is rare for Jacob to drink alcohol except for some occasions and he rarely got drunk. "Jacob." Elder Parker tiptoed at Jacob''s bedroom. Seeing his grandson lying flat on his bed, he shake him to wake him up. "Mmm," Jacob mumbled. "I need you to sign these documents." Elder Parker said. "Mmm¡­leave it there. I''ll sign it tomorrow when I am sober." Jacob''s words were mumbled. Even in his drunken state, he is meticulous. Thou he is not yet the CEO of the CLP Group of Hospital that time. He is already holding a position at Twelve Army. "No. It can''t wait for tomorrow. I''ll have to leave early tomorrow." The old man was persistent. And after a couple of minutes, the old man was able to convince Jacob to sign the documents and one of those is the marriage contract. After Jacob signed them, Elder Parker smiled victoriously and said. "I''ll make a copy of this and leave it on your desk." The next day, the old man did as he said last night. He really left and went somewhere while the copy of the documents was lying in Jacob''s desk. He was sure that Jacob will remember that night so he intended to make him sign some real documents and leave it in his desk except for the marriage contract that he will give him once it was signed by J. And he was right, because of that morning. Jacob searched for that documents oblivious that there is still one document that he signed that night. "You cunning old man," Jacob can''t help but shook his head. Thou he should be angry at what his grandfather did, he can''t because what he did is something that he is grateful that his grandfather did. Elder Parker scoffed. "You should be thankful. Because even if you did fall in love with her later, I doubt if you could convince her to marry you." "I can''t believe that you are always underestimating your only grandson!" Jacob said looking at his grandfather as if he has been wronged. "No, I am not underestimating you. I never did. You wouldn''t be in your position now if I did. It''s just that, your wife is probably the most stubborn and hard-headed person I''ve ever met." "You talk about her as if you have known her for a long time," Jacob said sounding displeased. "Indeed, I''ve known her for a long time. Ever since she was a child, in fact." "But you''ve only seen her, like what? Twice? Including yesterday?" Jacob made a snide comment. Elder Parker laughed. "I''ve already told you, she is the most shy and reticent person I''ve met. Even if I visit her grandfather a couple of times at Lantana, she would refuse to show herself." "Even if your parents and her parents did some gatherings before and you and your siblings were there, that little wife of yours would rather be left alone." Elder Parker added. Jacob smiled at the thought of that introverted little wife of him. "Yeah. You are right." Chapter 668 - She signed the Marriage Contract "So how, did Elder Do managed to make her sign the contract?" He asked later on. "That old fox, more cunning than me, he deceived her. And she was sober!" Elder Parker exclaimed. He was really impressed when he found out that his friend managed to make her observant and meticulous granddaughter sign that marriage contract without her noticing it. Jacob was dumbfounded. He was drunk and almost unconscious when he signed that marriage contract but J signed it while he is sober and she can''t remember it? It seems like her meticulousness has some flaws after all. "Just how did he do that?" Jacob asked amusedly. "Well apparently. Alexander managed to slip the marriage contract at the share transfer agreements that she had already review and was about to sign. And while she was signing them, that old geezer was distracting her. So she signed it without noticing anything unusual." Jacob burst into laughter. He had always known how keen observer and meticulous his wife is. So it turns out that those skills of her are nothing compared to her grandfather''s scheme. While the grandfather and grandson were chatting, James and Lance can''t help but look at each other. Lance who was J''s childhood best friend is becoming uncomfortable because the men behind him are talking about his best friend. Soon, their SUV stopped in front of a huge gate. Behind it is a castle-inspired mansion along Oxeye Beach. The gate automatically opened and one guard approached them and led them to the 20-car basement garage. Lance''s jaw dropped at the magnificent mansion in front of him. He had seen castles in the country where he found Elder Parker but this one is the first and only castle-like mansion he had seen in their country. Jack Ogden sure has to live up with his status. It was not a surprise that Jack Ogden had already anticipated their arrival because today marks the 30th day that Jack Ogden said Jacob should leave J. But Jack Ogden didn''t expect that Jacob will arrive with Benjamin Parker instead of the heiress. "I see you already made a decision." Jack Ogden said sarcastically. "No. Because there is nothing here to decide upon." Jacob replied with a stern face. They were sitting on an outdoor sofa at the balcony of Jack Ogden''s castle overlooking the Oxeye Beach. The brightness of the sky that is as blue as the ocean is overwhelming to the eyes. Were they expecting that already because the four men sitting on the sofa, as well as the four right-hand men each standing near their Boss, were all wearing sunglasses? Or was it that they were just avoiding to show their weakness through their eyes if there were any. Thou Jacob could not see it, he could tell that Jack Ogden is glaring at him. So he glared back at him behind that dark sunglasses. "You are good at hiding Benjamin." Jack Ogden said, his head tilted on Elder Parker''s direction. "Who says I''m hiding? I am currently enjoying my retirement if it wasn''t for you messing around with the youngsters. You should retire as well and leave this kind of thing to them. You know that you are already on your golden age now, you cannot keep up with them." Elder Parker said with mockery. Jack Ogden chuckled sarcastically. "Then why are you here now? It seems to me that your grandson needed your help after all." He said with a smug smile. Thou he was being ridiculed by the old man in front of him, Jacob remained laid back and let the old men catch up on their own. Elder Parker laughed. "We have a lot of misunderstandings here. First, you thought I was hiding and now you are thinking that I am helping my grandson. Why would you thought of that?" Elder Parker said, although his voice is low and hoarse, he still sounds lively. Among the three friends, Benjamin Parker is the liveliest. "And oh! By the way, where is your hospitality? Shouldn''t you serve us with a drink at least?" Elder Parker shamelessly asked. Jack Ogden cocked his head and gestured Carlos, his right-hand man to get a drink for them. Carlos turned and prepared to leave when they heard Elder Parker called him. "Oh hey! I preferred champagne. That really old bottle of Champagne salvaged from a shipwreck? There were 2000 of them, some were sold in an auction while others were in the black market. And I know you have a total of 106 bottles of those in your cellar." "Grandfather, you are too shameless." Jacob butt in seeing that Jack Ogden is already glowering at his grandfather. He knows that Elder Parker is intentionally pissing him off. Among the three friends, Jack Ogden is the easiest to piss off and the easiest to be offended but for some, especially in the world of the mafia, they would rather not offend this old man because he is known to be revengeful. Chapter 670 - A Real Promise "Stop acting like a rapacious landlord coveting for anything that belonged to the others. The heiress is not yours, to begin with, so why should I return her to you? She is in a place where she belongs and would want to belong." Elder Parker retorted back as if what Jack Ogden said was hilarious. Jack Ogden snickered. "You talk like you are not greedy as well. Aren''t you? When Alexander offered you an arranged marriage with his granddaughter, you immediately seize hold of the opportunity. You know how golden it is. The opportunity to take over the Robin Hood Society in the future if your grandson got married to the heiress. I know that''s what you''ve been thinking back then that''s why you accepted that offer even thou you know about Alexander''s promise to me." Jacob remained expressionless thou he is wondering as well, is that the reason why his grandfather accepted the offer? "You know that I already found out about the heiress, I will seek for Alexander to fulfill his promise to me that he will marry his granddaughter to my grandson. But the two of you went behind my back and married them off even without their knowledge." Jack Ogden continued on accusing Elder Parker. "If Jenny was promised to you, then why didn''t you talk about it to Elder Do earlier?" Jacob asked. "Because Alexander hides her existence. He kept her hidden, no one knows about the heiress. He was deliberately hiding her from me. When Martin and Victoria died on that ambush, he got more reason to hide her from everyone, he even sent her abroad. Alexander was already dead when I found out about her existence. And the Elites also started to found out about her and started to hunt her down. But it was Alex who found her but by that time, she was already married to you." It was obvious that Jack Ogden wasn''t aware that Martin and Victoria Do were still alive. "Old Jack," Elder Parker leaned in a more comfortable position on the sofa to make Jack Ogden more pissed at him. "I am not as greedy as you. I already have the hospitals and the Twelve Army, a reputation, and a name that would make everyone feel repressed. Everyone would want to be married to my family. Even the President. Why would I want my family to be dragged down by the messy life that Alexander put on his granddaughter?" "Grandfather!" Jacob hissed at him. But Elder Parker waved his hand at him indicating that he is not done yet. "He founded the Robin Hood Society even thou he knows that it will only harbor animosity and risk of death to him and his family. His son and daughter in law died, then he died later on. Putting her granddaughter''s life at risk. Although he had kept the heiress''s existence a secret, he knew that one day or another, her existence will be exposed." Elder Parker smirk then he continued. "Who in their right mind would want to be married to her?" Alex Ogden and Jacob both had a grim expression on their face. No one would want to be married to J unless they have ulterior motives. And those are people with evil intentions. Well except if the person is really in love with J. Just like Alex and Jacob. They loved her too much that they were willing to risk anything to protect her. They would even willing to go against their grandfather''s words if that means that J would be away from imminent danger. "Now let me tell you what a real promise is." Elder Parker continued. "When Jenny was born, Alexander started to worry about her. So a couple of days after she was born, he talked to me." 30 Years Ago "Congratulations, I''ve heard about your daughter-in-law gave birth to a daughter," Benjamin said and noticed the worried look on Alexander''s face. "How did you know about that?" He asked because they kept Victoria''s pregnancy a secret. No one knows about it. So her giving birth to a girl is a secret as well. Thou he told Benjamin about his daughter-in-law''s pregnancy, he hasn''t told him that she already gave birth and to a baby girl. "Hey! Have you forgotten who you are talking to? Don''t fret, only I know about it." Benjamin eventually pacifies his friend who looks disconnected in front of him. "Good," Alexander replied. His gaze was still unfocused. "Something tells me that it has something to do why you wanted to talk to me," Benjamin stated what he thought was obvious. "Yes." Alexander tapped his point finger at the handle of his armchair. "I''m worried about her." The creases on his forehead deepened. "You are worried about nothing," Benjamin said thou he is amused because this is the first time that he saw his friend getting worried like that. Chapter 671 - A Favor Alexander snaps his head to look at Benjamin. "You know what he did when he heard about Lilian." He loves his granddaughter too much that he started to worry about her future the moment she was born. She is like a priceless gem to him that he cannot afford to put her life at risk. But he still did. She is his princess, whom he loved unconditionally. "Jack won''t hurt her." "But he will force her to get married to his grandson in the future. You know about his 5-year-old grandson, right?" Alexander said apprehensively. "Yes, he is about the same age as my grandson. But we are still a long way ahead. Anything can happen." "Benjamin, can you do me a favor?" Alexander takes a sip on his tea before he looks at Benjamin with a grave expression. Benjamin''s expression becomes stern. "What is it?" "Will you help me protect my Jenny?" Alexander looked at him beseechingly. But Benjamin chuckled. "Are you kidding me? The fact that she is the heiress of the Robin Hood Society will protect her enough. People eventually feel repressed when they heard the name Robin Hood Society. Imagine what they would feel towards a name or a person associated with it." Benjamin was right. The Robin Hood Society has been well established and is already at the point that everyone feared its name. They were cautious not to catch the attention of the Robin Hood Society. Thou they have never heard of anyone being physically harmed or were treated unjustly by the Robin Hood Society, they feared for their wealth more than anything. One could lose their life''s fortune in just a blink of an eye if they were placed under the radar of the Robin Hood Society, especially those in the government, and doing business illicitly. "But that fact will also put her life at risk. I will be more at ease if the Twelve Army would protect her as well." Alexander said solemnly. Benjamin stared at him. He understands how he feels because if he is in the same position, he would do the same as well. In fact, he is being overprotective as well with his grandchildren. It''s just that, Alexander has a lot to worry about. So, in the end, he made a promise. He doesn''t mind making a promise to his friend if that means a little life will be protected. ¡­. "I promised that I will protect Jenny by all means, even if it means that she has to be married to my family and drag my family into this mess." "It''s you who proposed your grandson to be married to the heiress." Jack Ogden said through gritted teeth. "Yes." Elder Parker''s reply made everyone surprised. They all thought that the arranged marriage was Elder Do''s idea. It turns out that it was Elder Parker''s idea. Everyone looked at Elder Parker with irony. The old man who was saying as if he wouldn''t want his family to be drag down with Elder Do''s mess is now saying that he actually let his family be dragged down to Elder Do''s mess buy suggesting a marriage between the two families. Jacob''s mind suddenly turned into a mess. Does his grandfather have an ulterior motive? Does he have the interest to take over the Robin Hood Society? If that so? Then he is no less than Jack Ogden. Jacob clenched his jaw and Alex eventually noticed it making him smirk. Jacob remained silent. While Lance who was silently standing behind them had his fist clenched into a ball. Were they trusting the wrong people? Jack Ogden pressed his lips together. "You cunning old fox! You knew that Alexander trusts you that much and you seized the opportunity! You are more covetous than I am. You were born with a silver spoon on your mouth. You didn''t have to strive to get a good life. You had the hospitals and the Twelve Army and as if it''s not enough, you aspire for the Robin Hood Society which was supposed to be mine!" "The Robin Hood Society does not belong to you or the Parkers! It belongs to Miss J. No one deserves it more than her!" Lance who couldn''t contain his anger anymore and burst out casting icy glare towards the four man sitting in front of him. His anger started to build up towards not just to Jack Ogden but also to Elder Parker and Jacob the moment Elder Parker said that he was the one who proposed for the marriage of Jacob and J. It seems that it is not only Jack Ogden who have the guts to covet after the Robin Hood Society but also Elder Parker. He wonders if Jacob knew about this. All four men raise their heads to look at Lance. Jacob already knows what Lance was thinking. And cannot blame him, because even he is thinking the same way. It seems that his grandfather planned for this all along so that they''ll have the Robin Hood Society in the palm of his hands. He turned his head and glared as his grandfather who seemed nonchalant about it. The old man didn''t spare a glance. Chapter 672 - Blown Up "But do you think your best friend could manage the Robin Hood Society without saying sorry to your every victim." Jack Ogden snickered. "I doubt that. She is just too soft-hearted that knows only how to take care of herself and needed the protection of four men. Alexander was a fool not to train her to become the leader of the Robin Hood Society. That was his mistake. Now his heiress knows nothing except for warming a man''s bed." Jacob seethed internally. He could take in any insult for him but when someone insult J he would suddenly boil in rage. If he has poor self-control, he might have buried a bullet in the old man''s head. But he has better way to keep anyone from insulting or harming his wife. "James," Jacob called James solemnly. "Yes, Dr. Jacob," James replied and as if he could read Jacob''s thought, he take out his phone and made a call. "Do it." He said over the phone then he eventually hanged up. Alex keeps on glaring at Jacob because he knows that he is up to something while Jacob''s eye were fixed on Jack Ogden. If looks could really kill, Jack Ogden might''ve died a hundred times already on his seat. Then just after a minute, the air filled with tense was interrupted by a phone ringing. It was Jeric''s phone. Jeric immediately had a bad feeling about it. He takes out his phone and answered. His eyes widened then he pressed his lips in a thin line before he said, "I got it." Then he hanged up. Jeric walked towards Alex and whispered something on his ear. Alex looked at Jacob with his signature smirk. "A missile, huh?" He scoffed. Everyone looked at him wondering what he meant. Thou James and Jacob knows exactly what he meant. "What are you talking about?" Jack Ogden asked in an annoyed tone. "They blow up our warehouse in Astilbe." Alex said nonchalantly without taking his eyes off Jacob. Their warehouse in Astilbe is one of the warehouse where they hide their smuggled firearms before it is transported overseas. Thou it was not their largest warehouse, it holds a significant role in their transactions because it is where the firearms are stored before it is shipped via aircraft. Their warehouse in Astilbe holds a small runway for small aircrafts. Apparently, ever since Jacob has known of Troy''s capabilities, he remained in constant contact with him. He found out that Troy has developed a drone that could launch a missile. And not just a missile, with Stefan''s help, they managed to create a small yet fast and powerful missile. And it just made its debut just now. Thou small, the missile managed to blast off part of Novus Rex''s warehouse in Astilbe, the fact that the warehouse is filled with firearms and ammunitions, the explosions created a domino effect. The explosives and ammunitions inside the warehouse fired off as well creating a much bigger explosion. "You son of a bitch!" Jack Ogden clenched his fist and glared at Jacob. Jacob cocked his head. "I guess you better watch your words Jack Ogden because the next time you insult my wife again, your laboratory in Crocus will be blown up next. What do you say?" Jacob said in an intimidating tone. The laboratory in Crocus is where Novus Rex perform organ procurement illegally to be sold in the black market. Although Alex was disappointed that they lost one warehouse he cannot blame Jacob. His grandfather insulted J and he would do the same if not worst than what Jacob did even thou it was his grandfather. He cannot let it slide when someone insults the woman that has taken his interest which no one has ever did before. Elder Parker shook his head. "Such an impatient brute." "Have you had enough of that shipwreck champagne, grandfather?" Jacob turned to look at Elder Parker not minding that he called him an impatient brute. "Yes, and I am immensely grateful to my old friend here for letting me have a taste of such rare champagne." Elder Parker looked at Jack Ogden with appreciation thou the latter was casting him a glare that says he should''ve given him poison instead. "Then I guess we have no reason to stay here any longer. My wife is waiting for me." Jacob said in an icy tone. He stressed the word ''wife'' while looking at Alex as if it is a word that only he is allowed to say. "Why are you such in a hurry, Jacob? We haven''t reach an agreement." Alex commented. "Having Jenny as a wife makes me always eager to go home. But I guess you''ll never understand how I feel. You''ll never have her as a wife, unless you find someone like her. But I doubt that, my Jenny is a very special person. One can never be compared to her." Jacob said making Lance rolled his eyes internally. How could a person talk so fondly about a person while casting an icy glare to the person in front of him? There is still that anger that is bubbling inside of him because of the possibility that the Parkers have evil intentions towards J and the Robin Hood Society. Chapter 673 - Who is Lilian? Lance cannot wait to leave the place and confront Elder Parker regarding his motive for this arrange marriage. Jacob is thinking the same. All this time, they thought that it was Elder Do who proposed for a marriage between him and J but it turns out that it was his grandfather. "And about that agreement," Jacob continued. "I don''t think we''ll ever come to an agreement. My stand never and will never change. You cannot separate me from my wife, and you cannot touch any of my family. Even if you kill me that is if you will ever be able to kill me." Jacob glared at Jack Ogden then to Alex with murderous intent. Jack Ogden let out maniacal laughter. Everyone even Alex looked at him as if he has gone mad. "You''ll never get away with this Parker. You are making it hard for everyone. You are just putting your family in a lifelong war. You don''t understand it, do you?" Jack Ogden''s eyes darken, it''s as if he is being possessed. "I will never stop until I get the Robin Hood Society. Oh¡­scratch that. Maybe, I will, but temporarily. That''s if the heiress died." After his last words, there were sudden dark clouds surround them. It was thick and menacing maybe because it came from two persons. "But it will just prolong the process. If the current heiress dies, the Robin Hood Society will find another heir, thus giving me another opportunity." Jack Ogden continued. "The cycle will just continue, you refuse, someone or the heir will die, and they''ll find another heir. I will not stop until I got what I wanted." "Unless I kill you," Jacob said between gritted teeth. Jack Ogden let out another maniacal laugh. "You are right, Parker. Unless you kill me. That is if you''ll ever be able to kill me." It was obvious that Jack Ogden doesn''t trust that his grandson will continue his advocacy. Elder Parker snickered. "It seems that everyone had gone invincible. Tell me, why are you much interested in the Robin Hood Society?" Jack Ogden looked at Elder Parker. He looks at him as if he is reading his minds. "As if you didn''t know." He answered, making everyone flustered. It seems that Elder Parker knows something. "Anyway," Jack Ogden waved his hand in the air. "You are right, Parker. It seems that we will never reach an agreement except for a bloodbath. And I cannot promise you that no one will die. Your beloved heiress might even die. I don''t understand your way of thinking, choosing the hard path when you can simply put an end to this. We won''t be conversing here right now if Alexander didn''t choose the hard path at the beginning. He just made the life of his loved ones miserable. First Lilian and now his granddaughter." Lilian? Everyone looked at Jack Ogden with curiosity. One question lingering in their mind. Who is Lilian? "The girl is dead," Elder Parker said in a sharp tone. Jack Ogden smiled sardonically. "Is she? I will never forget how good Alexander is at hiding people. Tsk! I wouldn''t be surprised if one day, the Elites found out that the current leader of the Robin Hood Society is none other than Lilian because it was obvious that it is not the heiress or any of you Parkers." Elder Parker narrowed his eyes at Jack Ogden. "You really are an insane man if you think that a dead person is running the Robin Hood Society. You''ve gone obsessed." Jack Ogden just shrugged his shoulder indicating that he doesn''t mind what other people think of him. ¡­. "I am not entertaining any questions until we reached the headquarters." Elder Parker said as soon as they got inside Jacob''s SUV. Because he knows that their meeting with Jack Ogden gave out a lot of information that left everyone puzzled. Did he really propose that arrange marriage? What was his intention? Why is Jack Ogden so eager to get the Robin Hood Society? Who is Lilian? Is she really dead or hiding like what Jack Ogden assumed? ¡­. When Elder Parker and Jacob left Jack Ogden was left with Alex''s icy glare. "Are you planning to hurt Jenny?" Alex immediately asked once they were alone. "It depends on the circumstances. If they still refuse, then I''ll have her killed. It is better than not having her." Jack Ogden replied casually ignoring Alex''s icy glare. "It is easier to get what I wanted when no one is standing on my way. And that woman is a hitch." "Don''t you dare!" All that Alex sees is red. He cannot let his grandfather hurt the person he loves. It is fine if he cannot have her as long as she''ll live where he''ll still get the chance to see her beautiful face and get close to her and feel her presence. Jack Ogden glared back at Alex. "You insolent! I have told you already! Your emotions are making you weak! If you keep on acting like this I won''t hesitate to disown you and leave you with nothing but a rag in the streets!"