Chapter 5
Jessica chimed in, "Exactly. If she were kidnapped, it would've happened at Weston Manor. How could anyone at the villa have seen it firsthand? Wasn't anyone left at Weston Manor?"
Only then did Charles remember that he'd sent everyone from Weston Manor away.
He pulled up the security footage on his phone and caught a glimpse of me leaving Weston Manor.
Suddenly, he panicked. "What made Helen suddenly head to the villa?"
Charles felt something was off. I was never the kind of woman to get jealous or start drama over stuff like this.
Even when Samuel chose money over saving my child, yet somehow found the cash to buy Jessica a house several times the price, I didn't break down or make a fuss.
I kept my pain to myself, always finding a way to handle things on my own.
Charles was about to press the butler for more answers when Jessica cut him off.
"Charles, I'm feeling dizzy again. Could you please get my attending doctor to come check on me?" Jessica said.
The butler could only grumble as he hung up.
After a moment's hesitation, Charles couldn't shake the feeling that he should call me. Before he could act, his assistant rushed over, looking like something big had just happened.
"Mr. Weston, Mrs. Weston had something delivered to you," the assistant stammered.
Charles tore it open and saw it was a paternity test report.
It read, "Helen and Ryan are not related by blood."
For a second, Charles felt the world turn upside down, and he clenched his fists tightly.
He thought I might know the truth.
Jessica leaned in for a look, a smug grin spreading across her face. "I knew it. She's just trying to scare us."
But Charles just couldn't get his nerves under control.
He turned to his assistant. "See if you can reach Helen."
The assistant nodded.
"If you can't get a hold of her, make sure you send more people out to search for her," Charles said.
Jessica complained, her tone full of worry. "If you send everyone out looking for her, who's going to look after me? Frank's dangerous."
Charles was stunned for a moment before seizing Jessica by the collar, voice sharp. "How do you know it's Frank? No one's ever mentioned his name!"
Jessica's eyes welled up, and her words broke up with sobs. "These past few years, whenever there's a kidnapping for ransom, isn't it always Frank behind it?
"You can't blame me because something happened to Helen. Didn't you say you'd treat me well forever, that you'd do anything I wanted as long as I was happy?"
Charles finally let go.
Jessica stood there. Her face was streaked with tears, looking heartbreakingly vulnerable.
In the past, seeing her like this would've made him feel bad for her.
But now, he found himself just a little put off by her tears.
He forced a smile and said, "Get some rest, Jessica.
"I've been in a lousy mood these past few days. You just focus on recovery. With Samuel in your corner, Frank wouldn't dare touch you."
As Charles started to walk away, Jessica grabbed his hand. "Charles, please don't leave. I'm terrified. Compared to you, Samuel's totally useless. He can't do a thing."
She was crazy for Samuel, but now, she showed desperate dependence on Charles.
Charles used to chase after her love, but looking at Jessica now, he found it almost laughable how easily things could change.
"How can she love a man today, and the next day, someone else?" Charles asked himself.
Helen would never be like this.
With that thought, he firmly tore his hand from Jessica's grip.
Ignoring her desperate cries, he strode out of the hospital.
Charles knew he couldn't leave it to his people. He had to go himself.
He knew I must have found out the truth. That was why I went to the villa.
There was a memorial tablet for my child at the villa, and every so often, Charles would go there.
At the end of the day, he knew he was the one who owed me.
Once he found me, he swore he'd love me right, give me everything I deserved.
He wanted to give me a child who truly belonged to the Weston family.
He vowed that for the rest of my days, he'd never make me sad again.
But just as Charles left the hospital, his phone rang. It was the assistant.
"Mr. Weston, there's been a message from Frank," the assistant blurted out.