Chapter 1420


    Jepherson got up to head upstairs, but stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned back to look at


    Lamar and Jazelle. "I''ll be staying here until New Year''s Day. After that, I''ll leave and go find out the


    truth before returning to pick Raeleigh up."


    Then, he headed upstairs, his face cold.


    If he could fall out with his own family, he could fall out with Raeleigh''s. Nobody would be able to


    stop him.


    Raeleigh was resting when she heard someone open the door. She knew it was Jepherson and


    opened her eyes to look at him.


    She was a little bemused at his grave expression. "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing." He walked over to her and took her hand, rubbing it with his hands.


    She knew that something must have happened, but it was impossible to make him tell her.


    After thinking for some time, she figured it out.


    "Did my father say that he won''t allow us to get married even if the Richards family isn''t behind my


    kidnapping?"


    Jepherson did not answer, but Raeleigh could tell from his expression that she''d guessed correctly.


    She was silent for a while. "If so, we..."


    "Never!"


    He immediately cut her off, ring at her. She swallowed the rest of her sentence.


    Amused, she said, "I still haven''t figured out what love really is, but you already have me wrapped


    around your finger."


    "Maybe it''s just me, but the harder things get, the less I want to give up. It''s like how I refused to let


    you go when I knew you were sick, but I regretted it when you recovered. I felt like I''d been tricked."


    She fell silent, which put Jepherson in a great mood. He pinched her face. "I love you like this.


    You''re destined to be with me."


    "Oh, please. How narcissistic can you be?"


    Raeleigh harrumphed conceitedly.


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    Hey down next to her, holding her hand in his and closing his eyes. "Everything''s happened so


    suddenly. I''ve been trying to find a way out of this, but nothing''s working."


    "Raeleigh, give me some time to find out the truth."


    "Your parents are right. You''re the one who''s in the most danger now, so this can''t go on for long."


    Raeleigh didn''t respond. Jepherson soon fell asleep, which made her worry. He was so exhausted


    that he could fall asleep even without eating. It was simr to when he''d gotten sick.


    She wanted to wake him up, but she couldn''t bear to. At the same time, allowing him to continue


    sleeping was just making her worry.


    She couldn''t help feeling amused at how weird humans were. They desperately wanted to get their


    hands on things that they couldn''t have, yet when those things were easily within reach, they would


    throw them aside.


    Jepherson didn''t go home to celebrate New Year''s with his family. On New Year''s Eve, Raeleigh


    watched as he called his rtives, feeling a little ufortable.


    This was probably his first time spending New Year''s away from his family.


    She''d just turned to leave when Jepherson called out to her. She turned back, and he took a photo


    of her for Jenna.


    "Come here."


    He was calling her over like she was hisckey, but her body reacted before her mind could.


    He held her in his arms before turning on the camera.


    Raeleigh blushed a little. She''d thought that it was just Jenna, but Hansen was there as well.


    "Raeleigh, I''ve prepared some gifts for you. When are youing?"


    Jenna looked radiant in her outfit, just like a young woman.


    Raeleigh thought for a moment. "Maybe in two weeks?"


    "I''ll be waiting, then."


    "I''m hanging up."


    "Okay."


    Jenna was outside, looking a little cold. They were going to catch some fireworks, so they didn''t


    have much time to chat either.


    After hanging up, Jenna called Santiago.


    Santiago was spending the holidays at Zorion''s house with both Zorion and Jacky.


    They were doing some baking, but Jacky''s was turning out the best. Zorion and Santiago


    immediately went on strike.


    Santiago left to answer the call, leaving Zorion and Jacky alone. They didn''t speak at first, but


    Santiago was away for so long that they couldn''t help breaking the silence.


    "Was it worth it, leaving your cushy life in Waverly


    Vige for this?"


    Zorion was young, but he''d been through a lot. He sounded mature and wise when he spoke.


    Jacky was the same.


    "What matters is whether you have the guts to, not whether it''s worth it. I wouldn''t be able to hold


    the fort down if I were truly useless. I want Deanna, and if the Whalen family doesn''t give her to me,


    I won''t leave."


    "Threats are of no use to the Whalen family. You should know that."


    Zorion was decorating his pastries, which were turning out to look really ugly. Jacky couldn''t stand


    the sight of them and threw them away.


    Zorion''s brows were tightly furrowed, but he didn''t say anything.


    Jacky put his pastries down and looked up at Zorion. "My love for Deanna is bone-deep, and I won''t


    leave without the Whalen family''s blessing."


    "You used to love someone too. You should know how serious I am."


    "Once I marry her, I''ll leave all my riches behind and return to Waverly Vige. She''s all that I need."


    "If I can''t marry her, I''ll spend the rest of my life trying."


    Zorion chuckled.


    However, it didn''t reach his eyes. "Getting rid of one person is nothing to the Whalen family. Your


    feelings and riches mean nothing to us."


    "And my business is my business. Don''t ever bring it up in front of me again."


    Jacky lowered his head and continued fussing with his pastries. The maids stood around


    awkwardly, not understanding what they were talking about. It looked like Jacky had confessed to


    the wrong person.


    Santiago had told them to treat him as part of the family, but Zorion was so adamantly against it that


    they didn''t dare to be too obvious about it.


    Jacky received a call as they baked. He wiped his hands before answering the phone.


    After answering the phone, he nced at Zorion. It was obvious that something was amiss.


    "What''s wrong?" Zorion''s voice was frosty, but he was being as polite as he could to someone


    who''d gotten his younger sister pregnant.


    It didn''t bother Jacky, but he still hesitated before hanging up.


    "My people abducted a high- ranking official''s daughter. They failed."


    "What does this have to do with me? Why are you looking at me?" Zorion''s temper inexplicably


    rose. Jacky turned around and nced outside the vi.


    "You owe me a favor."


    Jacky unlocked his phone and showed Zorion a photo.


    When he saw the person in the photo, his face turned pale. "B*stards."


    Jacky took his phone back and made a call. "Take her to Waverly Vige. Nobody is allowed to go


    near her without my order."


    After hanging up, he looked at Zorion. "One hundred million."


    "Do you think I''ll give it to you?"


    "A buddy of mine likes her too."


    "How interesting." Santiago walked in and washed his hands before watching the two men


    negotiate.


    He added, "I heard that it''s really cold in Waverly Vige now. Without firewood and coal, a normal


    person won''t make it through the night. I wonder whether one hundred million is enough?"


    He''d barely managed to finish his sentence before Zorion had hurried off.