At that moment, he was d in a pale gray pajama set, hand brushing through his hair that was neither


    dry nor wet, leaving the cor casually open to bare his chiseled chest.


    Jason rubbed his hair nonchntly as he said with a poker face, “Don’t bother, even in your birthday


    suit, it’s pointless.”


    Jason’s dismissive tone slightly dimmed the sparkle in Estre’s eyes. She slowly lifted the sheer


    fabric, her voice steady as she said, “Jason, just cooperate and let’s get this task done. After that, you


    can do whatever you want. I won’t intrude on your life.”


    Then she added, with a twist in her tone, “If you’re really not into it, we could consider artificial


    insemination.”


    After Estre finished, Jason tossed the towel angrily onto the floor, held her chin with a smirk, and


    asked, “Estre, what do you take me for, a sperm bank on legs?”


    Sperm bank on legs?


    Forced to meet Jason’s gaze, Estre was at a loss for words.


    Their eyes locked, and as she saw her reflection in his eyes, Jason suddenly leaned closer, so close


    their lips were almost touching.


    At Jason’s advance, Estre instinctively struggled. That was when Jason seemed to snap out of it and


    straightened up, his voice icy as he said, “Estre, dreaming of climbing the socialdder through


    having my child?”


    He paused before adding, “You’re hardly qualified.”


    Estre felt the sting of those words.


    He didn’t like her, their marriage was arranged by their parents, and their two families wanted to join


    forces, so Jason didn’t like her in any way.


    Then, he raised his right hand to the back of her neck, pulled her close again, and reminded her while


    looking into her eyes, “Estre, you have one year. If you can’t make me father a child with you in that


    time, pack your bags and leave.”


    With that, he turned and walked to the wardrobe, picked out a dark suit, put on his gold-rimmed


    sses, and mmed the door behind him.


    Bang! The door shut with a violent force, leaving Estre to copse weakly onto the bed, her right


    hand cradling her forehead.


    She didn’t know about Jason’s affection for Serene. If she had known earlier, she would never have


    agreed to the marriage proposal from Jason’s father Landon, even if it meant never having children and


    never bing a mother.


    After sitting on the edge of the bed for a while, Estre got up, went to the wardrobe, and


    15:19


    pulled out another set of pajamas.


    From N?velDrama.Org.


    Though


    Customed to the rejection, Estre felt defeated as a woman each time Jason turned her away. She


    had done everything, yet Jason never touched her. There was nothing more she could do.


    The next morning, she was awakened by a call from Kristin. “Hi Kristin.”


    “Estre, how did it go with Jasonst night? Did you two make up?”


    Kristin’s inquiry left Estre feeling helpless. For two years, Kristin’s pressure for a grandchild had


    driven her to the brink of insanity. She thought if Kristin had wanted grandchildren so badly, she should


    have had more children, not pinned all her hopes on


    Jason.


    After a


    er a long silence, Estre replied with resignation, “He left shortly after he came back.”


    Hearing that they had not “seeded”st night, and that she had missed another chance to be a


    grandmother, Kristin felt a chill in her heart. She advised, “Estre, you still need to be more proactive


    with Jason.”


    Estre thought to herself that she was almost begging Jason to take pity on her and sleep with her.


    How much more proactive could she be?


    Frowning in thought and unsure what to say, Kristin added from the other end, “You see, you just don’t


    take enough initiative with Jason. Go to the office and bring him lunch. You need to be more present, or


    others will think you’re a pushover.”


    The “others” Kristin referred to were Serene, who was Jason’s secretary at thepany.


    Despite a hundred reservations, Estre couldn’t refuse after Kristin had called and given her advice.


    So, she got ready, grabbed the lunch the maid prepared, and drove to Nelson


    International.


    “Jason, do you think this revision works? If we adjust this…”


    Outside Jason’s office, Estre hadn’t even knocked when she heard Serene’s delicate


    voice inside.


    The office door was ajar, and Estre peeked in to see Jason with a file in hand, speak to a leaning


    Serene, “These figures don’t make sense, and it could lead to safety issues the project.”


    “And this cement in sector D,” Jason continued, abruptly changing the subject, “Pull up a chair and


    sit.”


    At Jason’s care, Serene smiled and pulled a chair next to him to sit down.


    Outside the door, Estre rolled her eyes discreetly. Right then, Estre wasn’t sure if


    15:19


    Jason and Serene’s interaction was normal, or if it was typical for a secretary to sit so close to her


    supervisor, but Estre knew one thing: since marrying Jason, he had never spoken to her with such


    gentleness. He never cared whether she stood or sat, knelt ory down, lived or died.


    Last year, she had a minor car ident, and when the doctor asked for a family member to sign the


    papers, Jason had hung up on her call. She spent several days in the hospital, and to this day, Jason


    remained unaware of the incident.


    After waiting at the door for a while and seeing that their discussion was far from over, Estre turned


    and left with the lunchbox.


    When she wandered around the ground floor and passed a pharmacy, she remembered Kristin’s


    instructions and headed back to thepany.


    Indeed. Regardless of Jason’s acknowledgment, she was hiswful wife. Why should she hide? She


    had done nothing wrong.


    Thus, returning to Jason’s office, Estre didn’t think twice before pushing open the door. Inside the


    office, Jason and Serene, hearing the sound, looked up towards the door,