Serene’s sobs were soft and sorrowful. Jason remained stoic, his voice calm as he said, “I’ll send Drew


    over to help you out.” With that, he ended the call and promptly dialed Drew, instructing him to make a


    trip over.


    Meanwhile, Estre’s breathing had settled into a quieter rhythm. Estre had thought for sure that


    Jason would leave her side that evening.


    After hanging up, Jason nced over at Estre with an expression that didn’t betray thoughts, “If


    you’re up, you can get out of the car yourself. I’m not carrying you.”


    his


    Estre, however, didn’t open her eyes.


    Seeing this, Jason unbuckled his seat belt, opened the car door, and walked toward the house without


    looking back.


    Realizing Jason was serious about leaving her in the car, Estre swiftly unbuckled. herself and hurried


    out after him. She caught up and looped her arms through Jason’s. He nced down at her with a


    frosty look, but Estre maintained her usual cheery demeanor-an utter contrast to Serene’s tearful


    episode.


    Their eyes met, and Jason quickened his pace. Estre kept up, her voice light, “Jason, let’s have a


    baby.”


    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Jason’s answer was brief and to the point, “No.” Despite his words, he didn’t remove her hands from


    his arm.


    Soon, they entered the house together, and Marie, seeing them return side by side, smiled dinner.


    more brilliantly than the garden flowers, bustling off to have the kitchen prepare Estre seemed in


    unusually high spirits that day, spending more time watching Jason and talking to him than usual.


    After dinner, when they retired to their upstairs bedroom, Jason reminded her not to get her hopes up,


    “Estre, don’t get too excited.” He had agreed toe home once a week, but nothing more.


    Estre brushed off his remark, “I’m off to shower.”


    When Estre emerged from the shower, Jason was already on the bed, deeply engrossed in a book,


    his nose still framed by those gold-rimmed sses.


    Approaching the bed, Estre knelt down, but before she could speak, Jason raised his hand, pressing


    a finger to her forehead to maintain a distance between them.


    As Estre’s brow lifted, about to speak, her phone rang from her pocket, a call from a client.


    Cho nced at Jason, stood up from the bed, and quickly answered, “Hey! Jo.”


    15:21


    The voice of a middle-aged woman,ced with indignant sobbing, filled the air, “Ms. Estre, why are


    men such heartless creatures? When I married him, he didn’t even have decent clothes to his name.”


    “I’ve been through so much hardship with him, managed our home and children so well, and after all


    that, he just flips a switch and wants a divorce. Doesn’t he realize what those girls out there are after?


    How can he treat me like this without fearing karma?” Her voice broke into tears at the end.


    Estre sighed, already knowing from the conversation that Jo had fought with her husband about the


    divorce again. Holding the phone in one hand and pouring herself a ss of water with the other,


    Estre consoled her, “Jo, we’ve done all we could at this point. We’ve tried, we’ve given, and we’ve


    attempted to salvage this marriage. If your husband is still unwilling to continue, then we must


    approach the matter rationally. We need to fight for your financial rights, considering all the years of


    effort you’ve put in.”


    At Estre’s words, Jason looked up from his book, his gaze falling on her.