Jason strolled into the house after an evening of obligatory socializing, only to be greeted by Marie,


    who swiftly wiped her hands on her apron before rushing over to update him. “Mr. Jason, you’re back!


    Ms. Estre’s home, too. She looked a bit under the weather and didn’te down for dinner.”


    “I’ll go check on her,” Jason said, ascending the stairs.


    As he pushed open the bedroom door, Estre was just finishing a call by the bay window. Turning to


    see Jason, her previously impassive face clouded over with a dark scowl.


    After noticing her mood, Jason asked, “Why didn’t you have dinner?”


    Estre tossed her phone onto the desk with a tter, ignoring his question.


    Dinner? She was so infuriated by him that the thought of eating was thest thing on her mind.


    Seeing that Estre was giving him the cold shoulder, Jason edged closer to the desk, tapping on its


    surface to subtly inquire what was wrong. He hadn’t done anything to provoke her recently.


    Estre nced at him and, without warning, flung theb report on the desk at him. She crossed her


    arms over her chest and looked up at Jason with aposed challenge. “Jason, what are you trying to


    do?”


    Silence lingered as Jason perused the report. His rxed demeanor vanished. Secrets never stayed


    hidden forever, and Jason was startled to realize that Estre had discovered his interference so soon.


    It seemed she was quite eager to get pregnant.


    After a moment of silence, he tossed the report back on the desk and said, “You’re too young to rush


    into having kids.”


    His condescending remark about her age made Estreugh bitterly. “Too young, huh? Then don’t


    bother getting into bed with me. Have the guts to keep your distance!” Her sarcasm cut through the


    tension. To Jason, she was too young to bear children but not too young to share his bed.


    Estre’s simmering anger met with Jason’s calm reply, “Let’s put off the kid conversation for a couple


    of years.”


    Put it off?


    Estre stared back at him before standing up with an icy retort, “Fine. We can wait two years.”


    She went to the closet, pulled out a set of clothes for going out, and began to change. Did he want to


    wait two years? Fine, they’d wait two years before seeing each other again-to save her the constant


    aggravation.


    11:33


    As Estre started to change, Jason closed in and grabbed her arm, yanking her back. “Estre, a little


    drama is okay, but let’s not blow this out of proportion.”


    His forceful pull inmed her further, and she threw the clothes in his face. “Jason, don’t push me too


    far. If you don’t want this life, just tell me. But secretly taking preventative measures behind my back-


    what am I to you?”


    They could have discussed it. He could have exined that he felt she was too young, and they


    could’ve decided together to wait. But his secretive actions spoke volumes. Even if their marriage was


    just a formality, he had crossed a line by not trusting her..


    Estre’s anger was palpable, yet Jason remained defiant. “So you married me just to have a child?”


    She shot back, “What else? Am I after your money or your charming personality?”


    Her words left him speechless. Money was not an issue for her. The Dorvold family was well-off. As for


    him, deep down, he wished she was after his affection, but he knew the state of their rtionship all too


    well.


    The room fell into a tense silence as they faced each other.


    Turning away, Jason fell quiet. Estre did the same.


    After a tense pause, Jason broke the silence with a cold statement. “Estre, if all you want is a child,


    then I’m telling you now. Give up on that idea.” He wouldn’t be used as a mere sperm donor.


    Estre turned to face him. “Fine, I won’t have kids. Men are the least of what the worldcks. Why


    should I be hung up on you?”


    As she turned to leave, Jason grabbed her arm again. She faced him, about to retort when he cut her


    off, “Estre, if you mess around outside…”


    Herughter was bitter. “Are you threatening me?”


    She shrugged off his grip and stepped close, her voice low and fierce. “Jason, I ow nothing. Let’s be


    clear. I married you because I believed those fortune-tellers. I want child. If you can’t give me what I


    want, what are you to me?”


    She hadn’t wanted to argue, to say all this, but Jason had underestimated her for too lon She was


    increasingly finding this marriage meaningless.


    They had started with different expectations. She hadn’t been solely focused on having children. She


    had hoped that time might heal the wounds Holly left behind. But she had overvalued her ce in his


    heart. His agreement to marry her was just a means to torture themselves, to appease his parents.


    She no longer cared to mince words.


    With Estre’s candidness, Jason scoffed. “In that case, you might as well forget about


    17.93


    having children at all.”


    Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    He couldn’t understand her sudden change of heart, marrying him despite her hatred. It seemed he


    had overestimated his importance to her.


    Estre met his gaze defiantly. “We’ll see who canst.”


    With her words hanging in the air, Jason pocketed his hands and, without another word,


    left the house.


    After he departed, Estre didn’t follow. She remained alone with her thoughts. A medical report had


    reset their lives back to square one. Jason had stoppeding home, and Estre had thrown herself


    into her work with abandon.


    At the moment, she was solely focused on wrapping up the Lexi case, after which she nned to


    tackle her personal turmoil.


    However, the three-year deadline Landon had given them was fast approaching, with just a little over


    four months left. Estre was bracing for the worst.


    Deep down, she knew agreeing to marry Jason was a mistake. How could two people, so rife with


    conflicts, possibly bury the hatchet and carry on with their lives as if nothing had happened? How could


    they ever truly open their hearts to each other? After all, in this world, anything that had been broken


    would show its cracks, especially the human heart.


    Jason had been gone for a solid ten days without a word, leaving Estre to keep a grueling schedule,


    coming and going in the early andte hours. Marie and the others wanted to ask, to inquire, yet they


    didn’t dare.


    Estre had also taken a decisive step by formally initiating a murder charge against Nick. That


    evening, Estre, Logan and Arden had attended a dinner with some district leaders, After, one of them


    insisted on driving her home after she had indulged in a couple of


    drinks.


    Stepping out of the car, she thanked her colleague and made her way inside. Marie hurri over with a bit


    of news that was as surprising as it was unexpected. “Ms. Estre,” she said, a note of caution in her


    voice. “Mr. Jason hase back.”