Throughout lunch, Estre maintained an air of sereneposure. It was as if she had anticipated the
unfolding scene, her gaze asionally flickering over Jason, who sat with furrowed brow.
Estre did not question him, nor did she offer words offort. After all, they were adults, masters of
their own emotions.
Beside Estre, Bryce suddenly turned to her and quipped, “Estre, how can you be so chill? Not
even a hint of surprise?”
The rest of their circle had been visibly shaken, jaws nearly hitting the floor, yet Estre seemed
unfazed, prompting a wave of envy in Bryce.
With a chuckle, Estre revealed, “The girl sitting next to Holly is the owner of that
Maserati.”
“What?” Bryce gasped, even more astonished, before pressing on, “So Estre, did you already see
that Holly has returned?”
N?velDrama.Org is the owner.
Estre’s silence spoke volumes. Given the current situation at the time, it seemed that the girl driving
the Maserati was Holly’s maid. Holly didn’t want people to know she had returned, nor did she want
anyone to be aware of her presence. That was why the Ledford family had registered the car under the
name of that girl.
As Bryce and Estre chatted, Holly was wheeled over by a servant, her gaze briefly surveying the
group, before she smiled weakly at Jason, “Jason, I’m not feeling up to par. I’ll head back now and treat
everyone to dinner another day.”
“Sure,” Jason replied curtly.
Holly didn’t offer any exnation, and Jason didn’t ask anything. Then Holly navigated her wheelchair
away, leaving the group to turn their collective gaze upon Jason.
With an edge in his voice, Jason snapped, “Why are you staring at me?”
Bryce shook his head, then, picking up his fork, he offered Estre more food, “Estre, eat up.”
Their afternoon ns cut short, Jason left promptly, and Estre soon followed. Bryce drove her back,
with Jesse in tow.
Inside the car, Jesse turned to Estre and asked, “Estre, what’s your game n now?”
“Just business as usual,” Estre replied with a smile.
“Right,” Bryce interjected, “stand your ground, and if Jason dares to upset you, just kick him to the curb.
You’re too good to worry about finding men.”
Bryce’s rant continued, his mood soured by Holly’s reappearance,menting how the past
10:02 3
had spared her.
Estre, unbothered by the day’s events, simply touched her stomach gently, pondering
her next move.
Soon, they arrived at Sandalwood Oasis, where Bryce and Jesse saw Estre inside. Bryce even
snagged some of Jason’s coffee before taking his leave. Jesse, on parting, reminded Estre to reach
out if anything arose.
Once they left, the house fell silent, save for Marie muttering, “Mr. Bryce was still the same, always
fond of taking Mr. Jason’s things.”
Estre replied, “That’s just who he is.”
“Ms. Estre, you probably didn’t get a proper lunch outside. Let me whip up some pasta for you, and
I’ll also prepare some fruit,” Marie offered.
“Alright, thank you, Marie.”.
Marie beamed and bustled off to the kitchen.
A little whileter, Estre was tucking into her meal, her thoughts intermittently returning to Holly’s
unexpected appearance today. Holly’s parents were surprisingly amodating, even agreeing to her
bizarre idea of staging a mock funeral.
Meanwhile, in the CEO’s office of Nelson International, Jason had settled down at his desk.
The Ledford family had once casually mentioned that Holly had passed away. At that time, they didn’t
dwell on it and went ahead to mourn at Holly’s pretended funeral. Who would’ve thought that she’d
reappear after more than three years?
Fidgeting with the phone on his desk, Jason found a number that he hadn’t dialed in years. Several
times, he had thought about reaching out, only to hesitate, but in the end, he mustered the courage to
dial Estre’s number.
“Home safe?”
“Yes, was about to nap when you called,” Estre held the phone in one hand, with the other resting on
her eyes.
“Rest up. I’ll be home soon.”
“Okay.”
Estre hung up, pulled the covers closer, and drifted to sleep, unswayed by the local astonishment
over Holly’s miraculous re-emergence.
When she woke up in the evening, Jason was already there, watching her sleep.
“Back already?” she mumbled, half-asleep.
“You’ve been sleeping a lot,” Jasonmented, his hand brushing her forehead.
“Too many court cases, they tire the brain,” Estre yawned, adding, “I’m hungry.”
Her appetite had grown fierce thesest few days. Arge bowl of pasta and a heap of fruit at noon had
barely sufficed.
Jason gently ruffled her hair. “Let’s go downstairs and get you something to eat.”
Jason didn’t bring up Holly, and Estre, being smart, also chose not to mention it, pretending as if that
person had never appeared.
Downstairs, Marie cheerfully noted Estre’s restful afternoons and encouraged an early night.
Tonight, Jason originally had a social engagement. The school leaders invited him to dinner, but, Jason
declined and chose toe back to apany Estre after finishing his work at thepany.
After dinner, Estre and Jason retreated upstairs to unwind for the evening. While Jason took a
refreshing shower, Estre nestled into the soft bed with a book in hand.
Emerging clean and slightly damp, Jason scooped up Estre into a warm embrace. It was as if the
school’s anniversary celebration had never happened, and Holly was just a figment of the past. Tonight,
Estre seemed content to curl up beside him. There was a rare moment of tranquility between them.
Jason tightened his hold on her, resting his chinfortably on her shoulder. Estre, basking in his
warmth, allowed her eyelids to flutter shut, drifting off without another word.
Smart as a whip, Estre wasn’t the type to stir up trouble, but God help anyone who managed to get
on her bad side.
The following morning, Jason awoke with Estre still in his arms. The room was bathe in the bright
light of day. Reaching for his phone on the nightstand, he noticed a new message. The sender’s name
alone was enough to shift his expression.