She didn’t seem to avoid suspicion even when she was close to Bryce, so why was she so secretive


    about making a phone call now?


    Shoving his hands deep into his pockets, he watched her with a leery gaze. approached, he reached


    out and snatched the phone from her gras


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    grasp.


    As he


    Estre stood up quickly, reiming her phone with a huff. “Cut it out, Jason! With the way things are


    between us now, you’ve got no right to snoop through my phone.” Back when she hadn’t left


    Ravenwood, and before the talk of divorce had even started, she used to find his jealousy somewhat


    endearing, a reason to tease him and flirt back. But times had changed. She was a mother now, and


    ying these games with him. thest thing she wanted.


    1 was


    “Not worthy, huh?” Jason’s mood soured instantly. He grabbed her face in his hand and pulled her


    close. “We’re still married, Estre.”


    Stumbling into his chest, Estre shrugged it off. “For now, but not for much longer.”


    Her indifference was like a punch to the gut. He hade here out of concern, and she repaid him with


    frustration. Releasing her face with a mix of anger and restraint, Jason warned, “You better hope I don’t


    find anything.”


    “Don’t bother.” Estre shot back defiantly. “I was talking to my man. Why don’t you just throw me out


    the window if you’re so tough, huh?”


    Her words stung less than he expected. Maybe she was just trying to get a rise out of him. He studied


    her for a moment, then reached out to brush a stray lock of hair from her forehead. “You just can’t


    stand it if you’re not getting under my skin, can you?”


    No sooner had he spoken than his own phone began to ring from his pocket. Pulling it out, he


    recognized a work-rted number. He answered and spoke briefly before stepping out to return to his


    own room, leaving Estre alone.


    As Jason left, Estre exhaled a silent sigh of relief. Thest thing she needed was for him to discover


    Isaac’s existence-that would onlyplicate matters further.


    Meanwhile, Jason, having finished his call, was about to head back to Estre’s room when he was


    struck by herughter with someone else and her eagerness for a divorce. His steps halted.


    “Drew, look into who Estre’s been in touch with these past years.” In the end, Jason couldn’t resist.


    He had to know. If he found out Estre had a lover, Jason wouldn’t rest until he’d made the guy pay.


    After hanging up with Drew, Jason’s phone rang again with more work calls. By the time. he finished, it


    was already past ten in the evening. He headed straight for Estre’s room,


    not even pausing to think.


    Inside, Estre was asleep, with Bryce keeping watch beside her. After adjusting her nket and


    checking her forehead, Bryce tenderly held her hand before cing it back. under the covers and


    standing up.


    Jason, witnessing Bryce’s attentiveness from the doorway, couldn’t take it anymore. He knocked loudly


    on the door.


    Beside the hospital bed, Bryce nced back. Seeing Jason approaching, he quickly stood up from the


    chair. The two stepped out to the corridor’s end, where a small balcony served. as a smoking area.


    Jason nced at Bryce through the dissipating smoke, seeing clearly that Bryce’s feelings for Estre


    had transcended mere friendship. Jason knew that look-it was the way a man looks at a woman he


    desires.


    a


    Taking a deep drag on his cigarette, Jason broke the silence. “You’ve fallen for her, haven’t you?”


    Estre was smart, beautiful, and had a great personality. It was no wonder she drew people in,


    especially someone like Bryce, who spent so much time with her.


    Bryce exhaled a stream of smoke, dismissing the idea with a chuckle. “It’s not the kind of liking you’re


    thinking about.” He paused, then continued, “It’s more pity and guilt. your behalf, Jason. I feel bad for


    Estre; she’s had it tough being married to you.


    Guilt on


    As Bryce leveled his gentle usation, Jason remained silent, continuing to smoke. Bryce turned to


    look at Jason. “You were pretty hard on Estre three years ago, ming her for the pregnancy she


    didn’t tell you about, and for losing the baby, weren’t you?”


    Before Jason could respond, Bryce added, “She didn’t tell you back then because she knew Holly was


    back. If you had chosen her, not Holly, things wouldn’t havee to this point.”


    Jason listened, his expression unreadable as he smoked.


    Finally, Bryce said, “I’m telling you this to make you feel bad and guilty. Don’t treat Estre like she’s a


    fool. It’s your fault, Jason. It’s your fault the baby didn’t make it.”


    The usation deepened the shadows on Jason’s face. He remembered Estre’s question from three


    years ago, about what he would do if she were pregn


    pregnant.


    After snuffing out his cigarette, Jason faced Bryce squarely. “I care about Estre, and I won’t divorce


    her. You handle your own feelings, Bryce.”


    With that, he returned to the hospital room, leaving Bryce alone on the balcony.


    Everyone thought he didn’t like Estre, even hated her. But Jason knew better. Why would he marry


    someone he didn’t love? Why would he let Landon threaten him? His choices had always been his


    own, made willingly, happily. Yet, often, fate had other ns. Now,


    08:03


    even if he confessed his feelings to Estre, she wouldn’t believe him.


    As for Bryce, he had matured. The time for sibling rivalry had passed. No more fights, no more feuds.


    Only the unspoken truths of the heart remained.


    Bryce stood on the small balcony, his gaze lingering on Jason’s retreating form until he disappeared


    into Estre’s hospital room. Jason stepped inside, and Bryce knew he wouldn’t get in.


    It was a familiar feeling, a bitter echo from six years prior when he had failed to confess his feelings to


    Estre and watched helplessly as she obtained her marriage certificate, sealing his fate to the


    sidelines.


    Inside the sterile room, Jason’s expression darkened upon noticing Estre had kicked off her nkets


    – some habits die hard, he mused. Jason remembered that when they used to sleep together, he would


    always get kicked a few times during the night. There were a few times when she even kicked him off


    the bed.


    Approaching the bed, Jason bent over and tenderly tucked Estre back in. He then took a seat in the


    same chair Bryce had just vacated. Jason’s presence dered an unspoken message: what belonged


    to him – his ce and his woman – was his alone to im.


    As he watched Estre sleep, her hands soon emerged from the sanctuary of the nkets. Jason


    stood up and gently guided her hand back under the covers, but as soon as her right hand was


    secured, her left hand surfaced. He promptly tucked it back in, only for the right hand to reappear.


    With his patience waning, Jason leaned over Estre to restrain both hands at once. But as he did so,


    Estre’s eyes flickered open, abruptly awake.


    08.03