Alan didn't say a word, but silence pretty much meant confirmation.

Jessica's hands clenched tightly, her lips trembling. "Alan, I never should've fallen for you. I never should've arranged that fake kidnapping for your fiancée. I just wanted to stage a scene, that's all! I had no idea Chloe brought in one of your enemies. I didn't mean for her to die! I already paid for it with my life four years ago. Besides, if she hadn't died, you wouldn't have ended up with Chloe. So I owe you nothing! But my parents-I will get to the bottom of what happened to them. When I do, it'll be life for a life."

Alan let out a low, cold laugh. "Jessica, you'll never be able to pay back what you owe me. As for your parents, stay out of it. I'll give you an explanation. For now, get the hell out of Helvaria!"

Her return and sudden meddling wasn't something he saw coming. He wasn't afraid she'd come back out of revenge or anything, but this matter was off-limits to her. Did she even understand what danger meant?

Jessica frowned. So, no matter what she did, she could never repay what she owed him? Was he still so attached to his late fiancée that he couldn't even tolerate sharing the same air with her? Was that why he wanted her gone so badly?

The tense moment was cut off by a sudden ringtone blasting through the room. Alan answered.

"Alan, thank god! Ethan said you're okay. Where are you? I was so scared something had happened-"

Chloe was terrified Alan would dig into the past with Jessica.

"I'm fine, wait for me," Alan replied shortly and hung up. Without sparing Jessica another glance, he strode out of the room.

Jessica stared at his retreating figure and let out a dry chuckle. Just moments ago he was all caught up brooding about his ex, and now he was running off to his new girl like nothing happened. Men really do switch up faster than flipping a page. But if he loved his ex-fiancée that much, why didn't he seem bothered at all about Chloe being involved with those kidnappers?

"Jessica! Are you alright?" Daniel rushed inside.

"I'm fine. I'm Richard's sister-he wouldn't dare lay a hand on me." Her voice was calm. "Daniel, in Helvaria, there are two people you can't afford to mess with. One's Richard, the other is Alan. I'm the person Alan hates the most. Being with me automatically puts a target on your back. He might spare me, but you? He won't hold back."

"You think I'm scared that easily? Come on, I'll take you home."

Jessica didn't argue. She'd already made up her mind to quit. She knew Daniel didn't even qualify to be Alan's pawn-no way she was dragging him into this mess.

The next morning, warm sunlight streamed into the bedroom. Jessica rubbed her temples groggily and stretched out her hand, catching a sliver of sunlight shimmering like a dream.

A scene flashed in her mind-ten-year-old her sitting on a man's lap. He gently combed her long hair, kisses occasionally brushing her cheeks.

"Alan, why do you like me?"

"Because you're my girl."

"So, kissing means you're in love?" The girl looped her arms around the man's neck, her face all innocent as she gently pressed her lips to his.

The man froze for a second. The next moment, his lips brushed softly over hers. "Jessie, you gotta love me forever, okay?"

Jessica's hand clenched instinctively, but no matter how tightly she gripped, she couldn't hold onto even a hint of warmth. Her chest ached. She tapped her forehead a few times-those memories buried for four years had come flooding back the minute she saw Alan again. So much for pretending she was over it.

Her phone rang. No caller ID, but she knew who it was-the man who gave her a second chance at life.

"Alice, where to today?" The guy on the line sounded laid-back, almost like he was just making small talk.

"Heading home. Gotta get back what's mine."

"Alright then. Got a little surprise for you," he replied, voice carrying a hint of mischief.

"What kind of surprise?"

"You'll see when you get there."

Jessica hung up, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. A surprise, huh?

It was late autumn. The rose vines twisted along the iron fences had long withered, leaving only bare branches. Red-frosted ivy clung to the walls of the villa's main house.

Jessica wasn't too familiar with the Southern estate. She'd grown up with the Knights, barely spending any time here.

As she stepped into the villa, the staff stared at her in stunned silence.

On the living room couch, a man and woman were locked in a tender embrace, heads pressed close-it almost looked like a painting.

Wow. Great timing-really. Jessica hadn't expected this. So Alan didn't believe a word she said. Not surprising, was it? He hated her. Of course he'd trust the woman he loved over her.

The sudden intrusion clearly caught them off guard. Though still leaning on each other, they were no longer quite so close.

Alan's face showed nothing but cold detachment.

Chloe's face was flushed red with anger. Her voice held no warmth. "Jessica, what are you doing here?" She'd just gotten Alan into that rare sweet mood-and now Jessica had ruined it.

Unbothered, Jessica sat down boldly on the couch across from them. "What, I can't come back to my own house now?"

Chloe's expression stiffened, clearly at a loss for words. No matter how long Jessica had been away, this was still her home. Chloe was just the cousin who moved in later. Sometimes, even she forgot that part.

"I mean... just saying... you could've let me know first so I could have the staff get a room ready for you."

Jessica scoffed, cold and sharp. "Chloe, do I need you to arrange anything for me in my own home? Acting like you run this place now, huh? Someone, get my room cleaned up."

She said it without hesitation, but clearly, things didn't go the way she intended-because the staff just walked in and looked right at Chloe.

Jessica had barely ever been back. The maids and attendants all worked for Chloe now. Of course they weren't going to take orders from her.

Chloe lifted her chin smugly. "Jessica, you just got back. Let me handle the arrangements for you. Someone, go prepare a room for her!" Her tone was like she was ordering a maid around.

Jessica narrowed her eyes, her voice cold. "You all work for the Southern family. If you don't take orders from me, then get out now! You're fired!"

The servants glanced uncertainly at Chloe.

Chloe tossed her hair carelessly. "Jessica, you don't need to take it out on the staff just because you're mad at me. They're officially hired. Fire them without cause, and you'll have to pay double compensation. Got that much cash lying around? Plus, there's a whole crew here-you think you can replace them all overnight?"

Jessica clenched her fist so tight her nails dug into her palm. She was the legitimate daughter of the Southern family, yet she had no say, no wealth. In the four years she'd been "dead," Chloe had taken over everything.

She looked up and caught Chloe's mocking gaze, and next to her, Alan's unreadable eyes. They were both just waiting for her to trip, to make a fool of herself. She suddenly felt just as powerless as the day she'd faced that bomb. This situation was a mess-without Alan's support, and with her brother gone, coming back with a name wasn't enough to change anything.

She'd already gone to the law firm to reinstate her identity, but that would take a few days. Until then, everything that was hers was still out of reach. Rushing things would only make them worse.

Suddenly, noise erupted outside-sounds of scuffling, shouts. A group barged in: sharply dressed men in black, followed by women in crisp maid uniforms.

Chloe's bodyguards stumbled in, bruised and clearly overpowered. "Ms. Southern, we don't know who those people are. We couldn't stop them!"

Chloe instinctively backed into Alan's arms, eyes wide with panic. What the hell was going on?

Even Alan looked briefly surprised-clearly, this wasn't part of his plan.

A composed, efficient-looking woman walked straight over to Jessica. "Miss Bennett, I'm Grace Wright, your new housekeeper. These are your personal bodyguards and household staff. From now on, whatever you need, we're here to handle it."

Jessica blinked. "Wait, I didn't hire you guys..."

"That's right," Grace replied with a professional smile. "The Count arranged everything a month ago. We were instructed to report to you today, Miss Bennett."

Jessica's lips curved up slightly-so that was his gift. It hit her that he was kind of like a genie from a magic lamp, always showing up with exactly what she needed when she was in a bind.

Alan stood off to the side, face dark as storm clouds, a chill flashing through his eyes.

"And these documents-everything's been handled by the lawyers. Miss Southern, your legal identity has been fully restored. As per your parents' will, all properties under the Southern family's name in Halden, along with 40% of Southern Group's shares, are now officially in your hands. Chloe was only granted temporary rights in the event of your presumed death. That's now void," one of the lawyers announced.

Taking the documents, Jessica blinked her big, bright eyes. "Then let's cut a check and fire every single servant hired by Chloe. Not one stays."

"Understood." Grace gave a nod and soon had all the servants cleared out. Of course, they were paid to the last cent-nothing shady.

Everything happened so efficiently Jessica couldn't help but feel a rush of satisfaction.

"Grace, my cousin's an adult. Southern family has no obligation to keep supporting her. Cancel all her bank cards. From today onward, not a dime more from us!"

Chloe's face turned pale at those words. She'd never had a real job in her life. Without the Southern money pipeline, she was flat-out broke.

"You've got no right, Jessica! I was adopted by your aunt!" she shouted, panic slipping through her voice. How was she supposed to keep up her high-maintenance lifestyle without the funding?

"Chloe, let's get this straight-adoption is for minors. Unless I'm wrong, you're four years older than me. You're 24 now. Exactly why would the Southern family still need to support you?" Jessica tapped the rolled-up papers against the sofa arm with a rhythm, every gesture calm but intentional. Yeah, this was exactly the reaction she'd planned on.

She was gonna make Chloe pay back every bit of the past.

Clinging to Alan's arm now, Chloe's voice had cooled down. "You're not seriously kicking me out, right, Jessica?"

The earlier panic seemed to have faded-she wasn't so worried anymore. Even though the wedding didn't happen yesterday, she still thought of herself as Alan's future wife.

He had come over last night and told her that as soon as the deal with Sultan blew over, they would rearrange the wedding. And this very morning, he'd returned to be with her-not even asking her any questions about the past. She didn't know whether Alan doubted Jessica out of revenge, or simply trusted her more. But what she did know was-he loved her.

And if Jessica ended up tossing her out, wouldn't that just give her a reason to finally move into Alan's place? The thought flashed through her mind. After all this time dating, he'd never invited her to stay over. Not even once.

Jessica sank lazily into the oversized sofa, half-lidding her bright eyes with a sly glint-it was the look of a clever little fox scheming in plain sight.

"Chloe, you're seriously overthinking this! You're not married yet, so obviously, living at your parents' place makes more sense. People talk, you know? Unmarried cohabitation isn't exactly a good look, especially for the Southern family. Still, living here isn't free-rent, food, utilities-that all adds up. Alan, don't tell me you can't handle that?"

No way she was gonna let Chloe waltz into the Knight home just like that. She hadn't forgotten how Chloe almost got her killed back then. Letting the two of them live comfy together without paying a cent? Not happening.

Chloe's face went pale. "It's okay, Alan. As long as I'm with you, nothing else matters," she said softly, clearly hinting she wasn't bothered by what people thought.

Alan held her hand tightly, his eyes filled with warmth. "I won't let my woman suffer. Chloe's staying right here. Jessica, name your price. This should cover it."

A sleek black card landed on the coffee table with a soft thud. It had a subtle gold rim-no doubt a symbol of serious power.

Jessica snatched it up instantly. That was the black card-no limit. Meaning, she could literally drain millions from it.

"Thanks, Alan. I appreciate it," she said with a sweet smile. Yeah, she wasn't exactly broke these days, but if she had a chance to burn through Alan's cash, why not? Maybe she could even bankrupt him. The thought made her grin as she started calculating in her mind.

"Jessica!" A sudden shout snapped through the room as a gray blur rushed in.

"Paul!" Jessica stood up quickly and ran to him, instantly swept into the arms of the man with the calm, gentle aura.

"Kiddo, you're alive! Damn, you've grown," he chuckled, ruffling her hair.

"Don't touch my head," Jessica batted his hand away with a scowl. She seriously hated that-made her feel like a damn pet.

Paul's laugh echoed warmly through the room.

"Weren't you busy checking up on the branch offices out of town?" A cold voice cut through the moment.

Paul seemed to notice the other two people in the room for the first time. His expression faltered a little. "Alan, I heard Jessica came back, so..."

Alan's face was thunderous. The guy had skipped his own cousin's wedding, but one word about Jessica, and he jumped on a plane?

"Paul, I'm feeling tired. Carry me upstairs?" Jessica turned to him, face all soft and innocent, putting on a playful smile.

"You still act like a kid, huh?" he laughed, but there was a hint of helplessness in his tone. She always wanted to be held, yet every single time, Alan would beat him to it. It took Paul a while to figure out-she didn't really want him to pick her up. She was just trying to push Alan into doing it because he wouldn't do it otherwise.

But this time? No one was there to steal the moment.

He scooped her up into his arms without hesitation and headed for the stairs, not sparing Alan even a glance.

Paul laid Jessica gently on the bed and sat beside her. "Where've you been all these years?"

Jessica tugged on his arm, motioning for him to lie down next to her. "Somewhere amazing. It felt like a dream, like those fairytales we used to read. There was even a count who saved me." That place had been both her escape and her prison.

The people she missed most during those four years were her family and friends. Now that she'd finally seen them again, the loneliness she'd buried for so long started bubbling back up. All she wanted was to lean on someone, just for a while.

Paul turned to face her, resting on his side. "You didn't plan to tell me anything, huh?" he tapped her forehead, his tone teasing.

Jessica slapped his hand away with a frown. "I'm serious! Believe it or not, that place is real. I just don't know where exactly-but there was an island, and the count was real too."

He gently stroked her short hair. She was back, and that was all he needed. If she didn't want to talk, he wasn't going to press her.

"When did you cut your hair?" he asked softly. In his memory, she'd always had long hair.

Jessica's chest tightened. She'd kept that long hair for sixteen years-first because she didn't know better, then because he said he liked it. She'd held onto it for him.

Just then, a faint scent of pine drifted through the air. Her brow furrowed. A flash of cold flickered across her eyes as she slowly turned her head to look at Paul.

Compared to Alan, Paul didn't have such a sharp look, but his features were gentle and defined-like someone straight out of a drama.

"Paul, do you like me?"

Paul blinked, caught completely off guard. What kind of question was that?

"Of course I do!" He meant it-he loved her like a sister, like family. After all, since the day she was born, she'd belonged to Alan in everyone's eyes.

Jessica reached up and pressed her lips lightly to his, then eased her body onto his.

Paul froze, staring up at her in shock. Her soft frame on top of him made his heartbeat go haywire.

"Jess... you're just using me because of him, aren't you?" he managed to say, lifting her head gently.

"Paul, I don't love him anymore. If you care about me, maybe we could give it a shot," Jessica said, then sat up and started unbuttoning her shirt.