When Jessa opened her eyes the next morning, she found Sawyer sitting next to her.

“Jessa, I heard that you’re better now? Here, have some food while it’s hot.”

A warm sandwich was shoved into her hand.

Feeling the warmth of the gesture, Jessa looked at Sawyer. How could he be so sincere in his care for her this morning when he had been in Vanessa’s bed just last night? How could he have called her a fake and devious woman?

“Are you still feeling unwell, Jessa? About the negotiation today…”

“I’m fine. I’ll go.”

Jessa put the sandwich aside. When she looked down, her gaze was filled with contempt.

Sawyer had not come home so early out of concern for her. It was because he needed her to be at the negotiation.

The sandwich went cold and limp the moment it left her hand.

On the way to the meeting, Sawyer kept asking about her, but Jessa did not respond. She watched the scenery speed past outside her window. She did not know when they had come to this point in their relationship.

Jessa’s phone buzzed in her bag. [Ms. Darling, Vanessa is going to orchestrate a car accident!]

The message was succinct. It came from the spy she had placed in the upper levels of the Cevina Group.

The attached picture had a car plate circled. The vehicle itself was heading onto a highway. It was the very truck following not far behind them.

“Stop the car!”

Just as Jessa pulled out her knife and put it to Vanessa’s neck, the truck behind them barreled at them.

In a split second, Vanessa hit the steering wheel. Being in the driver’s seat, she got hit the hardest.

There was a great crash.

The force threw Jessa against the door. She let go of the knife. Luckily, it had not hurt anyone.

In the chaos, Jessa forced her head up. She could swear that Vanessa had smiled at knowing she had gotten her way before she fell unconscious.

From the back seat, Sawyer’s voice was frantic.

“Vanessa! Vanessa!”

Sawyer ignored the blood flowing from his forehead and frantically went over to undo Vanessa’s seatbelt.

The sound of ambulance sirens approached.

…

In the hospital, the sharp scent of disinfectant stung the nose.

The doctor looked grim as he walked out of the emergency room. “Who is the patient’s next of kin? The patient has lost a lot of blood. She and her baby are both in serious condition.”

Before the doctor could speak further, Sawyer grabbed him by the collar. “Make sure the baby is safe. You have to make sure my baby is safe, no matter what!”

He did not even look back to see Jessa standing behind him, equally pale-faced.

At that moment, Jessa clearly heard the truth. Whatever hope she had harbored was thoroughly destroyed.

Sawyer sat vigil in the hospital for three days and three nights. That third day was even his and Jessa’s wedding anniversary.

That night, Jessa received a call from Sawyer. Through the line, Jessa could hear Vanessa’s weak voice.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Pitt. Mr. Pitt is expending too much worry for the baby and me. He will have to make it up to you on your anniversary next year.”

Jessa hung up. She glanced at the candlelit dinner arrayed before her, the food having long gone cold.

A few days later, Sawyer came home exhausted. He hugged Jessa from behind and looked at her with deep affection.

“I’m sorry, Jessa. I missed our anniversary. I love you, but I…”

Before he could finish speaking, his phone rang.

It was a call from the hospital with news that Vanessa’s condition had purportedly deteriorated.

Sawyer immediately straightened up to leave again, but Jessa blocked his path. “Vanessa’s baby is yours, is that right?”

Sawyer’s face went white. “It was a mistake, Jessa. You’re the one I love. But the baby is innocent.”

“Alright then. Prove it to me. Prove to me that your love for me is worth more than that mistake.”

Jessa kept her gaze fixed on Sawyer.

Their gazes met for a second before Sawyer shifted it away. “Don’t be unreasonable, Jessa.

“She put herself in danger to save you when the car accident happened. You even threatened her with a knife! Even if you hate her, you should be grateful that she saved you. Besides, you’re the only one I love. Why won’t you believe me?”

Why should she believe him? Should she believe him because of that seven-month promise? Or was she supposed to believe that Vanessa’s baby was not his?

Jessa took out her phone and showed Sawyer all the texts Vanessa had sent her. Then, she played the voice recording from the study.

After that, Sawyer watched as she calmly put a tablet before him.

It showed all the proof of Vanessa’s ties with the Cevina Group. It also laid out their plans in minute detail.

Sawyer’s face was pale. It first showed shock, then disbelief. After that, Sawyer went quiet.

“Where did you get all this?”

“I have my sources.”

After Jessa said this, Sawyer suddenly cornered her. He questioned, “Your sources? Jessa, I am your husband! Why didn’t you tell me there’s a risk to the company at once? Why did you go for outside help?”

“What was I supposed to tell you? Did you believe me when I told you she was lying to you?”

What had Sawyer done when Jessa had raised this matter to him? He had told her that she should pity Vanessa!

As the two were stuck in an impasse, Sawyer’s phone rang.

He frantically hit the speakerphone button. Through the line came the voice of a director at the Cevina Group. It was lazy and mocking.

“I heard there’s been a few issues at home, Sawyer. I thought you and Jessa were deathly devoted to each other. Why are you two in such a huge row over some bodyguard?”

Sawyer suppressed his rage and said coldly, “Vanessa is yours, right?”

Alvin Rucco let out a laugh. “Do you think I’d have the same poor taste as you? A woman like that is not even worth being a pawn of the Cevina Group.

“You shouldn’t suspect that nobody. Why don’t you suspect your wife? But she loves you more than I thought. To clear away a rival in love, she was even willing to come to me for help.

“By the way, Sawyer. Do you think that your wife is a pure and clean woman? You should ask her how she got your stock back from Mejika three years ago. Do you think she really managed it through words alone? You should know your wife’s skills better than that.”

The call was cut, but then a video was quickly sent over.

In the video, Vanessa could be seen barely hanging onto life. She had been strung up from the rafters of an abandoned factory. Below her was a vat of some sort of green chemical.

At the end of the video came Alvin’s voice. “If you’d like to save your loyal little bodyguard, Sawyer, you’ll have to trade Jessa for her.

“Also, I left you a gift in your email inbox. The password is 250367.”

Sawyer quickly opened his laptop. Indeed, he had received an encrypted email in his inbox.

It held another video, but this one was of Jessa.

She saw in the semidarkness, but her voice was calm and crystal clear. “Mr. Rucco, I want you to frame Vanessa Rivera as a corporate spy. Once everything’s done, I’ll give you half of the Pitt Group’s shares.”

Alvin laughed. “Why should I trust you, Ms. Darling?”

“No woman can handle her husband having a mistress. Besides, between letting Vanessa snatch the Pitt Group away and giving you the shares, I choose the latter.”

The Jessa in the video was calm and ruthless with her logic. It was just like the Jessa he knew.

Sawyer’s breathing nearly stopped. Before he had the chance to collect himself, the screen switched to show a bank transaction.

The account listed was an overseas one that he did not know about. Records showed that a great sum had been transferred into it from the Cevina Group. The transfer was listed as a “deposit for collaboration.”

After that, an expertly authored report was presented. It proved that every piece of evidence Jessa had shown him was really proof of Jessa framing Vanessa.

“Explain this, Jessa. I told you to wait, so why couldn’t you trust me? How did it benefit you to force Vanessa to extremes?”

“You would rather trust an enemy than trust me, Sawyer?”

Jessa found this situation absurd and tragic. There were two sets of evidence, but Sawyer chose to trust the one that came from the Cevina Group and questioned her instead.

Sounding angry, Sawyer said, “You’re the one who doesn’t trust me. Vanessa saved us both! How can you treat her this way?”

“And what if she was the one who planned the car accident, Sawyer?” Jessa said, raising her voice.

Sawyer subconsciously avoided Jessa’s gaze.

Sawyer’s evasiveness shocked Jessa. Had Sawyer already known about the truth of the car accident?

But then he had hidden it all because of the baby Vanessa was carrying.

In that case, could he also tell that this evidence was doctored?

That meant that Sawyer was not being stupid. He simply no longer loved her.

Jessa gave a bitter laugh as Sawyer’s phone rang again.

“Have you thought it through, Mr. Pitt? Do you choose Jessa or your loyal little bodyguard? Actually, I quite hope that you’ll pick Jessa. With such a skilled negotiator in your household, you can make a whole bunch of cash. A bodyguard’s life isn’t worth much.”

Every word was a provocation to Sawyer.

He turned furious, and his voice was cold and shaking. “Jessa, you should go and take her place. You owe this to her.”