Chapter 230 Crossed Paths
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At Maple Bay, when Anneliese returned home with Meatloaf, Jessica was already up and sipping water in the living room.
“What’s wrong?” Jessica caught her mood in one glance.
“Nothing. Why didn’t you sleep a little longer?” Anneliese tried to smile it off. She didn’t want Jessica to know Marcus had shown up again. But Jessica guessed it anyway. “Did Marcus come looking for you?”
Anneliese froze, about to deny it, but Jessica went on. “I know him better than you do. He’s not the type to let me go so easily.”
Realizing there was no hiding it, Anneliese pointed downstairs. “Not just Marcus. Zacharias was there too.”
Seeing both of those sc*mbags first thing in the morning had felt like stepping straight into a mess she wanted no part of.
Their eyes met, and in that moment of shared misery, both women suddenly burst out laughing. When the laughter faded, Anneliese sighed. “Jess, what are you planning to do?”
Jessica’s smile stayed light. “I’ve already asked Miles to arrange a new identity for me. If I managed to hide for over three years, I could do it again. Don’t worry, Miles has the right connections to get me out.”
“Where will you go?”
“I haven’t decided yet. There are plenty of places.”
“But you can’t keep running forever, can you?”
Jessica shook her head. “I won’t have to. The only one really hunting me is Marcus. But he’s bound to marry Faye Thorne soon. The Thorne family has grown strong, standing toe–to–toe with the Johnsons.
“Faye’s possessive and controlling. Once they’re married, neither she nor the Johnson Family will allow Marcus to keep chasing me. Give it time, and he’ll stop. Relax.”
But how could Anneliese relax? Marcus was a deranged obsessive. What if he never gave up? What if Jessica tried to escape, only to be caught the moment she left Oceaton?
But Jessica clearly didn’t want her dwelling on it. She patted her stomach. “I’m starving. What
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Chapter 230 Crossed Paths
did
you make for breakfast?”
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So, Anneliese joined her for the meal, reminded her not to go out unnecessarily, and then headed off to Astoria University as usual.
Her assignments were the same as before, but she worked slower, distracted. Even Jackson noticed something was off. By noon, when she handed him the compiled data, he looked at her with concern. “Anneliese, are you sick? Or did something happen?”
“What? No,” she said quickly, blinking in surprise and shaking her head.
But Jackson wasn’t convinced. She looked preoccupied, shadows beneath her eyes hinting at poor sleep. Still, the bright smile she gave him left no trace of it. He clenched his hands before asking, “Then what about that meal you promised me? Can I cash it in today?”
Anneliese hesitated.
He had helped her before, even treated the lab seniors to beverages and snacks. She had promised to return the favor with dinner. With only a couple of days left before she’d be leaving the lab behind, refusing again would mean breaking her word. And since she no longer needed to cook lunch for Jonathan, she nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”
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Jackson’s face lit up in unrestrained joy, his smile so bright it was infectious. Anneliese found herself smiling back.
“You’re this happy?”
“Of course. I’ve been waiting for this meal a long time.”
“Well then, I can’t make it too casual. It has to be a real feast. Anything special you’d like to eat?”
“You decide.” As long as it was with her, he’d be happy–even if it were just food from a food truck. His eyes sparkled with eager anticipation.
“How about the revolving restaurant at Central Tower…” She trailed off, nearly biting her tongue.
She hadn’t forgotten: Jonathan was supposed to be on his blind date there at noon. Zion’s words had replayed in her mind all morning, and now they had slipped out unbidden. She was about to quickly suggest another place, but Jackson clapped his hands, thrilled.
“A fancy meal at the revolving restaurant? Perfect! Anneliese, how did you know I’ve always wanted to eat there?” He looked overjoyed, full of expectation.
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