Chapter 491 A Test of Trust
Chapter 491 A Test of Trust
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Anneliese quickly shifted her legs, and only then did Jonathan slowly withdraw his hand. But instead of setting her down on the couch, Jonathan tightened his hold and lifted her up.
“I still have work.”
“I know.” Jonathan took long strides toward his desk and placed her gently into the large swivel chair behind it. “From now on, use my computer. Sitting on the couch will only make your legs go numb again.”
Anneliese tilted her head to look at him. “You’re really okay with me using it? I can access whatever I want from now on?”
“Be my guest, Mrs. Fullbuster.” He gestured invitingly.
Anneliese spun the chair once. “You’re sure? I can really use anything? Even decrypt locked files if I feel like it—it’s not hard for me.”
A man’s computer or phone was usually more private than his wallet–who knew what secrets they held? Yet Jonathan offered her complete access without hesitation, and that openness startled her a little. It made her feel cherished, almost guilty for doubting him.
“Please, go ahead.” Jonathan ruffled her hair and then left the room.
Anneliese moved the mouse and smiled to herself. She loved how honest and unguarded he was with her. It was always the little things he did that moved her–each day, she fell a little deeper for him. Sometimes, she wondered if he was weaving a gentle trap around her.
But she didn’t snoop around his computer. Trust was the foundation of any marriage. Her relationship with Zacharias had collapsed the moment trust crumbled; no amount of love could survive that.
Jonathan offered her his trust–she was willing to do the same. She wanted a marriage built on mutual faith, a healthy cycle of giving and receiving.
The next morning, Jonathan personally drove Anneliese to the hotel where Sylvia was staying.
“Want me to come with you?” he asked.
“No, no need. I’ll just talk with her for a bit. You should get to work,” she replied, ushering him
off.
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Chapter 491 A Test of Trust
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After watching him leave, Anneliese went into the hotel’s fancy restaurant. Zion soon arrived with Sylvia in tow.
The girl was dressed simply, with a backpack slung over her shoulders and long hair falling loose–she looked every bit the college student.
One glance at her face, and Anneliese knew she truly was Melanie’s daughter. Her features mirrored Melanie’s almost perfectly. But while Melanie always carried an air of superiority and self–importance, Sylvia’s gaze was clear and earnest.
“Hello, Mrs. Fullbuster,” Sylvia spoke a little timidly, but couldn’t help stealing curious glances at Anneliese.
“Shall we sit and talk?” Anneliese stood, gesturing to the chair across from her.
Once they were seated and the server had brought over two cups of coffee and a few pastries, Anneliese finally spoke. “These are your family members.” She slid her phone across the table, showing Sylvia a photo of a family portrait.
Sylvia picked it up and studied it. In the picture, a middle–aged couple each held the arm of the girl in the center. Two young men stood behind them, and everything about their posture and clothing radiated the sense of a picture–perfect family.
Off to the side, half–forgotten, stood another girl in ill–fitting clothes, her presence barely acknowledged. Yet she was strikingly beautiful, her bearing graceful–Sylvia instantly recognized her as the woman sitting before her.
“You… didn’t have it easy in that house, did you?”
Sylvia’s gaze lingered on the faces of Melanie and Timothy–her biological parents–before lifting to meet Anneliese’s eyes.
On her way here, she had been told only about her origins and the White family’s current downfall. She hadn’t known the details. But one look at this photo told her everything she needed to know about Anneliese’s life there.
“This was taken half a year after I returned to the White family,” Anneliese said quietly. “It was on Timothy White’s birthday–your father.”
Half a year, yet the so–called ‘biological daughter‘ still wore clothes that didn’t fit. In the family portrait, no one even considered how she might feel. Sylvia’s fingers trembled around the phone. She understood enough now.
“Mrs. Fullbuster… could you tell me what life was really like for you with the Whites? I’d like to know what kind of people my parents and brothers are. Would that be okay?”
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Chapter 491 A Test of Trust
Anneliese stirred her coffee gently. “Aren’t you afraid I might lie to you?”
“No. I trust you, Mrs. Fullbuster. You have no reason to deceive me.”
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She already knew the Whites had gone bankrupt; there was nothing Anneliese could possibly gain by lying or scheming against her. More importantly, she sensed no malice from this woman–only quiet sincerity.
What Sylvia didn’t mention was that she had already known of Anneliese long before this meeting. She had followed her online.
