They Want Me Back When It's Too Late (Jessica and Brian) novel Chapter 4

After agreeing on a time with Gabriela to take over the studio, Jessica returned to Atkinson Villa.

She had given herself a 15–day countdown because ten years had left too many things unresolved. She couldn’t just walk away. There were still matters to handle.

The most important of all was everything inside Atkinson Villa.

The massive villa, over 5,000 square feet, had no housekeepers simply because Brian thought they were too noisy. The daily cleaning had always fallen to Jessica.

Now that she was leaving, she intended to step down like the perfect secretary she’d always been. It was a matter of pride–as the heiress of the Grant family.

Madeline clearly wasn’t the type to do housework, so Jessica had to find a qualified housekeeper for her husband and child.

During the day, Jessica interviewed several candidates, having each of them cook according to Brian’s preferences. In the evening, as she was eating at home, an urgent voice came from the front door. “Chester, call the family doctor. Now.” It was Brian.

Jessica, being pregnant, was especially sensitive to the smell of blood, and the air immediately made her nauseous.

She frowned, an instinctive worry rising. ‘What happened? Is he hurt?‘ she pondered.

She instinctively started toward the door, only to see Brian hurrying in, carrying a woman in his arms. It was winter in Hartdale, snow falling steadily, soaking his hair and shoulders, but he didn’t seem to notice.

He laid the woman down on the couch and barked, furious, “Where is the family doctor? Hurry up.”

Jessica didn’t even need to see the woman’s face to know who she was. It was Madeline.

Wrapped in her thick robe, Jessica stood to the side and calmly asked, “What happened to her?”

They had just argued in the morning. Brian glanced at Jessica but didn’t seem interested in talking to her. His voice was filled with annoyance. “She ran into some loan sharks and took a stab to the shoulder.”

“Loan sharks? Whose debt?” Jessica asked, curious. She thought, ‘What, has the CEO of Atkinson Group gone bankrupt?‘

Before Brian could respond, Madeline, pale and weak, spoke up in a pitiful voice, “I’m sorry, Jessi. It’s my fault. My dad owes gambling debts, and somehow those people found out I was Mr. Atkinson’s secretary.

“They waited on a dark road tonight and tried to kidnap me. I fought back and got hurt. Luckily, Mr. Atkinson was working late and happened to be there. If he hadn’t shown up and saved me, I might’ve been killed.”

“Don’t say things like that,” Brian said sharply. “As long as I’m around, no one will lay a finger on you. But your place isn’t safe for now. I’ve already called the police. Until they catch those men, you’ll stay at Atkinson Villa.”

“No.” Jessica didn’t hesitate at all.

Hearing that, Brian looked up at her.

Jessica seemed in good spirits. Maybe it was because she had quit her job and reconnected with her best friend. Her cheeks were rosy, her skin glowing. She wore a soft silk robe, standing there lazily, full of charm.

Brian had been irritable since morning, but hearing Jessica’s flat rejection actually calmed him down.

He turned his head, sneering with what looked like mockery. He thought, ‘Just like I thought. Another game of push and pull. She acts like she’s indifferent, but deep down she’s still jealous of Madeline.

His tone turned low and warning. “Jessica, this is Atkinson Villa.” He was the one who owned this place. Whoever got to stay here was up to him.

“She still can’t stay,” Jessica said firmly. “There aren’t enough rooms. She has nowhere to sleep.”

Atkinson Villa was big, spanning three full floors, but there were only three actual bedrooms.

One room was for Jacob, one for Jessica, and one for Brian. That was all there was.

There used to be extra guest rooms in Atkinson Villa, but back when Jessica and Brian were newlyweds and still happy, Brian had had them all remodeled.

There was a luxurious nursery, a walk–in closet, a display room for luxury goods, and spaces Jessica used to pass the time–like a flower room, an art studio, and a yoga room. But there were no extra bedrooms.

Chapter 4

In fact, the third bedroom was planned by Brian for their second child in the future. But back then, they never imagined that one day they’d be sleeping apart because of emotional distance.

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