"Are you afraid of that?"
Jessica inhaled deeply, her fingers gripping the pen. "Not really," she admitted. "But it’s the uncertainty of what comes after. What happens when they find out?"
Elder Allen leaned back against the pillows, exhaustion evident in his features, but his voice remained firm. "Desmond and the others will suspect something, but they won’t act immediately. As far as they’re concerned, you’re insignificant in the grand scheme of things. That’s our advantage."he analyzed.
Jessica’s lips pressed into a thin line. She knew Elder Allen was right—Desmond and the rest of the family saw her as nothing more than an unwanted addition to the household. No one would expect her to hold power, let alone the total shares of the Allen empire.
Her gaze dropped back to the document. The shares in question were substantial, an ancestral legacy passed on to generations.
She lifted the pen, hovering over the signature line.
"Are you certain about this?"She asked the umpteenth time a with complicated gaze. She is yet to understand why this man had trusted her so much to handover the total existence of the Allen family.
Jessica clenched her jaw, then, without another word, she signed her name in a bold, precise strokes. As she set the pen down, the weight of her decision settled over her. There was no turning back now.
Jessica closed the document and carefully slid it back into the brown envelope. Without hesitation, she handed it back to Elder Allen.
"I’ll pick it at my convenience," she said calmly, her expression impassive but her heart heavy.
Elder Allen studied her for a moment, a flicker of approval in his weary eyes. "You’re cautious. That’s good." He took the envelope and placed it beside him on the nightstand. "But don’t wait too long, Jessica. The tides in this family can change overnight." He muttered.
Jessica nodded, her thoughts unreadable. She knew the weight of what she had just signed, but taking possession of the document now would only draw unwanted attention. "I understand," she said simply.
Elder Allen adjusted properly on the bed ready to sleep for the night. His voice softer now. "You’ve done well tonight, child. Now go get some rest. Am sorry, I have to put you through this" He apologized sincerely.
Jessica stood up, her fingers tightening slightly before she let go. She gave the old man one last glance before turning toward the door. "I won’t let you down." She said. It is an insurance, a declaration and a conviction while offering herself comfort.
"I trust you" he replied. Nora’s daughter won’t be anything less. A woman who broke the record in her lifetime to revive a fallen investment.
Leaving the room, she closed the door gently behind her. Her mind a whirlwind of emotion as she recalled how a simple reunion dinner had taken a drastic turn to become a battlefield. "It is really complex", she muttered while walking down the hallway.
With the signing of the share transfer agreement, Jessica felt like one suppressed by a boulder. As she walk through the hallway to return to her and Davis bedroom she felt the atmosphere suffocating and depressing.
Without a second thought, she spurned on her heels and decided to take a stroll but because it is night she walked to the balcony.
Jessica stepped onto the balcony, the cool night breeze brushing against her skin. The vast expanse of darkness stretched before her, dotted with distant city lights, the moon shining bright. Her gaze into the distance, her mind heavy, burdened by the weight of a new decision.
She gripped the railing lightly, her fingers pressing into the cold metal as she closed her eyes allowing the night breeze to wash away the fatigue of the day’s stress as she took a slow, steady breath.
"Why did Elder Allen entrust this to her? "What exactly is the situation in the Allen family? She mused.
She made a simple decision"go with the flow and investigate things underground." The family was like a pack of wolves, circling, waiting for a weakness to pounce. And by signing that document, she had just painted a target on her back.
She exhaled sharply, shaking her head in resignation. "Finally caught in the web and I must work my way out of the mess " she muttered.
The sound of distant footsteps brought her out of her thoughts. She turned slightly, her body tensing. For a fleeting moment, she considered stepping back into the shadows, avoiding whoever was approaching. But she didn’t. She stood her ground.
Desmond approached her in a light footsteps and stopped by her side. He glanced at her lightly, noticing the worry on her face he felt his mood lighten. Everyone has its own bad day.
"Seems you are deep in thought, care to share a drink with me?" He smirked.
Jessica glanced at him briefly noting his countenance "Will he ever walk again?" She queried.
Desmond’s smirk faltered for a split second before he quickly masked it with amusement. He tilted his head slightly to get a good view of her face, as he leaned slightly against the railing.
"You are really straightforward" He chuckled, swirling the glass in his hand before taking a slow sip. He turned his gaze toward the night sky. "A man like Davis... even if he walks again, what’s left for him?"
Jessica’s eyes narrowed slightly. "That isn’t the answer am looking for." She muttered, her brows furrowed as she stared at him
Desmond exhaled, shaking his head as if she were asking something foolish. "Do you think he still has a chance?" He shifted his gaze to her, studying her carefully. "The doctors have done their best." he replied with an easy shrug of his shoulders.
Jessica remained silent for a while, her expression unreadable. "Did you seek for foreign help to know if it’s feasible for him to walk again?" Her tone calm as though discussing the weather with him.
"Foreign aid? Allen’s group was facing alot of crisis then and the old man was hospitalized. How do we go about seeking foreign doctors besides the diagnosis is complete and nothing can remedy it?" He smirked.
When God is already helping him reclaim all his rights taken away from him, why should he bother? Won’t he be the fool to give his enemy a chance again?
Jessica nodded lightly. Though she haven’t checked on Davis leg, she had long suspected there is a foul play. She didn’t want to approach Davis to check on that until she is certain he will give her the chance.
"Does that mean you didn’t want him to walk again?" She asked with a small smile on her lips.
Desmond smirked flattered, his expression becomes complicated, his hand on the glass tightening lightly. "Why wouldn’t I want him to walk? He is my ... nephew after all."
Jessica smiled at his response. Even a naive mind will know it is never in his wish for Davis to walk again.
"Don’t you think, it will be better to get more medical help for him?" Jessica pressed on.
"You are really naive." He muttered in his breath not knowing she heard him well. He looked at her for a while "I will see what can be done, besides I will also be looking for a capable doctor to take care of the old man’s health". He said uninterested.
"Thank you, I will appreciate that." Jessica smiled.
He nodded, his gaze resting on her face as he took note of her facial features, calm, beautiful, innocent, naive. He sighed noncommittal. "Do you still care for the drink?" He asked lifting the bottle of wine and glass to her.
Jessica shook her head and thanked him. "I will be going in." She said as she spurned on her heels to go inside but his voice filtered over "Jessica, we can make good partners you know, just think about."
Jessica nodded at his word. "I will do that." She chimed.
Desmond watched her leave before letting out a low chuckle, took a sip of his drink "He will never walk again." He said coldly, an affirmation to his fears.