Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption-Chapter 147: Results 1

~At the Hospital~

Donald and Lady Matilda Santiago both sighed in relief when Jessica agreed to take on the case—though it would be on her own terms, they are grateful for the opportunity.

Hearing her speak so calmly and with such confidence even when their name was mentioned, they were quietly impressed. She wasn’t someone that could be easily intimidate, and that surprised them.

"She’s very serious," Lady Matilda whispered to her son as they walked out of the office.

Donald nodded, then turned back to the dean. "Can we get a copy of her schedule once she sets it up? We don’t want the appointments to be too close together, but not too far apart either."

The dean nodded quickly. He understood their concern—and more importantly, he understood who they were. The Santiagos were not people to argue with. If this request made things go more smoothly, he was more than willing to comply.

"I’ll inform you once she finalizes her schedule," the dean assured.

After a few more minutes of discussion, the Santiagos thanked him and left the hospital, their guards following behind.

The dean slumped back into his chair the moment they were gone, he rubbed his forehead. He was already exhausted by this arrangement—and it hadn’t even started yet.

~Back at Jessica’s Mansion~

The late afternoon sun gently made its way to the west, painting the sky in warm gold and soft orange casting a rare beauty over the estate, touching the walls and windows of Jessica’s mansion with soft light. The day was slowly coming to an end.

Inside the gates, extra security measures were put in place. Jessica had called for an urgent family dinner, and the guards had been alerted.

The entrance was strictly monitored. CCTV cameras were adjusted to cover a wider area, making sure everyone coming in was safe and no one was followed.

Jessica sat on the edge of the couch in her bedroom, her laptop resting on her thighs as she scanned through her work. Her brows were slightly drawn, yet her face remained calm.

Davis sat on his wheelchair, a book in hand while he watches her work seriously. It is said a man working seriously is handsome but for Davis watching Jessica work seriously is beautiful sight worth remembering.

"Why the sudden dinner?" Davis asked, breaking the silence. "With an urgent family gathering? Everyone’s been called home. Should I be worried?"

Jessica didn’t look up at once. Instead, she gave a small smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Isn’t it nice to have everyone around the same table?" she said softly.

It makes the house feel warmer... lively. Sometimes I think it would be wonderful to expand this family. You know, have these young men find love and settle down." Her voice was light, almost teasing.

Davis nodded lightly but not convinced. Davis as perceptive as ever, knew there was more behind her words. Her eyes betrayed her. There was something deeper hidden there—worry, uncertainty... fear.

"You are right but you know that is not the reason?" He smirked.

Jessica smiled again, but this time her heart wasn’t in it. In truth, her hands trembled slightly where they rested on the laptop, and her chest felt tight.

She was praying—silently but desperately—that the decision she had made would be accepted. That everything would go smoothly. That she wouldn’t lose the people she cared about.

With two and a half hours until dinner, and Bella expected in less than one, Jessica knew she had to speak up now. She couldn’t delay any longer. There were two people who needed to hear the truth first—Davis, and her godfather, Elliot.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up her phone and typed out a short message:

"Dad, can you do me a favor and come to our room? There’s something important."

She waited until the message showed "Delivered" before gently setting her phone aside. Her eyes lifted slowly, settling on Davis again. He hadn’t moved, but she could feel the tension in the air, growing heavier with each passing second.

Jessica’s mind raced. "How do I tell him? How do I make this sound simple? What if he gets angry? What if he thinks I’ve done something behind his back? What if he doesn’t believe me... or worse, what if he does and still walks away?"

She had faced life-and-death situations before. She had held lives in her hands during surgery, had faced pain, pressure, and intense emergencies without flinching. But this... this felt harder than any of that.

Davis could sense her inner struggle. Though he had changed a lot since his accident; pulling away from responsibilities, hiding behind the scene—he wasn’t blind. And he wasn’t foolish.

He wheeled closer. "Babe," he said gently, but firmly. "What’s really going on?"

Her lips parted, but the words stuck in her throat. Air felt thin, her lungs squeezing tight. Her heart was thudding so loudly she could almost hear it echo. She reached for her courage, but it faltered under his intense gaze.

"E-em... ahem..." She cleared her throat, trying to find the right words. "Actually... it’s not that terrible, but—can you..."

She stopped, startled by a light knock at the door. Relief flooded her as she looked toward it. She didn’t need to ask who it was. She already knew—it was her father.

Thank God, she thought. That knock had saved her. If it hadn’t come just then, she feared Davis’s eyes would have pierced through her and exposed every thought she was struggling to hide.

Davis raised an eyebrow but didn’t speak. Jessica quickly walked over and opened the door.

Elliot stood there, hands tucked in his pockets, wearing a relaxed expression. "You called for me?" he asked, stepping into the room.

"Yeah,Please come in," she said, softly.

Elliot glanced at them both, a curious look on his face. "What’s going on?" He asked with his brow raised.

He made his way to the chair beside Davis couch as Jessica returned to her seat. Davis nodded lightly in a greeting, his silence heavy.

The air in the room grew heavier again. Jessica took another deep breath, then met both their gazes. "This is it," she braced herself.

"There’s something I need to tell you both," she began, voice low and serious. "Something... unexpected but you both have to forgive me for taking the decision into my own hands. "

Davis crossed his arms again. Elliot’s frown deepened as his gaze rested on her giving her his full attention.

Jessica’s fingers twitched against her lap. "Earlier today, I went out for two reasons. First, went to work and from there I dropped of to somewhere to retrieve this."

Jessica reached for the brown folder on the table and handed it to Davis.

"Before you open that," she said quickly,

" just know I didn’t go digging for this without reasons. I have my suspicions and curiousity and I suppose you both are curious so I have to take the first step." She concluded.

Davis accepted the brow envelope and turned it around in his hand. His gaze landing on the logo on the envelope and his breathe hitched.

His hand burned as though holding onto a hot potato that he quickly passed it across to Elliot who took it from him with curious glance.