Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption-Chapter 153: Is it fate?

With the issue of Bella’s identity finally solved, Jessica felt as though a massive weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

All the emotions she had bottled up throughout the day—the confusion, the anxiety, the fear of things falling apart were slowly beginning to fade.

Her heart, once torn between duty and doubt, was now piecing itself back together.

She had been scared, truly scared, that uncovering the truth might break their already fragile bonds, bring regrets.

At some point she felt that may be she had been too reckless to take such decision without confiding in Davis or her most trusted friend and aide Richard.

But then seeing the effect, she was glad it had brought healing and became a pointer to the way forward.

And though none of them could say what tomorrow would bring—whether it would be calm or chaos—they had tonight to live as one family.

Tonight, they were a family, even if only beginning to understand what that meant. A slow bond was forming. And that was enough... for now.

With a quiet sigh of relief, Jessica turned and made her way to the kitchen. She wanted to check on the chef in charge of the dinner, though she had placed the most capable chef in charge she still have to check to see if dinner was finally ready and being served. This family dinner she hope will be a memorable one in time to come.

After all, she had planned it—not just the food, but the timing, the setting, the purpose behind this shared meal. It wasn’t just dinner. It was closure as well as a beginning of tomorrow.

She smiled bitterly as the word "family" coursed through her thoughts.

"It seems I never experienced this much peace in the Brown family since the time I could recall. It seems I will have to tap into the blessing of the family I have now to fill my longing of a loving family." She mused.

Minutes passed, and soon the rest of the household began to gather in the grand dining room. As per their silent tradition, each person slowly and silently found their seat.

No one needed to be told where to sit—this home had always functioned that way.

Davis was wheeled in gently by Bella, her hands careful on the handles of his chair as she followed behind Elliot.

Elliot took his seat at the head of the table, dignified but clearly still overwhelmed by the earlier reunion. The weight of emotion clung to him, though he masked it well.

Ethan and Richard which had arrived during their discussion but didn’t go over exchanged greetings with each of them as they stepped in.

Ethan seeing his boss after some days of being sent back as a cover up felt happy at his glowing form, his lips widening in happiness for the changes.

But Davis’s eyes, sharp as ever, immediately scanned the room—and frowned. Jessica was missing. He looked around again, waiting a moment longer. Still no sign of her.

Turning his head to Bella, he gave her a small nod. "Go ahead," he said. "I’ll be right back." She blinked, confused. "Is something wrong?"

He didn’t answer, only gestured for her to stay. And with that, Davis began wheeling himself out of the dining room. He hadn’t made it far when a maid exited the kitchen, carrying a tray. Davis raised a hand to stop her.

"Where is she?" he asked, his voice cold and direct. The maid visibly flinched at the sound of his voice. "In... in the kitchen, sir," she stammered, pointing quickly with her heart racing in fear.

Without another word, Davis turned his wheels and headed for the kitchen.

He stopped just at the doorframe. And there she was.

Standing at the far counter, sleeves rolled up slightly, focused as she gave instructions to the remaining staff. One by one, she was checking the trays, making sure every dish was placed in the right order and properly garnished to the taste of the members at the table.

Like a mother, she had been able to note their preferences in eating though they never mentioned it. Bella loves spicy but Richard doesn’t. Ethan isn’t a fan of sea food but Davis felt it good. It is only when attending to their needs that she discovers she knows about them.

Her hair pulled into a low bun, a few strands falling out, framing her face in the soft kitchen light. Despite the other people moving around the kitchen, Davis only saw her.

A soft smile crept onto his face before he even realized it. Seeing her like this—calm, capable, quietly commanding always made his chest feel warm. No matter how chaotic things got, she always managed to be in control.

One of the younger maids noticed him watching from the door. Mistaking the reason for his gaze, she gave him a coy, sultry smile and subtly spun around, swaying her hips slightly trying to catch his attention—but she had already lost before she started.

Davis didn’t even blink. He hadn’t seen her at all. His gaze never moved from Jessica. And then, she turned. Maybe it was instinct. Maybe she felt the his intense gaze. But slowly, she looked over her shoulder... and stopped.

Their eyes met. Jessica’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You," she breathed. "What are you doing here?" Of all the places she expected, she did not expect him in the kitchen.

She waved a hand at the maids. "You can go," she said softly. One by one, the staff filed out of the kitchen, giving them space while Davis took the chance to wheel himself into the kitchen properly.

As soon as the door closed behind the last maid, she walked toward him with curious eyes. "Why aren’t you in the dining hall?" she asked, stopping a few feet in front of him.

But before she could say anything else, Davis reached forward and caught her wrist.

"Davis—!" she gasped, surprised, stumbling slightly as he pulled her gently but firmly toward him. His hand slid around her waist, holding her close as she tried to keep her voice low so no one outside would hear.

"Davis, what are you doing?" she whispered sharply, eyes darting to the closed door. Her heart pounded in her chest—half from the shock, half from the closeness.

Davis looked up at her with a teasing smirk. Seeing her flustered seems to have become his source of amusement.

"What do you think I’m doing?" he murmured, eyes glinting with playful mischief. "I haven’t been given a single chance since morning. Can’t I claim what’s mine?"

Jessica’s jaw dropped. "You—" she began, but words failed her as she couldn’t find the right words to express herself. Davis leaned his head slightly. "Haven’t I been patient enough?" He asked his voice tinged with amusement and gentleness.

"You seem to be getting more skilled... and more shameless," she muttered under her breath. Davis arched an eyebrow. "And whose fault is that?"

Jessica groaned, feeling a blush rise to her cheeks. "Whose fault you asked me?" She whined.

"Of course, who can have such a beautiful seduction in sight and not play the hooligan?" He said as a matter of fact.

Jessica sighed. This man. He was impossible to reason with when he got like this. She didn’t expect that as days goes by his tongue gets sharper and it seems worst lately—Witty and dangerous.

He knew exactly how to throw her off balance, how to get under her skin in the most frustrating way and she hated how well it worked.

Yet, unfortunately she cannot do anything to him but rather had to live with it. Her heart was racing so fast it almost hurt. She looked down, her breath catching in her throat. "People are waiting," she tried to reason with him. "They’ll wonder where we are."

Davis only smiled briefly. "Let them wait, it’s their choice."

"Davis...do you know they won’t just wait but will not lift a spoon?" She pressured.

Seeing her ready to rant on and on, he leaned in and captured her lips in a deep kiss. Jessica froze.

After a while, he pulled himself away. "Thank you" he murmured. She blinked, her throat tight, words caught behind her lips,her eyes reddening.

She didn’t expect him to really appreciate her secret effort, she had expected him to blame her or through tantrum for not consulting him before taking samples for testing.

She nodded slowly, resting her head against his shoulder. "You’re welcome always."

For a moment, they stayed like that—just holding each other in the quiet warmth of the kitchen.

After a while, Jessica pulled back slightly, wiping her eyes with a small smile. "You’re impossible, you know."

"Now," he said, adjusting in his chair. "Dinner?"

Jessica nodded quickly. "Yes. Before Grandpa starts wondering if you rolled off somewhere."

As they turned to leave the kitchen together, Jessica couldn’t help but feel a little sure. A little braver, may be she should take this step and walk with him.

It seems everything about her had been tied to him --Elliot and Bella totally tied to him. "Is it fate?"