Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption-Chapter 168: Breaking News...

It was a cloudy day. The sun resisted peeking through the thick gray sky. Jessica remained tightly wrapped in the duvet; not ready to get up at the moment. The stress from the previous day still weighed heavily on her.

Davis watched her sleeping face, his mind filled with a storm of emotions and thoughts swirling continuously. Without thinking, he raised his hand to trace the contours of her face—the soft curves of her lips, the firm, pointed nose that stood out on her delicate features.

His lips curled into a small smile as he recalled her bright smile from the day before, his heart tightened lightly. It strengthened his resolve to work hard and regain his ability to walk again. "I must get back on my feet, I must make her proud..just for her." He mused.

"Babe, wake up," he whispered softly, shaking her lightly.

Jessica stirred but then burrowed herself deeper into the duvet.

Davis chuckled. "You better wake up, or I might have to..." he teased.

"Davis Allen, don’t you dare," she warned, rolling to the side of the bed.

"What do you think I was going to do? Aren’t you the one with naughty thoughts?" he teased again.

Jessica felt her cheeks flush and hid her face deeper into the bed. She couldn’t deny she had already thought about his naughty attitude but been called out is embarrassing.

Davis opened his mouth to tease her further but the soft buzz of the phone on the nightstand interrupted him. He glanced at it—it was Jessica’s phone ringing.

"You have a call," he said, handing the phone to her.

With a groan, Jessica emerged from the duvet and took the phone.

Bella’s cheerful voice came through the speaker. "Sister-in-law, is something happening in the Allen family?"

Jessica was surprised by the question, she switched the phone to speaker mode and glanced at Davis. "Did something happen at home?" she asked.

With everything going on, she hadn’t had the time to check on the Allen family. It was only by chance she had managed to spy on Desmond—nothing more.

Davis shook his head and looked puzzled. "I don’t know anything about that."

Bella sighed in relief. "Phew, I guess you two aren’t involved. But you should really check the tabloids—it’s juicy."

Jessica could hear the teasing tone in her voice. It seemed something had gone wrong. Something was definitely up.

"What really happened? Why not just tell me instead of asking me check the tabloids?" she asked, frowning.

"That wouldn’t be fun, you know. And I’m sure you’re still in bed. Don’t be lazy," Bella teased, ending the call with a beep.

Jessica sighed and rubbed her temple. She had hoped that becoming her sister-in-law would mellow Bella’s tone, but it seemed to have only made her bolder. And now, she was even ending calls on her.

"Your dear sister," she muttered to Davis.

He simply shrugged. "You trained her that way."

Jessica nodded. "You’re right. Still, I think it runs in your blood," she added with a snicker. Otherwise, how could they both be so self-assured?

Without another word, she opened the web and checked the trending news. Her eyes widened as headlines flooded the screen.

"After One Year, Vera Louis Files for Divorce"

"Twelve Months into Marriage, Vera Louis Walks Out"

"Vera Louis Cries Out: Husband’s Infidelity Prompted Divorce"

"Aaron Allen Repeatedly Cheats in Marriage, Vera Files for Divorce"

"The Allen Family: Falling Apart by the Day"

"Struggle for Power: Vera, Aaron, Desmond, or the Missing Davis?"

Jessica shook her head in disbelief. Each headline seemed more alarming than the last. It was clear that a storm was brewing.

She would have contacted Elder Allen, but she didn’t want to put him in danger. Desmond might be manipulative and sly, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous.

Elliot’s words still lingered in her mind—they needed to keep a low profile. Recently, Jessica had begun to suspect that Desmond wasn’t the only one working against them.

Three days ago, she had obtained information about a young man her team had been tracking since the press conference. He had been in contact with Desmond for years, and some of the Allen Group’s funds had mysteriously ended up in his account. Desmond, of course, refused to admit anything.

She hadn’t told Davis about the man yet, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t take necessary precautions.

"What do you think?" she asked as Davis pulled her into his arms to look at the headlines over her shoulder.

Davis frowned. "Didn’t you have some subordinates keeping an eye on the family?"

Jessica nodded. "I do," she said, her face tense with thought. "Why didn’t I get this information sooner?"

A soft knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She sighed and started to leave the bed and get the door, but Davis gently pulled her back.

"What’s the problem?" he asked.

A voice from outside the door replied, "Brian is downstairs and wants to speak with you."

Jessica sighed in relief.

As much as she valued her relationships, she upheld a strong work ethic. Every subordinate under her knew that she hated being the last to know. She preferred being informed from the very beginning.

"Alright, I’ll be down soon," she called out.

A few seconds later, they heard the maid’s footsteps retreating down the stairs.

"I think you’ll be getting the full report now," Davis said with a smirk. "No need to scroll through the tabloids anymore."

Jessica shook her head. "No, I’ll still check the tabloids. I want to compare them with Brian’s report and draw accurate conclusions from all possible angles."

"

"

"

Downstairs in the Sitting Room

Brian sat stiffly on the edge of the couch, his brows knitted with concern. He had intended to deliver this report last night but decided to verify some details first. However, to his shock, the news had already exploded across the tabloids early that morning.

It was clear—someone was manipulating the situation behind the scenes.

Lost in thought, Brian didn’t notice Jessica wheeling Davis into the room. They settled on the opposite couch. Noticing their presence, Brian rose slightly and gave a respectful nod in greeting.

"What happened?" Jessica asked, her voice laced with irritation. "Why didn’t I hear about this while it was still in the background? Why did I have to learn about it from the media?"

She wasn’t happy. And rightfully so.

While she understood that her employees were only human and prone to mistakes, she had high standards. If this had been a more sensitive issue, Brian’s delay could have cost them dearly.

Though, Vera’s case wasn’t worth the stress. But Jessica still wanted to hear the explanation.

Brian took a deep breath as he sat forward, his eyes shifting between Jessica and Davis. His usually calm demeanor was replaced by a trace of tension, hinting that the situation he was about to share was far from ordinary.

"I’ve kept the Allen family under close watch, especially since the press conference," he began, his voice low but steady. "And what I’ve uncovered is both troubling and complicated."

Jessica leaned in slightly, her gaze fixed on him with interest and concern.

"After the press conference, there was a clear shift within the family—a power struggle started brewing beneath the surface.

Desmond, trying to protect Aaron and maintain the Allen family’s image, temporarily gave Vera a percentage of shares. The move was meant to buy time and redirect public attention, making it seem like Vera held enough power to calm the unrest."

Jessica’s brow raised. "Desmond handed shares to Vera?"

Brian nodded. "Yes, but Elder Allen found out and immediately revoked the transfer. He called an emergency meeting and canceled Vera’s ownership.

Instead, he announced that the Vice President position would be given to the best investor. It was his way of challenging Desmond and keeping the family’s control within the core circle."

Jessica folded her arms, already seeing the chaos that would follow such a move.

"After Vera lost the shares, she didn’t take it lightly. She tried to force Aaron to transfer some of his shares to her, hoping to regain influence. But then Aaron pulled a surprise move—he brought home a woman he claimed is pregnant with his child."

Jessica’s eyes widened.

"He insists she must stay within the Allen family mansion because of the baby. But something about the woman doesn’t add up.

I tried to run a background check, but her details are fake, heavily forged and shielded. There’s definitely someone backing her, possibly using her as a pawn to stir more trouble."

Brian paused, then reached into his bag and pulled out a brown envelope. "I gathered some proof."

Jessica opened the envelope carefully. Inside were clear photographs, audio recordings, and documents. The photos showed Aaron with the mystery woman in various locations—private dinners, discreet hotel entrances, even shopping for baby clothes.

There were also photos of Vera meeting another man, and from their body language, it was clear their relationship wasn’t entirely innocent.

Jessica’s eyes darkened as she flipped through the materials. "It’s getting messier by the day."

"Yes," Brian agreed. "I think the woman has a deeper root than Aaron can imagine.

"What about the Old man’s health?" She asked. Brian nodded in affirmation "he is strong and healthy."

Jessica sighed and closed the envelope.

"We need to stay ahead of this. Keep watching closely and dig deeper into that woman’s background. We need to know who’s really pulling the strings."

Brian nodded. "Understood."

Davis remained silent, but his hand reached over to rest on Jessica’s hand.