bChapter /bb359 /b

    The car tires scraped against the concrete road with a harsh shrill sound.

    Behind them, the driver who’d been forced to stop when Brian hit the brakes was ring their horn like crazy.

    “You…” Jessica looked at Brian who was ignoring everything outside the car and staring intently at her. Her heart skipped a beat.

    ‘What does he mean? What’s he trying to do?‘ she wondered.

    Brian stared at her with a dark expression for over ten seconds. Finally, he ground out a few words through clenched teethb. /bb“/bWhere are you meeting himb? /bI’ll drive you.”

    After speaking, he whipped his head around, refusing to look at Jessica another second.

    He was afraid one more nce would make him regret it. Right now, he even admired his own self–control a little.

    Jessica’s eyes widened slightly.

    She hadn’t expected Brian to react like this. She’d imagined him getting angry, imagined him objecting strongly, and even imagined him losing bhis /btemper and forcing her back home. But she’d never thought he’d hold back his anger and even ask for the address, offering to drive her there himself.

    Jessica didn’t dare to think too deeply about the unspoken meaning behind it.

    Brian started driving again. Jessica was lost in her thoughts, slow to reply.

    Brian didn’t rush her.

    They passed a crossroads. Turning left would take them back to the apartment. Jessica had to speak up. “Just keep going straight. To Harvest za.”

    Brian’s thumb pressed hard against the steering wheel. He used every bit of willpower to resist the urge to turn left.

    “Okay.” His voice was hoarse like he’d been run ragged for over ten days. The weariness and disappointment in it made Jessica’s heart twinge bwith /bsympathy for a moment.

    But she quickly came to her senses. ‘Why feel sorry for him? He offered to drive me. I didn’t force him to do this,‘ she thought.

    Jessica tried to convince herself. She sat stone–faced against the backrest as Brian drove her to the restaurant where she’d agreed to meet Wesley.

    Outside the restaurant, Wesley was already waiting.

    Jessica picked up her gift bag, got out of the car, and closed the door. Then she said a quick thank you and started to walk away.

    But Brian quickly got out and chased after her.

    “Jessi, I haven’t had lunch either. Let’s eat together. And that bag looks heavy. Let me carry it for you.” Brian said this and reached for the bag bin /bbher /bhand before Jessica could reply.

    Jessica dodged instinctively. “No, I…”

    Brian roughly pulled at the drawstring. With a quick move, as Jessica pulled back, the string snapped and the bag hit the bground /bbright /bbaway/b. bThe /bbdull /bthud made Jessica’s heart skip a beat.

    “Sorry, I didn’t hold back. Let me check if anything’s broken,” Brian said with a guilty lookb, /bsquatting down to bpick /bup bthe /bbbag/b.

    Jessica looked at the veins popping on the back of his hand and her heart skipped another beat.

    A faint sound of breaking came, followed by Brian’s sigh with no regret bat /ball. “Oops, looks blike /bbit’s /bbbroken/bb. /bbJessi/bb, /bbdon’t /bbget /bbmad/bb. /bbI’ll /bbhave /bbJackson /bget you

    Chapter b359 /b

    ba /bbnew /bone right away.”

    He btook /bout his phone and walked to the side. Jessica didn’t even get a chance to refuse.

    She stared at the bag still in Brian’s hand and took several deep breaths to hold back the urge to yell at him in the street.

    She thought, ‘Is he an idiot? Couldn’t he tell it’s a wrapped ceramic craft inside? I picked it out with so much effort. The fall alone was worrying events and he just kept squeezing it hard.‘

    Jessica panted heavily.

    “Don’t be upset.” Wesley hade over at some point. He raised his hand to pat her back and spoke gently.

    Brian came back after calling Jackson just as Wesley did that. Brian took a quick step forward and pulled Wesley’s hand away, “Keep your hands off

    Jessi!”

    “Shut up.” Jessica had held back as long as she could, but she finally shouted.

    Brian looked wronged. “Jessi…”

    Jessica couldn’t stand looking at him a second longer. She turned around and walked quickly into the restaurant.

    Wesley gave Brian a friendly nod and followed her.

    Brian’s face went dark. He watched the two walk in, hesitated for just a second, and chased after them brazenly.

    And just like that, the three of them ended up sitting awkwardly at the same table again.

    Throughout the meal, Brian fussed over Jessica, taking the utmost care of her,

    Jessica kept a cold face, turning him down again and again.

    But Brian didn’t let it get to him. Every time she said no, he just started over. In the end, Jessica gave up trying to resist.

    Wesley watched their back–and–forth, finding it really funny.

    Putting their past aside, just looking at them nowb, /bthey were clearly a bickering couple–the girl was tough on the outside and soft underneathb, /bwhile the guy was totally devoted.

    ‘Though, if Ms. Grant knows I’m thinking that, she’ll probably be pretty upset,‘ Wesley thought casually.

    The meal was almost done. With Brian‘ around, Wesley hadn’t gotten a chance to talk things through with Jessica, so Wesley nned to leave.

    But just as Wesley looked up, he saw a guy in a full suit–even on this hot day–carrying a fancy box, striding toward their table.

    “Mr. Atkinson, this is the gift you asked for.” Jackson walked right up to Brian and handed over the box respectfully.

    Brian took it and set it down in front of Wesley. “I identally broke the gift Jessi brought you earlier. bThis /bis my brecement/bb./bb” /b

    He said it in a blunt tone and turned back to piling food onto Jessica’s te. “Jessi, eat moreb. /bbYou’ve /bbgotten /bbth /b

    mall that business travelb. /b

    Jessica ignored Brian. She just picked iup /ithe fancy box in front of Wesley, starting bto /bbunwrap /bbit /bbas /bbshe /bbspoke/b, b“/bWhat bdid /bbyou /bget bto /bbrece /bbit/bb?/b” When Brian saw her opening it right theni, /iihe /itried to stop her instinctively. “Jessi, biisn’t /i/bit bad manners bto /bbopen /bba /bbgift /bbmeant /bbfor /bbsomeone /bbelse/bb?/b” “It’s ifine/i, I don’t mind,” Wesley said, clearly eager to watch some drama.

    He was curious too–what would Brian get himb, /bespecially since Brian clearly didn’t blike /bbhim/bb. /b

    bWith /bWesley’s words, Jessica started unwrapping it even more eagerly.

    She could see exactly how Brian felt about Wesley. She thought, ‘There’s no way he’ll really be kind enough bto /bget Wesley ba /bgift. Tha bor might’s wrapped but what’s inside is probably just in ordinary.

    Jessica judged the weight of the box in her hand and moved even faster.

    Soon she’d torn off all the fancy wrapping. A totally in notebook appeared.

    Jessica picked it up with a cold face. She looked back at Brian in disbelief. “This is your recement giftb?/b”

    ‘Such a big box all wrapped up so nicely and inside is just a really ordinary notebook?‘ she thought.

    She looked at the style of the notebook, finding it looked like the kind that Atkinson Group’s secretarial department bought bin /bbbulk/b.

    She couldn’t help wondering, ‘Did Jackson just grab it from the office when Brian called?‘

    As it happened, she was right.

    Jackson standing next to Brian nced at the notebook in Jessica’s hand and lifted his hand to rub his nose.

    ‘Mr. Atkinson. Good luck with that,‘ Jackson thought.