Jayson had gone to B City. For the past few days, Sidney had been keeping a low profile, staying at home and avoiding the news. She hadn't even turned on the TV, instead spending her time experimenting in the kitchen and reading. She thought to herself that as long as she didn't think about those annoying matters, this quiet life wasn't half bad.
Sidney and the butler had been tasting dishes in the dining room. Any leftovers, she had the butler pack up to take back to her parents' house, not wanting anything to go to waste. When the butler went out to buy groceries, he would often stop by home, with Sidney's approval, to check in on his family and adorable daughter. Sidney knew that sometimes he'd bring back a few pastries for the child.
It had been over a month since they'd seriously talked about trying for a baby, but Sidney wasn't sure when it would happen. She remembered the supplements Shelby had once bought her to help with fertility. After searching through the pantry, she found they had all expired. She tossed them in the trash.
Sidney was counting the days. Her period wasn't always on time, and this time it seemed to be a day or two late. She thought that if it didn't come in a few days, she would buy a pregnancy test. By then, Jayson would be back, and if it was good news, she could tell him right away. As she thought about it, a sweet feeling filled her heart—how wonderful it would be to have a baby soon!
The housekeeper went into the pantry to get busy. Sidney, feeling bored, glanced at her phone and saw that it was already past dinnertime. She dialed his number, but after several rings, he didn't pick up. He was probably still busy. She decided to send him a text instead, telling him not to drink too much and to rest early.
Not long after, her phone rang. She eagerly picked it up, thinking it was him returning her call, but to her surprise, it was a call from the Calderon family.
Sidney hesitated for a long time before deciding not to answer. She knew that if they were calling her, it couldn't be good news.
Later that night, unable to sleep, she didn't dare to disturb him, fearing that he might still be busy. She just wanted him to hurry up and come home. She turned on the lights and picked up a book, trying to tire herself out. Since he'd been with her, nights like this—lying awake—had become rare. Though she still stayed up late, it was better than battling insomnia.
Two days later, Sidney received a message from Jayson saying he would be back that afternoon. She was very happy and quickly prepared a lavish meal for him. When Jayson arrived home in the afternoon, Sidney had just finished warming up the soup and placed it on the dining table when she heard the door open. She quickly went to greet him. She wasn't the type to be overly expressive, so instead of rushing to hug him, she held back her impulse. Only then did she realize that there was someone behind Jayson.
The person was very familiar. After a moment of thought, she realized that it was one of the people she had seen leaving the same private room with Jayson that day when she had gone to the club uninvited.
After that incident, Sidney didn't like those people. She felt they were all part of the same shady group, so she didn't give him a warm welcome. Her expression was cold as she said, "Welcome home!"
Jayson smelled the aroma of the meal and led the man to the dining room, inviting him to eat with them.
Even though Sidney didn't like him, she was still the type to be considerate. She went ahead and grabbed the utensils for them.
The man politely greeted Sidney and thanked her. Though he was wearing a suit, there was something about him that made Sidney instinctively feel he wasn't a businessman or office worker. If she had to put a label on him, he definitely didn't seem like a thug either.
Before they began eating, Jayson spoke up, "This is my friend. He knew I was coming back today and needed to talk to me, so we scheduled this. We'll go up to the study to discuss things later."
Sidney nodded. Jayson invited her to sit down and eat with him, but suddenly she lost her appetite. She just sat quietly, taking only a bite or two now and then.
The three of them ate in silence, focused on their meal. After finishing, the man politely complimented Sidney's cooking, and Jayson, proud of her, mentioned the certificates she had.
As they spoke, the two of them went upstairs and didn't come back down. Sidney wasn't the type to eavesdrop. She knew if she overheard something serious, she might not be able to handle it. But this time, her curiosity got the best of her. Who was this guy? What was their relationship? And why had he beaten that man so badly?
She tiptoed up to the second floor and pressed herself against the doorframe to eavesdrop, but the room's soundproofing was so good that she couldn't hear anything.
She held her breath and concentrated hard, only to hear Jayson's voice asking, "Did you find it?"
"I know they're in D City, still looking."
"How long will it take?"
Sidney could only hear vague fragments of the conversation. She knew they were looking for someone, but who exactly, she had no idea.
