Ch. 1251..1260

Chapter 1251 He Did Not Want The Child

"What about Timothy? Didn't he look for Jojo even once?" Genevieve instantly sat up on the bed.

Armand replied, "After I heard about their quarrel from the housekeeper, I went to Forlisle Medical to ask Timothy about it, but he wouldn't say anything."

As the matter was between Timothy and Johanna, Armand didn't probe further when Timothy refused to talk.

Genevieve was so furious that she almost cursed out loud. "It's bad enough for a grown man to argue with a pregnant woman, and what's worse, he sat back and allowed his pregnant wife to run away from home! I can't believe him!"

The thought of Johanna, who was due this month and still missing, greatly worried Genevieve.

She attempted to get out of bed, but Armand stopped her, seemingly knowing what she planned to do. "It's three o'clock in the morning now. I know you want to go look for her, but we should wait until it's light out."

Genevieve looked out the window.

It was pitch black outside. He's right. I can't do anything now anyway.

After wiping off the essential oil on Genevieve's waist, Armand helped her put on a nightgown. She wrapped her arms around him when he got into bed.

Kissing her, Armand stated, "I have taken two days off, so I can go with you tomorrow."

Burying her head in his arms, Genevieve's voice was muffled as she said, "Timothy almost went crazy looking for Jojo when she was missing back then. I never expected him to get into a fight with her. She is pregnant. How can he treat her like that? Why doesn't he want the child?"

Genevieve couldn't wrap her head around it.

Armand pulled the quilt and tucked her in. "We'll find out why after we ask Timothy tomorrow."

Genevieve wondered if it was because the doctor discovered fetal growth restriction and suggested abortion during the prenatal checkup that Timothy couldn't bear to tell Johanna the truth.

However, it was simply her guess.

The following day, after having breakfast and dropping the two children off at school, Genevieve and Armand headed to Timothy's mansion.

Timothy, who hadn't left home for work, was having breakfast with Asel at that time.

Sitting in the stroller, Asel opened her mouth to eat the corn chowder Timothy was feeding her while fixing her jet-black eyes on him.

"I miss Mommy."

Although Asel was young, she could still tell something was wrong after a few months of not seeing Johanna and having only Timothy by her side.

Every time she cried looking for Johanna, only Timothy was there to soothe her.

Remaining silent, Timothy wiped off bits of food from Asel's mouth with a handkerchief.

Right then, the doorbell rang. A housekeeper opened the door and invited the guests in. "Mr. Timothy, Mr. and Mrs. Faulkner are here."

The look in Genevieve's gaze turned tender when she entered the living room and saw the petite and adorable Asel. She clapped her hands at the little girl, crooning.

Although babies tended to be forgetful, Asel remembered Genevieve's scent and giggled the next second, trying to wriggle out of the stroller.

Genevieve picked the baby up and kissed her before leaning her face over. "Give me a kiss."

Asel planted a wet kiss on the woman's face.

Genevieve then sat down at the dining table and took the small bowl from Timothy to feed Asel the remaining corn chowder. Following that, she asked the nanny to take her out for a stroll.

After Asel left, Genevieve got down to business and asked Timothy, "Where is Jojo?"

At present, she still held hope that Timothy had looked for Johanna and that the latter was actually at the hospital waiting for the baby to be born.

Lowering his eyes, Timothy stated calmly, "I don't know."

His terse reply made Genevieve snicker out of frustration. "What do you mean you don't know? Timothy, Jojo is your wife. Mando told me that she was nine weeks pregnant in February, which means she is due this month. Can you still f*cking call yourself a man after fighting with your pregnant wife and leaving her all alone out there?"

"We didn't fight. I only asked her to abort the child, but she refused." Faced with Genevieve's scolding, Timothy tamped down his frustration, his mesmerizing eyes devoid of emotion.

Chapter 1252 What Right Do You Have To Criticize Me

In fact, after Johanna left that day, Timothy realized he had crossed the line and wanted to look for her, but he couldn't bring himself to do so due to his ego.

Besides, he gave Loraine a credit card when Johanna left with her.

In a cold voice, Genevieve asked, "Why did you ask Jojo to get rid of the child? You could find another way to tell her the bad news if you found out something was wrong with the baby after the prenatal checkup."

She believed Johanna was not an unreasonable person.

"Why should I? She knows what she did." Timothy's lips curled into a wry smile as he tightened his grip on the glass of water, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

Genevieve froze. "What do you mean?"

No response came from Timothy.

Armand placed a glass of orange juice before Genevieve and looked at Timothy, seemingly understanding the meaning behind the other man's words.

"Johanna was with Zephyr."

Genevieve was momentarily stunned, and the moment she regained her senses, she knocked the juice over and glared at Timothy furiously.

"Timothy, are you blind? Don't you know which month Johanna returned? The pregnancy test report clearly stated that she was nine weeks pregnant. She got pregnant after she returned! No wonder Jojo was so mad that she ran away from home. You're being ridiculous!"

Following that, she sneered, "I can't believe you!"

Timothy, who had been holding in his frustration, finally lost his temper after being chastised. "I checked with the hospital. She was not only nine weeks pregnant."

One could fake a pregnancy test report but not the results of the testing instrument.

Genevieve said, "Pregnancy starts the first day after a woman's last menstrual period. Even if the number of weeks is wrongly calculated, you can't simply accuse her of bearing somebody's child. You suspected her and didn't trust her. Any pregnant woman will be devastated to find out her husband doesn't trust her."

Timothy exclaimed aggressively, "Even if that wasn't the case, I still don't want the child. I want her to get rid of it!"

It was precisely because he loved Johanna too much that he couldn't allow a single trace of doubt to exist in their relationship.

He felt he had transformed into a paranoid and sensitive person after seeing the contents of the disc he had received.

Every time he closed his eyes, he would see Johanna being intimate with another guy in his dreams. It was unbearable for him.

The mere thought that the child might not be his made him feel inexplicably uncomfortable.

However, he still loved Johanna and wouldn't mind anything else as long as she got rid of the child.

Timothy suddenly pointed at Armand. "Why don't you ask Armand? If you were carrying Jack's children back then, would he make a fuss about it? Would he accept both your children?"

Infuriated, Genevieve lost control and smacked Timothy in the face.

Timothy's face fell in an instant.

Licking the inside of his cheeks that was throbbing with pain from the slap, he said stiffly, "If I didn't love Jojo, I wouldn't have looked for her everywhere like a crazy person back then. I was willing to do anything in my power to get her back, even if it means giving up everything I have to Zephyr. Have I not done enough for her?"

Staring at Genevieve grimly, he continued, "So tell me, Genevieve, what right do you have to criticize me?"

Indeed, I have no right to reprimand Timothy.

What Timothy said was right. No man could accept the fact that his wife was carrying someone's child and would be willing to care for the child.

After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, Genevieve said frostily, "You know how much Jojo suffered when she was pregnant with Asel. If you think the child is not yours, you should do an amniotic fluid test instead of suspecting her for no reason. Because of your suspicion, you made a pregnant woman run away from home for months and neglected her completely. Timothy, what you did is simply despicable!"

Timothy refuted, "I didn't neglect her. I sent a housekeeper to go with her."

"Give me her contact details." Genevieve gave birth before, so she knew how devastating it would be to give birth alone without support from loved ones. Worst-case scenario, one might suffer from postpartum depression.

"Who the child belongs to doesn't matter anymore. From now on, you no longer have to worry about taking care of Jojo."

Chapter 1253 Serves You Right

Timothy wouldn't have brooded over the matter regarding the child if he didn't love Johanna. Hearing Genevieve's harsh words, he realized he was wrong.

He took out his phone. Instead of giving Genevieve the contact number, he called Loraine directly.

He hadn't contacted Johanna ever since she ran away from home. She's more than nine weeks pregnant, so she probably already gave birth last month...

Guilt and remorse overwhelmed Timothy the more he thought about the matter. Yet, Loraine didn't answer the phone.

"What are you still dawdling for?" Genevieve snapped impatiently.

After redialing the number, Timothy appeared troubled. "Loraine-the housekeeper who's with Jojo didn't answer my calls."

"Where does Loraine stay?" Genevieve asked immediately.

The housekeepers who worked at the mansion were all selected by Timothy from the best housekeeping company. The housekeeping company would strictly verify the housekeepers' backgrounds and family addresses before hiring them.

Knowing that Timothy was looking for Loraine, the housekeeping company's employee promptly sent him Loraine's permanent address.

On the way to Loraine's house, Genevieve stared at Timothy's car through the windshield. Suddenly, she told Armand, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Genevieve felt something was awry when no one answered Timothy's calls.

Armand remained silent.

After locating the unit that Loraine stayed at, Timothy rushed toward the door and rang the doorbell repeatedly.

Furrowing his brows, he suppressed the uneasiness he was feeling.

When no one answered the door after a long wait, Timothy lifted his leg and kicked the door down.

The old and shabby apartment wasn't spacious and contained only two bedrooms and a living room. Soon, Timothy found Loraine, who was hiding in the corner of one of the bedrooms. A suitcase was placed at the end of the bed.

If he arrived a tad bit later, Loraine would've already left.

Upon seeing Timothy, Loraine was so frightened that her face went pale. "M-Mr. Timothy..."

"Where's my wife?" questioned Timothy sternly.

Loraine had been serving Timothy and Johanna for a long time, and she had been taking care of Johanna ever since the latter moved to the mansion.

Timothy trusted Loraine enough to let her go with Johanna and look after her.

Shuddering in fear, Loraine couldn't find her voice as she stared at Timothy's hostile expression.

Soon, Genevieve and Armand entered the room, too.

Seeing Loraine's demeanor, Genevieve felt her heart sink. She walked over to Loraine and asked gently, "Loraine, didn't you leave with Jojo that day? Did she already give birth at a private hospital?"

Since Johanna had been pregnant for over nine weeks, Genevieve reckoned she had already given birth last month.

Genevieve's pleasant and amicable voice snapped Loraine out of her trance. Stealing a glance at Timothy, she whispered, "I don't know..."

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?" Timothy completely panicked.

"S-Someone took Ms. Joule away..." Loraine stammered. "That person claimed that you'll never bother looking for Ms. Joule. He gave me some money and threatened to harm me and my family if I ever tell you anything..."

That man was good-looking, and his demeanor was gentle and polite. However, each of his remarks intimidated Loraine and scared her out of her wits.

Sure enough, Timothy had never come looking for Johanna ever since she ran away from home. Moreover, he had also never contacted Loraine at all.

Unexpectedly, Timothy showed up as soon as Loraine let down her guard.

Timothy's face fell when he heard what Loraine said. "Does he have purple eyes?"

Loraine nodded in response. "Yes."

"So, you said nothing just because he ordered you not to?" Infuriated, Timothy snarled at Loraine. "You're afraid that he'd harm your family, am I right? Aren't you afraid that I'd do the same? When Jojo brought you along with her that day, I thought you'd take good care of her. How the f*ck can you let someone else take her away?"

Loraine trembled in fright and was close to tears.

Watching Timothy lose composure, Genevieve scoffed. "Timothy Jensen, your wife has been away from home for so many months, yet you've never gone looking for her. Now, you're blaming a housekeeper for not taking proper care of her? Serves you right!" she snapped, showing no sympathy for Timothy at all.

Chapter 1254 Give Up On This Child

Not wanting to waste time arguing with Timothy, she continued asking Loraine, "When did he take Johanna away? Where did this happen?"

"It was the day after Ms. Joule and Mr. Timothy quarreled," said Loraine. The incident was still fresh in her mind.

That morning, when Loraine went to the kitchen to get something, she saw Timothy throwing something into the trash can before walking out with a glass of warm milk.

After he left the kitchen, Loraine picked up the small medicine box from the trash can.

She recognized some of the words on the box and could roughly tell the medicine was for halting fetal development.

Loraine was shocked and puzzled.

When Johanna found out she was pregnant, Timothy was overjoyed and cautious about protecting the child. Since Johanna couldn't see, he would always carry her up and down the stairs, worried that walking would tire her out.

Why did Mr. Timothy put that medicine in Mrs. Jensen's glass of milk?

Timothy happened to have left the house when Loraine exited the kitchen. Johanna was playing with Asel in the living room and was about to take a sip of the milk that was placed on the table.

Thinking about all the hardships Johanna had to endure during her pregnancy, Loraine couldn't help exclaiming, "Ms. Joule, don't drink that!"

Johanna paused in her tracks and looked in the direction where Loraine's voice came from. "What's wrong, Loraine?"

Loraine walked toward Johanna and whispered, "I saw Mr. Timothy adding some medicine that stops fetal development into the milk."

Johanna froze in disbelief, widening her unfocused eyes.

"I'm not lying to you, Ms. Joule." Loraine handed the box to Johanna. There was a set of instructions written in Braille inside the package.

Having lost her vision for a long time, Johanna spent her free time learning Braille at home. As such, she recognized many words.

Feeling the Braille writings with her fingertips, Johanna shuddered upon understanding the meaning of the words.

Loraine said, "I think Mr. Timothy must've misunderstood something. You should explain to him that being pregnant is tough and getting an abortion will bring extreme harm to your body as well."

After calming down, Johanna called Timothy herself, asking him to return home.

When Timothy returned and saw the untouched glass of milk, his eyes flickered. He then walked over and sat down beside Johanna. "Why didn't you drink the milk?"

"Asel rummaged around the kitchen just now and found this in the trash can." Johanna tried her best to contain her emotions as she handed the medicine box to him. "Besides, you know that I seldom drink milk in the morning. Why did you serve me a glass of milk today?"

Pausing, she faced Timothy and could feel his breath despite being unable to see his expression. "What did you put in the milk?"

Timothy merely responded, "Jojo, let's give up on this child."

Johanna stiffened, thinking she might've heard it wrong. After a long while, she finally came back to her senses and reacted. "Give up on this child? I've gone through so much carrying this child. You even prepared a nursery and listened to the baby's heartbeat every night. You spoke and crooned to her lovingly. Why are you giving up on her?"

A thought suddenly occurred in Johanna's mind, and she seemed to have understood Timothy's sentiment. She added, "I go for prenatal checkups with Loraine every month. The doctor said that the baby is healthy."

Johanna asked Loraine to bring over the album that contained prenatal checkup reports that she had put together.

However, when Loraine returned with the album, Timothy didn't even bother taking a look. He merely ordered Loraine to bring Asel-who was playing with building blocks-away from the living room.

Then, he spoke. "I checked with the hospital. You're not only nine weeks pregnant."

"What do you mean?" Johanna was confused.

Complete silence ensued in the living room. Soon, realization dawned on Johanna, and she immediately slapped Timothy across his face. "Timothy Jensen, you b*stard!"

Her fingernails scratched his face, leaving a bloody scar.

Consumed by rage, Johanna felt suffocated and almost couldn't muster a word. "I told you the moment I came back that I got some birth control pills from Frank, so I wouldn't get pregnant. Besides, I only got pregnant a long time after I returned. I can't believe you still think this child isn't yours!"

Johanna had never felt so humiliated in her life, not even when she was confined by Zephyr back then. At that moment, she felt her blood run cold from the devastation of being suspected by her own husband.

Chapter 1255 Devastated

Johanna could not stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks. She gnawed at her lip to keep herself from crying, saying, "I thought of you and Asel every day when I was away. You don't know how many times I wished I could come back, but what about you?" She raised her voice. "Yes, some other man slept with me! I'm filthy and disgusting! Are you happy now?"

Timothy's heart nearly shattered at the sight of her crying. He reached out to wipe her tears away as he said softly, "That's not what I mean. It's just... It would be best if we don't keep the baby."

He was hardly a saint during his younger days, and he did not mind the fact that Johanna had slept with someone else.

However, he loved her so much that he could not tolerate the thought of her being pregnant with someone else's child.

He didn't think he could stand the idea of seeing this child growing up to look like somebody else.

With that in mind, Timothy pointed out gently, "I think we're plenty happy with just Asel."

Johanna was incredulous as she swatted his hand away. Having heard his words and sensed his distrust toward her, she was devastated.

She had gone to unimaginable lengths to come back here, only to be met with such cruel disappointment.

Forcing back her tears, Johanna felt her way up the stairs and found her personal documents, then called out to Loraine, "You're coming with me, Loraine!"

Johanna was visually impaired. She could easily make her way around the house, but she needed a guide whenever she ventured outside.

Timothy wanted to say something, and he knew he probably should stop her from leaving, but he found he could not bring himself to do either of these. In the end, he mutely handed Loraine a bank card.

Just like that, Johanna left the house with Loraine in tow without so much as a backward glance.

It was not until she got into the car that she started bawling. Loraine's heart lurched, and she teared up as well when she saw how devastated Johanna was.

Johanna's emotional outburst affected the baby. She was in so much pain that all the blood drained from her face.

At once, Loraine urged the driver to take them to the hospital.

The doctor examined Johanna and swiftly administered an injection on her lower abdomen, then informed grimly, "Generally speaking, the baby's condition would have stabilized around the twentieth-week mark, but your unstable emotions could still negatively impact fetal development and lead to miscarriage. You'll have to take stress management seriously from now on."

Johanna's face was blank as she asked the doctor, "How many weeks did you say I was pregnant?"

"Twenty-one."

After the doctor left, Johanna turned to ask Loraine, "Is this General Hospital?"

"No," Loraine answered. "You were in so much pain and pale as a sheet. I got worried and had the driver bring us to the nearest private hospital."

A bitter smile tugged on Johanna's lips. "Twenty-one weeks, huh? And yet, he still doesn't believe me..."

"Don't think too much of it, Ms. Joule," Loraine comforted her. "Maybe General Hospital made a mistake or something. The only thing you have to do now is get plenty of rest."

Johanna was ashen-faced and looked miserable as she caressed her baby bump.

Loraine dared not leave Johanna alone in the room, not while the latter was in such a crestfallen state. She was just about to place an order for takeout when a nurse suddenly knocked on the door and came into the room.

"Ms. Joule, your family sent this over for you," the nurse announced warmly.

She presented two food jars, one of which was filled with a fragrant beef stew, and the other pasta and chicken.

Loraine opened the food jars. "Mr. Timothy cares about. You're his wife, after all! See, he even had all this food sent over..."

As she said this, she blew on a spoonful of beef stew to cool it, then brought it to Johanna's lips. However, Johanna had no intention of eating it at all.

"Ms. Joule, I heard your conversation with Mr. Timothy," Loraine said. She had been in the kitchen holding Asel when she overheard Johanna and Timothy talking in the living room, which was not too far away.

Sighing, she added, "If no woman could stand the idea of her husband getting his mistress pregnant, then the same theory would apply if the roles were reversed. It's precisely because Mr. Timothy loves you that the thought of this child being someone else's pains him, even if it is a misunderstanding. At any rate, he simply does not want you to be connected to another man through this child."

Johanna's tears fell quietly. "I've already tried to explain things to him the moment I came home."

The long-term contraceptive pill she had taken would have lasted her two months, but she wanted to play it safe and decided to take the second pill, too.

Moreover, the doctor had told her just now that she was twenty-one weeks pregnant.

Worried that Johanna's emotions would affect the baby again, Loraine rubbed her back soothingly and said, "Let's go to General Hospital tomorrow. We'll ask the doctor what went wrong. Once we have an answer, you can go back and give Mr. Timothy a good scolding. For the time being, it won't do you and the baby any good if you keep taking things too hard."

Loraine's calm reassurance made Johanna feel a lot better. Yes, the doctor at General Hospital must have made a mistake somewhere along the way and given me the wrong prenatal results, which led to Timothy suspecting me.

With that in mind, she lowered her head slightly and let Loraine feed her a spoonful of beef stew.

Meanwhile, the figure hiding in the hallway outside the hospital room to spy on Johanna left quietly after he saw her eat the food.

Chapter 1256 Cunning

Early the next morning, Loraine and Johanna left the private hospital, then flagged down a passing taxi by the roadside.

When they got into the car, Loraine draped a blanket over Johanna's lap and said, "We won't reach General Hospital for another ten or fifteen minutes, Ms. Joule. Get some sleep and I'll wake you up when we get there."

She intended to let Johanna get enough sleep before they dropped by General Hospital in the afternoon.

However, Johanna refused to wait until the afternoon and insisted that they head to the hospital right away to clarify matters with the doctor.

Most taxis had an unpleasant smell, but the one Johanna and Loraine were in smelled of osmanthus. The floral scent was soothing, and it slowly eased Johanna's frustration.

For some reason, she started to feel a little drowsy. Maybe I've eaten too much for breakfast.

She considered Loraine's suggestion to get some shut-eye and hummed in agreement. With one hand on her baby bump, she dozed off under the warmth of the blanket.

Loraine waited for a bit, and after some thought, she took her phone out of her purse.

She had been taking care of Johanna for a while now, long enough to know how much she and Timothy cared for each other.

Loraine knew Timothy could not put his pride aside to apologize to Johanna last evening. And yet, he gave me a card before we left and had someone bring food over for Ms. Joule in case she went hungry.

Thinking that they might need Timothy's help when they got to General Hospital later, Loraine decided to give him a heads-up on where they were going.

She was just about dial his number when the taxi suddenly rolled to a stop.

Loraine paid no mind to this, thinking that they had simply stopped at a red light. However, she was caught by surprise when someone knocked on her side of the window.

Freezing, she turned to see who it was, only to see that someone was already opening the door.

The man outside bent over to look into the car. He had what could only be described as strong features, and he carried himself with a certain grace. That said, his eyes, which were a rare shade of violet, held no warmth whatsoever.

"Would you mind getting down from the car?" the man asked, gentle and courteous.

Somehow, Loraine had a feeling that if she were to say no to this man, he would break her neck the next second with the hand he used to open the car door.

When she got down from the car obediently, the man handed her a check. "Here's five million for you."

She did not dare to take it.

Amused, the man let out a chuckle and said reassuringly, "Just take it as a little token of appreciation for the hard work you did in taking care of Johanna. Timothy won't be looking for her anymore, or for you, in case you're wondering."

Loraine sensed that this man's relationship with Johanna was more complex than it seemed. He even had the audacity to come and seize her in broad daylight in the middle of the road.

Fearing that the man would get impatient with her, Loraine reluctantly took the check.

The man was pleased by her obliging attitude, and before he got into the car, he said emphatically, "Seeing as Timothy won't be looking for you, you don't have to go the extra mile to call him, either. I can give you a life full of riches, but I can also just as easily kill you and your family. Do you understand?"

A few months later, the man's vicious threat, which had been delivered in such gentle tones, still haunted Loraine and sent chills down her spine.

When she met Timothy's dark, stormy gaze, she quickly looked down.

Loraine had always taken great care of Johanna and Asel. Whenever Johanna and Timothy got into a fight, Loraine was the one who comforted Johanna, hoping that the couple would work things out.

However, she had her own safety and her family to think of.

The man who kidnapped Johanna a few months ago was a terrifying character, so much so that Loraine dared not do anything for fear that he might be keeping watch on her and her family's every move.

Besides, she did not think Timothy was completely faultless in all this.

He was Johanna's husband. One would think that he would go out and search for his pregnant wife after she had run away from home months ago, but he did not seem to care at all.

Presently, Genevieve went up to Armand and asked, "Mando, can Zephyr be tracked down?"

"He's always been cunning, and he's not the type to strike without preparation." Armand added grimly, "Also, the incident happened back in May. All the surveillance footage at or around the hospital would have been deleted by now."

Genevieve's face fell when she heard that.

Timothy raked his hand through his hair agitatedly and asked, "How about we check the traffic cameras in town? Or the surveillance footage at the airport and shipping ports?"

Armand countered, "When Zephyr kidnapped Johanna at the entrance of General Hospital the last time, we couldn't find any leads on him at all even though we checked the surveillance footage at first instance. He even managed to bring her abroad without anyone noticing. This time, five months have lapsed since she was kidnapped. Zephyr could still be in Jadeborough for all we know and there would be no way for us to find him!"

Zephyr was clever, and he had a knack for staying under the radar.

He appeared to have sustained huge financial losses following Armand's efforts to take down the Gaudette family in the last few months, but in truth, he was completely unaffected by this.

Zephyr's more cunning than I thought. If nothing else, Armand considered him quite the formidable rival.

Chapter 1257 No Point Regretting

"Armand, you have to help me find Jojo." Timothy could try to search for her, too, but Armand's new status made it much easier for him to look into anything.

Timothy buried his face in his hands. When he spoke again, his voice was broken and filled with regret. "I just wanted to get rid of that baby, that's all... I didn't mean for something like this to happen..."

Initially, he had not come clean with Johanna because he wanted to take everything on himself.

He had planned on letting her finish that milk and let her think that the fetus stopped developing on its own, after which he would bring her to the hospital to induce labor.

Unfortunately, he had not been careful enough, and Johanna ended up discovering the box of medication.

Presently, Genevieve shot Timothy a dark look and pointed out, "Even if the kid isn't yours, you can't just say you love Jojo on the one hand and not look for her for months on the other. You don't deserve her a all. She's been missing for months, so what's the point of you regretting now? You might as well channel all that energy into looking after Asel."

Having said all that, she grabbed Armand by the arm and left.

She was still glum when she got into the car. Seeing this, Armand leaned over and helped her fasten her belt, then kissed her gently.

"I know you're worried about Johanna. I'll do everything I can to find her," he promised.

It was only then that the knot between Genevieve's brow disappeared. She reached up to caress Armand's cheek, then said quietly, "Frank gave Jojo two long-term contraceptive pills, which are effective ninety-nine percent of the time. There's no way her case could fall within the remaining one percent."

She paused, then added gravely, "You and I both know Zephyr is as cunning as he is brutal. He kills without hesitation. Jojo wouldn't survive a month with him if she didn't have some tricks up her sleeve. She fought to stay alive for Asel and Timothy. Looking back, Timothy was wrong to have treated her the way he did."

Timothy could have handled things better, but he chose to act on his doubts and tried to resolve things his own way. He even gave Johanna the cold shoulder.

Armand took Genevieve's hand and kissed her palm, then said slowly, "After what happened with you and Zephyr, we honestly thought he kidnapped Johanna the first time because she was close to you and he could use her as a hostage. But if that was the case, then why didn't he kidnap the kids and gain leverage against us both instead?"

Given how meticulous Zephyr was, if he could bring Johanna out of the country without leaving a single trace behind, then he could have easily abducted Lucian and Amanda as well.

Genevieve met Armand's gaze, then began dubiously, "Mando, are you saying that..."

"I believe Zephyr has feelings for Johanna." Armand narrowed his eyes, then elaborated in a low voice, "I think Johanna has been his target right from the beginning."

His suspicions and Genevieve's were aligned.

In retrospect, if Zephyr had simply wanted to bend Genevieve to his will, then he could have abducted Lucian and Amanda and used them as leverage. However, he had chosen to abduct Johanna, instead.

At the thought of this, Genevieve pursed her lips. "If Zephyr did not have feelings for Johanna, then he wouldn't have kidnapped her a second time. Maybe that baby is..."

She could not even bring herself to finish that sentence.

Armand went on to tell her his other guess, "Zephyr probably knew that you've been keeping in touch with Frank. He found out about Frank's identity as a spy through the mole the Gaudettes had planted in the top brass of Lostaria's police headquarters. As such, he went along with our plans and let the police take out the mafia for him. He also deliberately let Johanna escape."

In order to fool the police, Zephyr would have to fake his death and fall off the grid for a while, during which he would not be able to take care of Johanna. It made sense, then, why he had allowed her to escape.

Then, when the time was right and he had sorted out his mess, he would come and bring her back with him.

As Genevieve put the missing pieces together, she realized that Armand's guesses were correct. She cursed inwardly. How did Jojo become the target of that psychopath?

Timothy was intelligent, and the business world was his oyster. However, unlike Zephyr, Timothy was not born into the mafia, and he certainly had not grown up in a world full of violence and manipulation where he was constantly treading on the edge of a knife.

The only person who was a match for Zephyr, who could see through his thoughts, was Armand.

Genevieve suddenly clutched Armand's arm and buried her face in his neck, saying, "Johanna will lose her mind if she finds out she's pregnant with Zephyr's kid. You have to find her and bring her back no matter what."

"I know." Armand caressed Genevieve's back soothingly.

Chapter 1258 Break His Leg

At an orphanage in Jadeborough, Sally was dressed in volunteer uniform and had her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her tall silhouette and cool demeanor immediately set her apart from the other volunteers around her.

She was standing behind the long table with a ladle in hand, plating lunch for the children who were lining up before her.

Her forehead was already covered in beads of sweat by the time she was done serving the dozens of children their helpings of food. She was about to pull off her mask to get a breather when she noticed the photographers in the distance. Changing her mind, she gave her mask an upward tug instead.

Then, she helped herself to a plate as well and went to a quiet corner to eat her lunch. She had only just sat down when her phone rang.

Glancing at the phone screen, she swiped on it to answer the call. "Hey, Dad."

"I saw your application." On the other end of the line, Gerald's tone was full of disapproval. "I would rather you join the navy than have you go to that hellhole."

It was a soldier's duty to defend the country, but Sally was his only daughter. He did not want her to suffer, and he could not bear the idea of not seeing her for years on end.

Sally wedged her phone between her ear and shoulder, then took a bite of pasta. Swallowing, she said, "I was merely informing you of my decision to go. Even if you don't grant approval for it, somebody else will."

Gerald knew how stubborn she was. Once she made up her mind, there would be no changing it. "Is this because of Ethan?"

Sally did not answer him and brusquely hung up the phone.

She should have left Jadeborough months ago, but she just could not bring herself to do it. In fact, she did not go anywhere at all. She had been staying at Cooper's condominium all this time without him knowing.

Sally knew Amanda had been discharged from the hospital after her headache was gone, and she also knew about Cooper's meeting with Tiffany.

Just as Sally was going to set her phone down, a WhatsApp notification popped up on the screen.

When she saw the words "Specter Corporation," she clicked into the message.

She had previously joined quite a number of group texts for work purposes, and it was precisely because so much gossip and information were exchanged in these groups that she managed to keep tabs on everybody.

Right now, the person who was texting in this particular group seemed to be an employee from some company.

He was telling everyone that another company had planned to sell a piece of forest land to Specter Corporation, and that both parties had agreed on a price.

Then, the anonymous company found out that in the next decade, the entire area would be developed into a commercial hub in the future, complete with a new subway line. Naturally, the value of that piece of land skyrocketed.

Needless to say, the director of the company changed his mind about selling such a valuable piece of land. This obviously did not go over too well with the legal department of Specter Corporation.

Word had it that Cooper even got ahold of some scandalous evidence regarding the director's wife's extra-marital affair. Not two days later, the director signed the agreement, and the land was sold to Specter Corporation.

The person narrating this in the group text added: According to a friend of mine, after Mr. Kilbourne found out where Mr. Sutton would be dining tonight, he hired some men to go and break his leg!

Someone else in the group replied: That's crazy! Does he really think he can take someone like Mr. Sutton down that easily?

Another person texted: It's not like Mr. Sutton would be dining behind a wall of bodyguards. The men Mr. Kilbourne hired are gangsters with criminal records. They're not going to be scared of cops!

Someone else in the group asked where Cooper would be dining tonight.

Unfortunately, the person who started this gossip thread did not have an answer. He pointed out that he only heard about this from someone else, then added a sarcastic remark: Even if I did tell you, are you going to save Mr. Sutton?

Sally was frowning when she finished reading those messages.

She quickly exited the group text and searched for Cooper's name on her list of contacts, intending to warn him. Upon typing out the message, she was about to hit send when she wondered if texting him now would mean breaking the oath she made.

In the end, she deleted the text she had typed, then turned her phone off and set it down on the chair next to her.

It was around eight-thirty at night when Cooper's car drove into the basement parking lot of Lovely Heart Hotel.

He backed the car into a parking spot and got down, then headed for the elevator on the other side of the basement.

However, he had barely taken a few steps when a group of tall, muscular men suddenly surrounded him and blocked his way.

One of the men was even holding a baseball bat and tapping it against his palm.

Chapter 1260 Are You Still Going To Be Stubborn

Cooper, who was in the passenger seat, had woken up at some point. Seemingly afraid that Sally would escape, he leaned over and pinned her to her seat.

She leaned back against the headrest and looked at him indifferently. "I knew this was a trap."

Cooper was smart.

If that man with the surname Kilbourne really did hold a grudge against him for that piece of land, there was no way Cooper wouldn't take any safety measures and eat outside all alone.

He had intentionally let those people spread the information and put on a show to lure her into the trap.

Cooper pulled the mask off her face and gazed at her. "No matter how many times I called you or how many messages I sent you, you refused to see me. I had no choice. Sally, I love you."

No longer hiding his feelings, he leaned down to kiss her. "I know you feel the same about me."

Sally lowered her gaze and refuted, "No, I don't."

"If you don't love me, why are you worried about that superstitious oath? If you don't love me, why did you come and save me?"

"I just don't want the kids to lose their uncle."

Cooper let out a chuckle in exasperation. He pinched her chin as punishment. "Are you still going to be stubborn at times like this?"

She remained silent.

He kissed her again, warming her cold lips as the tips of their noses brushed against each other.

Gazing at her tenderly, he said, "I'm aware of everything you've done for me. I also know that you still have feelings for Ethan. But it's okay. I'm not that petty of a person."

Sally and Ethan grew up together and were childhood sweethearts.

Cooper understood that it wasn't easy to forget someone after loving them for more than a decade.

"I hope to stay by your side and wait for the day you finally accept me. If you're far away from me, I'm afraid that you'll fall for another man," he whispered.

He paused before pleading with her, "Sal, please give me a chance."

Sally saw her own reflection in his bright eyes. She could also make out the intense emotions and gentleness in them, which moved her and made her waver.

However, she suddenly remembered the oath she had sworn.

When she lifted her head again, she gazed back at him calmly and nonchalantly attacked his sore spot.

"I want a family, but you can't give me that."

Cooper stared at her and immediately understood what she meant. He just didn't expect his speculation to come true. "I can go to the hospital for a checkup.”

"Even if you do, your condition might not be curable," Sally replied expressionlessly as she slowly pushed him away.

He grabbed her hand and forced himself to remain calm. "I know you don't care about that. You're only saying this because of the oath you made..."

"I do care." Sally locked gazes with him. "Cooper, we've been together for a long time. How many times have I lied to you?"

Cooper's heart sank in despair as he pursed his lips into a thin line.

After removing her hand from his grasp, Sally unlocked the car door, got out, and walked away without even a glance back.

At half-past nine, Armand urged the kids to go to bed.

He was in the middle of picking up the toys that were strewn all over the carpet when he heard the housekeeper greet Cooper.

Thereafter, a distraught-looking Cooper stepped into the living room and sat down next to Genevieve, who was sitting on the couch and filling up the form that the school had sent.

Genevieve sat up straight and noticed the look on Cooper's face. "What's the matter, Coop?"

Noticing her brother's injuries, she told Armand to fetch the first-aid kit. She then opened it and took out a cold spray, but Armand soon snatched the cold spray from her.

"I'll do it." He took an orange from the fruit plate and handed it to her, asking her to peel it for him.

Genevieve crossed her legs and started peeling the orange. "It's a good thing I know you're just jealous. If others see this, they might think you're interested in Coop!" she teased.

Armand shot her an icy glare.

"I'm just kidding." Sensing his displeasure, Genevieve leaned over to kiss him ingratiatingly.