His dark eyes focused on hers, and he pointed to his left eye.
Jane’s sobs caught in her throat, and panic flashed through her eyes.
Why was Jayden asking about this now?
But she quickly collected herself. Her tear-streaked face turned up to him, full of frail innocence. “Jayden, the doctors explained everything back then, didn’t they? And for all these years, my left eye hasn’t been right. If it weren’t for you helping me with the treatments, I might have lost my vision by now.”
Her voice faltered, and more tears streamed down her face. She swayed slightly, as if she might collapse at any moment.
Jayden frowned, his eyes narrowing. “So, you’re saying the cornea is yours?”
Jane’s body tensed for a moment, but she nodded through her tears, her voice gentle. “Jayden, don’t you believe me?”
Before she could continue, a man in black approached Jayden and handed him a file. “Mr. Lewis, here’s the report you requested.” Jayden took the file and quickly scanned its contents.
The document clearly stated that Jane was the cornea donor, and his signature confirmed that he was the recipient. So it was Jane all along.
But then an image of Victoria’s face appeared in his mind.
“For you, I gave you one of my corneas, but I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry. Not that you ever did. You never even looked at me. You probably didn’t know I’ve been blind in one eye for a long time.”
Why hadn’t Victoria said anything, while Jane seemed to constantly remind him of her supposed sacrifice?
Jane noticed Jayden’s silence and the growing tension in his expression. Panic flashed through her eyes, but she quickly wiped her tears and asked softly, “Jayden, after all these years, you know what kind of person I am, don’t you? I…”
“It was you,” Jayden interjected, his tone cold and flat.
Jane blinked and let out a hesitant laugh. “So, you believe me now?”
Her tear-streaked face brightened as she stepped closer, clinging to Jayden’s arm and sobbing, “Jayden, our daughter did not deserve to die like this! I know Victoria never liked me, and I never expected her to forgive me, but why take it out on Nora? Why hurt her? My poor daughter! Victoria lost her son, but does that mean my daughter didn’t deserve to live?”
Jayden’s eyes darkened as she spoke, and his hands curled tightly into fists.
That jerk didn’t deserve to be compared to his Nora.
Jane’s eyes lit up with satisfaction when she saw Jayden’s grim expression. He still cared for Nora. Holding onto his sleeve, she went on: “I know losing her son must have been unbearable for Victoria. I even tried to understand her pain. That’s why, when she attacked me, I told everyone it wasn’t on purpose. She insisted on going to prison. I was worried about her, so I visited. That’s when I found out she was doing just fine. The men there were really taking care of her.”
Jane realised she had said too much and quickly tried to explain, “Jayden, that’s not what I meant! I just meant they treated her well.”
But the more she explained, the darker Jayden’s expression became. His voice was cold and angry. “Shut up.”
What exactly did she mean by “taking care of her”?
Why would they go out of their way to care for a young, beautiful woman in a prison filled with violent criminals?
It was not difficult to imagine the type of “care” she had received.
Jane’s heart fluttered with pleasure, but she quickly replaced it with concern. “Jayden, you should investigate thoroughly before blaming Victoria. What if you’re wrong about her?”
Jayden’s jaw tightened, and the veins in his temple throbbed. He gave her a sharp look before turning to his assistant. “Find out everything Victoria did while in prison.”
Jayden’s intense gaze made the room feel colder. Even in the hot sun, Jane shuddered and fell silent, pretending to stumble back in fear.
Jayden walked straight towards the villa, not looking back. Jane smirked as she watched him walk away, her gaze drawn to the gate.
Upstairs, Jayden held a Swiss army knife, his eyes darkening with each thought.
Victoria’s voice echoed in his head, her face twisted with rage. “You killed my son. I want your life in return!”
He saw her standing there, glaring at him. “What’s the matter? Have you really fallen for your enemy’s daughter? Or are you just too attached to our twisted love-hate dynamic to go through with a divorce?”
Her bloodied, tear-streaked face haunted him. “There’s no happy ending for someone who’s lost their mind. I must have been under your spell to end up this crazy.”
Handcuffed, she begged, “Is my father’s debt finally repaid? Please, let my son go.”
His grip on the knife tightened, and the sheath slipped off, slicing into his palm.
Jane entered with a tray and a soft voice. “Jayden, I made you your favourite tea… Oh! Your hand!”
She dropped the tray and dashed over to him, grabbing his wrist as tears fell. “What should I do? What if something happens to you, Jayden? I can’t lose you too, not after Nora. Someone, help!”
Within moments, the room was full of staff.
Jayden tossed the knife on the desk and sat back, allowing them to tend to his wounds.
Jane dismissed the staff with a glance after bandaging his hand and kneeling by his side, her eyes welling up. “Jayden, please don’t scare me like that again. I’ve already lost Nora. I can’t lose you too.”
Jayden studied her silently for a moment before saying, “Get out.”
Knock, knock.
“Mr. Lewis, the team that investigated the prison has returned,” his assistant announced from the doorway, struggling not to grit his teeth in frustration. The team had thrown him under the bus, forcing him to deliver the bad news. He could already imagine the impending disaster.
Jayden leaned back in his chair and pressed his fingers against his temples. “Speak.”
The assistant hesitated before moving forward with the file. “Mr. Lewis, maybe you shouldn’t-”
Jayden’s eyes popped open, sharp as blades. “What, you can’t say it?”
The assistant stiffened as the room’s temperature appeared to drop. “No, sir. The investigation shows that Victoria was very well taken care of in prison. The men there never let her do any work. They stayed close to her, and the relationships were… intimate.”
