Chapter 45

Ethan felt a deep sadness from his past, as Widy had always placed the blame squarely on him. Yet, he restrained the urge to retaliate; instead, he shuffled his feet and added, "Jenna, please don’t worry about it. I will be fine." She had said all that because she wanted Ethan to cry and complain, but Jenna despised weakness. If Ethan lost control and unleashed the last vestiges of his patience, he would completely give up on that mother and son dynamic. Still, Ethan remained composed.

He spoke briefly about Wendy before falling silent. As he began to smile, Jenna clenched her teeth. That little brat resembled Wendy when he smiled, and she had no idea what words Wendy had fed him to engender such resilience—able to suppress his feelings and move on from unpleasantness as if it had never occurred. A sudden question from James snapped Jenna out of her reverie.

She quickly brushed her hair back and replied gently, "I'm going back to the office with you." James shot her a glance, irritation evident in his voice. "I heard something had happened to Ethan, so I rushed over. I was worried—" "That doesn’t matter. Don’t abandon your post without permission. This will be the first and last time,” James's cold voice sent a chill through her; she had forgotten how much he disliked those who weren’t serious about their work.

Today, she had hoped to gain some of his attention, perhaps even sympathy, maybe to find comfort. Instead, she was met with his harsh words. Jenna felt deflated, unsure how to respond. Ethan came to her defense. "Daddy, don’t be mean to Aunt Jenna. She was worried about me and took care of me instead of Mom. That’s important too." James’s expression softened gradually. That was true; he gave a light nod in acknowledgment.

Perhaps he realized his tone had been too severe, for he added, "Come to the villa for dinner tonight." A smile instantly brightened Jenna’s face. "Okay, James, I won’t be angry. If something like this happens again, I’ll be sure to inform you ahead of time." He turned and said to Ethan, "Thank you, Ethan, for speaking up for me." Beneath her smile, however, resentment festered toward Ethan. If not for him—and if not for Wendy—how could James have spoken to her so coldly?

After everything that had transpired, Ethan was reluctant to return to school. So James brought Jenna home. As they sat in the car, Jenna noticed Zelda coming out to greet Ethan. The question slipped out instinctively, and only then did she rush to look at the house. Fortunately, Ethan’s face revealed no emotion. He simply replied, "Ethan only feels comfortable with Zelda." She couldn't fathom finding a suitable replacement for Zelda at the villa—Jenna knew that.

As James's indifference mounted, so did Jenna's unease. In the hospital, Jenna had sent Zelda away. Later, Mary had intervened, providing Zelda with money to leave and cautioning her not to speak out of turn. That entire series of events laid heavy on Jenna’s conscience. Back then, Ethan had almost ended up in the ICU. The car started again, leaving the villa behind and heading toward the office.

Jenna's nervousness gradually subsided during the ride; however, James raised the incident again. If Zelda truly hadn’t said anything, he had chosen not to pursue it. At that moment, she began to relax her tense body and could no longer hide the anxiety in her seat. In the quiet car, Jenna turned her head slightly to look at James beside her.