Chapter 281 - Will Come To Bring You Home

[This chapter is dedicated to Boregowda_Dasappa for showering our story with power stones. They are greatly appreciated.] 

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Right as the car Markus was driving disappeared from their sight, a familiar company car pulled over in front of them. As soon as the car stopped, the driver's side door opened. The driver came out with a big smile on his lips.

"Good evening, Miss Jung and Miss Zimmerman. Went shopping?" He asked in a friendly tone. 

"Yes, Suraj." Jess bent down to pick up the shopping bags that were next to her. 

Suraj was stunned when Miss Zimmerman called him by his first name. He didn't know that she knew him. It made him happy that she did. 

Jess helped Suraj to put the shopping bags in the trunk of the company van. She didn't see June's face lose its color when she saw the man who came out of the van. 

"Do you need help?" 

In an attempt to look at the one who was talking, Jess straightened her back and stepped sideways. Even though she didn't really have to check to know that it was Gareth. Since they work together in Dr. Sison's office, she is already familiar with his voice. 

"Thank you but we are fine," she smiled at him. She glanced at June who looked pale and she couldn't help but be worried. 

"Miss Zimmerman, should I put these two together --" 

She took off her eyes from June and Gareth who were standing too close to each other. She returned to Suraj to check what he was asking about. 

As soon as Jess was out of sight, Gareth looked at June and smirked. "It's no wonder the two of you became friends so quickly." He sneered as he bent down to grab the remaining shopping bags from June's feet. "You both knew the best way to manipulate men for your careers," he said. 

June was too stunned to come up with a rebuttal from the disgusting words that came out of Gareth's mouth. June made a mistake one time; she won't make it twice, but she needs to do something with Gareth since it sounds like he knows who Jess's dating. 

Gareth wouldn't speak unless he knew something. She was still in a daze when Jess stood next to her. "Are you okay?" she whispered. Her gaze followed Gareth who was talking to Suraj about something.

"Yes, I'm fine." She gave Jess a bright smile. She had to do something about Gareth but Jess isn't the right person to approach about him.  "Let's get in. I was so tired today," she gently pushed Jess inside the van before Gareth could enter. 

June and Jess ended up sitting in the center row of the van since Gareth's backpack were on the last row. They didn't have to talk to express their unwillingness to sit next to him and be forced to fake a casual conversation. 

When Suraj entered the driver seat, June and Jess exchanged glances when Gareth entered and sat down on the passenger seat. 

Why does he have his backpack on the last row seats of the van if he was sitting on the passenger seat?

It is the same question they both have on top of their heads, but neither of them expresses it verbally because they don't really care about Gareth. In addition, he's within earshot. 

The drive home was quiet because the three of them turned to their phone instead of carrying on a conversation. 

Jess checked the photos she has on her phone and picked the photos she would send to Noah. But before she sent him the photos, she picked one that she sent to Lucille. 

Lucille has been asking her when she will come home. Apparently, she met Luke when he visited her apartment and asked to be invited but Luke told her that he can't invite her in because Jess told him that he can't. 

Lucille was unhappy about it and since then, she kept on sending her messages to come home. She's starting to wonder if Noah has something to do with her messages. It sounded just like Noah to pester her to submission. Or it could be just, Lucille got it from her father. 

She chuckled when right after she sent a message, Lucile replied with an emoji of a crying girl. 

[When are you coming home, Little Miss Jessie?] 

[I'm thinking of staying here longer. Why do you want me to come home? Is your father too boring?] 

[Daddy said we will fly there this weekend to bring you home!]

When she read the last message from Lucille, her smile disappeared. It made her wonder if Noah really said those words. They're the kind of words Noah would say. She clicked her tongue, thinking about the story she heard from June about her labmates that used to date Noah who got a diamond ring as a breakup present. Remembering the story made her blood boil.

[Have a good day at school!] 

She closed her WeChat chat box for Lucille and opened Noah's. She wasn't sure if Noah really told Lucille that they will come over on the weekend. But she doesn't want to take any chances. 

[Don't come. I'll send the diamond ring you bought for me and Luke. The one with Luke, you ask him about it.] 

When she sent Noah her message, she didn't worry about what he would think about it. It's so easy to piss her off these days. She wondered why she was filled with so much anger nowadays. 

It didn't take long after she sent the message to Noah for him to call her. She smirked thinking Lucille was telling the truth. Noah did say those words. Her phone was on silent but she had it in her hands that she saw Noah's name on the screen of her phone right on the first ring. Instead of answering his call, she turned off her phone. 

She doesn't care if he gets mad. She shoved her phone inside her purse and uttered a silent thank you that they are almost home. She wanted to take a shower because her skin felt so sticky. 

When she entered her room, she turned on her phone and chuckled wryly when Noah was calling her again.