Chapter 243: Wilted by Obsession

Jackson regarded his wife. 

Her violet eyes fluttered innocently at him. Her lips stretched in a coy smile and dazzled most people that received it. She had always been good at mixing a few lies and a bit of truth. He hadn't mastered spotting the lie but he did excel in noticing whenever she did this. 

"What's really going on?" He attempted.

"I told you!" Avery insisted. "Our son is completely head over heels."

His stern look caused her heart to beat erratically. She'd argue that it was more observant than a telescope or an x-ray machine. If he didn't become a businessman, the madam believed that Jackson would have been a great lawyer. 

But luckily he didn't or the scheme would have failed from day one. 

"And why do you say that?" 

"Because he wants her to move in with him?" 

"Did he really say that?" Her husband continued the interrogation, stepping closer in her direction. Avery responded with a step back and realized her mistake a second too late.

She gulped and trembled slightly. "Maybe that wasn't his exact words… but I know he can't last more than half a day without her. After all, they spent both lunch and dinner together today. Yan also plans something similar for tomorrow and the next day and the next… you get the idea."

Jackson relaxed his shoulders. "I'll have to ask himself."

There wasn't a point to continue. He didn't believe that she was lying but hearing from the other source did ease his worries. Heading for the closet, he unbuttoned his shirt. A shower sounded good right about now. He was never comfortable to sleep in planes even with first class tickets.

Thus, he wished to sleep as soon as possible.

Maybe that was the other reason why he dropped the subject for the time being.

"Of course! Feel free. Yan always likes talking about Evangeline these days," the madam giggled. Her husband's broad back soon came to view. She brushed her fingers on his sculpted muscles. It attracted her like a moth to a flame.

"Hmm…" she mumbled. A sultry tone hinted behind the soft whisper. "How about we forget about everything outside of this room tonight, hm? Focus on you and I. We haven't spent time alone in so long."

Jackson glanced down over his shoulder. The flecks in his teal eyes darkened. "If you keep touching me like that, I won't make it to the shower. I would hate to waste the effort you spent cleaning yourself up before bed."

A mischievous grin bloomed on Avery's face. Her hand changed directions and lined a path that led to his front muscles. Then, it traced the dips between his pecs. Her other hand made its way around his other side to join in the fun. 

He shivered involuntarily. 

She was right. It had been so long.

Avery had no time to lose. She trailed downwards and followed the shape of a V. The second her hands slid under the belt was the second her back hit the floor. Jackson covered her body with his. Their lips moved in sync against each other. 

Words weren't needed to be said. 

It was a secret language they couldn't speak with anyone else.

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Jane walked down a flight of stairs. 

A gorgeous chandelier hung from a high ceiling. Its yellow lights dripped downwards like rain of stars. Their shine highlighted her blonde hair and her amber eyes. Her leather ankle boots thudded on the steps. Wearing a Peter Pan collar blouse as a top, she paired it with a knee-length ruffled skirt that wrapped above one leg.

The servants stayed out of her way, wanting to avoid her temper.

There were moments when the young miss was very sweet. There were moments when she was picky. Then, there were moments when Jane was unreasonable. The last one became worse whenever they tried to coax her. Her temper would get the best of her and fire them on the spot—and if she was already in a terrible mood before this happened, she'd go to the extreme and humiliate them.

As a result, only a handful of servants dared to approach her.

"Tea has been served on the patio, young miss," the head maid informed her as soon as she reached the first floor. "Feel free to ring the bell if you need anything else."

Jane nodded in acknowledgement, already walking in the direction of the patio. A bright expression stretched across her face and her legs sped up their pace. "Aunt Avery!"

The madam looked up from her plate of biscuits. She rose to her feet, catching the young miss that tackled her. The pose hid her tight smile. "How are you, Jane?"

"Good, good. Do you like the biscuits? It's from a bakery in France. Don't they taste like tarts? I made sure to keep them at the right temperature so they'd be in their best condition."

"They're lovely, dear. How are the preparations for your birthday coming along?" 

Jane sat on the nearest chair, crossing her legs under the table. A maid served her tea right on schedule. Avery glady distracted herself with her own cup. She dipped a biscuit in it just to find out how they'd taste. And it did not disappoint.

"A few mishaps here and there but they will be fixed before the party starts." Jane sighed, waving it off with a brush of her hand. "Remember that cake served at Carmen Thompson's wedding when I was six? Well, the baker had retired but we managed to convince him to make the birthday cake and the giveaway cupcakes."

"That's the cake with the meringue and marshmallow layers," Avery said. The memory immediately came to her mind. "You wouldn't stop eating it during the whole party. I even gave you my share to satisfy your appetite."

Giggles flowed out of Jane's lips. "And I gained a lot of weight! All of my dresses wouldn't fit anymore. They had to do emergency shopping because there was a charity event scheduled the following week. It was around the time I first met Ambryan."

She sipped her black tea and relished in its aroma. 

The madam stiffened. She had wondered how she'd open up this topic. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she debated whether to seize this chance or let Jane talk more. She figured things would proceed better if Jane was in a wonderful mood—so she planned to test it with a few questions and things had gone well so far.

"Jane… about Ambryan…" Avery began to say. She rested both arms on one armrest and fiddled with her thumbs. "You see…"

"He's not coming to my birthday party," Jane finished for her. Her amber eyes flickered towards the garden and stared off into space. "It's the same every year, isn't it? There would be reasons like school, internship, work… he's a really busy man and I understand if he'd allot his limited free time with his family."

The madam dropped her gaze to the red-bricked floor. 

"It never ceases to amaze me how you hope he'd attend the next one. You didn't like tea before but now you're almost an expert. The same could be said about your taste in red wine. Every time you made an effort, it was never halfway done…" Avery spouted.

Jane answered with a warm gaze. "Thank you."

Some might think of it in a negative light but, for Avery, the exterion Jane displayed wasn't completely focused on Ambryan's interests alone. They may have started that way but the girl extended her newly found knowledge to other people like her father. 

She used them as a weapon to grow into a better person.

"But sometimes…" The madam trailed off. 

Jane knitted her eyebrows at the hesitation. "Sometimes…?"

Avery took a deep breath and met her stare. "It can turn into foolishness."

"I don't know what you mean." Jane shook her head, not breaking eye contact. This didn't happen before. A part of her became scared of what she'd hear. Her breathing gradually hastened with each passing second.

Taking her hand, Avery leaned in closer. "Listen to me carefully, Jane. You are someone who loves another with everything you can offer. You even push yourself out of your comfort zone just to grow into that love and amplify it even more because you believe the person deserves better."

Her violet eyes turned glassy. Oh, how the flower before her sight wilted and surrendered to the thorns of obsession. It hurt to see such a person lose one's self over it. "And I believe everyone deserves to be loved by the person they cherish. The only problem is looking for that person."

Jane parted her lips open. 

It seemed that she lost Avery's support. She would have appreciated it better if the madam was blunt about it. It would have given her another reason to be angry, to be furious or to be enraged. What was so special about Evangeline for everyone to be wrapped around her finger?

She had showed up out of nowhere.

But all Jane's efforts had gone to waste.

"I'm also not someone to give up, Aunt Avery," Jane stated, yanking her hand back. Her head turned away and her fingers clawed on the armrests. "My heart has always told me that I'd be happiest by Ambryan's side. He's with someone else right now, I know. But that's only because he gave her a chance. That's all I wanted but he never looked my way."

'I always had to make my own opportunities in hopes that he'd notice me,' she kept to herself. 'And I'll be damned if someone takes that away just because they won the golden ticket in joining that dating site!'