The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Steven couldn't promise Jessica that he would never part ways with her and Cody -after all, that was impossible. Steven had made up his mind that the woman he loved was Annalise, and he couldn't allow himself to be swayed anymore.

After a long pause, Steven said, "You're right."

Jessica hadn't expected that answer from Steven. In disbelief, she sat up and stared at him.

Steven continued, "Should I still bring him out tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Otherwise, he'll be disappointed. After all, you promised him."

At that moment, Jessica realized all her tricks had stopped working on Steven.

Steven said cooperatively, "Okay."

After getting Steven a set of clothes, Jessica led him to the master bedroom. She asked, "Do you plan to bunk with me tonight, or...?"

Steven shook his head when he heard that and said, "I'll sleep by myself. Otherwise, Annalise will get mad if she finds out."

But that worked out just fine for Jessica-she didn't want to sleep with Steven either.

Jessica nodded, saying, "I'll sleep in the guest room, then. Good night."

Then, she left the master bedroom and went into the guest room. After closing the door and turning on the lights, Jessica sat down, deep in thought.

This time, Steven's resolve seemed firmer than before. Not only did he keep a distance from Jessica, but he also showed reservations toward the baby-that meant Jessica's tricks no longer worked on Steven.

Frustrated, Jessica bit her lip.

Since her career was doing well, she should, logically, have the

confidence to disassociate herself from Steven. However, Jessica was worried that her business may eventually encounter a financial crisis. Not wanting to risk her business, Jessica had to get on Steven's good side.

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But since Steven had taken a firm stance tonight, Jessica decided to leave him alone. Once in bed, Jessica stopped thinking about Steven, Instead, she couldn't stop thinking about the illustrations she had just drawn earlier.

If Jessica's designer collectibles took off, giving her a steady income and hefty savings, she wouldn't have to care about anyone's approval anymore.

By bedtime, Willow climbed into bed and stared at me as I lay beside her. She

leaned into my embrace and said, "I feel so happy, Mommy."

I gently hugged Willow and said, "Me, too."

Then, Willow rubbed her cheeks against my chest. After a while, she snuggled into Zane's arms too. It was Willow's first time sleeping with her parents, and it made her heart feet full and warm.

Zane didn't stop Willow. But just as Willow was about to come to me, he said, "Willow, you have school tomorrow. Go to bed."

At that, Willow finally stopped. She lay in the center of the bed and held Zane's and my hand, smiling happily. Soon, Willow dozed off to sleep.noveldrama

After waiting for a short while and making sure not to wake Willow, Zane asked, "Do you need any help now?"

"Nope," I said, shaking my head.

"Ever since the divorce, life has been unbelievably smooth sailing."