Chapter: 617

If he could turn back time, he would have embraced that little girl longer and expressed his affection for her mother more openly.

Or, he might have dismissed the moment Bethany confessed her love for Jayson as unbelievable.

Bethany followed Jonathan into the car, and he drove her to a secluded suburb of Odonset.

Had it been anyone else, she would have been frightened.

The car stopped in front of an old, detached villa.

Bethany stepped out and squinted against the bright sunlight, barely making out the three-story building.

"B7 is here?"

"Yes." Jonathan nodded.

Reaching into her bag, Bethany clutched the hard drive containing the surveillance footage and then faced Jonathan. “You can leave now. I need to meet him alone."

Jonathan's gaze lingered on her bag, his expression grave. "No matter how much my parents may favor Maddie, I won't cover for her."

He believed she held evidence to indict Maddie.

Bethany trusted Jonathan's intentions, yet she knew the true orchestrators of the schemes were his parents, not Maddie.

"I need to see B7 alone," she insisted.

Ultimately, she decided against relying on Jonathan.

"Alright. I'll wait outside."

Jonathan watched her enter the building, then walked back to his car, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it.

His phone buzzed with several work files from Brody.

Though many were urgent, Jonathan couldn't leave just yet.

“Postpone the meeting. For documents needing a stamp, sign them off as approved by me."

"Understood, Mr. Bates."

Brody was thorough in his work, seldom erring, and Jonathan held deep trust in him.

Jonathan settled back into his car, grabbed a cushion, and sat on a step. He lowered his gaze and began responding to the documents demanding his personal attention.

Brody called again shortly.

“Mr. Bates, won't you be returning to the office today?"