Chapter: 836

"Thank you for taking care of Bethany and my children over the years. This is for you."

Bethany was surprised. She had no idea that Jonathan had prepared a gift.

Jayson glanced at the paper bag but made no move to take it. Instead, he smiled and asked, "What is it that you're giving me?"

"You'll see when you open it."

"That's typical of the Bates family." Jayson maintained his smile, though it was hard to gauge his true feelings.

He took the paper bag and examined its contents.

Inside were documents for a villa, a luxury car, and a transfer contract for a medium-sized company.

The items were valuable enough to make him a rich man in Odonset.

“Mr. Bates, you are certainly generous."

“I told you, I'm here to thank you," Jonathan replied, his tone measured. He was fully aware of Jayson's subtle provocation but chose to avoid escalating the tension, not wanting to place Bethany in an awkward position.

Jonathan sensed Bethany was uneasy next to him. This was not his intention.

Earlier, his jealousy clouded his judgment, and he failed to see Bethany's struggle.

“I didn't speak out of turn, did 1?" Jayson returned the paper bag and looked at Jonathan. “I don't need your gratitude. I helped Bethany, not you. You don't need to give me these. They don't mean much to me."

He could have made money in the time spent, but he chose not to.

It wasn't because he lacked ability, but because he wanted to Lighten Bethany's load.

"Jayson, Jonathan was just trying to..."

Jayson cut her off with a smile. "Bethany, I know. I'm genuinely happy to see you two getting along. It's been almost five years since I've seen you smile like this. However, I'm not thrilled to see Mr. Bates."

Who would be pleased to see a rival in love?

Silence fell for a moment.

“Can I speak with you in private?" Jayson ignored Jonathan, focusing solely on Bethany.

"What is it?" Bethany instinctively looked at Jonathan.

"It's about B7. Mr. Bates, it's not about romance," Jayson reassured with a smile.

"I'm not concerned." Jonathan released Bethany's hand. "Go on. I'LL wait here."

Bethany let out a sigh of relief. “Okay.”