Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption-Chapter 275: A fair game...

As the car pulled away from the hospital, leaving behind the chaos of reporters and buzzing media, Jessica let out a deep, quiet breath, her eyes closing for a moment, the fleeting darkness offering brief solace. Her thoughts drifted to the dinner meeting set for the next day and her brows subtly creased in concern.

Davis, seated beside her, noticed the tension in her shoulders. He gently pulled her into his arms, pressing a soft kiss to her lips."You’ve been worrying a lot lately," he murmured. "Thinking about too many things more than you used to."

Though they’d only been married for a little over a year, they’d weathered enough storms to understand the unspoken. He could tell when something was weighing heavily on her heart.

Jessica turned to him, her voice soft. "Do you really think so?"

Davis nodded lightly, his gaze warm as he gently stroked her arm. "In the past, you didn’t stress over gains or losses. You took things as they came and made your decisions based on the situation. But now..."

His voice trailed off into the hum of the car’s silence.

Jessica sighed. She had noticed the shift in herself too, her growing hesitance, the creeping doubt, the wavering certainty and sometimes the overthinking. She never took it seriously before, often brushing it aside. But now, with Davis pointing it out, she made a mental note to address it.

But come to think of it, she hadn’t really changed her way of thinking. It was just that he was beginning to notice and understand every nuance of her mood and unspoken actions—things he hadn’t truly paid attention to in the past.

Jessica sighed. "Maybe I’m not actually second-guessing myself. Perhaps he’s just becoming more worried about my affairs than he should be," she mused.

"Why did you suddenly decide we should return to our old home?" she asked.

Davis inhaled deeply, his mind already made up. "I’ve thought about it. We’re under public scrutiny, and with the spotlight on us right now, exposing your residence could bring unnecessary attention. It’s not supposed to be public knowledge—if the media finds out, your privacy and our safety could be compromised. So, it’s better to stay somewhere that’s already known to them."

Jessica’s lips curled slightly. "You’re being cautious."

He nodded, serious now. "I’m being realistic," Davis replied. ""Think about it. Today we managed to dodge the press, but what if someone had followed us? That house was a sanctuary. Let’s not turn it into a trap.

His shoulders slagged lightly, his gaze in the spaces with a thoughtful expression "That place was meant to remain hidden. All the while, no one expected me to be in town, let alone listening to the news and still not being found."

Jessica chuckled. "Were you even searched for?" she teased.

She would bet her most treasured possession that Desmond never really searched for Davis.

The thought of him caused her breath to hitch. She had thought that Desmond visit on the hospital as Grandpa Allen had requested, would ease tensions but instead, it had made things worse.

Now, Desmond was unpredictable—trained in the Allen family, and aware of so many of their secrets. That made him dangerous.

Noticing her silence, Davis looked down at her. "Babe, what are you thinking about?"

Without hesitation, she whispered, "Desmond."

The name hit Davis like a punch. His fists curled, and his expression turned cold and unreadable.

"What about him?" he asked quietly.

"I just feel... things might spiral out of control."

Davis let out a soft laugh. "Why?"

"Because," she explained slowly, "he’s not an Allen by blood—but he was trained like one. Don’t you think that kind of knowledge can cause a lot of damage?"

Davis shook his head, a soft smirk playing on his lips as he stared into space.

"No damage at all. In fact, if he wasn’t trained like an Allen, how else would he make the one mistake that brings him down?"

Jessica blinked, analyzing his words quickly. Her eyes widened as realization hit her.

"You’re wicked," she breathed.

He chuckled. "I haven’t done anything wrong. Just playing by the rules. What goes around, comes around. Would you blame me?"

She shook her head, stunned.

"You’re planning to let his own greed destroy him?"

"A fair game," Davis replied calmly.

He grew quiet, his voice lower.

"I didn’t even know my uncle was adopted. Grandpa never said anything. Neither did my dad."

He paused, his mind drifting back to the past, the pain of losing his father to a schemed betrayal. And now learning it was at the hands of someone who wasn’t even true family... it cut deep.

Jessica rested her head on his shoulder. "It’s okay. At least now you have a template to work with."

Just then, Davis’s phone buzzed. One of his subordinates was calling.

"Boss, your uncle just hired a legal team to look into succession laws. And he’s called in reporters to announce his adoption."

Davis’s face darkened. So soon? He hadn’t expected Desmond to move this fast.

"Alright," he said calmly. "Send in our own media team. Let them cover the story, then I’ll tell you how to handle it."

"What about the legal team?" the voice asked.

"Which team is he using?"

"Elyon & Associates."

Davis chuckled. "The best of the best. I’ll give them a call myself. Meanwhile, gather all the evidence of his past actions in the last three years."

Jessica, watching Davis issue command after command so effortlessly, felt a wave of admiration. Maybe this battle wasn’t such a loss after all.

As the car turned into their street, Davis’s heart swelled with emotions. He had returned to this mansion in two different states.

The first, a cripple fresh from the hospital.

The second, still crippled—yet now pretending, hiding from a family betrayal.

And now... he had his legs again, but still had to pretend otherwise.

He glanced at Jessica, his heart full. Through everything, she had stood by him.

The car halted at the gate. The driver honked, and the tall iron gates slowly swung open. Jessica sat upright, adjusting herself.

As the mansion came into view, towering in white elegance, she whispered,

"Another cycle of life."

As soon as the car stopped, Henry and a few assistants came rushing out.

Davis had instructed Ethan not to inform anyone of his return. He wanted to see for himself who was loyal—and who wasn’t.

To his quiet satisfaction, only four had remained: his loyal butler Henry, the chief chef, and two maids. The rest had vanished the moment the rumor of his death surfaced.

Davis settled into his wheelchair, masking the strength he had regained, and they were led inside.

Henry was overjoyed. He had never expected to see this day come so soon.

The chef rushed to the kitchen to prepare a proper welcome meal.

The mansion, which had echoed with silence for so long, now came alive with warmth and movement.

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