You Tainted Our Love, I Took Back All

Everyone in the business world knew that Jessa Darling was Sawyer Pitt’s ace. With Jessa around, the Pitt Group could win any business negotiation. Sawyer loved Jessa and would give up his life for her. At least, that was something even Jessa believed. She had unhesitatingly shot herself five times for the Pitt Group when stuck in the Golden Frontier. In Mejika, she drank with a supplier until she ended up puking blood. Every time, she thought that Sawyer would be waiting for her return. That was until she found Sawyer looking at a bodyguard with intense love in his eyes. He said that it was sympathy for the woman, but he did not know that every look gave lie to that sentiment. Chapter 1 The second the ten-billion-dollar merger was signed, Jessa Darling heaved her weary body from the negotiation table. Being awake for seventy-two hours straight with no rest whatsoever had set in a bone-deep level of exhaustion. “You’ve done a great job, dear. Thank you.” Sawyer Pitt opened his arms wide and took Jessa tightly in his embrace. Mixed in with his familiar cedar scent, Jessa smelled a hint of something coldly foreign. Jessa looked right past Sawyer’s shoulder and locked her gaze on the woman behind him. “Who is she?” Sawyer let go of Jessa and rubbed circles into the back of her hand comfortingly. “Vanessa Rivera. She’s quite a good fighter. She’ll be your personal bodyguard from now on. Come, let’s get into the car.” After Sawyer spoke, Vanessa got into the driver’s seat. Meanwhile, Sawyer smoothly pulled open the front passenger door. Jessa was left to occupy the expansive backseat alone. Sawyer had always repeated that the passenger seat was for her, his wife. Yet, he was sitting in that same seat with a woman by his side. Sawyer looked out of the window. A doting smile never completely faded from his expression. “Dear, get in the car quickly now. The backseat is spacious enough for you to lie down and get some rest.” But what he used to say was, “The road’s bumpy. You’ll only be able to rest better when you’re leaning against me.” Jessa did not respond and quietly pulled the door open. During the car ride, Sawyer kept chatting happily with Vanessa. Whenever he looked at Vanessa, there was heat in his gaze. However, when his gaze swept over Jessa through the rearview mirror, that fire promptly went out. The distance that was between them felt like a blade slipping right into Jessa’s exhausted psyche. Back at the villa, Vanessa did not seem like she was intending to leave. Jessa’s voice was icy as she said, “I told you before, Sawyer. We don’t allow overnight visitors in this house.” Before Sawyer could speak, Vanessa answered. She picked up a mug of warm water and presented it to Jessa as she said, “Ma’am, I’ll be doing all the work around here from now on, as Mr. Pitt has ordered. Don’t worry, I don’t make much noise. I will not bother you or Mr. Pitt during your private moments.” Jessa did not respond immediately. Her gaze was fixed on Vanessa’s wrist. Around her wrist was a Patek Philippe Celestial G-052. It was the exact watch that Jessa had given Sawyer for his birthday last year. He had once said that this watch belonged to him and him alone. It represented their time together and how they would always be in step with each other. But that watch that purportedly meant so much had found itself wrapped around another woman’s wrist. Jessa froze for half a second as pain blossomed in her heart. She looked up at Vanessa. Coincidentally, a hint of panic appeared on Vanessa’s face. She hurriedly pulled her sleeve down to hide the watch. Her acting was so smooth that it seemed perfectly natural. “Jessa, Vanessa has quite a pitiful backstory. Don’t make life harder for her. She has no home to return to, so she has to stay here in the meantime. She’ll be in the annex, so she won’t disturb us.” Sawyer took the mug from Vanessa and personally held it out to Jessa. His tone was a very clearly protective one. Jessa held the mug that had been forced into her hand. The steam from the water blurred her vision, but also stung her eyes. At Jessa’s silence, Vanessa dropped to her knees and started to cry. She looked as though she was an abandoned puppy on the streets. “Ma’am, Mr. Pitt saved me from an underground fight club. I will do anything you need of me! Please let me stay! I don’t have to stay in the annex. I can guard the front door all night! I won’t take up much space, nor do I eat a lot. I swear!” Jessa assessed her. A woman who had escaped a cruel and violent place like an underground fight club could not possibly have such a flawless and unmarred face as Vanessa’s. “She’s lying to you, Sawyer.” When Jessa looked up, she found pity in Sawyer’s eyes. “Jessa, you’ve always been a kind person. Vanessa has gone through a lot in that place. You should pity her.” Pity her? Jessa looked at Sawyer. She could not help but think of what had happened that rainy night three years ago, at the Golden Frontier. In an attempt to retrieve the Pitt Group’s core chip worth tens of billions, she had been held at gunpoint by the region’s most powerful warlord, a man nicknamed the Reaper. Forced into a game of Russian roulette, she had pointed a revolver at herself and pulled the trigger five times. By sheer bravery, she safely left that negotiation table. She had managed to get that core chip shipped back home as well. She had not escaped unscathed. The Reaper’s underlings had left grievous wounds on her body. Every time she swallowed, she tasted blood in her saliva. But Sawyer had only comforted her through the phone. “You’ve done so well, Jessa. Come home soon.” Even after surviving a near-death experience for Sawyer, she still seemed to fall short. Yet, a bunch of creative lies had won his sympathy. Disgust roiled in her and rose to choke her. Jessa did not say a word more before getting up to leave. “Jessa…” When Sawyer was just about to get up and chase after her, Vanessa hugged his legs and begged, “Please don’t fight with your wife, Mr. Pitt! This is all my fault! I’ll get out of the way now! I won’t come between you and your wife!” Saying this, she rammed her head toward the corner of the marble fireplace. “Vanessa!” Shocked, Sawyer lunged forward to pull Vanessa into his arms. “Jessa, I’m taking Vanessa to the hospital.” Jessa was extremely disgusted to hear Sawyer’s panicked voice behind her. She sent a text to her assistant: [Investigate this person named Vanessa Rivera. I want to know everything about her.] Chapter 2 After that night, Sawyer no longer set foot in the master bedroom. His excuse was that Vanessa had been plagued by recurring nightmares after getting hurt. She would feel so ill at ease whenever Sawyer left her sight that she would attempt suicide. A week later, the negotiations with a company from a neighboring city reached a crucial point. As Jessa prepared to fly to Soverna, Sawyer went to her with Vanessa by his side. “What’s your plan for the negotiations?” “The proposal is fine, but I’m going alone. The company has a complex background, so having more people would only complicate matters and jeopardize the negotiations.” “Alright, but bring Vanessa with you so she can learn a thing or two.” Jessa looked up abruptly. It was a long-established rule that Jessa would not intervene in the group’s management, while Sawyer would not interfere in its business negotiations. Sawyer was breaking that rule because of Vanessa. “We’re going to negotiate, not fight in a ring. I can go on my own.” Sawyer had been straightening Jessa’s coat collar. When he heard her words, he stilled and frowned. His tone hardened as he said, “I’d feel better if Vanessa were there.” After he spoke, he looked past Jessa and commanded Vanessa, “Take good care of Ms. Darling today.” Then, he leaned close to whisper into Jessa’s ear, “Trust me, Jessa. Give me seven months. I will give you a huge surprise after seven months.” Jessa’s heart sank heavily. She did not understand what Sawyer meant by asking her for seven months, but she was willing to trust him that one time. As expected, the negotiations were tense. The head of the company she was dealing with, Tom Rogen, had a beer belly, coupled with vicious, beady eyes. He intentionally provoked Jessa. “Ms. Darling, you’re such a great beauty, but you’re such a shark when it comes to business negotiations. I wonder if you’re just as formidable in bed?” Strangled laughter sounded within the conference room. It was awkward, but Jessa knew that her opponent had run out of moves when they resorted to personal attacks. Just as she was about to speak up, Vanessa kicked the redwood conference table, flipping it. Everyone watched in stunned silence as Vanessa rushed forward and pressed Tom to the floor. She rained punches on him until he was out cold. Before that incident, Jessa had the upper hand in the negotiations. After Vanessa’s assault, they had become the party in the wrong. As such, they owed the other party compensation. “Call an ambulance! Vanessa, stop now!” Jessa’s face was deathly pale. Sawyer walked in at that very moment. He rushed instinctively to Jessa’s side and took hold of her icy hands. His eyes were filled with worry. “Why are your hands so cold? Did he do anything to you?” Jessa was about to speak when Vanessa broke through the chaotic crowd. She dropped to one knee and pulled out a knife. With great force, she plunged it straight into her thigh. The wet squelch of the blade entering flesh stopped everyone in their tracks. Vanessa’s face immediately went pale with pain. When she looked up, there was steel in her gaze. “I have failed in my job, Mr. Pitt. I should be punished!” Sawyer was taken aback. “Have you gone mad?” His voice was tense and thready with fear. It was far more sincere than when he had spoken to Jessa. “Doctor! Call a doctor! Where has everyone disappeared to?” Jessa could feel her heart plunge back into the icy depths after having just warmed up the slightest bit. Normally light-footed at the negotiation table, Jessa suddenly found herself at a loss for words. An ambulance quickly arrived. Sawyer said, “Handle things here,” picked up Vanessa, and left. “Ms. Darling, your arm…” Jessa’s assistant, Alex Johnson, rushed over as Jessa let out a shocked cry. He started bandaging her wound. The wound on Jessa’s arm was so deep that the bone could be seen. But even though the blood had stained Sawyer’s palm, he had not even noticed it. “I’m fine.” Jessa looked away from Sawyer’s and Vanessa’s parting backs to survey the mess they had left behind. Chapter 3 Jessa spent the whole night dealing with the fallout from the incident of Vanessa’s attack on Tom Rogen. She had visited him personally to apologize while also promising that she would pay for all the medical fees incurred. She also paid a premium of twenty percent more than the agreed amount for their contract. It was the only way she managed to resolve the situation. When she got back to the villa, the sky was just getting lighter. The dawning light filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting shafts of light on the floor. Jessa dragged her tired body upstairs. She kept moving around after injuring her arm, so it started to hurt again. Blood spotted the bandage. She forced herself to go back downstairs for some medication. When she passed by the study, she heard muffled crying coming from inside. “I didn’t do it on purpose, Sawyer. Really, I was just trying to protect Ressa. He wanted to sleep with her! I didn’t want her to suffer that kind of insult.” “I know.” Sawyer’s voice was extremely gentle and hinted at a level of patience Jessa had never experienced before. Vanessa’s sobs lessened. “By the way, the baby has been kicking me today. I think it’s trying to tell its dad not to be angry. “Thankfully, the baby’s only three months old. If it were bigger, I might not have been able to defend Ressa today.” What Dad? What baby? Jessa’s heart constricted painfully. Sawyer’s voice echoed again in the study. “Don’t think about this nonsense. Focus on the pregnancy. Jessa will take care of that business deal. “Vanessa, remember your place in this house. I only spent that night with you because I made a mistake. I’m only giving you a place to live. Don’t think you can use this baby to win my love. “Jessa is the only one I love. We can’t let her know about our relationship. If she finds out, you’ll be done for.” Jessa did not hear the rest of their conversation. She felt the blood freeze in her body. A pregnancy lasted forty weeks. The baby was already three months old. Was this what Sawyer had meant about the seven-month stay? Was Sawyer’s idea of a surprise to give her someone else’s child? Jessa did not know how she ended up back in her room. As she sat on the bed, she realized that her wound had reopened. Crimson blood stained the bandage, but she could not feel even a hint of pain. At that moment, she understood that the pain in her heart could hurt more than physical pain, so much so that the physical pain could be completely numbed. Jessa gripped her phone tightly. The voice recording was still going. She had cultivated this habit over the years, but she had never expected to use it at home. Jessa carelessly redressed her wound and turned on her laptop. The light of the screen illuminated her pale face. [Finish up the investigation and send everything you’ve found to me after you’ve compiled it into a report.] An encrypted email promptly arrived in her email inbox. The contents shocked her thoroughly. Vanessa’s story was much more complicated than she had anticipated. Sawyer had basically invited a wolf into their home and treated it as a precious puppy. Jessa closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She would not let Sawyer’s stupidity ruin the Pitt Group. Jessa spent the night sending out orders to people on her laptop. She got some employees overseas to find new sources of capital. Once everything was ready, she would uproot the Pitt Group and leave. Sawyer could stay there and rot with his loyal side piece. Early the next morning, Jessa put on delicate makeup and hid her bandaged wound under a silk shirt. Her world-shattering, heart-breaking experience from the previous night was nothing but a dream. She went downstairs and saw Sawyer passing Vanessa a plate of breakfast. It was such a gentle and caring gesture. When he saw Jessa, Sawyer froze. He stiffened, only for a moment. Vanessa immediately stood up, but the wound on her leg made her hiss in pain. “Mrs. Pitt.” “Vanessa’s leg got hurt, Jessa. Don’t treat her too badly over the next few days.” Treat her badly? Jessa stood in place and stared at Sawyer. She had never even said anything before Vanessa stood up and attacked someone. Did that count as Jessa treating Vanessa badly? Sensing that he had misspoken, Sawyer immediately changed the subject. “Have you handled the situation with Tom Rogen and the business negotiation?” “It’s settled.” Jessa’s cool and detached demeanor made Sawyer strangely annoyed. Still, he did not try to say anything further. Chapter 4 Due to the tense relationship between Sawyer and Jessa, things for the upper management in the company became tense as well. For half a month, Jessa lived at the office, working through the night with her team. “Ms. Darling, I’m done here.” With the last Enter key pressed, everyone relaxed. Jessa stood up and said, “I ordered takeout for everyone. Handle any leftover work while I bring the food up. We’re having dinner together.” As everyone cheered, Jessa went downstairs. However, when she returned, she saw her team sitting dumbfounded as they looked at their laptops with their blue screens. Vanessa was sitting next to her desk. “What’s going on?” Jessa’s heart started racing. Vanessa sent a pitiful look in Jessa’s direction. “Mrs. Pitt, it’s all my fault! It’s my butter fingers! I only wanted to strengthen security and clear up the trash in the system, but then… But then this happened.” Clear the system’s trash? A buzzing started up in Jessa’s head. She did not have the energy to deal with Vanessa at all, so she sent Sawyer a message to handle it. It would be best if she could delay the meeting she had. Then, she turned on her laptop and went back to working nonstop. They needed to retrieve the key documents that had been lost, even if they could only get one of them back. Jessa led her team in trying to salvage the situation, so she did not even notice when Sawyer had arrived. However, at the key moment, Vanessa let out a loud sob, and Jessa’s laptop screen went black. She was done for. They were all done for. Jessa was devastated, but she did not even have the energy to show it on her face. She turned around and saw Vanessa with her knee on the plug point switch. She slapped herself repeatedly. “You should just kill me, Mrs. Pitt! I only wanted to help you because Mr. Pitt keeps saying the company’s internet access wasn’t safe…” Meanwhile, Sawyer stood behind Vanessa. As he watched Vanessa’s eyes turn redder and her face swell up, his anger lessened. He sighed and looked at Jessa, who had not spoken a single word. “Jessa, she’s only trying to help. You’re so capable. You should be able to redo the work if you work through the night, right?” Jessa looked at Sawyer for a moment before suddenly letting out a laugh. Had he rushed here in the middle of the night to comfort Vanessa? How could he ask her so easily to use her skills and knowledge as an excuse to let Vanessa keep messing up? But she had no energy to argue with Sawyer about this. She could only muster a cold and sarcastic, “Sure.” That night, she held a meeting with everyone in the company except for Sawyer. She needed more time to leave, but at that point, she first had to make sure everyone in the company had a way to escape this sinking ship. Jessa did not sleep that night. She spent the entire night producing a new proposal. At the meeting the next day, Vanessa was sitting in the seat usually reserved for Sawyer’s assistant. But she had no right to be there at all. Sawyer stood up and introduced Vanessa to everyone. “Vanessa Rivera is our new partner. She will be joining this meeting to learn a few things.” It was ridiculous to have a bodyguard learn about their upper-level business strategies. Everyone showed their disapproval on their faces. Jessa subconsciously clenched her fists before she quickly regained her composure. Once she got everything together and took the Pitt Group away with her, Sawyer could let Vanessa learn whatever she wanted. During the meeting, one of the shareholders, Mr. Covey, spoke up suddenly. “Ms. Darling, your proposal is solid as usual. However, it’s too conservative.” Mr. Covey had always gone against Jessa. As one of the old guards in the company, he always felt the need to question whatever Jessa said. As such, no one ever bothered to take his comments to heart. Even Jessa did not plan to answer him. However, right then, another voice piped up. “I think Mr. Covey is right.” Vanessa stood up and added, “Ms. Darling, your proposal is too conservative. I would go all out. Isn’t market share something you fight for control over anyway? What is there to be afraid of?” Everyone at the meeting was shocked. They all looked at her like she was a madwoman. Jessa shot Sawyer a look, silently asking him to stop this drama. But when their gazes met, Sawyer let out a soft chuckle. “Jessa, you should be as passionate as Vanessa sometimes.” With that, the meeting ended on this absurd note. Even after everyone left, Jessa remained in her seat. In a daze, she recalled what happened five years ago. They were in this same conference room, but the company was still new, and every bit of progress they made was hard-won. They faced the doubt and questioning of the company’s old guard all the time. Sawyer constantly supported her and was the loudest voice backing her plans. “I will say this again. Jessa is my partner. If anyone has anything to say against her, you can get out now!” Back in the day, Sawyer had been her shield against everything ugly in the world. But five years later, Sawyer was shoving her forward to be judged by a pack of wolves. The contrast nearly tore her apart inside. Chapter 5 The day after that, Jessa got sick. In her addled haze, she felt like she was trapped in an icy sea, unable to surface no matter how hard she tried. She seemed to hear Sawyer repeat, over and over again, that he loved her. He asked her to wait. But what was she waiting for? Was she supposed to wait until Sawyer’s baby was born? Gradually, the voice turned into familiar footsteps. Jessa fought to open her eyes. When she did, she saw the family doctor who had been with her for more than a decade. Her expression was pained, as Vanessa stood before her to block her path. “Thank you for coming all this way, Dr. Marchand, but your services are not needed. Mr. Pitt hired the best private medical team from Swenara. They’ll be doing a full-body checkup for Mrs. Pitt in a bit.” Jessa wanted to interject, but her throat was too dry for her to speak. She could only watch as the medical team did as they liked. She felt humiliation like she had never before experienced as the foreign coldness of the equipment swept over her body. That night, Jessa forced herself to call Sawyer. Through the phone, Sawyer said matter-of-factly, “Your health is extremely important, so you must have the best. Vanessa is more considerate than you when it comes to this.” Jessa gripped her phone and lost the energy to even argue. Her illness lasted one week. Throughout the week, Sawyer never came by to visit her. He only sent her three texts every day, saying that he was working overtime, and that he loved her. However, Jessa knew very well where Sawyer had been that whole week. He never once set foot in the office. The first day, he had been at a restaurant popular with couples. There was even a promotion where kissing would get you a free meal, and Sawyer had done that with Vanessa. The second day, he went to an amusement park. Some ice cream had dripped on Vanessa, and he had looked at her with heat in his eyes. On the third day, Sawyer brought Vanessa to a private archery range. It was a place even Jessa was not allowed. But there, Sawyer was pressed close to Vanessa as he taught her how to shoot. Vanessa had sent her pictures of their escapades. Every single picture was proof of Sawyer’s infidelity. Jessa looked at them for a very long time before saving screenshots of all of those messages. Jessa’s phone rang. It was an overseas number. When she picked up, a man’s deep and gentle voice sounded. “Jessa, are you sure you want to take the Pitt Group for all it’s got and leave Sawyer?” Jessa calmly made an assenting noise. “We can start our collaboration now, Mr. Grant.” After she hung up, the screen of her phone went dark. Then, it lit up again with a new text. [Have you gone to bed? Sawyer said he’s drunk, so he’s resting at mine.] The attached picture showed Sawyer naked, his back reddened by scratches from long nails. [By the way. While we were busy earlier, Sawyer said he hates those fake and devious women who are good at negotiating. He prefers someone like me, who could give up her life for him. You should be smart enough to know that your best move is to leave on your own, right?] Jessa threw her phone away, but it kept ringing with incoming texts from the corner. Later, Jessa collected all the screenshots and sent them to her lawyer in an encrypted file. Her plan was already in motion. With another month and all this evidence, she could make sure that she could be rid of Sawyer while walking away with everything under their shared name. As for the building blocks she was putting together overseas, they would survive any kind of accident that happened from then on. Chapter 6 When Jessa opened her eyes the next morning, she found Sawyer sitting next to her. “Jessa, I heard that you’re better now? Here, have some food while it’s hot.” A warm sandwich was shoved into her hand. Feeling the warmth of the gesture, Jessa looked at Sawyer. How could he be so sincere in his care for her this morning when he had been in Vanessa’s bed just last night? How could he have called her a fake and devious woman? “Are you still feeling unwell, Jessa? About the negotiation today…” “I’m fine. I’ll go.” Jessa put the sandwich aside. When she looked down, her gaze was filled with contempt. Sawyer had not come home so early out of concern for her. It was because he needed her to be at the negotiation. The sandwich went cold and limp the moment it left her hand. On the way to the meeting, Sawyer kept asking about her, but Jessa did not respond. She watched the scenery speed past outside her window. She did not know when they had come to this point in their relationship. Jessa’s phone buzzed in her bag. [Ms. Darling, Vanessa is going to orchestrate a car accident!] The message was succinct. It came from the spy she had placed in the upper levels of the Cevina Group. The attached picture had a car plate circled. The vehicle itself was heading onto a highway. It was the very truck following not far behind them. “Stop the car!” Just as Jessa pulled out her knife and put it to Vanessa’s neck, the truck behind them barreled at them. In a split second, Vanessa hit the steering wheel. Being in the driver’s seat, she got hit the hardest. There was a great crash. The force threw Jessa against the door. She let go of the knife. Luckily, it had not hurt anyone. In the chaos, Jessa forced her head up. She could swear that Vanessa had smiled at knowing she had gotten her way before she fell unconscious. From the back seat, Sawyer’s voice was frantic. “Vanessa! Vanessa!” Sawyer ignored the blood flowing from his forehead and frantically went over to undo Vanessa’s seatbelt. The sound of ambulance sirens approached. … In the hospital, the sharp scent of disinfectant stung the nose. The doctor looked grim as he walked out of the emergency room. “Who is the patient’s next of kin? The patient has lost a lot of blood. She and her baby are both in serious condition.” Before the doctor could speak further, Sawyer grabbed him by the collar. “Make sure the baby is safe. You have to make sure my baby is safe, no matter what!” He did not even look back to see Jessa standing behind him, equally pale-faced. At that moment, Jessa clearly heard the truth. Whatever hope she had harbored was thoroughly destroyed. Sawyer sat vigil in the hospital for three days and three nights. That third day was even his and Jessa’s wedding anniversary. That night, Jessa received a call from Sawyer. Through the line, Jessa could hear Vanessa’s weak voice. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Pitt. Mr. Pitt is expending too much worry for the baby and me. He will have to make it up to you on your anniversary next year.” Jessa hung up. She glanced at the candlelit dinner arrayed before her, the food having long gone cold. A few days later, Sawyer came home exhausted. He hugged Jessa from behind and looked at her with deep affection. “I’m sorry, Jessa. I missed our anniversary. I love you, but I…” Before he could finish speaking, his phone rang. It was a call from the hospital with news that Vanessa’s condition had purportedly deteriorated. Sawyer immediately straightened up to leave again, but Jessa blocked his path. “Vanessa’s baby is yours, is that right?” Sawyer’s face went white. “It was a mistake, Jessa. You’re the one I love. But the baby is innocent.” “Alright then. Prove it to me. Prove to me that your love for me is worth more than that mistake.” Chapter 7 Jessa kept her gaze fixed on Sawyer. Their gazes met for a second before Sawyer shifted it away. “Don’t be unreasonable, Jessa. “She put herself in danger to save you when the car accident happened. You even threatened her with a knife! Even if you hate her, you should be grateful that she saved you. Besides, you’re the only one I love. Why won’t you believe me?” Why should she believe him? Should she believe him because of that seven-month promise? Or was she supposed to believe that Vanessa’s baby was not his? Jessa took out her phone and showed Sawyer all the texts Vanessa had sent her. Then, she played the voice recording from the study. After that, Sawyer watched as she calmly put a tablet before him. It showed all the proof of Vanessa’s ties with the Cevina Group. It also laid out their plans in minute detail. Sawyer’s face was pale. It first showed shock, then disbelief. After that, Sawyer went quiet. “Where did you get all this?” “I have my sources.” After Jessa said this, Sawyer suddenly cornered her. He questioned, “Your sources? Jessa, I am your husband! Why didn’t you tell me there’s a risk to the company at once? Why did you go for outside help?” “What was I supposed to tell you? Did you believe me when I told you she was lying to you?” What had Sawyer done when Jessa had raised this matter to him? He had told her that she should pity Vanessa! As the two were stuck in an impasse, Sawyer’s phone rang. He frantically hit the speakerphone button. Through the line came the voice of a director at the Cevina Group. It was lazy and mocking. “I heard there’s been a few issues at home, Sawyer. I thought you and Jessa were deathly devoted to each other. Why are you two in such a huge row over some bodyguard?” Sawyer suppressed his rage and said coldly, “Vanessa is yours, right?” Alvin Rucco let out a laugh. “Do you think I’d have the same poor taste as you? A woman like that is not even worth being a pawn of the Cevina Group. “You shouldn’t suspect that nobody. Why don’t you suspect your wife? But she loves you more than I thought. To clear away a rival in love, she was even willing to come to me for help. “By the way, Sawyer. Do you think that your wife is a pure and clean woman? You should ask her how she got your stock back from Mejika three years ago. Do you think she really managed it through words alone? You should know your wife’s skills better than that.” Chapter 8 The call was cut, but then a video was quickly sent over. In the video, Vanessa could be seen barely hanging onto life. She had been strung up from the rafters of an abandoned factory. Below her was a vat of some sort of green chemical. At the end of the video came Alvin’s voice. “If you’d like to save your loyal little bodyguard, Sawyer, you’ll have to trade Jessa for her. “Also, I left you a gift in your email inbox. The password is 250367.” Sawyer quickly opened his laptop. Indeed, he had received an encrypted email in his inbox. It held another video, but this one was of Jessa. She saw in the semidarkness, but her voice was calm and crystal clear. “Mr. Rucco, I want you to frame Vanessa Rivera as a corporate spy. Once everything’s done, I’ll give you half of the Pitt Group’s shares.” Alvin laughed. “Why should I trust you, Ms. Darling?” “No woman can handle her husband having a mistress. Besides, between letting Vanessa snatch the Pitt Group away and giving you the shares, I choose the latter.” The Jessa in the video was calm and ruthless with her logic. It was just like the Jessa he knew. Sawyer’s breathing nearly stopped. Before he had the chance to collect himself, the screen switched to show a bank transaction. The account listed was an overseas one that he did not know about. Records showed that a great sum had been transferred into it from the Cevina Group. The transfer was listed as a “deposit for collaboration.” After that, an expertly authored report was presented. It proved that every piece of evidence Jessa had shown him was really proof of Jessa framing Vanessa. “Explain this, Jessa. I told you to wait, so why couldn’t you trust me? How did it benefit you to force Vanessa to extremes?” “You would rather trust an enemy than trust me, Sawyer?” Jessa found this situation absurd and tragic. There were two sets of evidence, but Sawyer chose to trust the one that came from the Cevina Group and questioned her instead. Sounding angry, Sawyer said, “You’re the one who doesn’t trust me. Vanessa saved us both! How can you treat her this way?” “And what if she was the one who planned the car accident, Sawyer?” Jessa said, raising her voice. Sawyer subconsciously avoided Jessa’s gaze. Sawyer’s evasiveness shocked Jessa. Had Sawyer already known about the truth of the car accident? But then he had hidden it all because of the baby Vanessa was carrying. In that case, could he also tell that this evidence was doctored? That meant that Sawyer was not being stupid. He simply no longer loved her. Jessa gave a bitter laugh as Sawyer’s phone rang again. “Have you thought it through, Mr. Pitt? Do you choose Jessa or your loyal little bodyguard? Actually, I quite hope that you’ll pick Jessa. With such a skilled negotiator in your household, you can make a whole bunch of cash. A bodyguard’s life isn’t worth much.” Every word was a provocation to Sawyer. He turned furious, and his voice was cold and shaking. “Jessa, you should go and take her place. You owe this to her.”