Chapter 126: Chapter 126

Elena hadn't felt this loved and protected in decades. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn't dare let them fall. At that moment, all she wanted was to bask in the warmth of Jacob's chest. Without hesitation, she gave him a hug, not minding if he didn't reciprocate. "Thank you," she muttered, slowly letting go of him.

Jacob was caught off guard by her action and stood rooted to the ground, staring at her.

"I'm so sorry about that," Elena quickly apologized, not wanting him to get the wrong impression.

"It's fine," Jacob said. "Let me take you to the guest room." She trailed behind him, and he stopped at the door to the guest room. "You should get some rest and feel at home too."

After Elena waved goodbye, Jacob went into his room and pulled out his phone to call Tyler. "Hey, dude, where are you?" Jacob could hear loud noises and music playing in the background.

"At the club with my girl," Tyler replied. "What is it? Do you need my help with something?"

"It's Elena," Jacob said. "We're bonding really well, and I feel like I just gave her the wrong idea of everything. So she came over and cooked dinner; it was late, and I advised her to stay for the night for her safety because that bitch Megan has been stalking her lately."

"Uh-huh, go on... What did you say to her that might have given her the wrong impression?"

"I told her I wouldn't forgive myself if something bad happened tonight, and her staying for the night would keep my mind at ease," Jacob explained. "Then she hugged me, and I was so shocked that I didn't know what to do."

Tyler chuckled. "Jay, are you developing feelings for this pretend girlfriend of yours? I mean, if this is true, that's a good thing—you know. You've never talked about a girl in such a long time."

"I don't know," Jacob said, "but I think Elena is an amazing person, and it's been great spending time with her. Plus, I find her kind of cute and smart too. Does that mean I'm already in love with her?"

"That's something you should figure out yourself," Tyler said. "Lacey is waiting for me; I have to go now."

"Bro before bitches," Jacob said.

"Don't ever call Lacey a whore," Tyler warned before hanging up.

********

Andrea finally emerged from the bathroom, where she had been for over an hour. She found Sean relaxing against the headboard, working on his laptop. "Finally, you're out," he said, looking up from his screen and raising an eyebrow. "What were you doing in there for so long?"

Andrea hesitated, still in a daze. "When did you get back?" she asked, noticing he was already dressed in his comfortable clothes.

Sean smiled wryly. "Almost an hour ago. I waited for you for a bit, then I decided to use the guest bathroom and get some work done before bed."

Sean's gaze lingered on her swollen eyes. "You haven't answered my question," he said softly. "What were you doing in there, and why are your eyes looking so puffy? Were you crying?"

Sean's expression softened, and he reached out to take her hand. "Baby, I was just worried about you. You've been in there for a long time, and I was starting to get concerned."

Andrea's eyes welled up with tears again as she snuggled into his embrace. "It's nothing serious," she said, her voice trembling. "I was just taking a bath, and then I started thinking about Elena and Jacob's upcoming wedding... and it made me really happy. She deserves happiness after all she's been through."

Sean wrapped his arms around her tightly. "You're right; she does deserve happiness. But I don't want you crying like this, okay? My little crybaby."

As Andrea sniffled and wiped her tears away, Sean handed her a tissue from the nightstand. "I see you're quite busy," she said, trying to extricate herself from his grasp. "Let me leave you to work."

Sean pulled her back into his embrace, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Not tonight," he whispered, gently kissing the top of her head.

As the night wore on, Andrea's phone began to ring again, shattering the peaceful atmosphere. She groggily reached for it on the nightstand.

"Who's calling at this hour?" She mumbled in her sleep.

Andrea hesitated before answering the call. Jasmine's excited voice filled her ears: "Andrea, we have good news! Jace and I have set a date—we'll be getting married in two weeks!"

Andrea's heart skipped a beat as she sat up in bed, shock written all over her face.

.....

Andrea, this isn't fair at all," Jasmine poured into the phone as Andrea picked up. "You promised to be here on time. Are you just going to keep the soon-to-be bride standing?"

"Oh, please, just turn around," Andrea chuckled, and as soon as Jasmine turned around and saw her coming towards her, she hung up.

"Hello, bride-to-be," Andrea said tauntingly.

"What are you wearing?" Jasmine scrutinized her from head to toe.

Andrea looked down at herself and smiled. "I thought I'd wear something different for a change. You know, something free and comfy."

"So you decided to wear a maternity dress? Did your husband see you like this?" Jasmine couldn't stop laughing at her outfit.

Andrea nodded with pouty lips. "You can laugh all you want. I don't care because my husband said I look good in everything."

"Well, to be truthful with you, Mr. Wilson lied this time around," Jasmine said.

"Forget about that," Andrea said. "Where is the groom-to-be? Is he joining us later?"

"No, Jace is preparing for his last exams and told me to go without him. He said he'd get his friends to pick out a suit for him," Jasmine replied.

She grabbed Andrea's hand and pulled her towards the store excitedly. Andrea felt a sharp pain in her stomach and let out a loud gasp.

"What is it? Are you okay?" Jasmine asked worriedly.

Andrea nodded, clutching her stomach. "I'm fine," she managed to say. "You're clearly not. Let's go to the hospital."

"No, I'm fine now," Andrea said finally, releasing her breath. After Andrea assured her she was better, they went into the store in search of the perfect wedding dress.

...

Carmen walked into the house, and the maids quickly attended to her. "Welcome, Ms. Wallner." They bowed slightly in a gesture of respect as they took her luggage to the guest room immediately.

"Where is everyone?" Carmen asked one of the maids with a gentle smile as she looked around the place, memories of the past flashing in her head.

"Long time, no see, sis!" Megan rushed downstairs and gave Carmen a hug. "I was just preparing to go to the airport to pick you up, but I see you've already found your way here."

"Yeah, after all, this is my hometown, and it looks like nothing's changed since I was gone," Carmen commented truthfully.

Two years ago, she was forced to relocate with her parents while her plans to get rid of Andrea were still in the planning phase. Only now did she realize how stupid she had been in the past. If not for the therapeutic sessions she had in London that helped her get rid of her obsession with Sean, she wondered if she would have still been waiting for him.

Mr. and Mrs. Trevor came downstairs afterward and also greeted Carmen, asking about her parents.

"They're doing well, Uncle and Aunt. I hope you're enjoying your retirement in New York so far."

"Indeed, we are," Mr. Trevor said. "You're welcome here, and we want you to feel at home. If you need anything, just let us know."

Carmen nodded politely, and after they left, she went upstairs to freshen up and sort out her belongings. If not for the big law case she had here in New York, she never planned on coming back, but now she was here, and she could finally see Sean. In these two years, she had no idea how he was doing or if he was still in love with his wife, Andrea.

After getting changed, Carmen came downstairs for lunch, where everyone was already waiting for her. "So tell me, how was your trip?" Mrs. Trevor started a conversation.

"It was great knowing I'm coming back to my hometown after a long time," Carmen replied, taking a bite from the sausage.

"Right? You've really made waves with your career over these two years," Mrs. Trevor said. "At least if you can't get married, you'd still be successful in your career, unlike your cousin, who isn't doing either of those things."

Megan rolled her eyes as she tightened her grip on her fork, feeling irritated by her mother's words. "Mom, please not now," she glared at her mother with daggers.

Just then, a maid bowed before them, saying, "Ms. Trevor, you have a delivery that was just dropped off." She handed an envelope to Megan.

Megan opened the envelope with a puzzled expression; she wasn't expecting any mail like that. She brought out a document, and her expression darkened slightly as she read the contents.

"What?! A restraining order for me? Who does this bitch think she is?!" Megan got up from the chair furiously. Her face was twisted from the rage burning inside of her.

Carmen grabbed the paper and went through it calmly. "You've been issued a TRO and told to stay away from Elena Thompson."

"What did you get yourself into?" Carmen couldn't help but ask.

"How would I know? This bitch thinks she should be protected from me? That's very good," Megan said.

"For now, you have been issued a temporary restraining order from the court," Carmen explained. "If the court finds the allegations to be true, they may issue a permanent restraining order, which can last up to seven years."

"Now I will make her wary of me!" Megan stormed upstairs without another word.